150 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery in the New Year
The proof is in the pudding—journaling can be extremely beneficial for just about every facet of your life: mental health, improved organization and even for your journey to self-discovery. Just look at the science: Research from Pennsylvania State University found that journaling can increase overall well-being and decrease general mental distress. What more of a reason do you need to pick up the pen and get to it? With these 150 journaling prompts for self-discovery, you'll not only start to feel better and more at peace, but you may start to know yourself a bit better too.
150 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery
1. Who am I when no one else is around?
2. What are the things—activities or people—that feed my soul?
3. When do I feel most authentically like myself?
4. What was my childhood *really* like and what lessons or habits did I bring with me into adulthood?
5. Which relationships in my life mean the most to me?
6. What does it mean to take care of myself?
7. What are the qualities in a friend that I cherish most?
8. What do my friends and family members love about me?
9. How can I improve myself?
10. What does self-care look like for me?
11. Where in the world do I feel the most at peace?
12. How could I live my life more authentically to the way I really want to?
13. What does peace mean to me?
14. When do I feel the most burnt-out?
15. Who can I always turn to when I need a dose of reality or good advice?
16. Do I trust myself to make the "right" decisions?
17. What can I do for myself to prevent burnout?
18. How do I feel about my past choices?
19. What would "achieving" happiness really look like for me?
20. What would it look like if mental health was no issue for me?
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21. What can I do to best support myself? Others?
22. How has my childhood shaped who I am today?
23. What's one thing I can change about my routine tomorrow to better myself?
24. What's one thing I tend to do in order to get validation from others?
25. What would it look like to "reclaim" my life?
26. How has where I grew up shaped who I am today?
27. What can I do to turn a negative into my life into a positive?
28. What emotions am I holding onto that I can't seem to let go?
29. In the past, when have I acted out of fear?
30. How important is what other people think?
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31. What is one relationship in my life that I can work on?
32. What are a few things that tend to make my mental health take a negative turn?
33. What can I do to work on my relationship with myself?
34. What does strength look like to me?
35. What is one bad habit I could afford to ditch?
36. In life, what challenges me the most?
37. In life, who challenges me the most?
38. What limiting beliefs am I holding onto?
39. What would it look like to completely let go?
40. How has perfectionism hindered me?
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41. What does "the best" version of myself look like?
42. Who do I most look up to and for what reasons?
43. What is something I can do today that future me will thank me for?
44. What is the root of my tendency to procrastinate?
45. In which situations do I most often feel anxious?
46. What did it feel like when I experienced failure in the past?
47. What does achievement look like to me?
48. What can I do to reclaim the idea of failure in my own mind?
49. If I died tomorrow, what would be my standout regret?
50. How does anxiety impact my life?
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51. What are some bucket-list things I've yet to do that I want to? What's stopping me?
52. What do I need most from myself?
53. What do I need most from the people around me?
54. How can I expand my own consciousness?
55. What can I do to be more open-minded?
56. What does a mental block feel like?
57. In what areas of my life am I experiencing a mental block?
58. How have my parents shaped who I am?
59. What are my core values?
60. What does open-mindedness look like to me?
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61. What are three beliefs I feel most strongly about?
62. What kind of parent do I want to be?
63. Throughout my life, what has been my hardest struggle?
64. What do I want to learn about?
65. What's one thing that happened in my past that I'm still confused about?
66. What does self-discovery mean to me?
67. What are my feelings on death and the afterlife?
68. What do I think the afterlife looks like?
69. How has grief shaped me?
70. Who can I most benefit from learning from?
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71. How much time do I spend on social media?
72. What does it feel like when I feel most connected?
73. What's one relationship that no longer serves me?
74. How does it feel to disconnect from the internet?
75. What are three negative thoughts I think about myself?
76. In the past, how have I judged others?
77. In what ways have I critiqued myself?
78. How could I change my relationship with food for the better?
79. When is the last time I really embraced my body?
80. What is my gut reaction in times of crisis?
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81. What's one goal I've since forgotten about that I can pick up again?
82. How do I measure success?
83. What does it feel like to be hurt by someone else's actions or words?
84. Am I holding onto any secrets that I won't let myself come to terms with?
85. What does it mean to set a goal?
86. What's a time in which I hurt myself?
87. How can I better assert myself in situations I tend to shy away from?
88. What would it look like if I shared my innermost secrets with someone else?
89. What's one time I felt most confident?
90. How do I define vulnerability?
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91. What are some things that feel out of reach?
92. What does my ideal life look like a year from now? Five? Ten?
93. If I could have a conversation with anyone in the world, who would I want to talk to?
94. How am I feeling right now in this moment?
95. What does confidence look like?
96. What unrealistic expectations am I still holding myself to?
97. In what ways am I not yet healed?
98. If I could give myself anything—a quality or a mindset—what would it be?
99. What is my intention for today?
100. What does my dream life look like and what can I do to get there?
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101. Where is someplace I've never gone that I'd like to?
102. What is stopping me from trying something new?
103. How do my loved ones impact me in positive ways?
104. When do I feel the least in control?
105. What's the most beautiful thing I've experienced?
106. How happy am I at work?
107. What can I do tomorrow to live life to the fullest?
108. What does control mean to me?
109. How can I find peace within myself?
110. What am I looking to get out of life?
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111. What's the hardest thing I've endured?
112. What have I learned from a past hardship?
113. What does regret look like?
114. How do I define forgiveness?
115. Who have I not forgiven yet and for what?
116. How can I heal from regret?
117. Have I forgiven myself?
118. What can I do to forgive myself?
119. What is something I've held onto that's really not my fault?
120. Who do I blame for my past struggles or mistakes?
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121. In moments where I am unkind to myself, what would I tell my child?
122. What would it look like to start over?
123. Today, what have I seen, heard, and remembered?
124. What's one topic I'd love to deep-dive into either myself or during a conversation with friends?
125. At this moment, am I trying my best?
126. What would I never change about myself?
127. In what ways have I done good to others this week?
128. What impact do I want to leave on the world?
129. If I had the chance to do something over, how would I do it differently?
130. What does it look like to take a positive outlook on adversity?
131. What's a habit I've picked up from someone else? Why? Is it really mine?
132. What makes me me?
133. How do I define "consciousness?"
134. In which situations do I thrive the most?
135. What takes me out of my comfort zone?
136. What can I do to think more outside of the box?
137. What's something I've yet to understand?
138. What is the benefit of staying inside my comfort zone?
139. What is the benefit of leaving my comfort zone?
140. What's something I've yet to come to terms with?
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141. How has anxiety ruled my life?
142. What do I wish I knew about relationships? About marriage?
143. Who has hurt me in the past that I truly forgive?
144. What does empathy look like?
145. What is my love language?
146. How can I more effectively approach my own struggles?
147. What's one generational cycle I'd like to break and how can I break it?
148. What can I do to meet myself where I am right now?
149. How would I describe myself to someone I've just met?
150. What's one way I can meet my own needs?
