Journal Prompts for Complete Beginners
You’ve probably heard of the studies that show the benefits of journaling as clear as day, and you want to make filling pages a habit, but where do you even begin?
That’s where journal prompts come in.
Starting a regular journaling habit or practice can be daunting when you are a beginner. Most of us at some point struggle with not knowing what to write about during the time we want to journal.
Journal prompts are the novice journal keeper’s best friend. They give you a focus point to write from and take the guess work out of the question: what do I journal about today? I’ve found that journal prompts help us dig a little deeper, beyond the original prompt, and some pretty surprising things can come up when the words start flowing.
There is no right or wrong way to do journaling. Though sometimes, journal prompts point us in the right direction.
Read on for 10 journal prompts for beginners, and a little more guidance if you need it.
How do you feel today?
A deceptively easy question, but try to dig a little deeper for some real insight.
What did you do today, yesterday, last summer, on your 10th birthday?
Memory is a powerful thing. Often we remember little details that were insignificant then but everything to us now. A friend’s smile, a slice of chocolate cake. What do you remember?
“I’m thinking of...” Keep coming back to this.
Track your thoughts across the page. Where do they lead you? Let them surprise you. Trust it.
Tell the story behind the best gift you have ever gotten.
Who? What? When? Where? Was it a physical gift or was it an experience?
What is your ideal day?
When I answered this one I was surprised by how much of my ideal day was achievable - reading in my armchair in the morning, meeting a friend for coffee in the afternoon.
Go further: can you schedule it into your calendar soon?
What did you want to do/love to do as a child?
This question is powerful for unearthing buried dreams and allowing us to find our sense of play again.
When have you been proud of yourself?
Whether it be a big achievement, or one of life’s small wins, how did you feel? Remember the moment in detail. Congratulate yourself.
Live out 5 imaginary lives.
Ever caught yourself saying, “I would have been x, y, z in another life”? From neurosurgeon to farmer to ballet dancer, let those imaginary lives take over the page. What would your days look like as that ‘another-life’ person?
Go further: can you incorporate little pieces of those lives into your current one? Can you take a ballet class? Can you go strawberry picking at a farm?
Ten things you are grateful for, go!
Blankets, coffee, sunshine etc…
Come back to this one daily for a truly transformative practice.
What did you dream of last night?
Did you dream at all? If not, or if you can’t remember, what do you wish you had dreamed about? Make it weird and wild.
These have been 10 journal prompts for complete beginners. What one called to you the most? Did you find anything new, or previously buried, about yourself?
