Journaling Prompts and Ideas

Journaling has proven to be one of the best ways to reduce stress, boost mood, improve overall mental health, and attract good things. But it can be scary not knowing where to begin if you’re just entering the journaling world.

“What do I write? Am I doing it okay?” These questions often arise regarding journaling. Don’t worry, as you’ll learn by trial and error. That said, this post will cover journaling prompts and ideas to make the most of your new journal!

Journaling Ideas

1. Talk About Your Day

Journaling was first born in the form of diaries – A journal notebook had one mission: To hold the inner thoughts and feelings of its owner.

If you’re unsure where to start, this is one of the best journaling ideas. Simply lay in your bed and talk about your day. You can engage in storytelling to make things more interesting. Instead of describing plain events, bring them to life through characters and stories.

2. Manifesting

Manifestation journaling is writing down what you want to make real. It’s about attracting good vibes and living purely and with intention. When you’re mindful and living in the moment, your manifestations are more likely to come to life.

If you’re a manifesting fan, this is perfect for your journal. Focus on one of your goals – It can be anything, from finding a job to marrying the love of your life. The key is being specific about what you want to attract to your life.

You attract what you express. When you’re negative, you emit a vibration that pushes everything away, including your dreams and ambitions. Instead, being positive puts you in the perfect state of vibration to receive what you long for!

3. Doodle & Draw

If you’re a creative person who wants to begin an artistic journey or enjoys drawing what you see, start doodling and painting your journal!

Art is great for boosting your mood and making you feel better. Even if you’re not the best drawer, do it occasionally! You’ll notice how you pay more attention to the figures and colors around you, and thus you’ll see the beauty in life.

Journaling Prompts & Manifestation

Here are some ideas to manifest positivity and good things in your life:

• Gratitude journal: Write 3-5 reasons why you’re grateful each morning. It can be having a job, a good family, or a partner that loves you unconditionally.
• Describe your perfect life: Imagine what would your ideal life look like. Be specific when writing it down: Talk about the smells, the senses, and the good vibes.
• Remember the past: What are the best moments you ever lived? It can be a great activity to sit down with yourself and describe the happiness you felt in your childhood.
• Describe traits you want to develop: Write “My future self is…” and fill the page with positive features you want for yourself, from ambitious to forgiving to empathetic.
• How have you changed for the better? Reflecting on who you used to be and the person you’ve become can be very therapeutic. Write who you used to be and how you’ve changed for the better, and then be grateful!
• Your past self would be proud: Write down the traits and achievements your younger self would be proud of. It can be graduating from college, maintaining friendships, buying your first car, etcetera.

Journaling Tips

1. Let Go of Perfectionism

More often than not, you’ll mess up, and that’s okay. It’s easy to seek perfectionism from day one, but that’s unrealistic. A big part of journaling is making mistakes and learning from them, especially if your main goal is personal development!

2. Don’t Force Yourself to Journal

Creating habits sometimes means forcing yourself to do an activity. But it’s also okay to go with your intuition and mood. If you don’t feel like journaling today, don’t force yourself – You’ll probably be back on track tomorrow!

3. Play Around and Experiment

There’s no need to stick to the same journaling prompts and ideas forever. You can make small changes here and there to mix things up and avoid getting bored.

Many people find parts of themselves experimenting they wouldn’t have otherwise. Next time you pick up your precious journal, don’t be afraid of doodling, using watercolors, writing poetry, or whatever comes to your mind.