Journaling for Well-Being & Reflection

Written & Medically Verified by Dr. Aliya Kassamali, PharmD
Reviewed by Sabiha Ladak, MSc Public Health

Journaling can be a free flow exercise to write about whatever you feel like, or you can use prompts to help get your thoughts and feelings out of your head. Writing is a helpful tool to organize thoughts, better understand your emotions, and explore creative ideas.

There is a wealth of evidence which supports the benefits of journaling. In one study, mothers journaling at least 3 times a week for 6 weeks increased their levels of optimism and gratitude. They also found it to be a great self-care strategy to help better cope with children who were dealing with emotional and behavioral issues. Another study showed that writing about positive experiences 3 times a week for at least 15 minutes reduced feelings of anxiety and stress, and improved resiliency.

If you end up with a quiet New Year’s Eve or have some alone time throughout the holiday season, take some time to reflect, because it is a great way to kick-off the new year! If anything, it may even improve your mood if you find yourself feeling lonely or isolated during the holidays.

If you are stuck on what to write about, here are some journal prompts that you can use to explore different aspects of your life:

Work & Career

It can be challenging to balance work and other aspects of your life. Overworking can lead to burnout, but having an unfulfilling career can reduce your overall satisfaction with life. Here are some things to think about:

What do you see as your personal strengths, and how could you apply them to your work?
What do co-workers, supervisors, and friend see as your strengths?
What part(s) of your work do you enjoy the most?
What does your ideal career look like?

Self-Reflection

This can help explore your own personality, values, and opinions about topics. These can also change over time! Some prompts to explore include:

Describe key events in your life that helped shaped your beliefs and who you are today. Feel free to go back as far as you want, and write down as many as you can remember.
What are 3 things you would like people close to you (friends, family, loved ones) to know about you?
What do you love most about yourself?
Which of your personal beliefs do you think you could explore more or are wiling to reconsider?

Love & Relationships

Healthy, loving, and strong relationships are important aspects for overall well-being and mental health. Here are some journal prompts to help you better explore what you value in relationships, how they strengthen you, and to better understand when a relationship no longer serves you:

What do you value most in relationships?
Who do you trust most and why?
What are your strengths in relationships?
What does “love” mean to you? How do you recognize it in a relationship?

Journaling can be helpful strategy to improve resiliency and increase feelings of well-being when done regularly. Start reflecting 3 times a week, and it could grow into a daily habit! If you have a lot of thoughts and ideas in your mind, write about whatever comes to you naturally, or a pick a prompt from the list above if you are stuck on what to write about.

References:

1. Kim-Godwin, Y. S., Kim, S. S., & Gil, M. (2020). Journaling for self-care and coping in mothers of troubled children in the community. Archives of psychiatric nursing, 34(2), 50–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.02.005
2. Smyth, J. M., Johnson, J. A., Auer, B. J., Lehman, E., Talamo, G., & Sciamanna, C. N. (2018). Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR mental health, 5(4), e11290. https://doi.org/10.2196/11290
3. Ullrich, P. M., & Lutgendorf, S. K. (2002). Journaling about stressful events: effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 24(3), 244–250. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10