5 Stress-Relieving Journal Prompts for Self-Care
Here are some lists you can write in your journal to relieve stress. Writing in a journal is also helpful for self-reflection and self-care; Use these journal prompts to practice mindfulness and ease your mind on a daily basis
Journal prompts for self-care
I spent some time in 2019 in a program where I learned ways to become a life coach for moms. In Mama Bliss Coaching School I learned lots of easy-to-implement ways that moms can make their lives a bit sweeter. We could all use a bit more sweetness in our busy lives, right??
For me, Mama Bliss is about feeling good not only as a mom, but as an individual. So often moms lose their sense of self after becoming a parent. I did. Then, when my second was a baby, I found that I had completely lost myself in the throes of postpartum depression. Along with being depressed and not having found the right medication yet, I had no connection to my creative side and no time to myself.
Over the past year I realized that having a regular journaling practice helps me remember who I am aside from being a mother. Being a mama is amazing and I am so thankful for the opportunity to parent my littles… but I also value time to myself. When I have time to myself, space to myself and drink enough water I feel better. When I feel better my family feels better and our life runs so much more smoothly.
Here are 5 lists are ones I use often in my journaling practice if I need to get something off my chest, feel overwhelmed, or need to feel more gratitude and confidence. I fit in my journaling either in the evening or as part of my morning routine. You can read more on how to build your own morning routine here.
Grab your favourite pens (these are mine) and get writing.
I find it helps to have a set area in my home that I call my Self-Care Space. You can set one up in less than 10 minutes and it is soooo worth it.
Journal Prompts that help relieve stress
Gratitude List
This one legit helps with my mindset. I swear that when I write a list of 5 to 10 things that I am grateful for, more positive things come my way. Something about writing a daily gratitude list helps a person look for more things to be grateful for during the day, and when you’re looking and finding the positives in a situation you can’t help but feel amazeballs (I’m sorry if you’re one of 80% of people that hate the word amazeballs).
A twist on this that I love is to write only ONE thing I am grateful for and then FIVE reasons WHY I am grateful for it. It’s easy to write a quick gratitude list (ie. my kids, my partner, my home, my health…) but it takes a lot more thoughtfulness to choose one thing and write why. Try it and let me know how it feels!
Brain Dump
Sometimes my brain feels so cluttered and I get super duper overwhelmed. My thoughts are like 2 scoops of worry, a swirl of thinking about things I feel like I need to get done, sprinkled with the stress of feeling like I don’t have enough time, with remembering the laundry I forgot in the washer on top. Can you tell I’m craving a sundae? If this has you craving something sweet, have a look at this Nutella mousse recipe.
When you’re feeling overwhelmed, write EVERYTHING down on a piece of paper. Everything you want or need to get done, every worry, every stress, every idea. Once you have all of this written, you can start to categorize.
You might be able to deal with some of the items on your list right away (aka the laundry), some you might be able to set goals around and others, like for some worries, you might just acknowledge that they are out of your control. My mind feels lighter after a brain dump and I also feel like I can take action rather than sitting around feeling stressed. Give it a try!
Horn Toot List
I work part-time as a teacher and stay home with my kids on my “off” days. A day at home with my kids is a great day for making a list of reasons of why I am awesome and everything I have accomplished that day.
After a day of feeding kids, breaking up toddler fights and wiping butts I often hear myself complaining to my husband that, “I didn’t get ANYTHING done today!” I know looking back that that’s not true but in those moments it’s how I feel. Some things that make it onto my horn toot list are that I made breakfast, did dishes dressed 2 kids, took the kids to the park, wrote 3 report cards…. you get the idea. Having a simplified home and a somewhat open family schedule can help with getting chores done around the house.
Writing out reasons why you rock and what you have accomplished in a day can help if you are feeling some low vibe emotions or funky feelings of self-doubt, low self-confidence or have been focusing your energy on the negatives.
Try making a Horn Toot list about all that you have accomplished so far this year, or ever in your life! I guarantee that looking at that list will make you feel damn good.
Vent List
This one is sooooo good to do if you are feeling worried or stressed. It’s different than the Brain Dump because this is not the place to write new ideas or things you want to get done. It’s more about venting and letting go, Elsa style.
If you feel resentment towards something, feel angry, guilty or fearful about anything, write it down here. When you are done, it’s important to get rid of the list. Tear it up and throw it away or flush it down the toilet. Burn it if that’s your jam. Wash your hands (literally) afterwards and move on with your day.
After this you might want to try some stress-relieving activities at home. It will feel so good.
Creativity list
Write a list of all of the most fun hobbies and activities you did when you were a child. Did you play sports? Draw or paint? Take dance classes?
Chances are there’s a small part of you that misses doing that thing.
Is there any way you could try to fit a little bit of that creativity back into your life? Check out your local community centre to see if there are any classes you can sign up for.
After writing any of these lists ask yourself how that felt. If it felt good then make a mental note to remember that you can do it again any time as use these lists as tools for your wellness.
I find that it helps if I am writing in a cute new journal. Here’s the journal I write my lists in. This one is also cute. I love the quote on it.
I hope these lists help and that you are well! Comment below and let me know which list is your favourite!
-Breyen