40 Journal Prompts to Help You Process Your Emotions

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Last Updated on June 6, 2024

Is your brain overloaded with tons of overwhelming thoughts and emotions? Journaling can be just the thing you need to deal with it all, especially when it seems like too much.

Sometimes you just need a good vent, other times you really need to get to the bottom of something that just won’t leave your mind. In any case, these journal prompts to process emotions will guide you through your stressors.

Whenever I sit down to try and process my emotions, I arrive at new realizations I didn’t even notice were impacting me! Usually one thought leads to another until I’ve found a map of all these different emotions and triggers.

Think of journaling like decluttering your mind. If there’s too much going on inside your head, no doubt you’ll feel overwhelmed and exhausted trying to juggle it all.

If you want a go-to ritual for clearing your mind, understanding your triggers, and just feeling better mentally, try these journal prompts to process emotions!

Does journaling help release emotions?

Journaling absolutely helps you release your emotions. Like I’ve mentioned: when you journal, you declutter your mind. Seeing your thoughts laid out in front of you, visually, releases them from being bottled up inside.

Journaling gives you the chance to work through your emotions by identifying the cause and brainstorming steps to overcome the problem.

For example, if you’re anxious about a job interview, journaling about it can help you understand where that fear comes from and gives you the space to decide how you will deal with that.

Maybe you’re anxious because you’ve felt unprepared for interviews in the past. Instead of wallowing in that anxiety, you can use your journal to write down potential interview responses and questions for the employer. 

Benefits of journaling for emotional awareness

If you’re interested in using journal prompts to process your emotions, you should know that you’re taking a fantastic step toward increasing your emotional awareness!

Journaling for emotional awareness allows you to:

• Get better at emotion regulation
• Gain clarity
• Problem solve
• Manage stressful events
• Express yourself
• Release your emotions in a healthy way instead of bottling them up

Increasing your emotional awareness will help you get better at recognizing your emotions as they come on, before they feel out of control. Being super in tune with how you’re feeling and what you’re thinking can actually alleviate stress in the long term! So don’t hesitate to be proactive.

Journal Prompts for Processing Emotions

Don’t forget about these insightful prompts! Pin ’em to come back later!

1. What is going on inside your head right now?
2. What negative emotion keeps cropping up the most lately?
3. What has made you the happiest lately?
4. The last time you felt this way, what did you do?
5. What holds you back the most from moving on from negative emotions?
6. Do you have any traumas you have yet to unpack?

{RELATED: Trauma Healing Journal Prompts – 40 Prompts to Process Your Past}

7. Which emotions are you trying to avoid right now? Why?
8. What is your inner critic telling you lately?
9. What prevents you from addressing your feelings?
10. Do you feel especially sensitive to negative experiences? Why or why not?
11. Do you tend to ruminate or dwell on negative experiences?
12. What can you do to accept a negative experience and move on from it?
13. Do you feel that your emotions are usually appropriate to situations?
14. What can you do to cope with something that isn’t in your control?
15. What is the most important thing for you to prioritize in your mental health right now?

Want anxiety to stop ruling your life?

Journal Prompts for When You Feel Lost

16. What do you need to accept right now?
17. What do you wish you could change?
18. What do you need to let go of?

{RELATED: Affirmations for Letting Go and Releasing Expectations} 

19. What are you missing in your life right now?
20. I regret doing ____.
21. I regret not doing _____.
22. How can you accept any regrets you may face?
23. What is your greatest hope for yourself?
24. What are some of the little things that keep you going?
25. What is something that never fails to make your day a little brighter?
26. How can you gain self-acceptance toward where you’re at in life?
27. Write a letter to yourself about how far you’ve come in the last 1, 5, or 10 years.

Journal Prompts for Emotional Awareness

28. What are 3 things you can do to self-soothe your negative emotions?
29. I can tell I’m doing well mentally when I ______.
30. Life gets busy. How often do you check in on yourself and your emotions in spite of this?
31. What self care activities can you do when you’re overwhelmed?
32. What are some of the tell-tale signs you notice in yourself when you’re approaching the brink of burnout?
33. What is your biggest pet peeve/something that always makes you angry?
34. What are some of your common triggers for anxiety/depression?

{RELATED: 50 Therapeutic Journal Prompts for Emotional Healing} 

35. How can you boost your mood when you’re down in a slump?
36. What are your current stress levels looking like?
37. What has kept you up at night lately? Is it something recurring, or a one-time issue?
38. Which area of your life are you most concerned with and what is causing your fears?
39. Compare the best your mental health has ever been with the worst its ever been. What factors influenced those differences?
40. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your overall emotional wellbeing right now?

How do you process emotions through journal prompts?

Identifying what you’re feeling isn’t always easy. Complex emotions can be tricky, confusing, and exhausting. 

If you can’t tell if you’re sad, angry, anxious, lost, or overwhelmed, using journal prompts helps to uncover ambiguous emotions as well as process them.

More problems arise when you fall into the habit of masking what you’re feeling and brushing off uncomfortable emotions.

If this sounds like you, stop yourself in your tracks and take a step back. Acknowledge what you’re feeling, give yourself time to feel it out, and ask yourself questions through journaling to better understand yourself. This practice is immensely helpful for being in touch with your emotions and ultimately coping with them in a healthier way. 

Stop waiting, let this bundle be your sign to take action and start healing for real!

Let me know in the comments:

How do you journal to get in touch with your emotions?

More Journal Prompts You’ll Love

Trauma Healing Journal Prompts: 40 Prompts to Process Your Past

50 Therapeutic Journal Prompts for Emotional Healing

45 Insightful Journal Prompts for Depression Relief

50 Influential Journal Prompts to Heal Your Inner Child

LIKE THESE JOURNAL PROMPTS TO PROCESS EMOTIONS? PIN THEM FOR LATER!