What To Write About
In Your Daily Journal
Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.
Jen Williamson
So… those who know me, know that I’m a fan of writing. I have now owned diaries for 10 years, and every single year is dedicated to a diary. I look forward to reading with gray hair what I thought as a young woman and smiling with bliss (or sometimes cringing). Constantly reflecting on one’s own life, thinking, and feeling is probably part of being a passionate psychology major and double Scorpio.
Please note: This post may contain affiliate links that help me create free content for you! Thanks for your understanding!
I have already made several posts on journal prompts and my most popular one on Shadow Work, which unexpectedly went viral, helps you to recognize your dark sides and accept them. With these, you’ll also better understand why you react the way you do.
Sometimes, however, we just need journaling ideas about what to write in our daily diary. Admittedly, I don’t feel like exploring the depths of my psyche every day either but want to reflect on simpler topics just to boost my creativity a little bit and get my daily dose of writing done.
Table of Content
What is Journaling?
Journaling is basically a practice which is done daily by writing in a diary or notebook
about different thoughts, events that happened, things that make you happy, for showing gratitude, for manifesting, and to be honest, for so so much more. Journaling is one of the best hobbies and habits to keep for a lifetime.
Journaling helps in self-exploration, self-improvement, personality improvement. It also brings discipline as you develop a habit of writing daily.
Many people write journals for:
● Manifesting their dreams by writing about them in the present tense
● Practicing gratitude daily
● Writing about their happy moments and achievements
● Writing about their thoughts and imaginations
● Writing about their weak points so that they can work on them and improve them
● Writing about the thoughts that trouble them and they cannot share with
anyone
You either can write a journal simply or get creative in it.
It can be as simple as just writing with a pen and as creative as making designs, highlighting the specific lines or words, pasting any picture related to the text. (I absolutely love adding stickers next to what I’ve written. They fill my diaries with even more creativity!)
Basically: Do whatever feels good to you, raises your vibes, and helps you organize your thoughts.
Journal writing is a good way to develop skills at opening up, examining the content later, and sometimes, changing our behavior.
The cathartic effect of journal writing is real. Your life will take on new, exciting meaning as you record your own history.
Why Should I Use Journal Prompts and Journaling Ideas?
A journal prompt is a simple statement that inspires you or offers you an idea of what to write about. It doesn’t matter how much you love to write, or how often you write,
there will be times when you just don’t know where to start.
Find here the most suitable prompts and journaling ideas on the topics: 180 journal ideas that will inspire you instantly!
You can use the journaling ideas as a starting point to go deeper into the topics. Just give your soul a white paper and let it decide what it wants to say.
180 Journaling Ideas
1. Who is a person I absolutely love? What do I admire so much about this person?
2. What are 3 amazing things that happened to me in the last few weeks?
3. What were 3 beautiful events in my life that felt like destiny?
4. Which things do I definitely need in my life?
5. What do I like about my job?
6. What activity did I enjoy doing most today?
7. Write three highlights of your week.
8. What things did I not have in the past, but have acquired now?
9. What are the most important things I have learned in life?
10. What food makes my body feel healthy and vital?
11. What is a quote by a random person I have met in life, that still makes me think about it?
12. My 5 all-time favorite songs. Why are these so amazing? Which feelings do I connect with these songs?
13. Which movie can make me smile no matter what? What do I love so much about it?
14. What was the last super funny video I watched? Why was it so funny?
15. What was the funniest thing someone said?
16. What was the toughest moment of my life?
17. What was a beautiful moment in my childhood, that left an imprint on my whole life-view?
18. What was my most loved movie when I was a kid? (Mine was Heidi, lol)
19. The best quote from the best book I have ever read.
20. What was the best dream I have ever dreamed? Why did it feel so good?
21. Am I honest with myself?
22. If I am not, how can I change it?
23. Describe your day in bullet points.
24. Talk about what you will be doing this weekend.
25. Am I truly happy with my current friendships and/or relationships?
26. Am I happy with my life right now?
27. What are 3 things I can do this week to help improve my life?
28. What is my number one biggest concern?
29. Am I more of a positive or negative person?
30. What makes me more of a positive or negative person?
31. What are my best qualities?
32. What do I think are the best qualities in other people?
33. How can I become a better friend?
34. How can I become a better boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife?
35. What do I believe are some strengths of mine?
36. Do I think I value myself enough?
37. How can I develop a more positive mindset?
38. What is something that I am struggling with?
39. Did I have any sudden negative thoughts today? If so, what was the trigger?
40. Is there one specific thing I am trying to work on?
41. Do I believe I am a good person?
42. What was the best part of my day?
43. What is my current morning routine, and how can I improve it?
44. Am I feeling happy today?
45. What is my biggest goal in life?
46. How would I describe my life in one sentence?
47. Where do I want to be? In my career, geographically, in my life, mentally?
48. What makes me feel guilty?
49. Do my guilt and shame serve any useful purpose?
50. What is my most optimistic view on life?
51. What is my doomsday scenario of life?
52. Where does reality fit in between those scenarios?
53. What do I believe?
54. How do I value my health?
55. Do I strive for a healthy balance?
56. What did I learn today (skill, mindset)?
57. How do I feel?
58. What things do I need to do today to feel productive?
59. I am grateful for…
60. What do I miss?
61. How should my day look in one year?
62. I feel…
63. The best thing about today was…
64. I feel good about…
65. I’m curious about…
66. One thing I’ve learned about life is…
67. What are three big things going on in my life right now?
68. How do these things make me feel?
69. What was the happiest moment of today?
70. What was the most frustrating moment of today?
71. What was the best book I read recently and why was it so great?
72. What was the worst book I read recently and why did I not like it?
73. What do I want to accomplish in the next week/month/year?
74. Why do I want to accomplish those things?
75. How will I feel when I accomplish those things?
Journaling Ideas: Memories
76. What is the very first memory I remember?
77. Do I know what my first words were?
78. What was my first day of school like?
79. Describe what your childhood was like.
80. Draw a picture of how you think your school years went.
81. What is something I am still embarrassed about, many years later? Can I now laugh about it?
82. Describe a time in your life when you really learned a hard lesson.
83. List your 3 favorite birthdays and what makes them your favorite.
84. What did I do for my 10th birthday?
85. Did I have a special 16th birthday party?
86. What is a hobby I loved as a kid, but no longer participate in?
87. What was my favorite cartoon?
88. What is a movie I loved watching with my family?
89. Name a beautiful memory with your parents.
90. Can I remember the first time I went to the movie theater?
91. How old were I when I drove for the first time? How was this experience?
92. If I could sum up high school with one word, what would it be?
93. Did you attend any high school dances?
94. What is the best memory of my school time?
95. What is an embarrassing moment I would love to re-do?
Journaling Ideas: Seasons
96. What is my favorite season?
97. Why do I love that season so much?
98. What weather do I wish it was right now?
99. What is my favorite holiday?
100. Describe a past memory from this holiday.
101. If I could wake up each day and it would be one holiday or season, which
would I choose?
102. What is my favorite thing to do in summer?
103. What do I love about fall?
104. What is something I love doing every winter?
105. What is my favorite part about springtime?
106. Describe a past Christmas you will never forget.
107. Do you dress up for Halloween?
108. If you used Trick-or-Treat, write about your experiences.
109. How does my family celebrate Thanksgiving?
110. Name 3 holidays you are looking forward to this year and explain.
Journaling Ideas: Self Care
111. List 5 things you can do for yourself today.
112. Come up with 10 things you can do for yourself this month.
113. Spend 5 minutes writing about any subject, using this time to reflect on yourself
and your life at the moment.
114. Name a place you would go to right now if you could go anywhere.
115. Would you go alone? Or would you take a special person with you?
116. Meditate for 5 minutes, then write about the experience.
117. Take 10 minutes a day to do something for your emotional and physical wellbeing, then journal about the experience and how you feel.
118. What are 7 things that bring me a sense of peace?
119. Who are the 5 people that make me feel loved?
120. What is one activity that cheers me up, no matter what?
121. What is a compliment I love to get?
122. Have I complimented myself today? If not, why?
123. What is my best physical quality?
124. What is my best inner quality?
125. What makes me special?
126. Why do I appreciate myself and my life?
127. What do I feel I deserve in a romantic partner?
128. What are some words I always try to live by?
129. How can I love myself more?
130. Describe your perfect day.
131. Dive deeper – who are you with, where would you go, what makes that the
perfect day?
132. When do I feel happy in my skin?
133. Ignore your flaws – what is one feature you would NEVER want to change?
134. What is a way I indulge myself often?
135. How could I indulge myself a little more?
136. Why do I deserve to love myself?
137. What is a quote that teaches great self-love and acceptance?
138. What would I tell my teenage self if I could?
139. What is one lesson I can teach my younger self?
140. What habits do I have? What habits do I want to have?
Journaling Ideas: Gratitude
141. What is the ONE thing I am MOST grateful for in my life right now?
142. Name 5 things you are grateful for this week.
143. Who is someone I cannot imagine my life without?
144. What is a way I can show more gratitude every day?
145. Do I feel that I appreciate the good in my life often enough?
146. What is something that made me smile today?
147. Name something surprising that happened to you recently.
148. What is the funniest thing I experienced in the last year?
149. Talk about a challenge you are happy to have overcome.
150. Name someone who has taught you an important life lesson.
151. List 3 things that were difficult to live through, but you are now grateful for the
experience.
152. Show how grateful you are for your family.
153. Describe why you are grateful for your pets.
154. Talk about how your job has changed your life.
155. List 5 memories from your childhood you are grateful to have.
Journaling Ideas: Traveling
156. What has been my favorite trip so far?
157. Where would I love to go?
158. Have I been to any of the world’s 7 wonders?
159. What is a monument I really want to see?
160. Have I ever seen a waterfall?
161. Have I seen a volcano?
162. Who do I love to travel with?
163. Am I afraid of flying?
164. Do I get seasick?
165. If I could take a cruise anywhere, where would I go?
166. Have I ever flown first-class?
167. When I want to spend a weekend away, where would I like to go?
168. Which culture impressed me the most and left the biggest influence on my life?
169. Would I like to travel for work?
170. What was my least favorite vacation, and how could it have been better?
171. Am I planning another trip right now?
172. What is my method for planning a vacation?
173. What are 5 places I want to see before I die.
174. Which is the most fascinating country for me?
175. Could I imagine living abroad?
176. Am I a fan of road trips?
177. What is a fun road trip you have been on?
178. Where would I like to take a solo road trip?
179. Name a place you want to see with your significant other.
180. Describe your dream family vacation.
Final Thoughts
According to a study by Cambridge University, writing for 15 to 20 minutes a day for three to
five times in a four-month period helped the participants to lower their blood pressure and
see increased liver function.
However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are some general benefits of daily journaling:
● A journal can help to increase your long-term general well-being, reduce
symptoms of physical pain, and improve the quality of your sleep
● It helps you to improve your commitment and self-discipline
● It helps you to become more grateful
● It helps you to become a friendlier person and generate positive feelings
● Gives you the chance to reflect both positively and negatively on what is
happening in your life and allows you to make the necessary changes
● It leads to higher levels of optimism, which improves your happiness and
health
● Allows you to develop a record of key lessons and learnings over a period of
time which you can use to shape your future actions
In short, starting the habit of journaling every day can have an amazing impact on
a lot of areas of your life. Personally, after writing, I always feel fulfilled and happy in a way – as if I give my soul a space to express itself.
Tell me what you think about my 180 journaling ideas! What are your favorite journaling ideas or prompts?
If you would like to connect with me, sign up for my newsletter or leave me a message on Pinterest! I love reading and hearing your stories!
Love and light ♥
My readers support Spirithandbook. When you buy through links on my site, I may earn some coffee ☕ money (which I promise to drink while continuing to support your spiritual journey ✨).
