75 Journal Prompts For Loneliness To Instantly Feel Better

Feeling lonely is one of the worst feelings in the world. No amount of words can describe that feeling of emptiness and despair inside you.

Nothing you’ve tried works and people keep disappointing you over and over again.

Well, I can tell you with 100% certainty that journal prompts for loneliness can be everything you need and more.

I have been in that headspace before, and I know how horrible and hopeless it feels. The only thing that genuinely helped me with shedding those feelings of loneliness was God and journaling.

That’s why I know these journal prompts for loneliness can be very empowering for you because I have used these same journal prompts you’re about to read.

So get you a nice warm cup of tea, something to write with, and something to write on, and let’s get straight into these powerful journaling prompts.

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The Benefits Of Journaling For Loneliness

1. Improves Your Mood

In addition to journaling being able to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms; it has also been shown to improve your mood and wellbeing.

Physically writing your thoughts on paper can help you release some negative thoughts and give yourself room for a different way of looking at things. For me personally, it also makes me feel like I’m being productive, even when I journal for only 5 minutes.

Both of these things can help boost your mood and overall well-being because you’re essentially doing away with the old (thoughts and feelings) and making room for the new (different perspectives, thoughts, feelings, etc).

2. Decreases Anxiety And Depression

One of the most amazing benefits of journaling and using journal prompts for loneliness is that it can decrease anxiety and depression.

A 2018 study of 70 adults with elevated anxiety levels and other medical conditions has shown that journaling for about 3 days a week after only 1 month had reduced the patients’ anxiety and depressive symptoms.

That study has also shown that journaling can help to improve overall quality of life and levels of resilience.

3. Gives You A Better Sense Of Control

Another great benefit to journaling is that it can give you a sense of control. Writing your thoughts down will allow you to organize your thoughts which then can help you figure out:

What you’re really feeling and what is truthfully bothering you
What your next steps should be

Of course, we are always going to have things that are entirely out of our control, but journaling can help you identify what is in your control and what isn’t in your control.

This has greatly helped me and many others avoid that negative spiral and feel like they have a sense of control over certain outcomes which kind of goes hand in hand with reducing anxiety.

Two birds with one stone, eh?

4. Can Physically Improve You

Not only can journaling help improve your mental health but it can also be a major benefit in improving your physical health as well.

Journaling consistently has been shown to be able to reduce and manage stress which can help prevent the detrimental domino effect that stress has on your body. Even just 15-20 minutes of journaling (consistently) can:

Reduce blood pressure
Improve your immune system
Improve memory

What does journaling consistently mean? I would aim for about 3-4 times a week, but if your schedule doesn’t allow this then about once a week. The main thing here is quality not quantity.

You would rather have 1 quality journaling session a week than 4 rushed and mandatory journaling sessions a week.

5. Helps You Process Emotions

Another benefit of using a journal or journal prompts for loneliness is that it can help you process and regulate your emotions.

It’s easy to get stuck in a positive feedback loop of negative thoughts and emotions.

You think of something that is stressing you out, then that makes you think of something else, then something else, and something else, and now you’re fully stressed out and don’t know where to turn.

Journaling can help cut all of this out of the equation by literally getting rid of the thoughts in your mind and putting them on paper. Once the thoughts are out of your head, you’ll realize that:

You are not your thoughts,
There may be another solution
There’s another way of looking at this
You may be able to do something about the situation right now

Journal Prompts For Loneliness

Is being alone the same thing as feeling lonely to you? Why or why not?
Do you feel more alone when you’re by yourself or when you’re around others?
If applicable, who is someone in my life who causes me to feel alone? In what ways do they cause me to feel this way?
What is something that triggers you to feel this way?
How have you dealt with feelings of loneliness in the past?
What is a different way that I can look at my feelings of loneliness?
Describe in detail everything you feel when you’re feeling lonely.
What does being alone vs feeling lonely mean to you? In what ways are they different?
What are 2 ordinary things that bring you joy?
What does having a good support system look like to you?
Who is someone in your life that you’re grateful to have? Why?
In what areas of your life do you feel lonely (relationships, work, social, etc)?
I feel most lonely when_____.
Describe your happy place.
Where do you find yourself feeling lonely most of the time? Is there any way you can change this environment setting and if so how?
What can you choose today to help you cope with the feeling of loneliness?
If applicable, who is someone who drains your energy? In what ways have you allowed them to do this?
What is one fact about this world that makes you feel less lonely?
Is there a certain time of the year when you feel most lonely? If so, what is one thing you can do next year to cope with those feelings?
How long have you been dealing with feeling lonely?
Where do you think these feelings of loneliness stem from? What is one small thing you can do to overcome this?
What are 3 things you’re grateful for right now?
Who is someone else in your life who has dealt with feeling lonely? In what ways could you both help each other?
How would the future you deal with feelings of loneliness?
What is something you can do today to connect with someone?
What advice would you give your younger self about dealing with loneliness?
In what ways are you not alone?
Describe a time when you didn’t feel lonely. What was going on in your life at the time? How did you feel?
What is one thing you enjoy doing alone?
When/where do you feel most connected with yourself?
Imagine a version of you that no longer felt lonely. What would your ideal day-to-day look like?
What is one small thing you love about yourself? List as many things as you can think of.
Who do you feel understands you more than anyone else?
Describe a time when you felt really loved in detail.
In what ways can I help someone else around me?
What is one non-human living thing that makes you feel less lonely (dog, cat, trees, bees, etc)?
How could you approach your feelings of loneliness in a different way?

Journal Prompts For Sadness

How often do you find yourself feeling sad?
Is there a certain person or event in your life that this sadness stems from?
What other emotion(s) would you rather be feeling? What is one small thing you can do to improve how you feel?
When you are sad, what do you typically do?
What triggers your sadness? What is something you can do to avoid these triggers as much?
Write down all of the negative things you’re feeling right now. Take a deep breath, then write down the opposite of those feelings starting with “I am…”.
What brings you the most comfort?
What is one positive thought that serves me?
What would make your day better today? What is something you can do to achieve this?
Is there a specific time of the year when I feel more sad? What is something I can do to combat this?
What is your go-to coping method?
What are 3 things worth living for?
What is one thing you’re proud of yourself for?
What is one thing that you’re grateful for about today and why?
Was there a time in your life when you didn’t feel as sad? Describe that time in detail.
Imagine if you no longer had this sadness anymore. How would your day look different?
What is one way that I can show up for myself today?
What are 2 things I can let go of to bring more joy into my life?
What is something that is in my control right now?
What could you use more of in your life?
What could you use less of in your life?
How does your sadness affect you physically?
Have I genuinely been feeling sad or have I been taking on other people’s troubles?
What is something positive you have discovered in your sad moments?
What is one quote or person that inspires you?
In what ways has sadness held you back?
Imagine the happy version of yourself talking to the sad version of yourself. Describe what that conversation would look like.
What does coming to terms with your sadness look like to you?
In what ways can you show up for yourself when you’re sad?
What does self-care look like when you’re sad?
What is one fact that brings you joy?
How can you use your sadness to help someone else?
Describe how your sadness affects your personal relationships.
Is there anything you want to do differently while you’re sad?
What does a life without sadness look like to you?
Is there someone in your life that is making your sadness worse?
How has sadness changed you? Is it in a good way or a bad way?
What is one thing you can do to take your power back?

How Journaling Has Helped Me (And I Know It Can Help You Too)

Now that we know some of the benefits of journaling, I want to talk a little bit about how much journaling for loneliness can really help you.

I personally used to struggle with feeling lonely and overlooked a lot, especially as a kid. Before I started journaling, I didn’t know what to do with these feelings a lot of times that left me feeling dull and numb.

Fast forward to about 2021 when I worked for a job I didn’t like and for a manager who was manipulative and just seemed to hate me overall (The day I quit he apologized to me for the way he treated me which was nice I guess).

Anyway, one day when we had nothing to do at work and I had to make myself busy, I randomly stumbled upon a video about journaling and how writing down 3 things that you’re grateful for can really change your life.

I needed something to look forward to so why not?

I decided I was going to do it every morning when I went to work and I kept with it. That eventually led me to vent about how I felt in my journal and the first time I did I felt an instant feeling of relief.

Journaling took me from feeling angry, lonely, and anxious all the time to feeling at peace, calm, and empowered. This is how I know journaling can greatly benefit you too.

You don’t have to use these specific journal prompts for loneliness either. Physically writing your thoughts and feelings in general can greatly help you.

Tips For Journaling And Using Journal Prompts For Loneliness

If you’re completely new to journaling, it can be a bit daunting, especially if you’re not the best at writing.

So I wanted to include some of my best tips that I’ve learned over the years and what has helped me along the way!

1. Be Consistent

One of the most important things about journaling and using journal prompts for loneliness is to be consistent. If you made it a goal to journal once or twice a week, then stick with it.

This applies to anything really.

If you want to experience the benefits of journaling then you must be consistent.

2. Don’t Force It

Now, I know this may seem a bit contradictory but just hear me out. You do want to be consistent but at the same time, you don’t want to force it. There will be days when you don’t have the time or capacity to journal, and on those days don’t force it.

Journaling is about quality, not quantity. So while you do want to set a goal and be consistent with that goal don’t force it at the same time.

Remember, it’s better to have a really good journaling session once a week, rather than 4 forced sessions just because it’s something you have to do.

3. Don’t Overdo It

You also don’t want to overdo it either. If you know that your schedule doesn’t fit journaling every single day, then don’t feel like you have to set that goal.

And if you feel like you’re not writing enough for your journal prompts for loneliness, or any writing prompts, don’t pressure yourself to write more on something that you don’t have anything else to say about.

Keep it simple.

4. Use Journal Prompts In The Beginning

Another tip for journaling, in the beginning, is to either use journal prompts or do gratitude journaling.

You don’t always have to use these journal prompts for loneliness either. You can switch it up because you may feel totally different the next day and want to try journal prompts for beginners.

5. Keep It Light And Fun

Remember to keep it light and fun. It’s not a race or a competition. This is supposed to be enlightening, freeing, fun, and simple.

Grab yourself a nice cup of tea, a cozy blanket, go sit outside, incorporate it into your morning routine, just do something relaxing or refreshing with it.

6. Use Different Color Pens

This is completely optional, but one way that I like to keep journaling fun in a simple way is to change the colors of the pen that I use each day.

It’s nothing grand or spectacular but it’s just a pop of color for the day. It also helps me be consistent with it because I love lights and colors. I got my pens from here!

If you’re not really into lights and colors like myself you could also incorporate other simple activities to help you be more consistent with journaling such as:

Drinking your coffee while you journal
Journal in a specific place each time (in a certain room or space)
Use a beautifully designed journal

7. If You Get Stuck

Listen, even the best of writers still get writer’s block. It’s normal to get stuck on a writing prompt here and there. You may even get stuck on most of them at first.

If/when this happens, I always recommend just writing something. Whatever is on your mind at that time, write it down. Typically when you just start writing it will get the ball rolling and you can figure out what you really want to say.

If you still find yourself not knowing what to say, then choose another journal prompt or come back to the prompt later in the day.

How To Start A Journal

1. Choose The Type Of Journaling You Want To Do

Before you can get started journaling, you must decide what type of journaling you want to do. Now, this doesn’t apply to the journal prompts for loneliness because that’s a bit different.

Journaling by itself is typically having a blank journal and free writing while using journal prompts is a bit more guided.

You can have journals that have journal prompts or you can have journals with only blank pages and you decide what you want to journal about each day.

I recommend starting with journal prompts in the beginning or doing a simple type of journaling like gratitude journaling. Here are some of the most popular types of journaling:

Gratitude Journaling
Reflective Journaling
Creativity Journaling
Bullet Journaling

2. Find A Journal You Really Like

The next step in how to start a journal is finding a journal you like. This part is optional but I still highly recommend it.

You don’t have to have a journal to be successful.

You can free-write or write your journal prompts for loneliness on a blank piece of paper, but the only thing about this is that if you want to keep track of your progress or have something to look back on you will have a bunch of loose leaf paper to sort through.

If money is a bit tight right now, then another great alternative to using a journal is a regular notebook you may have lying around your house.

You don’t need something super fancy or cute to reap the benefits of journaling. You just need a piece of paper, something to write with, and some light to see.

Here are some affordable journals that I recommend. If you’re not new to journaling and you’re tired of your journals falling apart then I recommend these high-quality well thought out journals A LOT.

3. Choose The Time Of Day

The next step in learning how to start a journal is to choose a time of the day that you want to journal and stick with it.

The most common times of the day that people (myself included) choose are in the morning or the evening. I prefer to write in the morning because I like to get my day started on 3 things I’m grateful for and my top 3 priorities.

Do I do this every morning? Nope. But I do aim for about 4 times a week.

Journaling in the evening also has great benefits because it can help you wind down and distress before bed which is another great way to start your day on a fresh note when you wake up the next morning God willing.

4. Journal Somewhere Quiet

The final step to learning how to journal is to make sure you do it somewhere quiet. This will help you be able to focus better and get out everything that you need.

It’s also especially useful to journal somewhere quiet because sometimes you won’t know what to write and if you have a bunch of noise or distractions it can be harder to achieve this.

Plus I don’t know about you but it’s harder for me to think when there’s a bunch of people talking. Drives me crazy sometimes.

So make sure to journal somewhere with minimal to no noise or distractions. If you can’t do this then try to find the time of day with the least amount of noise for you.

FAQ On Journal Prompts For Loneliness

Can Journaling Help Loneliness?

Can journaling help loneliness? Absolutely! Journaling can give you space to express how you feel and ironically feel heard. It also gives you room to separate yourself from your thoughts and figure out better perspectives and ways to deal with how you’re feeling.

What To Write When You Feel Lonely?

If you’re wondering what to write when you feel lonely the best thing is to write positive affirmations or free-write about how you’re feeling.

You could start off with journal prompts for loneliness and express yourself through writing. Or you could use affirmations such as:

I am surrounded by good energy
I am grateful for the people that I have in my life
I am never alone
I am capable of changing my circumstances

How To Reduce Feelings Of Loneliness?

How To Reduce Feelings Of Loneliness:

Be patient with yourself
Talk with a loved one who genuinely listens to how you feel
Avoid comparison
Let go of people who have weird or bad energy
Try different activities solo
Give social media a break
Talk with a traditional or online therapist

What Is The Key To Overcoming Loneliness?

If you’re wondering what is the key to overcoming loneliness the answer is one: having strong connections with people who have good energy and two: using reflective journal prompts expressing how you feel and detaching yourself from the feelings of loneliness.

Conclusion On Journal Prompts For Loneliness

Feeling completely alone sucks. I’m not even going to sugarcoat it. There’s absolutely nothing fun about it and it feels like it’s never-ending.

But this doesn’t have to be your story.

I know that letting those feelings of loneliness go will not be an easy task at first, but I promise you it is possible.

Journal prompts for loneliness are the best way to get rid of those feelings of loneliness and replace them with feelings of empowerment, motivation, and freedom.

No matter what situation you’re in right now, I want you to know that you’re not alone. If you need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Thank you for showing up for yourself and thank you for reading. I wish you a lot of love and peace, my friend.

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