Best Journaling Prompts For Mental Health

Ever sat down to journal with the best intentions, only to stare at a blank page for five minutes? Journaling can be a rewarding (and, dare we say, fun) way to prioritize mental health — but not if you don’t know where to start.

According to therapist Keischa Pruden, LCMHCS, owner of Pruden Counseling Concepts, journaling allows you to offload negative thoughts and feelings on paper. “In many instances, writing allows a person to release negative emotional energy from their bodies and minds and makes room for positive energy and thoughts,” Pruden tells PS. That positivity can create tangible change in your everyday life. Journaling may also help you express more gratitude, set goals, and manifest your dreams.

If you’ve secured a great journal but you’re stuck with the writing part, you’ve come to the right place. We asked therapists to share their favorite journaling prompts for mental health — and they delivered. Find a comfortable space, set aside some time, then pick a prompt and let the thoughts flow freely. We promise it’s not as intimidating as it seems.

Experts Featured in This Article:

Keischa Pruden, LCMHCS, is a therapist and owner of Pruden Counseling Concepts.

Julianne Schroeder, LPC, is a therapist and therapeutic yoga instructor.

Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Courtney Cornick, PhD, is a psychologist and owner of Caya Wellness.

Tricia Wolanin, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist.

Sabrina Spotorno, LMHC, is a therapist at the sobriety management platform Monument.

Sari Chait, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and owner of the Behavioral Health and Wellness Center in Newton, MA.

Emily Stone, PhD, LMFT-S, is a therapist, owner, and senior clinician at The Unstuck Group.

Kylie O’Driscoll, LAMFT, is a licensed mental health clinician of the Georgia-based practice Berman Psychotherapy.

Natolie Grey Warren is a licensed professional counselor of InPowerment Counseling and Consulting Services.

Shari Foos, MFT, is a therapist and founder of The Narrative Method.

Andrea Hipps, LBSW, is a social worker and divorce coach.

Hui Ting Kok, LMHC, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

Skylar Ibarra, LCSW, is a psychotherapist of Lenarra Therapy.

Sara Weand, LPC, is a relationship and anxiety therapist in Annville, PA.

Lauren Auer, LCPC, is a therapist at Steadfast Counseling.

Janika Joyner, LCSW, CCTP, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker of Higher Elevation Psychosocial Services.

Natalie Bernstein, is a clinical psychologist and mental health coach.

Luis Cornejo, LMFT, is a therapist and founder of PsychoSocial.

Reflect on Your Day

By reflecting on your day and evaluating your choices and emotional reactions, you can see where you devote your “mental, emotional, and physical energy,” says Julianne Schroeder, LPC, a therapist and therapeutic yoga instructor.

The idea is to see clearly what you can and can’t control “and then focus on the former,” says Sabrina Romanoff, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. These kinds of prompts help you see how you’re living “out of alignment with reality,” Dr. Romanoff says, and encourage you to find different approaches to tough situations.

Try These Prompts:

Express Gratitude

Practicing gratitude (even when it feels like there’s nothing to be grateful for) helps shift your mindset “from what is going wrong in life to what is going well,” says psychologist Courtney Cornick, PhD, owner of Caya Wellness. It’s so easy to complain about what’s going wrong, adds clinical psychologist Tricia Wolanin, PsyD, that we rarely slow down to think about what’s going right.

After you journal about what you’re grateful for, read it over a few times, suggests Sabrina Spotorno, LMHC, a therapist at the sobriety management platform Monument. This will help the sense of peace and acceptance sink in.

Try These Prompts:

Set Goals and Intentions

Journaling about small goals can help if you’re “having a hard time getting things done or feeling overwhelmed,” said Sari Chait, PhD, a clinical psychologist and owner of the Behavioral Health and Wellness Center in Newton, MA. She recommends focusing on something small, like reading five pages of a book or making a grocery list, “which may seem trivial, but if you write out a goal, you are more likely to achieve it.” That sense of success can increase your motivation to keep checking off your goals.

You might also find it helpful to journal about broader intentions and things you want to accomplish. Ask yourself what your life is fostering and promoting in the world, suggests therapist Emily Stone, PhD, LMFT-S, owner and senior clinician at The Unstuck Group. She encourages writing continuously on this for five minutes, then reading what you’ve written out loud. “Notice your thoughts and feelings about what you have written. What do you want your life to keep creating?”

Try These Prompts:

Record and Release Your Emotions

Sometimes you just need a place to vent, and your journal is a great place for it. For this, you can follow a structured prompt or simply free write, says licensed mental health clinician Kylie O’Driscoll, LAMFT, of the Georgia-based practice Berman Psychotherapy. She sets a timer for 10 minutes and doesn’t stop writing until it goes off. “This is a great practice to release all the thoughts, emotions, and fleeting ideas that pop into our heads and have the space where we can process later if we chose to do so,” O’Driscoll tells PS.

You can also try a more specific prompt, like the first one listed below, a favorite of licensed professional counselor Natolie Grey Warren of InPowerment Counseling and Consulting Services. This prompt, focused on forgiveness, can help you unearth something you might be holding against yourself. “Self-forgiveness releases these thoughts and feelings and ultimately frees up mental and emotional baggage.”

Try These Prompts:

Discover How You Can Grow

Journaling can help you take stock of your life as it is and find ways you can create positive change. “Taking stock of yourself helps you realize what works and what needs to be changed,” said therapist Shari Foos, MFT, founder of The Narrative Method.

“Make this kind of self-evaluation an ongoing practice to help you continuously realign yourself as you deal with life’s changing tides.” It also helps you see what you can control in your life, says Andrea Hipps, LBSW, a social worker and divorce coach. “It’s easy to place blame on situations or people who make our lives more difficult,” Hipps says. Intentional journaling can help you shift your mindset from “victim to creator” and help you see how you’re getting in your own way.

Try These Prompts:

Practice Affirmations

Daily affirmations help improve our mood, says Hui Ting Kok, LMHC, helping you focus on positives instead of negatives. In doing so, you can improve your self-esteem, confidence, and motivation and handle stress more effectively.

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Center Yourself in the Moment

If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed, it’s helpful to ground yourself in the present and in your body, Schroeder says. Journaling is one way to do this, adds psychotherapist Skylar Ibarra, LCSW, of Lenarra Therapy, because it forces you to slow down and “approach the situation with curiosity instead of blame.” “What assumptions are we treating as facts? What information are we filling in?” she asks. You want to pause the story in your head and put it down on paper, where you separate reality from anxiety.

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Cultivate Peace and Joy

Sometimes, it’s helpful to focus on emotions and experiences that comfort you, especially if you’re dealing with intense anxiety or trauma, says relationship and anxiety therapist Sara Weand, LPC, in Annville, PA. Tapping into feelings of safety and trust can help you feel empowered, she explains. If you can, it’s helpful to go into vivid detail, adds therapist Lauren Auer, LCPC, at Steadfast Counseling, which helps you reconnect with those feelings at a deeper level.

But if a happy or peaceful experience isn’t coming to mind, try jotting down an inspiring quote or the lyrics to your favorite song, says Janika Joyner, LCSW, CCTP, of Higher Elevation Psychosocial Services. “Reading words that are meaningful and inspiring can uplift a person’s mood and create a sense of peace,” she explains.

Try These Prompts:

Imagine the Future

“Some of the most effective journaling prompts tap into the idea of the future or how you would like your life to be,” says Natalie Bernstein, clinical psychologist and mental health coach. By doing this, you’re allowing yourself to focus on the life you want to be living, “rather than thinking about the overwhelming aspect of having to get there,” explains therapist Luis Cornejo, LMFT, founder of PsychoSocial. You’re creating motivation by giving yourself a glimpse of what your life could be like after you go through the work, Cornejo tells PS.

Try These Prompts:

Maggie Ryan was an assistant editor at PS. A longtime runner and athlete, Maggie has nearly four years of experience covering topics in the wellness space, specializing in fitness, sports, nutrition, and mental health.