Sometimes all you need is a little prompt.

by Rachel Linder

If the idea of talking to someone, whether it’s family, a close friend or a therapist about your struggles and deepest thoughts is daunting, journaling could be a helpful first step. Not only does it allow you to truly recognize your feelings as you think them through and write them down, but it can also be extremely beneficial for your overall mental health. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center Health Encyclopedia, the act of putting pen to paper can help you navigate your symptoms of anxiety and depression as well as improve your mood. Specifically, journaling allows you to prioritize problems, fears, and concerns, track daily symptoms in order to understand personal triggers and ultimately control them, and allow for positive self-talk.

It can be a challenge, though, once you have that pen and paper in hand to know exactly what to focus on when you sit down to think and write. Though the prompts can be endless, we sifted through them all to determine the most essential starting questions you can answer each day to get your mind headed in the right direction.

Morning Journaling:

1. What are your three goals for today? And how will you work toward achieving those goals?

2. What does your soul need today?

3. What bothers you? What are you most worried about?

4. What would make today great?

5. How do I want to feel at the end of the day?

Evening Journaling:

1. How was your day? Did it go as planned?

2. What are you most grateful for?

3. What are the most important takeaways from your day today for tomorrow? How could I have made today even better?

4. How did your body feel today?

5. How did you feel emotionally today?