Writing Prompts to Process Guilt, Regret, and Negative Feelings

• 1. Write about a time when you felt guilty. What was it that made you feel bad? Why did you feel guilty? Did you do anything about your feeling guilty? Were there any consequences as a result of the guilt?
• 2. Remember a time when you had an opportunity to do something but didn’t take advantage of it because you thought you would get caught. Write about what happened after you decided not to go through with the plan. What were the consequences?
• 3. Write about a time you regretted doing something. What actions led up to the point when you realized you had done the wrong thing? Did you feel bad about yourself because of it?
• 4. Imagine a situation where you could have avoided getting hurt. Think about all of the options available to you at that moment. Was one option better than another to prevent harm from occurring?
• 5. Try imagining that you will never see someone again. For example, if you wrote last year’s high school reunion, you can imagine seeing those classmates for the first time since graduation.
• 6. There is always a way out. Think back over the past week and try to remember a situation where you didn’t make use of it as a chance to change things that weren’t going well for you.
• 7. When you think of times you’ve behaved poorly, ask yourself “What should I have done instead?”
• 8. Some people believe that regret only comes from mistakes they have made themselves. But regrets can come from other situations. Would you still be happy without these things?
• 9. Do you sometimes wish you could restart life? A new beginning? A fresh start? Sometimes we forget that life doesn’t stop just because we don’t like the direction that it is taking. We have the power to choose how we live our lives.
• 10. In some cases, regret stems from failure to be honest during important moments. Write about a time that you failed to be truthful with someone. Describe why you chose to lie.
• 11. Have you ever wished that you could undo something you’ve already done? This may sound like something only a criminal would wish, but most of us have wished at some point that events could have taken a different turn.
• 12. It is difficult to move forward in life when we are filled with anger. Anger makes us defensive. Defensiveness causes us to take action based on fear. Which path will you choose: staying angry or letting go?
• 13. Do you ever hold onto grudges against others? The problem with holding grudges is that we begin to identify with our bitterness. So many times, we allow our frustrations and emotional pain to infect our relationships, making us ill-tempered and uncaring.
• 14. Many people feel guilty when they are successful. They wonder whether their success was fair. How do you react when you succeed?
• 15. Does the world seem unfair sometimes? What happened to you recently that gives you reason to question this belief?
• 16. Are there times when you don’t feel responsible for what happens around you? Do not worry about whether you were supposed to act differently; worrying won’t change anything.
• 17. Do you feel guilty about being unable to solve every problem? Even when you know you’re doing all the right things, sometimes things won’t work out the way you hope. Try not to feel ashamed when this occurs.
• 18. Is it possible to forgive oneself for past wrongs? Can you fully accept responsibility for choices you’ve made? If so, then try forgiving yourself for those mistakes.
• 19. Have you ever had the thought: “If I knew then what I know now, then…”? For example, “If I knew then that my mother died when she did, I wouldn’t…” Use these words to write down any regrets. Then ask yourself: Would you still want to say what you’re thinking? Why or why not?
• 20. Think about the decisions you’ve made in the last year or two. Were they good ones? Did you regret them at the time? Now that you’ve put them into writing, do they look better or worse than they did at the moment?
• 21. Write down an experience where something wonderful happened to you, yet you also didn’t expect it to happen. Describe the experience you have been given in the present perfect tense. After reading this description, think about the positive impact of this new experience in the future.
• 22. Sometimes, we get caught up in the past. We dwell on old hurts and resentments and refuse to let go. Yet, we have the power to change the events in our lives. Take some time today to write down five positive memories from each month of the past year.
• 23. What would you like to have done right when you were growing up? Where do you believe you went wrong in the past?
• 24. When you consider the past, which people have contributed most to your feeling of well-being and contentment?
• 25. Which people are likely to contribute positively to your feelings of well-being and satisfaction in the future? Who are the potential threats?
• 26. Have you ever experienced guilt over something that really wasn’t your fault? Explain the circumstances that led to this guilt.
• 27. Have you ever felt truly sorry for making someone unhappy? Has anyone else made you feel this way? Why do you think he/she became upset? Consider ways of helping him/her understand that you really meant no harm by your actions.
• 28. People often feel remorseful after hurting someone intentionally. However, what makes us feel guilty after unintentionally causing pain is different. The difference lies in whether we are willing to admit fault. Describe a situation where you hurt another person without meaning to do so.
• 29. In your own words, describe the greatest mistake you have ever made. From this error, try to learn a lesson.
• 30. Have you ever regretted trying something for fear of embarrassment? Perhaps you attempted to accomplish something simply because someone told you to? Write down three situations like this one and explain why you did not proceed with the action in question.
• 31. If you had the chance to live again, would you make any changes in your life? How might these changes affect other people? Would you be happy with the course of your life?
• 32. Write down all the things that you want to say before you die. Include all the things that have left you frustrated or disappointed.
• 33. Are there times when you need to forgive someone who has offended you? Explain the reasons behind your decision. Write out specific examples that demonstrate why forgiving this person would help more than punishing her would hurt.
• 34. Most of us spend far too many days thinking about our weaknesses rather than our strengths. Spend at least ten minutes remembering who you are, what you’re good at, and what things you’ve accomplished since you were a teenager.
• 35. How do you handle failure? Do you look for excuses (“It’s always been like this…”)? Or do you take responsibility for whatever occurred? Explain how you act when you experience failure.
• 36. Make up a story about the last time you were involved in an argument. Describe every detail, including the emotions of each party. Did you end up feeling guilty afterward? Describe how you handled the situation.
• 37. Were you raised to value achievement more than human relationships? List five individuals whose presence made you feel better than you otherwise might have. Explain how they impacted your life. Note the impact they still have on your life.
• 38. When faced with a choice between doing right and being popular, which does it seem easier to follow? Is it possible to do both? If yes, then why is popularity so important?
• 39. Identify some area of your life where you are struggling to get ahead. Think back over the past few months and weeks. Which activities helped you move forward? Which ones dragged you backward?
• 40. Why do you think people lie? Whom do you believe more? Can lying ever be justified?
• 41. What’s the purpose of anger? Why do you use anger to express disappointment in others? To control them? To teach them a lesson?
• 42. Some people react to stress by becoming withdrawn, while others prefer to “fight” their feelings through anger or aggression. Explain how this affects the quality of your relationship with your family and friends.
• 43. What kinds of things are you willing to give up if you could only change one thing about yourself? What would you sacrifice?
• 44. In what ways can you be kinder? More considerate? Less selfish? Could you become a better listener? A more helpful friend? A better parent?
• 45. Have you ever felt ashamed of something someone else did? Explain why you reacted as you did. Was your behavior inappropriate? Or was it perfectly reasonable given other circumstances?
• 46. Which aspects of yourself do you most admire? Draw three pictures that represent these qualities. Then draw several additional pictures that show you at work, play, or interacting with other people.
• 47. Choose a place where you often go and make a drawing of it. Describe everything about the scene—your mood, the weather, etc.—and explain what you notice about it. Compare your picture to another similar picture you have drawn.
• 48. Do you tend to fall into any particular patterns when you’re feeling guilty? Are there certain situations where guilt seems appropriate? Where should a person with guilt turn for help? How do you cope with guilt?
• 49. When was the last time you experienced guilt so intense that you couldn’t talk about it until you’d gotten home? How did you deal with those emotions?
• 50. How much guilt do you experience every day: none, sometimes, or all the time?
• 51. In what ways can guilt affect our ability to learn new skills? Does learning require taking action? Or can we learn simply by observing?
• 52. Write down all of the different ways you’ve tried to escape from guilt. Now write down your best solution.
• 53. Sometimes I worry that I’m not really happy because I don’t understand joy. Do you agree? Why or why not?
• 54. What’s the difference between happiness and contentment? Happiness doesn’t necessarily mean being thrilled. Contentment means satisfaction with life even though it may include a great deal of sadness in your present.
• 55. Is it possible to truly forgive someone who has hurt you? Why or why not.
• 56. Think about a memory that still hurts you deeply. How do you want to remember it? What might happen to free you from the pain of this memory?
• 57. Try describing your first romantic love to a friend. Were you surprised by her reaction? Explain your reasons for being attracted to each other. Did you act on these feelings? If so, how? How did it feel?
• 58. Do you find that relationships with family members and close friends can be difficult because they remind you of a conflict within yourself? How does thinking about unresolved issues hurt you? How does facing them help?
• 59. Who is the greatest influence in your life? Explain why.
• 60. Imagine that you have just been granted one wish. Would you like to change the past? The future? Your current circumstances? All of them?
• 61. Can you think of a positive thing you learned from the death of a loved one? Tell me about it.
• 62. As you reflect back over your life, are you able to identify some recurring themes, topics, experiences, or events that always seem to recur? Why do they keep coming back?
• 63. Make a list of all of the people you have been angry with. Now try to recall an instance when each person responded well to your anger. Can you imagine doing anything differently?
• 64. When did you first begin to believe you were unworthy of respect? Was it related to anything specific? Explain.
• 65. When does guilt take control of your mind and body?
• 66. Have you ever felt like giving up? Tell me about a time when you needed something so badly that you had no choice but to give in. Explain why you chose to give in.
• 67. Consider a time when you gave in to your own needs rather than to someone else’s. How did the experience compare to having given in under pressure?
• 68. Which parts of you would you most like to let go of if you could choose? Why do you suppose you have become attached to them?
• 69. Do you have any sense of regret about things you said or did as a child? If so, explain your thoughts on whether the past should be changed.
• 70. Describe a situation where you wished you’d done nothing more than sit quietly while someone was trying to kill himself. How did the outcome turn out?
• 71. Many people suffer from feelings of guilt because others expect too much from them. How can you live a less-guilty life?
• 72. Are there times when you don’t know what to say? Can you think of situations in which silence didn’t work? Why?
• 73. Think about a time when you made the wrong decision. Would you care to make amends for the error?
• 74. In a relationship with someone important to you: Does he or she tend to take advantage of your kindness? Tell me about a recent example. How did you react?
• 75. How have you dealt with problems with authority figures when you thought their decisions were unfair?

 Conclusion

I hope that these creative writing prompts have helped you to cope with any difficult feelings that you may have in your daily life.

Best of luck!