31 December Journal Prompts for a Busy Month

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Last Updated on November 9, 2022

With the year wrapping up and the Christmas season in full swing, it’s no surprise your December might be JAM PACKED with a lot to do! But when you find some time to slow down a bit, December is the perfect time for self-reflection.

So…good thing you found these December journal prompts!

Not only should you take time to do a brain dump in your journal when you’re overwhelmed with all the holiday festivities, but you should also reflect on all the twists and turns this year brought you. In the last twelve months, you’ve likely grown and changed in some way. Recognizing those changes will be a great insight!

Using a journal to check in with myself during busy seasons in my life is a non-negotiable. While the holidays can be super fun, they can also be draining and overwhelming. We could all benefit from checking in with ourselves to see how good of a handle we have on holiday stress around Christmas time.

So if you could use a little bit of year-end reflection, December journal prompts to reflect on the month, and Christmas/holiday writing prompts, I’ve got you covered!

Table of Contents

Gearing up for the holidays? You’ll appreciate these Christmas December writing prompts!

Self care and taking the time to reflect can do you wonders during this busy holiday season! Follow these December journal prompts to check in with yourself this month.

December Journal Prompts

How do you feel about December?
How do you feel about the winter?
Do you experience things like low mood, low motivation, and sluggishness in the winter months? What causes these?
What are your goals for this month?
How have you changed and grown in the last 12 months?
What would you like to achieve next year?
How well did you prioritize your self care this year?
What is one self care activity you want to do more of next year?
What is one small change you can make to improve your mental health next year?
What do you want most out of this month?

Want to improve your mental health during these sluggish winter days?

If you wish you had guided journal prompts conveniently bundled to get you through holiday stress and dark winter days, 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. A must-have tool for supporting yourself through the holidays.

GET THE MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL

Christmas Writing Prompts for Adults

What do you appreciate most about Christmas from an adult perspective?
What makes Christmas special to you?
How are you really doing with the stress of Christmas planning? (gift buying, decorating, family gatherings, etc.)
What are you doing different this year for Christmas?
Does anything distract you from the true meaning/intention of Christmas?
Is Christmas stressful for you? Why or why not?
What are you looking forward to most about Christmas this year?
Which people are you looking forward to spending time with?
What is a childhood Christmas tradition that you still keep today?
What is your favorite gift you’re giving to someone this year?

Psst…want more Christmas-specific prompts? Check out my 50 Cozy Christmas Journal Prompts for Adults!

Holiday Writing Prompts for Adults

Is it harder for you to make time for yourself during the holiday season? Why?
What is the most stressful part of the holiday season?
What is the most enjoyable part of the holiday season?
Do you experience financial stress during the holidays? If so, how do you cope?
How does your holiday season look now compared to your childhood?
How have your feelings surrounding the holidays changed from childhood to now?
What is a mistake you’ve made during past holidays that you won’t make again?
As you look beyond the end of the year, what makes you feel most motivated/hopeful about next year?
How can you give yourself more grace when your holiday season doesn’t go perfectly according to plan?
Which Christmas affirmations could you use to help you get through the difficulties of the holidays?
Looking back on the year, what are you most proud of?

Journaling is super useful for your mental health, but you’ll find the most benefit if you pair it with therapy. Talking to an online therapist can really help you out. It’s helped me tremendously! 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 with the link below!

FIND AN ONLINE THERAPIST

How to Use Journal Prompts

Tip #1: Be open and honest, and don’t hold back.

To get the most out of your journaling practice and truly reap the self-care benefits that come with journaling, you really need to let it all out on the page.

It can be uncomfortable to get all close and personal with our innermost thoughts, but leaving your thoughts and feelings unaddressed won’t give you that “relief” that makes journaling so therapeutic.

The best way to practice getting comfortable with letting out all your unfiltered thoughts is to try a brain dump, where you let your thoughts flow onto paper as they come to you–completely naturally. You can try my ultimate brain dump trigger list to get those thoughts flowing!

Tip #2: Make it easy

If you have to walk to another room or go out of your way to pick up your journal, chances are it won’t be appealing to write in it. We humans love the path of least resistance and feel deterred by difficult things!

So keep your journal visible and reachable. For example, if you’re a morning journaler, always keep your journal on your coffee table while you sip your morning coffee. Like journaling on your lunch break? Keep your journal at the corner of your desk. Make it work for you!

Tip #3: Remember that you can’t do it wrong!

Many people overthink the journaling process. You’ve probably seen all those aesthetic, well-kept journals by pretty girls on Tik Tok. But the fact is, there’s no one way to journal.

You don’t have to be super organized in your writing. You can write in short, choppy blurbs. You don’t have to have pretty handwriting. And you don’t even have to have a paper journal if a digital journal is simply more convenient for you to stick to.

All that matters is that you do it in a way that actually provides YOU good feelings. Journaling is your self-care time, so do it the way you please!