“You should try journaling!” We’ve all heard it before. Whether it’s your therapist, your friend, or your sister, people are ALWAYS recommending therapy journaling as a way to improve mental health. But where do you even begin?
As a mental health therapist and personal journal keeper, I am always coming up with journaling prompts to help people begin the process. This blog post is ALL ABOUT therapy journaling.
The first step is to discover what TYPE of therapy journaling you are hoping for. There are many different themes based on your needs and goals. Some of these themes include:
– Processing
– Depression Recovery
-Anxiety Recovery
– Goal/Motivation Focused
Therapy Journaling-Processing
Do you find yourself overthinking throughout the day? Do you have trouble sleeping at night because of your busy brain? Do you struggle to answer questions about yourself and who you are? Therapy journaling centered on processing typically serves the purpose of getting thoughts OUT of your head and onto the paper. This type of journaling can help you organize your thoughts and better understand how your brain works.
Prompt #1– Free write. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write the first thing that comes to your mind. Do not stop writing until the timer goes off. Do not pause to correct mistakes. Do not analyze. Just write. Afterwards, leave the thoughts on the pages OR scan through what you wrote to search for patterns.
Prompt #2– Write a narrative of your day as if you were telling a story. This can be in first person (I went to the store) or third person (She went to the store). Make note of events, characters, and feelings.
Prompt #3– What emotions did you feel today? What prompted those emotions? What beliefs are tied to those emotions?
Prompt #4- What events happened today that you didn’t properly process? What memories came up that you need to process further?
Therapy Journaling- Depression Recovery
When journaling to help with depression, the purpose is often to be aware of thinking patterns that bring you down and practice adjusting these patterns to put yourself in a different mindset. For example, when you are experiencing depression, you might view the world as negative or have beliefs that because you feel bad, everything IS bad. Journaling can be a great way to bring awareness to your thinking and actively practice thinking differently. Note: Changing thinking patterns alone is not a cure for depression, but it can create a positive impact toward recovery.
Prompt #5– What negative thinking patterns did you have today? Which of those thinking patterns could be viewed in a more positive way? (i.e. “I didn’t do ANYTHING of worth today” can be changed to “I woke up and brushed my teeth today”).
Prompt #6– What went well today? (at the end of the day) or What could go well today? (at the beginning of the day)
Prompt #7- Gratitude Journal: What are three things I’m grateful for today?
Prompt #8– Self-Worth Journal: What did I do well today? What are 3 things I like about myself today?
Therapy Journaling- Anxiety Recovery
Therapy journaling for anxiety could have different intentions based on where you are at in the healing process. Ultimately, the goals are focused on anxiety relief, whether by getting the thoughts out of your head or discovering more about what causes your anxiety.
Prompt #9– What made me anxious today? What was the perceived threat in those situations? How real is the threat? (This can be helpful to bring to therapy for trauma processing).
Prompt #10– What are anxious thoughts that I can put to rest until tomorrow? (This is good before bed to let your brain know that you will remember these concerns at a later time).
Prompt #11– What made me feel powerful today? What made me feel safe?
Therapy Journaling- Goal/Motivation Focused
Whether you are working on therapy goals, like challenging your anxiety, or self-growth goals, like exercise or daily living habits, keeping a journal can help you maintain motivation. Just writing down your goals can increase the likelihood that you will achieve those goals, and making the habit of checking in with yourself every day will increase those chances even more.
Prompt #12– (In the morning) What 3 things do I want to accomplish today? How will I feel once I’ve accomplished those things?
Prompt #13– (At night) What actions did I take toward my goals today (having this at the end of every night will motivate you during the day to complete the goals).
Prompt #14– What is my end of year goal? What are small steps I can take today to reach that goal?
Therapy Journaling- Other ideas
There are so many other idea prompts when you begin journaling, and once you get the hang of it, it can be a lot of fun! Here are some other ideas to get you started.
Prompt #15– Write as a different part of you and see what you discover. “If I’m my inner child, I think…I need…”. “If I’m my inner critic, I want…”
Prompt #16– Dream journal. Write down your dreams right when you wake up and explore themes and patterns.
Prompt #17– Empathy Journal. Practice building your empathy muscle by writing as another person. “If I am my mom, then I feel…I want…” Try and come from a non-judgmental place when practicing this.
Prompt #18– Body Love Journal- What sensations do I notice in my body today? What are those sensations telling me? What is my body doing for me today?
Prompt #19– Buy a journal with prompts already planned out for you, like this high-rated journal from Target or this exploration journal from Amazon.
Wherever you decide to start, therapy journaling can be a great tool to improve mental health, self awareness, and help to guide the therapeutic process.
What’s your favorite therapy journal prompt? Comment below!
Other Posts you May Like:
Is it Possible to Change your Reality?
How to Regulate Your Emotions
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