Good morning sunshine! Whether you jumped out of bed ready to go or you’re still waiting for that first cup of coffee to kick in, today I want to share a few journal prompts to start your day on the right foot.
If you haven’t made daily journaling a habit yet, there is simply no time like the present —journaling can be life-changing, and a great way to both check-in with yourself and boost your mood. Before you get lost into the craziness of the day, spend a few sacred minutes that you've reserved just to breathe, align your priorities, and let out whatever is on your mind.
There are SO many benefits of journaling. But every now and then, you might crack open your notebook and find yourself uninspired, staring at the blank page in front of you with nothing to write. Good ol' writer’s block — but don't worry, it's totally normal, and that's what these journal prompts are here to help you overcome!
First, a quick refresher for the journaling newbies out there:
Taking just a few minutes (literally even just 30 seconds) in the morning to scribble down your thoughts, dreams, and goals can set you up for a day full of deep thinking, gratitude and success. Morning journaling sets your brain to an observant, introspective mode, which allows you to work through your emotions and find clarity even after you’ve put the pen down.
Plus, brain-dumping all of your thoughts, plans, and goals is quite literally a therapeutic release — some days, you can actually feel the tension lift as you get the words out of your brain and down onto paper.
Use this time to let out whatever’s circling in your brain, to figure out what actually matters most today. After a few weeks, you'll begin to notice patterns that keep showing up — that is where the journaling magic happens: Circle or put a star next to the thoughts and patterns that seem to keep repeating, and write one clear action step beside each of them. You can use this as a way to turn your worries into something useful — once they’re written down, they'll stop looping in your head and start being put into action.
Remember, there are no rules to daily journaling. Some days you might feel inspired to type it out, other days it might be old-school pen and paper, and some mornings inspiration might strike while out for a walk — in that case, hit record on a voice memo and start yapping away.
All that matters is that you get the words flowing. Journal prompts are a great way to look for initial inspiration, especially on the mornings that you are feeling a little blahhh.
Oh and one last thing — those crazy mornings where a packed to-do list has you rushing out the door and you definitely don't have time to open your journal?
Just keep in mind that those are the kinds of days where taking a few minutes to jot down your thoughts might even be more important 😉
Anyway, without further ado, here are ten journal prompts that are sure to boost your mood and set the tone for your day.
Ten Journal Prompts Guaranteed to Start Your Morning on the Right Foot
1. Write ten words that, in an ideal world, you wish other people would use to describe you.
2. Think back three months ago — what is one thing in your personal life that you’ve made progress on, and what is one thing that you need to focus more attention on?
3. Using one word only, what is your intention for the day? How do you intend to put this into action?
4. List five wildly unrealistic dreams or goals that you have for the near-term future.
5. When life feels out of sync, what steps do you take to realign things? Is this something you can be more proactive about before it happens next time?
6. If you didn’t worry about what other people thought of you, how would your day-to-day behavior and routine change?
7. Is there something in your life that is no longer serving you, and how can you reduce it to make space for welcoming things that are serving you?
8. What is something in the next few weeks that you are really excited about? And how can you prepare for it now to really make the most of it?
9. Make a list of five hobbies, activities or new experiences that you’d love to do this year.
10. What is something you’ve been procrastinating on for a while, and what is the smallest step you can take today to make progress on addressing it?
Still feeling uninspired? Don't be afraid to get a little silly! In addition to the journaling prompts above, draw some doodles, and let your imagination run wild.
Morning journaling has zero rules (besides that it’s best done over a large cup of coffee, of course). So grab a pen and paper — or better yet, may I recommend Tidy Plan’s collection of printable journal prompts? — and start your day with a few moments of self-reflection and positive intention setting.
Who knew something so simple could have such a profound impact on our mental health.
Happy journaling!
