Have you ever thought of using journal prompts for anxiety or depression? If not, it may be time to use this powerful and therapeutic tool to calm your mind and boost your mental health. As mentioned in a previous post, journaling can help you manage the small and not-so-small things that cause you to feel anxious and worried.
Additionally, if a mental health professional diagnosed you with anxiety or another mental health issue, by a mental health professional, using journaling prompts is a great tool to use along with your medication, therapy sessions, or group meetings. And, to paraphrase William Wordsworth, a regular journaling practice “fills your paper with the breathing of your heart.”
In this post, we’ve compiled 55 journal prompts designed to help calm your anxiety and promote well-being. Whether you’re new to journaling or a seasoned pro, these prompts will help to increase self-awareness and process your thoughts about your health, relationships, and career. So grab a journal and pen, find a quiet place to sit, and start writing your way to a less stressful you.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is something we all experience from time to time. However, individuals with anxiety disorders experience frequent, persistent, intense, and excessive worry about everyday things and situations. Many also feel restless and have difficulty concentrating. Some individuals also experience physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, and increased heart rate. Indeed, some types of anxiety disorders may prevent someone from functioning in their daily activities.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental health illness in the U.S. Notably, anxiety affects about 18% of adults. While the symptoms often start during childhood or adolescents, they can also develop in adulthood.
Anxiety is very treatable, but only about 37% of adults receive treatment.
Benefits of Journaling for Anxiety
Helps Identify Anxiety Triggers
Journaling allows you to reflect on your thoughts and feelings and identify specific triggers that cause your anxiety. Undeniably, once you know your triggers, you can identify strategies for avoiding or coping with them in the future.
Promotes Mindfulness
Mindfulness is all about living in the present rather than the past or future. So, journaling makes you focus on your thoughts and feelings at the moment. This also prevents you from ruminating on the past or worrying about the future.
Provides a Healthy Outlet for Your Emotions
Sometimes we tend to say or do hurtful things to ourselves and others when we’re worried, stressed, or fearful. So, writing in your journal provides a safe and private space to express and process those difficult thoughts and emotions.
Encourages Self-Awareness
Journaling helps you to understand thinking and behavior patterns. Ultimately, you learn more about yourself and areas where you need to grow.
Creates a Sense of Control
Journaling gives you a sense of control over your thoughts and emotions. Over time, you learn how to organize and process them in healthier ways. This can help reduce feelings of helplessness or overwhelm caused by anxiety.
Read It’s Our Time: A Call-and-Response Journal of Women’s Voices
How Journal Prompts for Anxiety Works
This article isn’t about curing or solving your anxiety. Instead, it encourages journaling as a valuable practice for self-care and supporting your overall mental health.
Many people don’t journal because they don’t know what to write. Indeed, it is also difficult to try and process all the anxious thoughts in your mind. And that’s where prompt-based journaling comes in.
This technique provides a question or statement that guides your writing and helps you to describe, explain, or process an idea or feeling. There are no rules for writing, and there is no focus on things like:
- Right or wrong answers
- Time of day to write
- How much to write
- Suppressing your thoughts
- Judging your thoughts or feelings
Oh, by the way, if you don’t feel like writing, use your journal to:
- Doodle what comes to mind
- Draw a picture of how you’re feeling (stick figures count)
- Write a poem, short story, or haiku to express your feelings or show gratitude
Journal Prompts for Anxiety: Clear Your Mind
- Identify two things that cause your anxiety and how you plan to cope with them the next time they happen.
- Make a list of your biggest fears. Now, state how these fears have held you back in life.
- Describe the physical sensations in your body when you’re anxious. What can you do to make yourself feel better?
- What self-care practices can you incorporate into your daily routine to manage your anxiety better?
- Make a list of positive affirmations or mantras that you can use to calm your mind and boost your confidence.
- What mindfulness strategy can you practice to stay present at the moment rather than worrying about the future or ruminating on the past?
- Identify two or three negative thoughts or beliefs that you have about yourself. Rewrite positive statements about yourself to challenge them.
- Brainstorm five healthy things you can do to make yourself feel better right now.
- Write a letter to someone who makes you feel small or less than who you are. Now, rip it up or burn it.
- Write 5 reasons why you keep a journal.
- Think about something that happened recently that made you stressed or anxious. If it happened today, what would you do differently?
- Do you ever feel anxious, stressed, or scared about the future? What parts of the future scare you the most? How have those feelings prevented you from moving forward?
Journal Prompts for Anxiety about Your Health
- What specific health concerns are causing your anxiety? Why do they make you anxious?
- How does your anxiety affect your ability to take care of your physical health?
- Identify two or three healthy habits you can incorporate into your daily routine to help manage your anxiety about your health.
- How can you educate yourself about your health concerns to reduce your anxiety? Whom can you talk to?
- Write a list of questions to ask your healthcare provider about your diagnosis that can help you feel less anxious.
- Write 5 things in your life that you’re thankful for in your gratitude journal.
- What relaxation techniques can you use to manage your anxiety about your health?
- Write 3 small wins that you have had in improving your health.
- How can you show self-compassion and kindness when dealing with anxiety about your health?
- Make a list of books, podcasts, websites, or other resources you can use when you have overwhelming thoughts about your health.
- If a friend asked you to create a playlist of songs to manage anxiety, which songs would you add?
Journaling Prompts for Anxiety About Your Relationships
- What type of close and intimate relationship do you want with your spouse or partner? On a scale of 1-10, how do you rate the current level of intimacy? Why did you give it that rating? What needs to happen for it to move closer to a 10? What can you do to move it closer to a 10?
- Which people in your life do you feel the most comfortable with? Describe how they motivate you to be true to yourself. Pause and breathe a “thank you.”
- What are three pieces of advice you would give to someone else who is struggling with anxiety in their relationships?
- Think of three people who make you feel safe when you are around them. What specific things about them make you feel safe? Pause and breathe a “thank you.”
- What is the most hurtful thing that you have done to someone? Why did you do it? Does it still bother you? Have you asked that person for forgiveness? If not, why not?
- Identify three ways you can communicate with your friends or family members when you don’t feel like talking.
- Which communication strategies have you used in the past that you are not proud of? Do you still use those strategies? Why or why not?
- Think about a time when you messed up and hurt someone. Did you apologize? Why or why not?
- Is there someone at work or in your social circle with whom you feel the need to put on a mask to get along well? In what ways do you pretend? What would happen to that relationship if you were more comfortable being yourself?
- Make a list of the big and small wins you had last week. How did you celebrate? Who did you tell? Do you tend to dismiss your small wins? If so, why?
Journaling Prompts for Anxiety to Promote Self-Awareness
- How would you describe your perfect self-care day?
- What areas of your self-care need improvement? Which areas do you consistently neglect? Why is that? What is your plan for improvement?
- How would you rate your self-care routine on a scale of 1-10? Why did you give it that rating? What do you need to do to move it closer to a 10?
- What self-care activities do you enjoy the most? How can you make time to do more of these things this week?
- When was the last time you said something mean or unkind to yourself? What triggered it? Go to a mirror and apologize to yourself. Now, give yourself a big hug.
- List 5 things that you absolutely adore about yourself.
- What situations make you feel less than or not good enough? Why do you think this is?
- How do you fill your time when you’re feeling anxious? Do those things help or hinder your anxiety?
- What does being “free” mean to you? How does being “free” feel? When was the last time you felt truly free?
- Do you find it hard to forgive yourself? Why or why not? What kind of things do you feel you need to be forgiven for? Why is this?
- What lies have you told people about yourself, your family, or your childhood? Why did you do it? Did you go back and confess that lie? Why or why not?
- How often do you dream big? Describe your biggest dream.
Journal Prompts for Anxiety About Work
- What situations at work make you feel like an imposter? Why might that be?
- Do you ever feel anxious, stressed, or scared when you think about your career or job? What scares you the most? How have those feelings prevented you from moving forward in your career?
- Recall a time when you had a big accomplishment at work, but no one complimented you or patted you on the back. How did it make you feel? How long did it make you feel that way?
- Recall the last time you felt let down. Who let you down? What was it about? How did it make you feel? Do you think the other person felt the same way? Do you consider it a reflection of yourself or the other person?
- Recall a time when something you wanted at work did not happen. How did it make you feel? Who did you talk to about it? How long did it take to get over the disappointment?
- How generous are you with sharing information or ideas with a colleague? Describe the last time you did so.
- Are you sometimes jealous or envious of a co-worker? Who is that person? Why do you think that is?
- List 5 things about your job for which you are grateful.
- What is the biggest thing you want to accomplish in your career this year? Why? What do you need to achieve this? What obstacles stand in your way? How do you plan to overcome these obstacles?
- Describe your dream job. Where is it? What activities do you plan on doing to make it happen? Identify a mentor who can help you get there.
Now, It’s Your Turn
So, there you have it—55 powerful journal prompts for anxiety to help calm you and give you peace. You can use a few of these journal prompts in the morning to start your day. Or you can use some in the evening to process your day and plan your strategies for the next day. We recommend daily journaling, but the most important thing is to start. Write whatever comes to mind without shame, guilt, or judgment.
Living with anxiety is challenging, and there are no quick fixes. We all have times when we experience different degrees of anxiety. However, journal writing using these journal prompts will help you recover. I think you will enjoy these articles on why journal writing needs to be at the top of your to-do-list and 7 days of journal writing for love, joy, and success.
The information provided here is for general health education. Furthermore, it is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of your anxiety or other mental health conditions. If you think your anxiety is out of control, it’s a good idea to seek professional help.
We look forward to hearing about your experience with using journal prompts to manage your anxiety. And you can join the conversation on the Keep It Tight Sisters Facebook Group.
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