88 Daily Journal Prompts on Life, Love, and Gratitude
Journaling is packed with health benefits—here's how to get started.
You’ve heard about the health benefits of journaling, but how to begin? These thought-provoking questions will put you on the path to greater self-awareness and happiness.
From chasing after goals to gaining self-confidence and gratitude, journaling just a few sentences daily can manifest big things in your personal life. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, journaling can also be a hugely beneficial addition to your self-care routine, allowing you to track mood swings and train your brain to think more positive thoughts.
Yet despite the benefits of journaling (and all the celebs who do it), getting started can be tough: If staring at a blank page or screen gives you a serious case of writer’s block, you’re far from alone. Knowing how to begin can take practice, and that’s where the following series of prompts comes in. The list is long and varied—if one question doesn’t speak to you, try another. And if a prompt leads you to come up with a different question altogether to write about, that’s fine, too. As long as something on this list inspires you to put pen to paper (or finger to keypad) you’re headed in the right direction.
Try these daily journaling prompts
Hit the pause button on your busy life and reflect on the past 24 hours with these questions that will give you ample motivation to get the words flowing.
What was the best thing that happened to you today?
What is something that made you laugh today?
What steps did you take today towards a goal you’re working on?
Who made your day better today? How can you pay that feeling forward?
What made today unique?
What is one thing you want to remember from today?
When did you feel most authentically yourself today?
How can you make tomorrow (even) better than today?
Related: 10 Awesome Mental Health Podcasts You Need To Subscribe to Right Now—Your Brain Will Thank You
Prompts for gratitude journaling
Remembering what you’re thankful for in your life can help you gain perspective on other things that are less than perfect. These questions can get you started down that path.
What are three things you’re grateful for today?
What’s something that’s working well in your life right now?
What’s a simple pleasure in your life that you are thankful for?
What musician or song are you grateful for? Why?
Look around your room. What are some things that make you grateful?
What person in your life are you most thankful for?
What tradition in your life makes you feel grateful?
What experiences have you had that you are grateful for?
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Explore love journaling prompts
Feeling challenged by your love life? Trying to sort out your feelings for a romantic partner or figure out how to strengthen your partnership bond? The questions here can help you think it through in your journal.
What does love mean to you?
When was the first time that you fell in love with somebody else?
Describe your first kiss: who, when and where.
What is your idea of a perfect date?
What relationship in your life embodies platonic love?
How do you show people that you love them?
What is your love language?
What do you love about your partner? If you don’t have one, name three qualities that you’d love to find in a future partner.
Related: How to Manifest Anything in 10 Simple Steps, According to Real People Who've Done It!
Journal prompts to help expand your mind
If you’re on a mission to grow your understanding of the world and your role in it, these are a few thought starters to get those wheels turning.
If you were given $10,000 and only an hour to spend it, how would you do it?
If you could live 24 hours in the body of any animal, which animal would it be?
How would you describe your spirituality?
What in your life brings you the greatest pleasure?
If you could, would you go back 10 years in your life? Why or why not?
What is a situation that always makes you procrastinate?
What country would you like to visit for the first time?
Plan your last meal—make it as elaborate and complicated as you wish!
Try these journaling prompts for self-discovery
How well do you really know yourself? Have you ever spent time trying to pinpoint exactly what you value in life? If you’re looking to learn a little more about who you really are, these questions are a good place to begin.
Who are you when nobody is looking?
If your best friend described you, what would they say?
What truths have you uncovered in the past year?
Where did you get your most closely held values?
What is your enneagram (or horoscope sign)? Do you feel that it suits you?
What magic power would you like to have?
What scares you?
What do you feel is your purpose in life, and has that answer changed in the last five years?
Identity-related journaling prompts
Understanding your roots—your culture, your family history—can give you a more complete picture when it comes time to make important decisions in your life. Use these questions as launching points to journaling sessions about your identity.
What is something that you are good at? When did you learn how to do it?
What is your happy place? Describe it in detail.
What makes you happy?
What is your culture, and how does it manifest in your life?
How are you like your immediate family members, or not like them?
What thing(s) would you change about your life? Can you do it?
Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 20?
How has the place you grew up shaped the person you are today?
Related: Self-Care Has Never Been More Important, So We Found the Best Apps to Help You On Your Journey
Cultivate mindfulness with these journaling prompts
Tapping into a mental state that’s all about the here-and-now is a great way to alleviate stress and anxiety. These prompts can help you find that mindful space.
What negative emotions am I holding onto? How can I let them go?
Identify three urges you resisted today.
If food is a struggle for you, what are some moments today when you made the choice not mindlessly eat something?
What do I need to let go of?
Identify three times that you felt challenged today.
What is something I can start doing today that my future self will thank me for in one year?
What is one past failure that I can now identify as a gift?
What is the story of my life right now, and is it the one I want to be living?
Journaling prompts for self-improvement
Want to be an even better version of yourself? These journaling exercises can help you spot your weakest links and find ways to make yourself stronger.
Identify three negative things that you often say to yourself, and formulate retorts to all of them.
What do you need the most right now? How can you meet that need?
How can you improve your self-care?
What goals have you lost sight of? Are you interested in picking them up again?
In what ways do you waste time? How can you minimize these distractions?
What do you want to be remembered for?
What boundaries do you need to set in your life right now, and with whom?
What would your ideal life look like? Describe it fully.
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Explore letter-writing journaling prompts
Sometimes, the best way to get yourself thinking about a topic is to imagine you’re writing a friend or acquaintance a letter about it. Use these journaling prompts to get yourself in the letter-writing mood.
Write a letter to someone who doesn’t know how much you love them.
Write a letter to someone famous.
Write a letter to someone you know who had passed away.
Write a letter to teenager you.
Write a letter to yourself, 10 years in the future.
Write a letter to someone who makes you angry.
Write a letter to your descendants.
Write a letter to a fictional character.
Test these secret journaling prompts
Shh! What don’t you want anyone to know about you? What’s your guiltiest pleasure or deepest desire? Use these questions to help you dig deep below your surface (don’t worry, the only person reading the answers is you!).
What is the worst thing that you’ve ever done?
What is your most forbidden desire?
Write something that nobody knows about you.
What is something that makes you feel guilty? (Bonus: How can you rid yourself of this guilt?)
What would you do if you could guarantee nobody would ever find out?
What is the ugliest thought you’ve been holding onto?
Have you ever hurt somebody on purpose?
What secret have you been keeping for too long?
Journaling prompts for living your best life
And finally, if you’re tired of merely surviving the daily grind and you’re ready to unlock ways to get more joy and satisfaction out of your existence, these are the questions you might want to explore.
What is something that you have been putting off for far too long?
What haven’t you done because you are afraid?
Write down seven little details from your week that you might otherwise forget.
What five people do you spend the most time with? How do those people impact your life in positive ways?
What is something that you have always wanted to learn more about? How could you go about doing that?
If you could only accomplish three things tomorrow, what would they be?
If you had to choose a life mantra or quote, what would it be?
How are you going to make tomorrow the best day that it can be?
If you enjoy these journaling prompts and find writing about how you feel helps you get the most out of your life, check out 15 Anxiety Journals to Reduce Stress and Help You Feel a Little Calmer Right Now and get ready to take your journaling to the next level.
Sources
Kaiser Permanente: “7 Benefits to Keeping a Journal.”
University of Rochester Medical Center: “Journaling for Mental Health.”
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