Learn how to navigate yourself through your anxiety by writing, with 10 powerful journal prompts to guide you in those anxious moments.
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Are you currently caught in the whirlwind of stress and anxiety? And you want to make it go away, but you feel stuck?
Well you have come to the right place! Whether you are spiralling right now, or you want to prepare yourself for the next time your anxiety starts to take the wheel again: we are here to help!
Life comes with moments of anxiety. It’s a universal experience—completely normal, yet, we often feel abnormal and alone in feeling anxiety.
And even though we all share this, most of us pretend it’s not there. We push those feelings down, wishing they were gone. But suppressing your anxiety, it won’t just magically go away. It needs to be released.
So how can you get those anxious thoughts out of your head? By writing it all out onto paper. And it may sound daunting, because you need to confront yourself, but know that there can’t be release without recognition!
It’s time we start to face that anxiety. Not aggressively, but with love and kindness.
And you don’t have to do it alone! I am here to give you the tools you need to ease into journaling about your anxious feelings.
Let these 10 journal prompts help you clarify your anxiety. When you start to understand your thoughts and feelings, you will feel lighter and better in no time.
Journal Prompts for Anxiety and Stress Relief
A bit of anxiety in your daily life can function as a useful catalyst, nudging us forward.
However, when it overstays its welcome, and it start affecting your daily joy, it’s time for a reset.
Professional help is incredible, but there’s also a lot of magic in personal tools.
My number one way of coping with anxiety is journaling.
It is so often underestimated, but the power of writing your thoughts and feelings down on a piece of paper can change your day in an instant.
It’s a simple act, yet profound. Journaling unravels all that’s stuck on the inside: the tangled emotions, the triggers, the emotional patterns.
But if you’re already spiralling, and you have no idea what to do, journaling can feel way too hard.
There’s so much going on in your head and you feel so overwhelmed. In those moments, the words simply won’t come.
I have been there, many times. I ended up only feeling worse, because I knew that I really WANTED to write, but I just could not do it.
And that’s where the magic of journal prompts come in. These lines can guide you through those unclear moments, help you unravel all that wants (and needs!) to come out of your head!
Journal Prompts for Anxiety
The next move is to find a way to change the way it feels. And journaling is a great way to do so!
However, an empty page can be a bit daunting, right?
And journaling is not supposed to ADD stress, it is a way to release it!
To help you along, I’ve handpicked a collection of prompts to guide you through those anxious times.
Whether you’re riding high on positivity right now, or you’re navigating through a tough patch, these prompts will help you unravel and discover what’s happening inside your head, and help you release it.
Face your fears and stress, and use these 10 prompts as your guiding lights as you plunge into those feelings of anxiety.
- Name Your Anxiety: Give your anxiety a name, transforming it from an abstract concept into something manageable.
- Gratitude Amidst Anxiety: In anxious moments, list three things you’re grateful for, shifting focus towards positivity. Not feeling better after three? Keep going! Go as detailed as possible, find gratitude in the smallest and tiniest things, describing them to a T!
- Affirmation for Calm: Craft a positive affirmation for moments of anxiety, a mantra for cultivating calm and resilience. Make it unique, truly fitting to you. Does it make you feel powerful when you say it out loud?
- Visualizing Peace: Describe a calming place or scenario, using vivid details to transport your mind. Don’t stop until you can picture the entire place or scenario. For example, you can name the color of the pillows and the way the sunshines through the windows.
- Release and Let Go: Write anxious thoughts, symbolically releasing them and witnessing liberation.
- Anxiety-Free Day Plan: Envision a day where anxiety doesn’t dictate your choices, outlining joyous activities.
- Kindness Journaling: Document acts of kindness, fostering positivity for yourself and others.
- Breathing Break: Journal about mindful breathing during anxious times, anchoring yourself in the present moment.
- Worry Dump: List worries, challenging or reframing them with positive perspectives for growth.
- Self-Compassion Reflection: Write a compassionate message during anxious moments, offering encouragement and understanding.
And that’s 10!
Allow these prompts to navigate you as you fill the pages of your journal, pouring out all of those anxious emotions, feelings and thoughts. There’s literally no wrong way of doing it, anything you write is RIGHT.
That’s the beauty of journaling. As long as you’re writing, you’re doing good! If there’s no change in the first few sentences, keep going.
And be as detailed as possible, even if it feels stupid or as if you’re exaggerating. Your mind likes to know everything, so give it everything!
The First Steps
Anxiety manifests in various forms, from fluttering nerves to the weight of overthinking daily scenarios.
Acknowledging these moments is the first step toward understanding and managing anxiety.
The next step is to find a way to change the way it feels. And journaling is a great way to do so!
You may feel some (or a lot of) friction in the beginning. But remember that the hardest part is already behind you: you acknowledge your anxiety, and now your takings steps to change.
Realise that anything you do, even if it doesn’t feel great, is better than the anxiety you’re feeling, so you might as well give it a go.
Those first steps are the hardest, but just remember your WHY. You have come here for a reason, you don’t want to feel the way you’re doing, so you have to change something.
Trust the process, and everything (the writing, AND those anxious moments) will get easier.
Write It All Out
Treat journaling as a heart-to-heart with yourself, scripted on paper. Allow it to be a compass through the maze of thoughts, making the overwhelming seem manageable.
Penning down emotions acts like a release valve, transforming intensity into clarity and calm.
Treat yourself, and your anxiety, with kindness. Face it with an open mind. It’s normal that the feeling is there, and it’s okay that you’re feeling this way.
But it’s also time to let it go, and writing all of that out onto paper is a great way to release your anxiety.
So, are you ready to embrace the power within your journal? Show your stress and anxiety who’s REALLY in control?
Then it’s now time to grab your pen & journal, and WRITE WRITE WRITE!
Take those prompts, explore your thoughts and feelings, and I can assure you, that anxiety will lessen in no time.
What’s the harm in trying?
In this post, you have been provided with journal prompts for anxiety, so that you can write away all that’s bothering you and triggering your anxious moments.
You may also like:
- Crafting Your Self Care Planner: A Playbook For A Happier You
- The 5 Best Self Care Planners to Finally Put Yourself First (2023)
- Unlock the Magic of a Self Care Night: Your Complete Guide
Please let me know in the comments what happened with your anxiety when you used these prompts to journal. Let other people know the effects it had on you, so we can inspire and guide each other through those hard times!