A blank page can be hard to start. A good prompt gives you a way in and often leads somewhere you did not expect. The prompts below were written for this guide and are grouped into five themes: checking in with yourself, anxiety and worry, relationships and patterns, grief and change, and self-compassion.
Use one prompt at a time. Write for five or ten minutes without editing, then stop. If something you write surprises you, it may be worth bringing to therapy. In psychodynamic work, the things that surprise us often point to patterns we have not fully seen yet. You can read more on Dr. Rabin's psychodynamic therapy page.
1. What feeling have I been avoiding this week, and what might it be trying to tell me?
Theme: Checking in
Avoided feelings often linger. Naming one on paper can make it feel less powerful and easier to understand.
2. Where in my body do I notice stress right now, and what was happening the last time I felt it there?
Theme: Checking in
This links a physical signal to a situation, which can help you spot what sets off your stress before it builds.
3. If today had a title, what would it be, and why?
Theme: Checking in
A light prompt for days when you do not feel like writing much. The title you choose often says more than you expect.
4. What is the worry underneath this worry?
Theme: Anxiety and worry
Write down the surface worry, then keep asking "and if that happened, what would it mean?" until you reach the fear underneath.
5. What would I tell a close friend who was worried about exactly this?
Theme: Anxiety and worry
Most of us are kinder and more realistic with friends than with ourselves. This borrows that voice for your own situation.
6. What is actually in my control today, and what is not?
Theme: Anxiety and worry
Draw two columns. Seeing them side by side can make it easier to act on one small thing and let the rest wait.
7. When have I felt this way before, and who was there?
Theme: Relationships and patterns
Strong reactions often echo earlier experiences. This prompt invites you to look for the older story behind a current feeling.
8. What role do I tend to play in groups or families: the helper, the peacemaker, the quiet one? Where did I learn it?
Theme: Relationships and patterns
Roles can feel like personality, but many are learned. Noticing yours is the first step to choosing when to step out of it.
9. Describe a recent conflict from the other person's point of view.
Theme: Relationships and patterns
You do not have to agree with them. Writing from their side often shows what each of you needed and did not get.
10. What do I miss most, and what do I not miss at all?
Theme: Grief and change
Grief and change are rarely all one thing. Making room for mixed feelings, including relief, can ease guilt about having them.
11. Write a letter to someone or something you have lost. You do not have to send it.
Theme: Grief and change
Say what you did not get to say. This can be a person, a relationship, a place or a version of your life that ended.
12. What is ending in my life right now, and what might be starting?
Theme: Grief and change
Transitions such as graduating, moving, retiring or becoming a parent hold both loss and possibility. This prompt makes space for both.
13. What did I do well this week that nobody noticed?
Theme: Self-compassion
High achievers often skip over their own effort. Writing it down is a small act of recognition.
14. Which of my inner critic's rules would I never apply to someone I love?
Theme: Self-compassion
List a few of the critic's rules, such as "never make mistakes." Then ask whose voice it sounds like and whether the rule still serves you.
15. What do I need more of right now, and what is one small way to get it?
Theme: Self-compassion
Rest, connection, play, quiet. Ending with one small, doable step turns reflection into care.
How to get the most from journaling
There is no right way to journal. Some people write every morning, and others only when something is on their mind. A few habits can make it easier to keep going.
- Keep it private, so you can write honestly
- Set a timer for five or ten minutes so it never feels like a big task
- Do not worry about spelling, grammar or making sense
- Reread old entries now and then and look for themes that repeat
- If a prompt brings up something painful, stop, take a breath and come back to it another time
Journaling and therapy
Journaling can be a helpful companion to therapy, but it is not a replacement for it. Some people bring a page to a session when they are not sure how to start. If you find the same fears, conflicts or low moods keep showing up, a therapist can help you understand where they come from. Dr. Rabin works with anxiety, grief and loss and life transitions, in person in Brookline and by telehealth across Massachusetts. She offers a free 15-minute phone consultation through her contact page.
If writing brings up thoughts of harming yourself, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.
Related guides
Last reviewed September 2026. This guide is general information, not medical advice. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
