By honoring your feelings (instead of turning away from them, or hating them) you get to the core of how you’re really feeling, why, and what you can do from here to have a satisfying comeback. Use these journal prompts to get clarity and empower yourself to live how you truly want to live. It’s so simple. Plus, it works.

Writing in my journal has become an essential tool for mindful growth, both in my personal and professional life.

It’s a powerful way of practicing self-care and living intentionally.

The process is a mindful one, an unfolding of feelings, an examination of thoughts—sometimes a sacred ritual. 

Allowing yourself to flow without a filter or judgment is one of the far-reaching blessings of journal writing. Perfection doesn’t belong on the page; authenticity and truth-telling does.

Take the following prompts and either print them out, open up a text document on your computer, or write them down so you can answer them.

Treat this as a mindfulness exercise; lighting a candle, burning incense or sage, turning on a salt rock lamp or some relaxing music can support the unfolding process and set the tone. It helps to have an environment that feels safe and soothing.

18 Journal Prompts to Help You Honor Your Feelings

1. The feelings I’ve been experiencing a lot of lately are…

2. The things that have been causing me tension lately are…

3. The areas of life where I’m not experiencing the feelings I want to are…

4. The feelings I want to experience more of in life include…

5. The activities, projects, and people that bring me the most joy, meaning, and connection are…

6. Some things I could stop doing so I could better align with how I want to feel are…

Writing in a journal, if you approach it with a compassionate heart seeking exploration, eventually becomes a sacred ritual.

7. If I was going to add something that brought more meaning, joy, and enthusiasm into my life, I would add…

8. The next time I experience a negative emotion, I am going to…

9. Some ways I could honor negative emotions without judgment are…

10. If I were to adopt a new way of seeing this struggle, I would like to believe things like… 

11. The primary feelings I want to bring to life are…

12. Three questions I could ask myself every morning to encourage positive energy are…

Honoring all of your feelings is how you empower the feelings you want to generate more of.

13. Some things I could say out loud to affirm my desired feelings (affirmations) are…

14. Some other ways I could remind myself of how I want to feel are…

15. If I could influence others to feel a particular way, I would encourage them to feel…

16. Who might need me to role model authentic compassion right now?

17. If I were to approach my relationships, activities, and projects as a better role model for authentic compassion, the things I would start doing are…

18. Some things I might say to a friend struggling with their emotions and feelings are…

. . .

Tell me:

Which of these thoughts did you need to read the most today? 

Tell me in the comments. I read every single one, and I'd love to know!

Let yourself be a journey.

With love,

Jen

P.S. Clear away distraction so you can get to the heart of what you want your life to feel like. Get my book Sleep Rituals for 100 at-home practices that are all about you. And the life you really want.