31 Journaling Prompts for The Month - How To Start A Journal For Self Discovery + Free Printables

Maybe you’ve heard about journaling prompts from your favorite influencer.

Or maybe you’ve always known about it but you hardly know where or how to get started.

Journaling is a practice that has helped me get through some of the roughest moments of my life. And let’s get real, these days, it can be hard to afford therapy, even if you’re fully open to the idea of going.

So, in short, journaling is a way to self soothe and de-stress on your own (though its NO replacement for therapy if you truly need it!).

To help you on your journaling journey, here are a few tried and true journaling prompts for every day of the month.

But before we dive in, here are a few journaling pointers to help you get started on the right foot.

Table of Contents

3 Journaling tips to get started and make it a habit

If you’re trying to start a journaling habit, it’s always a good idea to find ways to make it stick. Here are a few pointers on journaling I can give from experience.

Make it easy on yourself

If you’re wanting to start a healthy journaling habit the last thing you want to do is to make it harder on yourself.

Making the habit easy can mean leaving a journal and pen within reach around your space, or even downloading a journaling app that you can access on-the-go if you carry your phone with you.

Using Notion to journal is another great way to make it a habit. It has premade templates you can have access to where you can organize all your thoughts. Best of all, it’s free for personal use!

Use journaling printables to help you get started

Creating a printable journaling space can be a game changer if you’re more a pen and paper type of person. I recently created a Dream Journal if you enjoy or are interested in starting to journal your dreams.

And this bullet journal dot grid paper can be a great starting point that moves you beyond your basic college ruled notebook.

Start by writing a quick daily list

I’ve found it’s easier to stick to a habit if you ease into it, much like you’d ease into cold pool water because you don’t like the shock of cold water all at once.

One great way to do that with journaling is to simply start by making daily lists. Write out a list of three random thoughts you’re having for the day, or five words that describe how you’re currently feeling, or even a list of five things you’re grateful for.

Before you know it, you’ll find yourself wanting to write more. And you might just start to see your journaling habit flourish into a non-negotiable you do every day.

The following list of journaling prompts include creative questions and scenarios that are meant to help you explore more about your state of mind, pry into self-discovery, and have some fun in the process.

31 journaling prompts

If I didn’t have to work for a living and the rest of my expenses were paid for what would I do the next 10 years of my life? What would I do the next 10 after that?
These are the 5 things I really wished people noticed about me more and the specific reasons why.
What’s the number one goal I would like to achieve by the end of the year? What can I do each month to get closer to it?
All you have is a small piece of paper and enough ink to write three things for the whole world to read. What are the three most important things you feel like you’d be compelled to share at this point in your life?
List 5 things you’re thankful that you DIDN’T get and why.
List the 5 random things that bring you alive without even really trying.
Use 10 sentences to describe your alter ego and explain why they are that way. How similar are they to who you are now?
Write down a whole page of advice you really wish someone would have given you 5 years ago. Then reflect on what you learned after writing the advice that you can apply to the next 5 years.
Think of a time you were in a situation that took you by surprise. Then write out how you plan to prepare for something twice as bad if it were to happen in the future.
Name all the people in your life that mean something to you. Then write a list of two things you like about each of them.
Pretend you’ve aged 50 years. Write half a page of advice for yourself as you are now. What would you tell yourself?
Reflect on a dream you had you’ve never been able to forget. What made it so memorable and how do you interpret it?
Describe your perfect week-long vacation. Then describe what you can do to actually make it a reality one day.
What would you do if you were the most liked person in your country? What would you do differently?
Write about the happiest childhood experience you can remember off the top of your head. What made it unlike anything else you’ve ever lived through?
If you could start any business in the world and it was guaranteed to be successful what would you create? Who would it influence?
If there’s one thing I can almost guarantee I’ll regret in the future it’s this? What does this say about how I’m thinking now?
One person I’m secretly jealous of is X because of X. One thing I can do to feel less envious is?
Three things that constantly disappoint me every time they happen are? What exactly can I do to make this better?
A TV show I’d love to star in is X. And this is why…
Write a letter to your great grandchildren. What would you want them to know?
What are the three life events that have shaped your life the most? List all the reasons why.
Imagine a short story where you are the hero and free write it in three paragraphs. What happens in that story? What does this say about who you want to be or how you want to feel?
If you could invent your dream job from scratch, what would it be and why?
Describe the overall mood this week. What’s been the highlight of each day? What’s been the worst part of each day?
Imagine you walk into a bar and you meet a total stranger. Describe what happens next…
What’s something in your life you know will end? How do you plan on dealing with that?
Write a list of 5-10 things that have worried you the most these past few months. Why are they affecting you so much?
What emotions am I holding onto that I’m certain I need to let go of?
Three different situations where my ego worked against me are…
What have I learned and know right now that I didn’t know a year ago?