Journaling Part 2: Techniques & Prompts

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Journaling can be a powerful tool for helping with depression (see Part 1 for more info). It can also be hard to stare at a blank page, unsure where to begin. That’s where journaling techniques and prompts come in. Below you will find guidelines on journaling about trauma and our future selves, general journaling technique that you can adapt to different circumstances, and specific writing prompts.  

There are entire classes on how to structure journaling techniques and create prompts for specific situations, and because I believe good prompts can lead to better insight in journaling, I have left this to the experts. Each technique and prompt is footnoted; the authors deserve credit for creating these thought provoking exercises. If you are liking some prompts from a particular author, I encourage you to pick up the companion book.   

How to Journal: Trauma & Future Selves 

Journaling about Trauma 

The basic instructions for journaling about a traumatic event that have been used in some form in most studies are as follows:  

• Find a safe, comfortable environment and write for 20 minutes a day for three or four days.  
• Write about your thoughts and feelings about something that has affected your life – something that keeps you up at night or that you think about constantly, an issue you have been actively avoiding, or an undisclosed or unresolved trauma. Write about your emotions as the event occurred, and how you feel about it today. What have you learned, lost, or gained?  
• Once you begin writing, write continuously. 
• You can write about the same issue each day or choose different concerns. If you write about the same topic, explore it from different angles or work to refine the story rather than re-writing the same thing from a previous day. 
• People who benefit the most from this exercise tend to: 
  • Really explore their thoughts and emotions 
  • Progress to writing an organized, coherent, and vivid narrative. This means that someone who knows nothing about the event could read your writing and understand what happened and your feelings about it. (But remember – there is no need to share!)  
• When you are done writing, answer the following questions on a 1-10 scale: 
  • To what degree did you express your deepest thoughts and feelings? 
  • To what degree do you currently feel sad or upset? 
  • To what degree do you currently feel happy? 
  • To what degree was today’s writing valuable and meaningful for you? 
  • Briefly describe how your writing went today so you may refer to this later 
• Reviewing your work can be healing in and of itself, but it is advised to wait 2-3 days before you do so.  
• Write about any changes that may have come about because of this process (this can be in longform, or you can even create bullet notes).  
• Reach out for support if you need it.  

This process of writing a cohesive story helps because overgeneralized situations always seem more overwhelming than when written down in a logical framework. Humans have used stories for thousands of years to convey ideas and meanings. And that’s what you are doing here – writing a story.  

Additional Techniques for Writing About Trauma  

There are some additional ways that you can write your story that may be helpful.  

• Third Person: Write about the same issue but use the third person (he/she/they instead of “I”). This passive form may help with detaching from the experience and processing emotions.  
• Different Audience: Write to different people. Just the thought that a particular person will read your entry may change how you write and process. You can write to an authority figure, a close friend, yourself, someone else involved in the experience, or anyone else of your choosing. Once you are done, evaluate if any of the writings gave you a different perspective.  
• Letters: Imagine you know someone who has experienced the same type of event you have. Write a letter to that person offering words of advice and hope.  
• Editing: This is a matter of personal choice, but you can edit and re-write previous entries into a more coherent story.  

Tips 

There are some important things to keep in mind as you go through this process. First, there is what Dr. Pennabaker calls the “Flip out rule”. If you are not ready to write about a particular topic, then don’t. Simple as that. One option instead is to write about what you are afraid will happen if you write about that topic. Or it could be that you need a little more distance before you are ready to explore the issue, and that is ok.  

Additionally, while it is important to acknowledge negative emotions, try not to linger on them and instead look for any positive aspect that you can. One way to write positively, notes Louise DeSalvo, is to write about what got us through that period.  

For many people the first day is the hardest. Some people also feel worse after writing instead of better, although this usually lasts for only an hour or so.  

Journaling our future lives  

The past is like using your rear-view mirror in a car. It’s good to glance back and see how far you’ve come, but if you stare too long you’ll miss what’s right in front of you.

Lara Zeilin has written a great book on journaling about our future lives called Author Your Life, along with a companion workbook. In it she talks about her framework for this type of writing, why it helps, and offers ways to get started. Her basic framework is the HAPPE method: 

• Handwriting: She argues that you should hand write your journal, as some studies show this gives your brain more time to process, although in my opinion you should use the medium that works best for you.  
• As If: Write as though the life you want is happening right now. For instance, instead of “Margaret dreams of buying a beach house”, write “Margaret pours herself a cup of coffee and walks to the balcony overlooking the ocean, the breeze tussling her hair and pulling on the steam of her mug.” 
• Third Person: Write in the third person. This gives you perspective and distance and helps your brain believe the story you are telling it. 
• Positive: Write positively. As mentioned in Part 1, “not bad” is not the same thing as “good”. Or, as another example, instead of “Margaret doesn’t sit on the couch all day” it might be “Margaret enjoys going for morning walks and playing with her dog”. 
• Emotions: Describe what you feel as you experience this life that you envision. When you are done writing take a moment to feel and embrace that emotion.  

You can write about what you envision for tomorrow, five years from now, twenty years from now. You can write in prose or use bullet lists or mind maps. If you are unsure of where to start, a great place is simply writing about your ideal day.  

Creating a story about our ideal future helps in bringing it to fruition for several reasons. First, we influence what we turn our attention to. It’s hard to change anything if we are not paying attention to that “thing.” So when we attune our minds to our ideal future, and start to envision it taking shape, we have more opportunity to actually influence it.  

Writing a story also helps us see what is coming – the challenges, the obstacles. Then, we also get to write about how we overcome those obstacles- whether that’s finding a mentor to guide us on a career journey, identifying the study aid that helps us pass the test, or enduring the heartache only to find love again. By writing things out we begin to understand trials that we may encounter – but also the hope in overcoming them.  

Finally, writing out our future dreams changes how we view ourselves and the stories we tell about ourselves. When we change how we see ourselves, we change who we are. The goal in writing our dreams is not to identify exactly how to handle every obstacle, but to change our thinking and believe that our dreams are actually possible. That’s the bigger obstacle. 

Ms. Zeilin notes that Author Your Life is meant to be a companion to journaling, not replace it. Journaling is more reflective, while AYL is meant to change our future course. Maybe you journal for a few minutes, then switch to AYL. Or maybe three days a week are reserved for journaling and three days for AYL. Whatever pattern works for you.  

Ms. Zeilin has additional resources on her website, and you can also sign up for a free 30-minute consultation (click the “About” tab).  

To wrap up this section, I had to pull in one of my favorite lines from her book: “Someone out there needs the wisdom you gain on your journey, and they need to hear it in the way you speak and share it.” 

How to Journal: Techniques 

In her fabulous book The New Diary, Tristine Rainer writes about four basic writing methods and seven special techniques.  

The Four Devices 

• Catharsis: The spilling of your thoughts and emotions. It’s often used in the heat of the moment, when immediate expression is needed.  
• Description: Used to describe the intimate details of an experience, to capture memories, and record how you perceived what happened.  
• Free-Intuitive Writing: You write quickly, without time to censor yourself or edit what is being put to paper. Set a timer and simply write, without stopping. This helps to release our subconscious as there is no conscious thought directing our words.  
• Reflection: Draws conclusions from, or summarizes, other journal entries. It is a great method to use after each entry. It can also take the form of offering advice or encouragement.  

Seven Special Techniques 

• Lists: Lists can be created for many things (favorite moments, current worries, turning points in life). They help to focus our thoughts, or to start the process of writing something.  
• Portrait: A description of another person, animal, or thing. It helps us notice what qualities we value in others.  
• Map of Consciousness: This technique is more like a meditation and is probably easier with physical pen and paper. You relax your mind, close your eyes, put pen to paper, and allow the pen to move and create any sort of drawing. You can interpret the drawing once done.  
• Guided Imagery: Record detailed descriptions of the images you see in your mind. Relax your mind and take yourself to an ideal physical space. Once there you can call on a mentor, or animal, who can offer advice. This method is seen as a written form of meditation. Tristine Rainer has found this technique most useful when calling upon our own figure of Inner Wisdom and dialoguing with that figure.   
• Altered Point of View: Write about yourself using the third person, or about another person using “I”. This helps us see situations from different perspectives and understand others’ motivations.  
• Unsent Letter: Write a letter to someone without the intention of sending it. This can help bring closure to relationships or express feelings we don’t feel safe expressing to someone else.  
• Dialogue: Write a dialogue (both sides of the conversation) with your future self, people you know, a mentor, or even an inanimate object. 

Two More 

• Dreams: As soon as you wake up, record the details of your dreams. It’s helpful to title your entry and perhaps even color code the title. This way it’s easy to scan back across your journal and find the dream entries and see them amidst your other journal entries.  
• Clustering / Mind Maps: Start with a central idea in the middle of your page and write down all the thoughts you have associated with it. This is a great way to simply get thoughts onto the page or start formulating what your journal entry will be. It helps you recognize you don’t have to start every entry knowing exactly what to say and gives you choices for your writing. Miro and Mindmup are both great digital options (and free). 

Ways to Overcome Writing Blocks 

• Write what you are afraid to say. 
• Write from the third person. 
• Write to a different audience.   
• Write a list.  
• Borrow from someone else – read poetry, listen to music, study a piece of art.  
• Try a new technique from one listed above.  
• Try one of the journal prompts from below.  

How to Journal: Journal Prompts 

General 

• Use a poem or quote as a starting point.  
  • For example: “Be curious, not judgmental.” – Walt Whitman, ‘Leaves of Grass’ 
• Choose a word (fear, hope, pain, resilience, explore, readiness, action, curiosity) and explore what the word means to you and how it shows up in your life.  
• Write about what keeps you up at night or what you think about more often than you would like.¹² 
• Pick a few journaling prompts and respond to them every month for a year.³  

Joy 

• Create a list of the things that bring you personal Joy.⁴ 
• Create a list of the happiest moments in your life.⁴ 
• Write down three good things that happened today and identify your part in creating those positive experiences.⁵ 
• What do you especially enjoy doing that brings you into a creative flow where time is forgotten and contentment deepens? Imagine doing it now. What is the experience like for you?¹⁶ 

Gratitude 

• Write down a few things each day that you are grateful for. “Little” things count – running water, a homecooked meal, a favorite blanket.  

Know Thyself  

• Make a list of things you are naturally good at. Choose one and write about it. How might it help you manage stressful situations?⁶ 
• I’d like to do a little less of ___ and a little more of ___¹¹ 
• What do I most appreciate about my Past Self?¹³ 
• If you were writing yourself a letter of love and encouragement what would you say?¹⁴ 
• What is the biggest lie I tell myself?¹⁷ 
• Identify three peaks and three troughs in your life and journal about the values that you feel were honored during the peaks and the values that were trampled on in the troughs.¹⁸ 
• What is my superpower? Am I using it or am I ignoring it? Why?²⁰ 
• My biggest [secret, fear, wish, etc.] is…²² 

Life Today 

• Write “Stress” at the top of your page. Under it, write any associated words or topics that enter your mind, one word or phrase after another. Review what you have written – do any patterns emerge?² 
• Monkey Mind: Write down everything that is on your mind. X out the things you cannot control and circle the things that are really bothering you (no matter how big, small, or silly they are). For each circled item, identify an action you can take soon. If your mind is still busy, ask yourself “what haven’t I mentioned yet that needs to be seen, felt, or heard?”¹⁹ 
• “Can I change this [experience, feeling, circumstance]?” If no, then passively disregard it, say “oh well,” and move on. If yes, write about what can be changed and list a few action steps to start.⁶  
• If I could be or do anything I wanted right now, what would it be?⁵ 
• What was the best thing that happened today? What was the most difficult thing? What do I want to happen tomorrow?²⁰ 
• What part of my life is working?²¹ 
• What do I want to add into my life and why?²¹ 
• Write a Win List of anything at all that went right today. Yes, there are days when “getting out of bed” counts.²² 
• What resources are available to me?²² 
• The best thing that can happen today is…⁸ 
• Thank your Past Selves for the things they’ve done, thought, and felt that helped to get them where they are now.¹³ 

Challenges 

• What is the best possible outcome of the situation?⁸ 
• What is the one courageous action I will take today and why?⁹ 
• If I had a magic wand and could create resolution, what would I do? How would I feel? What would I see / hear?¹⁰ 
• What strengths do I bring to the resolution process? How will they show up?¹⁰  
• Write a list of what you need in this moment to feel less overwhelmed and to feel better.¹⁴ 
• The ways that this experience has affected my life and how it has shaped who I am today include ____. The ways that I have become stronger or have grown as a result of the experience include ____.¹⁵ 

Observation 

• Using scent, recall a time you want to savor, appreciate, and preserve.³ 
• A specific moment that I recall in which I felt at peace was ___. The details that I recall about that moment (what I felt, saw, heard, and smelled) include ___. As I write about that peaceful experience, in this moment what I notice happening in my body is ___.¹⁵  

Ideal Life 

• Record a fantasy²² 
• Thumb through an old magazine until a picture “sings” to you.²² 
• What do you look like at your personal best six months from now? Describe how you spend your time, your relationships, how you feel.¹ 
• My ideal life would have to consist of…⁷ 
• Hold an image in your mind of a desired future outcome, picture yourself living it, and ask that Future Self what series of decisions, experiences, and feeling states led to that outcome.¹³ 
• Imagine you have achieved a great milestone in life or your career. Write a feature article as if for a magazine about the recent milestone and success, and who you are as a person.¹⁹ 

List Ideas²³ 

• Fears 
• Things I like about myself 
• Things on my mind 
• Things I am good at 
• Things that are going right 
• Things I value  
• Things I want 
• Expectations I have of myself 
• Things I’m glad I’ve done  
• Things I’d like to learn 

Book Resources 

If you would like to go deeper into any of these topics, below are some great resources: 

• Expressive Writing: Words that Heal by James W. Pennebaker, PhD and John F. Evans, EdD: Great resource for writing about trauma 
• Author Your Life and companion Workbook by Lara Zeilin: For creating the story of your life 
• Your Brain on Ink by Deborah Ross and Kathleen Adams: How journaling changes our brains, with many activities and prompts to get you started.  
• Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives by Louise DeSalvo: She talks about famous writers, the process of writing, creativity, and about telling our own stories.  It can be a great inspiration for beginning your own writing journey.  
• The New Diary by Tristine Rainer: In my view, the gold standard. She goes into much more depth about each writing technique noted above.  
• Journal to the Self by Kathleen Adams: Another great resource for different journaling techniques. 
• 642 Things to Write About by The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto offers prompts for creative writing. 
• Start Where You Are by Meera Lee Patel offers great journaling prompts in a fun format. The prompts feel deep but manageable.  

Class Resources 

• The International Association for Journal Writing (IAJW) has various courses available
• If you like writing with others, IAJW also has retreats (including virtual retreats)
• Kathleen Adams is a psychotherapist and pioneer of journal therapy. Her website offers both free and paid-for classes
• A 30-day course from Tiny Ray of Sunshine 

And Now to Write…  These techniques and prompts should keep you keep you busy for quite awhile. I wish you free-flowing words and beautiful insight. 

Sources