Journal Prompts to Help You Cope With Stress and Difficult Situations

• 1. Write about ways you could do to soothe yourself when stressed out? This is important because it will help you be more aware of your own needs.
• 2. Think about a memory from your childhood that makes you happy. What was it like then? How does this make you feel now? Is there anything else that you would want to share with the world about this moment in time?
• 3. When you’re having a bad mood, what thoughts come to your mind? You can record these thoughts, but try not to take them too seriously – they just might change your mood!
• 4. Make a list of all of your strengths and weaknesses. Now compare what you’ve written. Are any of your weaknesses actually strengths in disguise?
• 5. Have you ever thought to yourself “I wish I were thinner”? How could you use these negative feelings as inspiration to write about something positive instead?
• 6. What does being present mean to you? What do you think life would be like without distractions? Do you have any examples of people who are masters at living in the moment?
• 7. Reflect on one of the most difficult parts of your past. Did you get through it okay? Why/why not? Were you able to avoid making some mistakes along the way? If so, how?
• 8. Take a minute to imagine someplace beautiful. Where is it located? Does it look familiar? What kind of feeling does it invoke for you? What specific memories does this place bring back?
• 9. In the middle of a stressful situation, what did you say (out loud) or think (to yourself)? What do you regret saying or thinking? Can you remember why you said or thought those things? What impact do you think they had on the situation?
• 10. What has been the hardest part of your career thus far? How did you overcome your challenges? Why did it happen in the first place? Was it something completely unexpected or did you see it coming from miles away?
• 11. Imagine there is no such thing as failure. Instead, imagine success with a capital S. What would be different about your life if that was the case?
• 12. Describe a dream that you had recently. Did you achieve one of the goals described within your dream? Did you learn anything new? If yes, what? If no, what kept you from achieving those dreams?
• 13. Think about a time in your life where you made a conscious decision to change some aspect of your life. Which decision were you able to successfully implement?
• 14. What was your favorite memory as a child? Did you grow up enjoying other types of activities besides playing outside? Why do you prefer the outdoors? Do you worry about growing old in your current environment?
• 15. Think about the last person you spoke to on the phone. How did that conversation end? What was happening during that call? Did anything unprofessional slip out unintentionally? Would you have the courage to talk to this person again under normal circumstances?
• 16. Who or what inspires you? Why does this inspire you? What other traits or qualities does your idol possess?
• 17. What is the worst job you’ve ever done? How did you deal with it? Could you handle doing the same task today? Why/why not.
• 18. What makes you feel alive? When we refer to our personality, we often speak to the emotional side more than physical issues. What are some ways that others can help add to your sense of well-being?
• 19. What are some hobbies or interests that make you happy? What type of activity could you start right now to improve your overall level of happiness?
• 20. Have you ever felt that your life was going around and around in circles, never really moving forward? Describe an event or experience when you decided to seize control of your future by taking responsibility for your own actions.
• 21. Are you someone who always likes to plan ahead? Do you wish you had more time to focus on the “what if” scenarios instead of worrying about the “when” situations?
• 22. What is important to you: family, friends, financial security and health? Why these three particular items? How much weight do each item carry? How does each item contribute to your general feeling of contentment?
• 23. What type of people do you like to spend time with? What kind of conversations do you enjoy listening to? Why do you prefer talking with certain individuals rather than others?
• 24. What was the best day of your life so far? Explain how you reacted upon realizing that this was one of your greatest accomplishments.
• 25. On a scale of 1–10, where 10 very dissatisfied and 1 very satisfied, how would rate your overall satisfaction with your life? How did you get to this point?
• 26. What is something that has motivated you to work harder at certain tasks in order to reach your goals over time?
• 27. What is something that you want to accomplish within the next two years? How will you celebrate completing such an endeavor?
• 28. In which areas of your life are you most challenged? What type of problem is holding you back from being more productive?
• 29. Give yourself credit for making any progress. Name your accomplishments and describe how you achieved them. Were there certain steps or phases along the way that helped move things along successfully?
• 30. If you knew that tomorrow never came, would you be okay with this fact? Does a part of you wonder if living without hope is sad? What is it that keeps you fighting for your dreams?
• 31. Where would you like to be two years from now? Is there a path that leads you closer to those goals? If not, explain why.
• 32. In the past have you been given the chance to make changes in your current lifestyle or environment? Did they last? Or were they only temporary?
• 33. Identify the person who has helped you grow into the healthy individual that you are today. How did they impact you positively? Was their influence immediate or long-term?
• 34. At times, you may find that you are stuck in a rut—a routine that lacks creativity and stimulation. Imagine that tomorrow morning you wake up and everything is exactly as you left it yesterday. How quickly and easily could you change all of this?
• 35. Write down as many positive qualities as you can think about about yourself. Include traits that you value the most.
• 36. When you look up at the sky, what picture comes to mind? Be specific as possible and include adjectives like peaceful; happy; colorful, etc.
• 37. Which direction do you see your life heading? Are you headed toward happiness, success, fulfillment or fulfillment?
• 38. What is the number one lesson that you learned during childhood? How did you come to learn this valuable knowledge?
• 39. What are some negative beliefs that you currently hold about yourself? Do you believe that you deserve to live a happier and healthier life?
• 42. What is one thing that you truly desire right now? What would happen if you actually allowed yourself to dream big as opposed to limiting yourself by thinking small?
• 43. Have you lived through a traumatic event in your life that greatly impacted you? Explain why you feel compelled to share these experiences with others.
• 44. Describe a recent accomplishment in your life. Why does it matter to you? Who did you share this moment with?
• 45. Do you ever find that when you close your eyes, you imagine something different than the reality before you? Can anything really be hidden from us?
• 46. In a perfect world, how would you spend your final moments on earth? Would you prefer to leave a legacy behind or would you rather just make memories while alive?
• 47. What is something that challenges you each day? Is there something that gives you strength every single day? What makes you feel stronger?
• 48. What is something that you wish that someone else knew but that no one seems to fully understand?
• 49. Describe three things that make you feel whole. Explain how these things fit into your daily schedule.
• 50. What has made you smile lately? Just because you enjoy someone else’s company doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful. Find ways that will allow you to express gratitude towards others.
• 51. What is something that is so important to you, yet you sometimes struggle to remember it until it slips away? Identify an alternative way that you might capture this memory.
• 52. Think of three words that describe you. Choose words such as honest, strong, courageous, humble, trustworthy, etc.
• 53. Have you ever felt like everyone around you was trying to take advantage of you? Were you able to recognize this behavior? If not, what steps did you need to take in order to stop feeling victimized?
• 54. Look back over your lifetime of accomplishments. Describe your proudest moment. Also, identify any moments where you failed. Tell me about them.
• 55. What is one activity that you enjoy doing that takes time and effort? Identify other activities that you love to participate in but don’t have much time for.
• 56. How do you view people who are “successful”? Are they more deserving of praise or should we celebrate their hard work without bias?
• 57. Write down five goals that you hope to achieve in the coming year. Describe your plans for meeting those goals.
• 58. Take a look at today’s date. What is the last thing that happened in your life? Did it go well? When looking back on this day, tell me about the most memorable experience.
• 59. What types of feelings tend to arise within you when you think about your future? Are you concerned about making mistakes?
• 60. What is one thing in your life that you’ve always wanted but never pursued? Are you willing to change this mindset?
• 61. As you sit and write here, can you picture all of the opportunities currently available for you? Explain whether you see yourself pursuing each of those options or something new entirely.
• 62. What is one thing you’d like to know more about? Describe how far along you are in learning about this topic.
• 63. Does the person that you care about give you reason to believe that he/she loves you back? Or does it appear that they don’t even want to know who you are? Explain.
• 64. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “love”? Why is that particular word important to you?
• 65. What do you consider the best example of unconditional love?
• 66. For which one trait would you most likely be able to find compassion? Explain why you chose this choice.
• 67. In what ways would you describe yourself as confident? Do you believe that confidence is a good quality that many people possess? Explain your reasoning.
• 68. What is one of the characteristics that defines you the most? If you were asked to name only one trait of yours, what do you think that trait is?
• 69. Looking back over your life, do you see any patterns regarding the type of people that you surround yourself with? Is there anything that has prevented you from being more open-minded? Explain your answer.
• 70. Would you consider yourself to be a leader? When you make decisions for others, are you acting as a role model or role follower?
• 71. What is one belief that you hold dear to your heart? Do you share this belief with many people? Explain why.
• 72. In the past, what did you fear most? Has your opinion changed? Explain why.
• 73. How often do you allow yourself to cry? Explain why you choose to keep tears bottled up inside.
• 74. Who in your life have been the greatest influences on you? What impact did each person have on your decisions and actions?
• 75. Think about a time in your life where you felt frustrated or angry. Was there someone who helped to diffuse the situation and made everything better? Explain.
• 76. Looking back over all the things you’ve done wrong over the years, could you honestly say that any of them are unforgivable? Describe for us how you feel about these events.
• 77. How much responsibility do you place upon yourself for your personal happiness? Explain why you believe this way.
• 78. Consider what it means to be “loved.” How do you define “love” for yourself?
• 79. Do you believe that a relationship needs to be perfect to work? Explain why you answered yes or no.
• 80. What are some of the biggest challenges facing you right now?
• 81. What do you consider to be the highest form of expression? Is the amount of money you earn an indicator of the value you put onto that level of creativity? Explain.
• 82. Do you ever feel lonely? Can you explain how you cope with loneliness when you’re by yourself?

Conclusion

I hope that these writing prompts have helped you to manage your stress levels, as well as any feelings of anxiety that you have in  your everyday life.

We all face difficult experience from time to time, and it’s within our power to change our current situation and improve our quality of life as we see fit.

You can do this. Best of luck!