60 Breakup Journal Prompts to Soothe a Broken Heart

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Ooof…breakups. They are never easy, and never will be. No need to sugar coat it, healing from a breakup is a long and painful process. If you’re struggling to move on and manage all your overwhelming thoughts and emotions, these breakup journal prompts will make things at least a little bit better for you.

Journaling after a breakup can help you feel your feelings, analyze your thoughts, and release any pent-up anger, frustration, sadness, and fear. Moving on is difficult, and waiting for time to heal your wounds can feel like agony.

Focusing on what you can control in the meantime, by using your self-care tools like journaling, will help you tremendously.

Whether you’re right in the thick of breakup healing, struggling with moving on, just ended a toxic relationship, or even simply need to get over a crush ASAP, these breakup journal prompts are here to help with a multitude of things!

Table of Contents

What to write to get over a breakup?

My best advice for what to focus on after a breakup? Vent, vent, vent to your heart’s content. Let out anything and everything relating to your thoughts and emotions about both the breakup and your ex.

It’s really important to allow yourself the time and space to not only heal, but quite frankly grieve the loss of a really emotionally involved relationship.

Bottling up your emotions in an effort to move on quicker or distract yourself will only harm you in the long run. Undoubtedly, these unaddressed feelings always pop back up later.

Venting and processing your emotions after a breakup in your journal will allow you to release everything out of your head and onto paper, resulting in a smoother healing process. You might even gain a new perspective or find a lesson to be learned in the midst of your hardship.

But, if your mind is a wild mess and you can’t even get your thoughts straight, I’m here for you! That’s what these breakup journal prompts are here for.

60 Breakup Journal Prompts to Help You Heal

Breakup healing journal prompts

What will you miss from this relationship?
How can you find fulfillment on your own from the things you miss?
What will you not miss from this relationship?
What unrealistic expectations did you hold for love or relationships in general?
What unrealistic expectations did you hold for yourself as a partner?
What weaknesses did you notice about yourself?
How can you improve upon those weaknesses now that you’re single?
What strengths did you notice about yourself that make you a great partner?
How can you use those strengths to your advantage as a single person?
Did you lose yourself in any way while in the relationship?
What are 5 things you’re most grateful for?
How did the breakup go and what led up to it?
Did you feel like you saw this breakup coming?
Brain dump all of your deepest, honest thoughts and feelings surrounding the breakup.
What do you wish your ex understood about you?

Wish you had more support for your mental health during a breakup?

If you wish you had guided journal prompts conveniently bundled just for you to help manage your emotions, you’ve got to check out my printable mental health journal!

It’s jam-packed with 33 pages of writing prompts and mental activities for understanding your emotions, overcoming unhelpful behaviors, and reframing negative thoughts.

GET THE anxiety JOURNAL

Journal prompts for moving on

How did you grow while in this relationship?
Did you realize what you don’t want in a partner?
In what ways do you have more space to grow now that you’re single?
How can you start showing up for yourself, instead of waiting for someone else?
What is something you always wanted to do, but felt held back from doing it while in a relationship?
What’s the biggest lesson this relationship has taught you?
Was there anything unanswered about the breakup that you’re struggling to understand?
Did this relationship create any new deal breakers for your future relationship?
Do you feel like you put in more effort than your ex did?
Do you think you and your ex were genuinely compatible, or did things feel forced?
Did your ex share many common interests with you?
Did your ex share any of the same character traits as you?
Who can you turn to for support as you work toward moving on?
What is the biggest discovery you learned about yourself through all of this?
What do you recognize was lacking in your relationship?
Name 5 self-care steps you will take to make a fresh start for yourself.

Journal prompts for toxic relationships

In what ways did you feel limited by your relationship?
In what ways will your life improve without the relationship?
What do you dislike about your ex?
What types of negative behavior patterns did you notice?
Did you notice any red flags in your relationship? If so, what caused you to ignore them?
Is it easier said than done to avoid toxic relationships? Why or why not?
Do you feel frustration over “wasted time”? How can you comfort yourself to ease this?
When did you first realize your relationship was toxic?
What was the first sign that your relationship was toxic?
Do you feel like your breakup was for the best? Explain.
Do you have any regrets about the relationship or the way it ended?
What was the worst thing your ex ever did to you?
What was the biggest problem in your relationship?
Do you feel any anger or resentment?
How are you feeling today? Are you noticing any improvements day by day?

While journaling can help with your breakup, you’ll find the most benefit if you pair it with therapy. Talking to an online therapist can really help you out. I know it’s helped me tremendously with getting through my own breakups. I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit at an affordable monthly cost. Get 20% off your first month at the link below!

FIND AN ONLINE THERAPIST

Journal prompts to get over a crush

Getting over a crush can be difficult too, especially if you had intense feelings for your crush. These are a little different from breakup journal prompts, but this emotional hurdle shouldn’t be ignored!

What’s made you decide to get over this crush?
How deep are your feelings for your crush?
How long did the crush last?
Do you tend to fall in and out of different crushes often, or is it a really big deal when you form a crush on someone?
Did you realize anything about your crush that confirmed they wouldn’t be a good fit?
What is one way you can put mental and physical distance between you and your crush?
What do you know you have to do in order to move on?
What drew your attention to your crush initially?
Do you think not being with your crush is ultimately for the best? Why or why not?
Describe your dream partner in detail.
What is a limiting belief you have about not being with your crush? (i.e: feeling like you don’t deserve a relationship)
What are the top 3 best things about being single?
How can you start dating yourself?
Name 3 things that are more important to you than having a romantic partner.

What are 5 things you can do to help get over a breakup?

Journaling can be a big help, but what else can you do to process and heal from a painful breakup, besides these breakup journal prompts? Some ideas include:

Learn to fall in love with being alone – this is a super valuable skill that will help you thrive throughout your 20s, 30s, and beyond. Even when you do get into another relationship, you’ll reduce your chances of feeling codependent on your romantic partner if you can feel content in your own company.
Practice positive affirmations regularly – it’s very common for your confidence to take a bit of a hit after a breakup. Sometimes that inner critic can creep in and convince us of the worst. When practiced routinely, positive affirmations can actually work to re-wire your brain to choose positive self-talk instead of negative! Here are my favorite affirmations for post-breakup healing.
Focus on an area of your life you overlooked – relationships can keep us busy, sometimes so busy that we neglect other areas of our lives. See what needs re-prioritizing in your life now that you’re single. It could be your mental health, fitness, social life, etc.
Set new goals – piggybacking off of the last idea, after you’ve identified what needs to be prioritized, you can then set goals and identify the habits to help you reach them. Maybe you want to get back into therapy, sign up for the gym, or meet a new friend!
Prioritize the heck outta self care – if there’s one thing you’ll prioritize, let it be self care! A nightly journal habit, a monthly massage, morning walks…whatever helps to soothe your soul and offers self-support. These self care activities are the best for putting yourself first again.

Does journaling after a breakup help?

Journaling after a breakup is probably one of the most effective self care activities you can do! It’s very beneficial, as it gives you a safe space to express fears, concerns, and work through tough feelings.

Your mind is likely one huge whirlwind after a breakup. By using breakup journal prompts, you can slow your emotions down a bit and get more clarity on your thoughts.

Journaling helps you get unstuck by snapping you out of rumination mode and makes for a more productive way of analyzing your thoughts and feelings. So yes, absolutely, give it a try if you are going through a breakup right now!

I wish you the best of luck in moving on.