20 Self-Improvement Journal Prompts To Help You Grow

Self-improvement journal prompts can be an important ally in your journey of growth and self-discovery.

Sometimes, my mind feels like a chaotic mess. It’s very hard for me to shut it off and because it’s so frantic, I simply can’t think things through. I journal instead.

Writing is extremely powerful for the processing of emotions and past events. In the bestselling book on trauma The Body Keeps The Score, Bessel van der Kolk writes: “Writing is one of the most effective ways to access an inner world of feelings that is the key to recovering from genuine trauma and everyday stress alike.”

Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a “good” writer, you can benefit from these journal prompts for self-growth. There’s no one to impress – you are writing for yourself only, so surrender yourself to the flow of your thoughts and freely express them on paper.

Tips for using self-improvement journal prompts

If this is your first time partaking in a journaling activity, I have a couple of tips that’ll come in handy when using these self-improvement writing prompts.

First, I recommend journaling on paper rather than digitally. While the latter is far more convenient (and easier on your writing hand), using a pen and paper is more conducive to making journaling a meditative experience.

The essence of journaling is not in writing as many words as possible or writing every single day. There’s no need to turn it into a chore – feel free to grab your journal whenever you feel called to do so. For me, this is usually only a couple of times a month.

You’ll also want to make sure to keep distractions at a minimum while writing. Listening to music is fine, but texting and scrolling through social media takes you out of the writing trance and you might have fewer breakthroughs. Set aside at least 15 minutes to fully focus on your writing.

Finally, there’s no need to rush through these self-growth journal prompts. Take your time to go inward and dust off the cobwebs from the parts of your mind that are keeping you stuck.

Journal prompts for self-discovery and improvement

Here’s a selection of my favorite self-growth journal prompts. They’re all written by me and crafted in a way that’ll help you improve specific parts of your life.

To get access to all of the prompts, read to the end where you can download a PDF copy for free!

• What makes you feel insecure? Look back on your life and try to pinpoint when these feelings and beliefs first appeared. How can you live your life in a way that’s less influenced by these beliefs?

• Would you describe yourself as someone who is scared to leave their comfort zone? If yes, what are you afraid will happen if you step outside your comfort zone?

• When something bad happens, how do you cope? Are these coping mechanisms holding you back from working through your problems?

• What are your relationship standards? What kind of qualities do you look for in a partner and what are your deal breakers?

• When do you doubt yourself the most? What causes your feelings of self-doubt? How can you become more confident in moments of self-doubt?

• There’s a saying that goes, “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Who do you spend the most time with? What are their character traits? Would you be happy if others were to judge you based on the people who are closest to you?

• What kind of content do you usually consume on social media? Does it leave you feeling positive or negative?

• What are your goals in life? Are your goals reflected in your current priorities or do you need to reevaluate them?

Get a PDF copy of the journal prompts

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