Breaking News: Personal diaries are no longer just for spilling teenage drama and top-secret crush confessions. You might not have hand-written anything in a journal since you were younger — but in a world where digital devices seem to overtake every aspect of our lives, regular old pen and paper is making a major comeback.
That's why I seriously cannot recommend morning journaling enough — the stack of raggedy notebooks next to my desk are proof. I started this habit about three years ago, and having a place to put my thoughts, as well as the ability to flip back through them has been invaluable. I've learned so much about myself simply by just writing things down.
Today, I've got five thought-provoking journal prompts for you — but first, a few tips about how to get the most out of this great addition to your daily routine.
Pssst... Here's a few printable planners I thought you might like!
Let’s Let Out Some Stress Before the Holidays
November can be a difficult month — the cozy fall vibes have finally turned bone-chilling, it’s dark out by 4pm, and it feels like you have to get two months worth of work done in one (since everyone knows nothing will get done in December).
Writing about your stressors helps put them into perspective and, oddly enough, can even make them seem less daunting. Sometimes simply putting into words *exactly* what it is that is bothering you/stressing you out/worrying out makes it actually not seem like that big of a deal. This isn’t meant to downplay your problems, but instead to help provide perspective and create easy action steps towards addressing the problem.
How to Make Journaling More Fun
Okay, I know I said your personal diary is not for teenage things, but I also recommend that you have some fun with it — draw some silly doodles in the margins, write down your biggest most wild daydreams and where you want to be one year from now (ahem…that’s also just called manifestation).
My other favorite morning ritual that goes hand-in-hand with journaling is take my notebook to a cute café and do some writing there. For those who (like me) work from home, it will get you out of the house before cracking open your laptop, and you'll never be disappointed by the people-watching. And hey, choose a café thats a 20+ minute walk from home and get some steps in while you're at it! I promise you, this is an addicting morning routine.
Journaling is a fantastic tool to become more mindful, and to help calm your racing mind. In fact, writing is my absolute best advice to avoid the common trap of overthinking, or for anyone seems to have an existential crisis every other month (hey, that's me too).
It’s the best way to sort out the tangled mess that is life, and a place to physically put all of the things that are stressing you out and swirling around your brain. Almost every time I open my journal to brain-dump a bunch of unfinished thoughts, I somehow always feel better afterwards.
Anyway, without further ado — on to the journal prompts for November! I have a feeling these will spark a few juicy personal insights.
Five Journal Prompts for November 2025 to Help You De-Stress
1. What patterns of thought always seem to lead you straight into stress, and what would it look like to interrupt them mid-sentence?
2. What areas of your life are you trying to think your way through when it's probably just something that needs time?
3. What’s been taking up the most space in your head lately, and how much of it actually deserves your attention?
4. What do you keep putting off because you think you need to “feel ready” first?
5. Which habits feel helpful on paper but actually add more pressure to your days?
Even if you’re just a casual journal-er, you can still reap the benefits. You don’t have to have perfect discipline, or write for a full hour every day (that would be insane). If you miss a few days, who cares? Just turn to the next blank page, scribble down the date and get to it. In fact, when looking back at old entries, those gaps can actually provide clues — the same month you were “too busy” to do any morning journaling likely was the same month you were overwhelmed with that busy project a work (and probably when taking 5 minutes to yourself each morning would have been most helpful!)
Oh one last thing — if you ever need some help overcoming writer’s block, make sure to check out Tidy Plan’s printable journal prompts that are sure to be a new favorite addition to your daily routine. They’re simple, practical, and perfect for days when you don’t know where to start writing — the shadow work journal prompts are a personal favorite of mine.
Happy journaling!
