I’ve been journalling on-and-off since I was a child, and my old diaries are some of my most treasured possessions. Back then I wrote pretty exclusively about friendship squabbles, playground gossip and fights with my sister, and a flick through any one of those well-loved journals never fails to open a floodgate of long-forgotten memories and nostalgia.
Writing has always been a release for me, a way to organise and work through my thoughts. In a way, journalling is almost like speaking to a friend! I don’t need to worry about sentence structure or ensuring that my words flow correctly – they just spill out onto the paper as fast as I can write them.
Lately, I seem to have fallen into a bit of a rut. During my thrice-weekly journalling sessions, I’ve been writing exclusively about COVID-19 along with snippets of my daily life in lockdown. This style of journalling may feel reassuring and slightly cathartic, but I can’t imagine it’s doing much for my self-development.
Inspiration can strike when you least expect it, but sometimes you need to go hunting. On a slightly desperate whim I tried out a few journalling prompts, and suddenly my entries are introspective and meaningful again!
If your writing is feeling a little mundane lately, here are a handful of my current favourite journalling prompts. I hope they can be as helpful for you as they have been for me!
15 Journalling Prompts For Self-Reflection
- What did you learn from your biggest mistakes?
- What would you say to your teenage self now?
- Write a letter to someone who has hurt you. Can you forgive them?
- What is your favourite childhood memory? Why is it so special to you?
- What are the best decisions you have ever made?
- What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
- What did you love doing as a child that you no longer do? Why did you stop?
- What is your favourite thing about yourself?
- What advice would you give yourself five years ago?
- Write a thank-you letter to someone who made an impact on your life. How did they help you?
- What is something that you would like to change about yourself?
- How would you describe yourself to a stranger?
- What would your childhood self love about your current self?
- Think about a past situation in which your actions did not align with your values. What would you change?
- What would your perfect day look like? How can you make it happen?
These journalling prompts should help to spark your creativity, encouraging self-reflection and personal growth. Make sure you take the time to really think about your answers – don’t be afraid to really delve deep into your past, even if it feels a little uncomfortable.
Trust me, you got this.