Self-care is so important, especially in today’s world. It can be tough to find time for yourself, but you must make time to reflect, relax, and recharge. We’ve put together this list of 170 self-care journal prompts! These prompts will help you focus on yourself and your well-being. Journaling is a great way to practice self-care, so don’t hesitate to give these prompts a try!
15 Daily Journaling Prompts for Your Physical Health
Diary writing is a great tool for your physical and mental health.
It helps you keep track of your progress and habits and can help you identify patterns in your life that are detrimental to your physical health. For example, if you notice that you tend to eat too much in the evenings after work, it’s a good idea to write this down so you can try to change it.
- How are you feeling today?
- When was the last time you went for a walk outside?
- What did you eat today? How does your body feel when you eat these foods?
- When was the last time you exercised? What did you do, and what did you like best about it?
- What’re you grateful for in your body?
- What things help your body feel healthy, strong, and energized?
- What diets or exercise programs have helped you in the past, and what made them successful?
- In what ways has exercise improved your mood and mental health over time?
- Have you set any physical health or fitness goals for this year? If so, what’re they, and how will you know if/when you achieve them?
- Why do you want to lose weight/ build muscle/ etc.? What’ll you accomplish by doing so?
- What would you like to know about a healthy lifestyle?
- Are there parts of your body that you need to pay more attention to than others? Why or why not?
- What’s the first thing you do when you get home from work?
- What’s the most relaxing thing you do?
- When was the last time you took a bubble bath?
20 Daily Journal Entries for Your Mental Health
When you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or just a little off, it’s sometimes hard to know where to start. Self-care may seem like an overwhelming task, but it’s really about making small changes and taking the time to appreciate yourself.
- What do you want to accomplish for your mental health this week/month/year?
- When was the last time you took a moment to breathe?
- What’re three things you’re grateful for?
- What did you learn today?
- What was the last book that made you cry?
- Who do you admire most in the world right now? And why?
- What one thing are you looking forward to this week?
- If you had an extra hour each day, what would you do with it?
- How can you help someone else today?
- What would your best friend say about your mental health? (If he/she’s not here, imagine his/her response.) Does he/she have any suggestions for how you can improve it? Are there ways you could help them if they’re also having a hard time?
- Have your annual goals changed this month/year/stage of life? If so, what’s new and exciting about these changes?
- How can you be kinder to yourself today?
- What’re the things that make you happy?
- What’re things that make you feel relaxed?
- What music do you listen to when you feel stressed or anxious?
- How often do you do something for yourself that makes you feel good? (For example, going for a walk or drinking a cup of tea).
- Do you sometimes have bad days when nothing goes right? If so, how do you deal with them?
- Write your most important self-love journal prompt and explain why it’s the most helpful for you to practice self-love.
- What would it be and why if you could change one thing about your life right now?
- What’re three things that make you feel loved/supported?
15 Daily Journal Entries for More Mindfulness
Journal writing is a great way to practice mindfulness. It can help you get in touch with your feelings, reflect on your day, and identify what needs to change in your life. Keeping a journal is an easy way to practice mindfulness – and it’s also a great way to record all the great things happening in your life!
- What’re you doing right now?
- What’s the best thing or person surrounding you right now?
- What’s going on in your body right now?
- How is your breathing right now?
- What’re you grateful for right now?
- What would it be if you could add anything to your life right now?
- What’s your favorite thing to do in nature?
- What makes your heart smile today?
- How can you be more present in your life?
- What do you need to have more peace?
- How can you disconnect from your cell phone?
- What can you do to make today a little better than yesterday?
- Write down a positive interaction you had with another person (or something you did for others).
- What’s a good habit that makes you feel good?
- What do you like about the place where you live? Why is it important for you to live there?
25 Daily Journal Suggestions for Personal Growth
This will help you identify patterns of behavior and thought processes that keep you from achieving your goals – and then allow you to change those patterns if they’re holding you back.
- What was the biggest challenge you faced last year? How did you overcome it?
- What do you want to be doing five years from now? Ten years from now?
- Who’s your hero? And why?
- What’re the three things that make you feel most alive?
- When was the last time you felt deeply connected to another person, and how did that happen?
- What would you like to change about yourself (physical or mental), and how would you do it if money were no object?
- Who’s your role model when it comes to living a meaningful life? Why them?
- How has your self-image changed (especially since you were a child)?
- What motivates you to keep going when things get tough – even on days when nothing seems to be working out?
- What makes your heart sing with joy?
- What three things make you happy these days – even if it’s just little things like taking a nice walk outside or reading a good book before bed?
- Write down your resolutions for tomorrow – anything from “I’ll get my work done on time” to “I’ll go for a walk in the park during my lunch break” can be helpful!
- What’s something you’ve been struggling with lately?
- How can you make this easier for yourself?
- What would you say if you could have a conversation with your past self (younger self)? And do the same with your future self…
- What’s something that gives you confidence?
- Write about something that makes you feel vulnerable.
- List five things that make you feel safe and grounded, and write down why they’re important to you.
- What do you regret not doing in the past but would like to make up for it by doing it now?
- How do you want to grow as a person this year?
- What’s the best advice someone has given you? Why have you still take it to heart after all these years?
- Do you usually feel loved or judged when you spend time with someone?
- How does holding on to negative thoughts, feelings, or energy negatively affect your daily life?
- What past experiences do you still need to heal from to show me grace?
- How have you shaped your life in a positive way?
25 Journaling Calls for Professional Growth
Writing daily journal entries is an important part of professional development. It allows you to reflect on your work, evaluate your progress, and make adjustments as needed. It’s also a great way to keep track of your professional goals and celebrate successes.
- What made you want to work in your field?
- Where do you feel most challenged?
- How do you like your job right now?
- What’re the best things about your job? The worst?
- What would it be if you could change one thing about your job?
- What would you like to change about your career?
- What would make you happier at work?
- Where do you get the most energy in the morning? In the evening?
- Tell me about a time when you felt good at work and why you felt so good.
- What would it be and why if you could’ve one superpower at work?
- What’re three things distinguishing a colleague who cares about his/her well-being and the team’s success?
- What makes a colleague stand out who doesn’t care enough about his/her self-care or the success of the team?
- What would it be and why if you could change one thing about how your supervisor treats their employees?
- What was your first job?
- What’s helped you become a better leader or employee over time?
- What skills would you still like to learn?
- What kind of work environment would be ideal for you?
- How can you accomplish more in less time?
- Are you taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually? If not, how can you do better?
- How can you improve your work-life balance?
- How are my non-work relationships impacting your work life? Is there anything you can do about it? If so, what? (If no one negatively impacts your work-life balance, that’s great! But if someone is, you should think about it).
- What do others see as your strengths and weaknesses at work? Does their opinion match yours, and if not, why not?
- What accomplishments are you proud of?
- What was the most difficult situation you ever overcame?
- What’re your goals for the next year?
25 Diary Suggestions for Your Social Life
Family and loved ones are the people who love you unconditionally, who support you when you need it, and who make sure you don’t get too big for your britches. They’re the ones who know all your embarrassing stories and will never let you forget them.
Your loved ones are also the people with whom it’s sometimes difficult to talk about things that bother you. That’s why we’ve put together this list of sayings to help you get through any situation with a smile on your face – and maybe even get some good advice from those around you.
- What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re alone? Do it today!
- Write down the last time you went out with friends and what happened. What are your favorite movies/TV shows/books/genres of music/etc.? Why do they appeal to you so much?
- What do you think about your friends right now?
- What do you want to do this weekend?
- What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
- What’s something you love about your family?
- Do you sometimes feel like your family doesn’t understand you or that you don’t understand them? Why is that?
- How can you live more in harmony with them?
- What do you do to take care of your family?
- How often do you call or text your parents? How often do they check in with you?
- What did your family do when you were growing up?
- What is the best way to communicate with your family and friends?
- What’s your favorite memory with a friend or loved one?
- If you could go back in time, what would you say to yourself to be kind to others?
- What did someone say to you when you needed it most?
- How do you manage to be a good parent and a good friend?
- How do you help your friends feel like individuals, independent of you?
- If a friend asked you for advice on how to be happier, what would it be?
- What would it be if someone asked you for advice on how to be healthier?
- What boundaries do you need to set with others and yourself to prioritize your goals and self-care?
- How can you embrace your true self, even if it looks different than what others expect?
- How can you express gratitude to others?
- If your closest friends were to write down your best character traits, what would they be?
- Who did something to help you or make your life easier this week, and how can you thank them?
- Do you feel like you need to expand your circle of friends? Why or why not?
25 Journaling Suggestions for Self-Care Activities
Self-care activities are important because they help you cope better with the stress of your daily routine.
- What do you need to do today?
- What can you do today to practice self-love and self-care in a way that moves you closer to your goal of seeing yourself and your body more positively?
- How much time can you set aside for self-care activities? For example, 1 hour/week, twice a month…
- What physical activity will you do today?
- What does your perfect day look like?
- Do you have a regular exercise routine? If so, what do you like to do?
- When was the last time you exercised, and how did you feel afterward?
- What’s your favorite sport?
- What’s your least favorite sport?
- What’s your favorite way to relax?
- What kind of massage do you like best?
- When was the last time you went to a SPA?
- Have you ever participated in a meditation class? How was it?
- How often do you meditate every day? Every week?
- When was the last time you’d had a real vacation? Where was it? What did you do?
- What do you like to cook?
- What’s your favorite healthy snack or meal that you feel good after eating (other than salad)?
- How often do you eat junk food or unhealthy snacks that aren’t good for your body or mind (like French fries)?
- What’s your favorite hobby?
- What’s the best diet you’ve ever been on? Why did it work for you?
- How can you improve your time management today?
- What physical activity makes you feel good?
- If you could spend more time doing one activity in the new year, what would it be?
- When do you feel most energized?
- What would you like to learn more about?
20 Daily Journal Prompts for More Self-Confidence
Journaling prompts are important for your self-confidence because they can help you realize that you have the power to improve your life and don’t have to wait for someone else to do it for you.
- How do you define self-confidence?
- Are you confident right now? Why or why not?
- What’re the biggest obstacles to your confidence?
- What do you think is the most effective way to become more confident?
- If you could tell someone who’s not very confident how to become more confident, what would you tell them?
- How do you feel when someone compliments you on your looks, fashion sense, etc.? Does it make a difference if it’s a friend, family member, stranger, or acquaintance? Why or why not?
- What’s one thing you’re good at?
- When do you have the most confidence in yourself and your abilities?
- What things have given you confidence in the past?
- What things have made you feel confident lately?
- What’s your favorite thing to do when you feel confident?
- What’s one thing you’re proud of yourself for?
- What do you like about yourself?
- What do others regularly compliment you on?
- Have you tried techniques that didn’t work for you to become more confident? If so, what happened? What did you learn from it?
- How has being more confident helped your relationships with others? How did it help your relationships with each other (if applicable)?
- What did you accomplish this week that made you feel good?
- How do you act when you don’t feel confident? Can you tell a difference between these two things?
- Describe who you are now in terms of who you want to be in five years (or less). What’ll have changed? How will it change? Why are these changes important to you?
- If someone were to write a book about your life, what would the title, subtitle, and chapter headings be? Why did you choose those titles/subtitles/chapters?
Do Self-Care Journal Prompts Work?
Journaling can be an effective tool for self-improvement, and prompts for self-discovery are a great way to get started. But like anything else, it depends on how much effort you’re willing to put into it.
If you want to use self-discovery journal prompts to help you manage your day, you will have to put in some effort. You must ensure you take time each night to write down how you feel after the day and what goals or tasks you accomplished. It won’t work very well if you don’t build this into your routine.
But if you’re willing to do it, it can bring you many benefits:
- Self-awareness: recording how many times a day you feel too much stress, anger or anxiety will, over time, help you become more aware of these emotions, so they don’t take control of everything else in your life. This can lead to better decision-making when facing difficult situations or stressful events in life.
- Set goals: If things are important but haven’t been done yet (like homework), it helps to track each goal promptly.
I don’t know if self-care journals will work for you, but I know they work if you use them.
Journaling is like anything else; the more effort you put in, the more you get out of it. If you write a few lines in your journal every morning and then forget about it, it probably won’t do you much good. But if you take the time to really think about what makes you feel good and what makes you feel bad, and then think about how you can feel better and how you can avoid feeling worse, then yes: I think it works.
How to Create a Self-Care Notebook
Creating a self-care notebook is easy! All you need is some paper, a pen, and a desire to care for yourself.
First, you’ll need pretty and fun paper (you can also use an app if you prefer to do it electronically). You can make it as simple or as fancy as you like – the important thing is that you feel good when you look at it.
Next, choose a pen that feels good in your hand. If it’s too heavy or not heavy enough, or too thin or too thick, you may get frustrated writing in your notebook. So be sure to choose one that feels good!
In your notebook, you will write down all the things that make you feel good and your negative thoughts.
- Make a list of the things that are important to you. These can be activities or things like “reading books,” “listening to music,” or “going for a walk.” You can also write down things like “getting enough sleep” and “drinking water.”
- Step 2: Think about what you need to do to make time for these things. Maybe set your phone to “don’t disturb” before bed, so you’re not tempted to check social media before bed. Or, make sure there’s always water in the fridge so you can stick to your hydration goal.
- Write down when these things happen and how long they take (e.g., “I read for 30 minutes every morning”). Then experiment with different times and durations until you find what works best for you!
What Should Be on the First Page of a Self-Care Journal?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you have a goal in mind but don’t know where to start. On the first page of your self-care journal, you should write down what you want to accomplish and then break it down into smaller, manageable goals. That way, when you feel overwhelmed, you can glance at your list and see exactly what needs to be done to reach the next milestone.
For example, if your goal is to “get organized,” break it down into smaller steps.
- Write a list of all the things that need to get done, so you feel organized
- Pick one task on the list to start with (e.g., clean out your closet)
- Break that task down into even smaller steps (clean out part of your closet; put all the things that no longer fit in another pile)
How Many Journaling Prompts Should You Make Per Day?
I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity. That’s why I think it’s important to take your time and work on one journal prompt per day/week to start with – and then go back and read through what you’ve written later. That way, you can see what was going on in your head and have a context for what you wrote down that day.
Trying one prompt a day can already be a lot if you’re just getting started with journal writing. But if that’s not enough… well, then that means you’re probably ready to do two or even three writing prompts daily. If you’re already journaling three or four times a day without any problems – and if you’re still enjoying all those prompts, you may add another prompt. Just make sure it’s good for you before committing to anything else.
There’s no magic number of journal prompts you should do every day. Most importantly, you feel like you’re making progress with your journal. Doing too many can feel like a chore, and if you don’t do enough, you may feel stuck and frustrated.
It also depends on which journal prompt you to choose. Some are easier than others. If you’re working through a long list of prompts, or if you’re using prompts from different categories (e.g., “positive” and “negative”), it may be better to spread them out over several days rather than trying to do them all in one sitting.
You May Find Yourself Working on the Same Prompt More Than Once
You may feel differently in a month or a few years.
Each time you revisit a prompt, it’s a new experience for your mind.
- Maybe you had a different problem to solve than the first time, so there are a new set of questions to answer.
- Maybe you’ve had other experiences that have affected your negative thoughts and feelings about the issue.
In other words: If you don’t write about something for a long time, you may write about it again at another time in your life and have completely different feelings or ideas than you’d before!
A Self-Care Journal Should Be Kept Daily
A self-care journal should be kept daily for several reasons.
Having an organized place to record your self-care goals is important, and a daily journal will help you stay on track. In your journaling journey, you will record what you did for yourself that day and how you felt about it. If something didn’t work out as well as you hoped, write down what you could change in the future.
You should also write down the time you spent relaxing or creating – or anything else that helps you restore your energy. This will help you identify patterns in your day that will help you make the most of your time when taking care of yourself.
It’s important to keep a self-care journal that you can work with daily. Many people start with a journal and then abandon it when they get busy. But if you’ve something you can use daily, it’s easier to stick with your self-care program.
A Daily Journal Helps You Keep Track of How Well You’re Taking Care of Yourself
Sometimes we forget how much time we spend on things like eating right or exercising. That’s why it’s helpful to keep a diary where we can see what our habits look like. That way, we can adjust those habits as needed – or just be happy about what we’re doing right!
I recommend keeping a daily journal of self-care because it has many benefits! It helps prevent burnout, which can happen when you try to do too much at once; it helps you remember how important self-care is; and it gives you a chance to reflect on what went well and what didn’t, so that next time (if there’s one) it’ll go even better!
Try to Keep an Organized Journal
Writing things down can help you feel more in control of your life. You’ll be surprised how much you understand yourself when writing things down.
If you’re still thinking about what would be useful for your self-care journal, here are some ideas:
You could write down the things that make you happy or the things that make you sad. You could write down everything in your life that stresses you out and then write down the steps you can take to deal with those stressors that cause anxiety. You could write down how you feel today or what happened in your day yesterday.
You can also use this space to record your goals and dreams.
- What do you want out of life?
- Or how do you imagine your dream life?
- What do you hope to achieve?
- What do you want to learn?
- What would be important to you before you die?
- How can we help each other achieve our goals?
This is where we can all work together, support, and help each other achieve our goals!
A self-care journal is where you can write down everything most important to you so that they’re waiting for you each day when you feel overwhelmed or confused.
You Can Use Colored Stickers to Organize Each Journaling Prompt Category by Section
For example, red for lists, blue for to-do’s, green for goals, and so on. That way, you can find what you’ve done in the past or what you need to do next faster.
If you use a digital version of your self-care journal, you can create folders in your email inbox or add labels to your emails. This will help you sort and prioritize your tasks.