Sarah Guerrero
Sarah Guerrero is a freelance writer and contributor to Slow North. She has a degree in international business from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, and writes about sustainable business practices and ethical living.
21 Journal Prompts to Increase Your Peace
The other day, my mom found my diary from when I was six. She FaceTimed me so I could see it: a tiny little book with a rabbit on the front and inside, looping, giant letters and dubious spelling, my “bist frens” names written over and over.
You might have journaled, too, when you were six--or maybe not. Either way, journaling now, as an adult, can lead to increased gratitude and joy, a better understanding of yourself and others, better physical and emotional health, and even a higher IQ!
Photo by Jess Bailey
Journaling Can Keep Fears From Taking Over
Perhaps even more important, however, journaling can increase your peace. There’s no right or wrong way to do it, and working through self-doubts, questions, fears, memories, hopes, and dreams on paper can help you silence your inner critic (or at least give her the day off), calm troubled emotions, and keep fears from taking over.
Journaling is especially effective because it doesn’t require anything special--no workout gear, no special knowledge or expertise.
Sure, you can light a candle or diffuse some essential oils or write in a beautiful journal (more on these later)--but you can also just grab your phone and start jotting things down in your notes app.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez
A Sacred Ritual Just for You
Nobody will ever see your journal, so you don’t have to worry about grammar, sentence fragments, or spelling. You don’t even have to stick to the prompt! Let your mind rove. This is for you--these pages are sacred.
Here are a few ideas for helping you practice mindfulness while you journal:
Ready to get started? Here are 21 prompts to help you increase peace in your life--screenshot this, or bookmark this page to come back to daily!
Photo by Kyle Glenn
21 Journal Prompts
- 5 things I love about myself are...
- These are things I feel hopeful about...
- One of my favorite memories is…
- This is what I want to say to my inner critic...
- I give myself permission to not know...
- I give myself permission to feel this way...
- I give myself permission to be excited about...
- 3 things I'm happy about right now are...
- 5 things I can see, 4 things I can hear, 3 things I can feel, 2 things I can smell, and 1 thing I can taste are...
- 3 tiny, joyful things I can do today are...
- This is everything in my brain right now…
- One time I did something kind or positive for somebody was when…
- One time somebody did something kind or positive for me was when...
- One good thing about today is...
- A sound that made me feel good today was...
- A sight that made me feel good today was...
- One thing I can do today to help somebody else is…
- The nicest thing anybody’s ever said to me was…
- My favorite sights and sounds in nature are...
- Pick a word (like courage or joy) and write about it
- Listen to your body while you write--what is it telling you?
