Journaling doesn’t have to be difficult when you have the right journal prompts. Lucky for you, you have found the best journaling prompts for beginners!
Say goodbye to writer’s block and say hello to the flow!
Beginner journal prompts are a great tool, especially if you’re new to journaling because it takes the pain out of finding out what you want to write about.
I mean, why come up with random questions when someone else can do the work for you, right?
Using journal prompts for beginners is as simple as
- Pick your favorite prompt
- Get something to write with/on
- Answer the question honestly
You can journal anywhere at any time, and for the most part, it’s free! So enough chit-chatting; let’s get right into the best journal prompts for beginners.
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How To Journal For Beginners
1. Decide What Type Of Journaling You Want To Do
When you’re new to journaling I recommend deciding what you want to journal about before you get a journal or use journaling prompts for beginners.
Do you want to journal for
- Gratitude
- Reflecting
- Get something off your chest
- Rediscover yourself
This will help you have a better direction with journaling and avoid getting writer’s block.
2. Choose Your Prompt For The Day
Choose one or two prompts that you want to do that day.
Some journals may have it where you do a few prompts on one page or you could also choose a prompt from here and write about it in a blank journal.
No matter what you choose, I recommend one, maybe two prompts a day. Keep it simple in the beginning.
3. Journal Somewhere Quiet
I highly highly recommend you journal somewhere quiet and free of distractions. This will better help you focus and get the full effects of journaling.
Give yourself the space to get everything off your mind/chest.
4. Physically Write It Down
Having a digital journal can be useful, but there’s nothing like physically writing it down.
Typing just doesn’t hit the same.
Studies at the Frontiers in Psychology have shown that physically writing something down can be more stimulating for the brain (Meer, Weel, 2024).
And according to Charlotte Hu at Scientific American, “…A steady stream of research continues to suggest that taking notes the traditional way is still the best way to learn.”
She also states that includes writing with a pen and paper and even with a stylus and tablet.
5. Use An Actual Journal [optional]
Now this is totally optional, but it really does add to the experience of writing your journal prompts and it helps keep everything in one place. It also gives you something to look back on in 5-10+ years.
You don’t have to have a journal when using your journaling prompts for beginners, but I recommend having one.
Here are some cute journals to pick from!
Journaling Prompts For Beginners
- How have I been feeling recently?
- What is one thing I’m looking forward to this week and why?
- What is one thing you learned last year? How have you been applying it to this year?
- What was one good thing that happened today?
- What is something that I learned new today?
- What was the last kind thing someone did for me?
- Name 2 things that bring you joy.
- What has been something that has been overwhelming me lately?
- What are 3 things you’re grateful for?
- What was the most recent accomplishment you made? How did it make you feel?
- What is one quote you want to live by this year?
- What is one thing you want to let go of this year?
- Name something that instantly brings a smile to your face.
- When/where am I most at peace?
- What shocked me the most today?
- When do I feel most loved?
- Name someone who brings you a lot of joy in life.
- What type of mood have I been in recently?
- What’s the best thing that could happen tomorrow?
- What is my biggest fear?
- What is one of your greatest strengths?
- What makes you feel good on the inside?
- What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
- Who is your biggest role model?
- What is one thing that makes you proud of yourself?
Simple Journal Prompts
- Name something ordinary that brings you joy.
- Where is one place in the world you would never want to travel and why?
- Where is one place in the world you want to go to and what do you want to see?
- Who’s been on your mind lately?
- When was the last time you did something kind for someone else and what was it?
- What does your ideal day-to-day look like in 5 years?
- Describe your dream house in detail.
- What has been overwhelming you recently?
- What did I enjoy about the weather today?
- What is my biggest goal in life?
- What is your favorite holiday and why?
- What is your least favorite holiday and why?
- What is one thing you’re not willing to try?
- Describe your dream job.
- What is one thing that helps me relax?
- What is your favorite song?
- Who do you consider to be your closest friend?
- What is one thing you used to think was a big deal but don’t feel the same way anymore?
- Describe yourself in 3 words.
- What is something you like about yourself?
- What is your weirdest quirk?
- What is a food you hate?
- What is your most used phrase?
- Who was the last person you gave a compliment to? What did you say?
- What are 3 things you can live without?
- If you could have any random animal/insect as a pet what would it be?
Shadow Work Journaling Prompts For Beginners
- If you had to choose one word to focus on this year what would it be? (eg commitment, discipline, etc)
- What could I have done differently today?
- What is one habit I want to adopt in my routine?
- What is one habit I want to let go of?
- What is one of your weaknesses?
- How do you cope in times of stress?
- What is a promise that you’ve always kept?
- What is a promise that you’ve broken?
- Name one thing you could stand to work on
- How do you speak to others? Is it the way you would want someone to talk to you?
- What is one way that you limit yourself?
- What is one small way you can show yourself kindness?
- Do you hold yourself to accountability to the full extent?
- Are you overly hard on yourself? If so, where do you believe this stems from?
- How do you uphold/respect your own boundaries?
- What is a lie that you have told yourself before?
- Are you a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty kind of person? How does that mindset help you succeed in life?
- How long does it take for you to move on from a failure?
- Is it easy for you to forgive?
- Describe how you feel when someone is criticizing you.
- How do you speak about others?
- Do you consider yourself to be afraid of rejection? Where do you think this stems from?
- Do you rely on external validation more than you realize?
- What toxic patterns do you struggle to break?
Photo Credit: Ave Calvar on Unsplash
Different Types Of Journaling
There are many different types of journaling so it can be hard to choose which one to start with. I recommend starting with gratitude journaling to start because it’s the easiest to keep up with.
Don’t feel pressured to start any of these types of journaling though because it is a-okay if you just want to start with your journaling prompts for beginners initially.
This is just here to give you a breakdown of the different types of journaling.
1. Gratitude Journaling
One of my favorite types of journaling is gratitude journaling. This is one of the most simple types of journaling as all it requires is to write about something you’re grateful for.
You can achieve this by either
- Writing down 3 things you’re grateful for in a day in your regular journal
- Use a gratitude journal
- Use gratitude journal prompts
Gratitude journaling has tremendously helped with improving my mindset and reducing my anxious feelings sometimes. I highly highly recommend gratitude journaling.
If you want to know where I got my gratitude journal from, it was from here!
2. Morning/Evening Journaling
Another great type of journaling is using morning and/or evening journal prompts.
This type of journaling can range from being similar to reflective journaling to creative journaling.
There is not as much direction as gratitude journaling but it still proves to be very helpful, especially evening journaling.
The reason why I say evening journaling is a bit more helpful is because it can help you work through or release unresolved feelings from the day so you can go to bed with a fresh perspective to wake up ready for the next day.
3. Standard Blank Journal
There’s also just blank journals where you write about something different each day. Of course, you could also use a blank journal to fill out your journaling prompts for beginners.
Using a blank journal can also be very handy if you want to try two different types of journaling methods such as reflective journaling and gratitude journaling.
I don’t recommend doing this right at the beginning, though, as it can help to have a bit of guidance when you’re first starting to journal.
Learn More: Best Manifestation Journals & Tips For Amazing Results
4. Bullet Journaling
A bullet journal is similar to a productivity journal but the only difference is the design. With a bullet journal, you organize your tasks and things to do with a bulleted list.
You can make them minimalistic and simple or cute and colorful! They’re very helpful too because it’s a lot more organized and visually pleasing.
5. Reflective Journaling
Reflective journaling is when you journal to reflect on your habits, actions, decisions, mindset, or attitude. This could be reflecting on the present day version of you or the past version of you.
This type of journaling can be very beneficial to helping you grow as a person and holding you accountable for your actions. I truly believe that everyone, at some point in their lives, should give reflective journaling a try.
You will learn so much about yourself.
6. Dream Journaling
Dream journals are journals you use to record your dreams. Many people use dream journals for a variety of reasons but some of the most common reasons are typically to
- Notice patterns within their dreams
- Get insight into a recurring trigger or issue
- Promote creativity
- Take note of recurring dreams and their potential meanings
7. Fitness Journal
Many people also use fitness journals!
This type of journaling is where you keep track of your progress, maintain motivation, and figure out what is and what is not working.
You can use an actual fitness journal or you can also use a fitness tracker.
Most good fitness journals have places for you to track not only your exercise habits, but also your eating habits, sleep cycles, hydration, and more!
8. Pregnancy Journal
Another popular type of journal is pregnancy journals. A lot of pregnancy journals come with really cute designs, spaces to put photos, planners, supply checklists, journal prompts, and so much more!
You can even use pregnancy journals to keep track of all of your doctor’s appointments so you can keep track of everything in one place.
If you’re looking for a good pregnancy journal to buy I highly recommend this one.
9. Productivity Journal
A productivity journal is essentially a habit tracker/planner in one.
The difference between a planner and a productivity journal is:
- A planner has blank lines for you to fill out your day and
- A productivity journal has writing prompts for productivity
- For example, “Five most important tasks of the day”
I personally don’t use productivity journals or planners because I don’t keep up with them, but I have heard that they’re very useful.
So if this sounds like something you’d like don’t be afraid to give it a go!
10. Creative Journal
Creativity journals are for everything creative! This could be for doodling, sketching, practicing designs, or brainstorming new ideas.
You could also have a creativity journal that has specific prompts to awaken your creative potential. If this is something you’re interested in, I strongly suggest checking this awesome creativity journal out!
Tips For Journaling + Using Beginner Journal Prompts
1. Keep It Fun
Remember to keep it fun and/or relaxing. Journaling is serious but at the same time, it doesn’t have to be.
It’s supposed to be reflective, innovative, and calming yet simple and easy to do. It’s not supposed to feel like you’re trying to go to the gym every day. It’s like making a 5-minute walk a habit.
Making journaling a habit has been one of the least difficult habits to adopt for me because of this.
So, keep it light, make some tea, lay in the sun, or drink some coffee (not all at the same time). Do something chill while doing your journaling prompts for beginners.
2. Don’t Force It
This one applies to those who have very busy schedules like for example a busy mom; shout out to all the moms out there!
If there is a day where you forget or don’t have the energy to do so then don’t force it. Do I still recommend aiming for consistency? Yes. But do you have to do it every single day to be successful? No.
You have to be willing to show up for yourself but don’t force it at the same time. Sometimes you have to let some things fall off the list because of other priorities. I get it.
3. Just Write
There will be times when you won’t know what to write at all, and in these times I suggest just writing whatever is on your mind right then.
Even if it’s not what you really want to say, writing something will lead you to what you really want to get off your chest.
Just write something.
I do this all the time when I don’t know what to say when I’m writing articles and when I’m journaling sometimes in my favorite blank journal, and it works like a charm every time.
4. Don’t Be Afraid To Pick A Different One
Sometimes it may not be that you don’t know what to write, it may be that you picked a journal prompt that you’re not vibing with for the day. It happens.
Don’t be afraid to pick a different beginner journal prompt if you wind up not liking the first one you picked.
5. Don’t Overdo It And Don’t Overthink It
It can be easy to overthink what you’re journaling about or feel like you’re not writing enough, especially in the beginning.
So when you’re using your journaling prompts for beginners, I recommend two things.
1. Decide what you want to achieve out of that journaling session
Is it to:
- Organize your thoughts
- Distress
- Cultivate gratitude
- Free write
2. Keep it simple
I don’t recommend writing for more than 10-15 minutes max because you want it to be simple in the beginning so you’ll really stick with it.
When I first started journaling I would journal for 5 minutes in the morning. That helped me be able to do it almost every morning because it wasn’t this huge change in my day.
It was just 5 minutes.
6. Be Realistic
You may not like one type of journaling over another. You may not be able to journal for more than 15 minutes a day. You may not be able to journal every single day.
Be realistic with the goals you set with journaling and remember don’t be afraid to keep it simple.
If you know you’re not the type of person to get up super early (like me) don’t commit to journaling early in the morning yano. Be realistic.
7. Use Different Colors [optional]
You don’t have to do this while you’re using your journaling prompts for beginners, but I highly recommend it because it’s very fun to look back on and it’s easier to distinguish the difference of which day is which.
Again you don’t have to do this but this is one thing I do to keep it fun. I don’t have a ton of different pens, I just use the variety pack you can get at the store.
Conclusion On Journaling Prompts For Beginners
Journaling prompts for beginners are the best place to start when you’re new to journaling.
Sometimes journaling can be frustrating and a bit confusing, so using simple journal prompts can take the difficulty out of all of it.
I recommend starting with gratitude journaling where you write down 3 things you’re grateful for each day.
If you’d like to start off with something else then that is totally fine too; I just found that this was the easiest thing to start with for me when I first started journaling in 2021.
Regardless of what you choose, I want to say thank you for showing up for yourself and thank you for reading this far. I hope you have a wonderful day today and I will catch you later!
Peace
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