Journal Prompts and Tips For Personal + Spiritual Growth
Welcome to Journaling June! (although if you've found yourself here outside of June, welcome to journaling anyway!). If you're ready to start living a more fulfilled, authentic life and understand yourself more, read on to find out how to get started with journaling - or scroll down to the bottom to get a month's worth of journaling prompts!
What Is Journaling?
Journaling will be slightly different for everyone, but it's essentially the practice of diving deep into your reflections, thoughts, emotions, worries, questions, etc. It's introspective, meaning you look within yourself, and can also be used to:
- Change your mindset
- Work through your feelings
- Record your current reality
- Support your manifestation practice
- Provide a space for calm, meditation and exploration
- Get clutter out of your head
- Plan for the future
and more... it's a practice that is completely unique to you, so the important thing is to let go of your preconceptions of what journaling "should" look like, and create a practice that suits you (and that you'll stick to).
How To Make Journaling Work For You
Journaling is typically written, but if it's easier for you, I believe there is just as much value in either keeping a digital journal on your computer or phone, creating video logs, or even using a voice recorder - if it means you'll actually do it.
It doesn't have to be pretty.
It doesn't have to be several pages long.
It doesn't have to be Instagrammable.
It does have to be authentic. There is no point in journaling things that aren't true or real for you (unless you are using your journal to manifest, of course, which is different). Get intimate with your feelings. Be honest with yourself. Work towards being comfortable with being uncomfortable. But also make sure that you make this an enjoyable, rewarding experience - that way you are much more likely to stick with it when you see and feel the positive shifts that come from it.
It might not always be easy or "fun" (although it might be - many people find journaling incredibly fun), but it will be worth it. There is so much growth waiting for you!
How To Get Started With Journaling
If you'll be journaling by hand, find a notebook and pen (that works). Congratulations - you're ready!
Your journal doesn't have to be beautiful (although there is something to be said about getting a journal that excites and inspires you). It can be lined or unlined, it can be a guided journal (with pre-written prompts) or a leftover school book from year 9 that you wrote your name on and made a title page before leaving in the wardrobe to preserve itself for 12 years.
There are benefits to getting something new and purpose-built and using that as a way to commit yourself to your practice.
There are also benefits to starting with what you already have lying around so that you can give yourself extra permission to be messy and imperfect.
Whichever way feels most comfortable for you is fine. The key is to just start. To commit to showing up for yourself.
Setting Yourself Up For Journaling Successful For You
If you find journaling enjoyable, you're more likely to stick with it. Whether it's enjoyable for you to use a plethora of colours and create a piece of artwork each day, or whether it's enjoyable for you to note things down in bullet points, figure out what makes this process valuable and worth it for you.
If you make journaling accessible, you're more likely to stick with it. If you have a dedicated space to journal (or just a regular comfy spot where you go each time), and dedicated pens (because who likes spending 15 minutes looking for a pen that *works* every day), then you'll find it much easier to get stuck into your practice. They say the hardest part of going to the gym is tying up your laces - so set yourself up with velcro shoes.
If you make journaling part of your routine, you're more likely to stick with it. Set a timer in your phone if you need to as a reminder. As you get started, you'll also be more likely to show up for your practice if you haven't overcommitted your time; so start with small, achievable time slots. Start by committing to five minutes a day if that's workable for you - and schedule it for a time you'd usually be scrolling through your phone or lying in bed hitting the snooze button. The easier your journaling practice slots in to your current routine (and everyone has a routine, whether you think you do or not!), the more easily you'll be able to stick to it.
31 Days Of Journal Prompts
Any writer will tell you that blank page syndrome is a tricky beast to tame. What do we write about? Where do we start? This is where prompts are really helpful. Prompts are designed to help you with your journaling - to give you something to start working from. They can be formed as questions, or as tasks.
Example of a prompt as a question:
"What brings me joy right now?"
Example of a prompt as a task:
"Describe something that brings you joy at the moment."
Both are there to draw out pretty much the same outcome; but you may find that you like one form of prompt better than another. This is totally fine!
Now that we all know what prompts are, this brings me to our months worth of prompts. You can use as many or as few as you like; you can also use them to spark your own prompts. This is your practice.
DAY ONE
How am I feeling about where I am in my life right now?
What are my intentions for June? (what energy do I want to create?)
What actions will I take to support my intentions?
DAY TWO
What things, people or place bring me joy at the moment?
How can I build on these to bring more joy into my life?
DAY THREE
What do I do to switch off from the daily running of my life? (eg. work, parenthood, study)
Am I giving myself enough time for just fun or cup-filling? Why/why not?
DAY FOUR
What is a value that I hold that I am proud of? (eg. honesty, integrity, dedication)
What values do I look for and appreciate in others?
DAY FIVE
What does my ideal morning routine look like?
How does this ideal morning routine make me feel? How does it set me up for my day?
DAY SIX
What opportunities do I want to attract this month?
What limiting beliefs and/or self-imposed obstacles do I need to release in order to attract these opportunities?
DAY SEVEN
What do I want more of in my life?
What actions can I take to facilitate, attract and manifest these things?
DAY EIGHT
What are 3 physical things I've been holding onto unnecessarily?
What is a mental/emotional thing I've been holding on to?
What do I want to release in order to free up my energy + capacity?
DAY NINE
What is one thing I would do if money were no object?
How would doing this make me feel?
DAY TEN
When do I feel most like my best, truest self?
What areas of my life do I want to bring more authenticity to?
DAY ELEVEN
What am I looking forward to this week?
What can I focus on to attract more joy and fulfilment?
DAY TWELVE
What is my focus word for this week?
What does this word look like in my life?
How can I live and act in alignment with this word?
DAY THIRTEEN
How have I been honouring my needs this week? How have I been showing myself love and compassion?
Are there any needs I have been denying myself? What are they? How have I been denying myself those needs?
DAY FOURTEEN
What am I grateful for?
Do I find gratitude easy, or do I have to consciously think about it? Why?
DAY FIFTEEN
What does success mean to me?
What does my successful life look like?
How does it feel thinking about myself as a successful person?
DAY SIXTEEN
What are the separate areas of my life make up my being? What are my roles? (eg. parenthood, work, marriage, self / mother, employee, student, wife, sister).
Which of these areas am I currently spending the most energy? Which area do I want to spend my energy?
DAY SEVENTEEN
How do my roles fulfill me? Are there any that drain me? Which + why?
How do I separate my personal self from my roles? How can I ensure I hold on to my own identity?
DAY EIGHTEEN
What do I know to be true now, that I didn't know a year ago?
How did that past belief influence me & my behaviour, thoughts + actions?
DAY NINETEEN
What distractions get in the way of my productivity?
How can I minimise these distractions or learn to work with them?
DAY TWENTY
What is a short term goal that I have?
Is there anything that scares or worries me about this goal?
Why is it worth it to me to push past this fear to achieve this goal?
DAY TWENTY-ONE
Am I currently looking after myself and my needs right now?
What are some needs that I have that aren't being met?
DAY TWENTY-TWO
Who do I currently spend the majority of my time with?
Do these people fulfill me or drain me?
How can I protect my energy against people who drain me?
DAY TWENTY-THREE
How would I describe myself?
How would I want others to describe me?
DAY TWENTY-FOUR
How do I want to grow as a person this year?
How do I want to contribute to the world/society?
DAY TWENTY-FIVE
When I feel loved, how do I act? How do I show up?
When do I feel most appreciated?
DAY TWENTY-SIX
If I let my mind wander, what thoughts or memories show up?
Why do I think this thought or memory came to me?
DAY TWENTY-SEVEN
What is a memory from my childhood?
How has this memory shaped me/my behaviour as an adult?
DAY TWENTY-EIGHT
What is a mundane or overlooked thing in my life that I actually really enjoy or appreciate?
What is a positive interaction I've had with someone this week?
DAY TWENTY-NINE
What is something that I currently tolerate but would prefer to not have in my life?
How would my life improve if I no longer accepted or tolerated this?
DAY THIRTY
What's something that's weighing on my mind at the moment?
Will this thing matter in the near or distant future?
If not, how can I release it?
If so, what actions do I need to take to alleviate, resolve or confront it?
DAY THIRTY-ONE
In what ways do I benefit from keeping a journal?
What has been an obstacle in my journaling practice?
How can I make my journal more accessible?
--
Do you journal - or do you want to give it a go? Which is your favourite journaling prompt?