52 May Journal Prompts That Will Make Your Thoughts Blossom

Last Updated on April 27, 2023

Any month can be a month for new beginnings and fresh possibilities. But there’s something so special about May that makes it the perfect month for this. Days grow warmer, flowers bloom, and everything is just coming alive! Pretty hard not to feel inspired to apply those same ideas to yourself, right?

If you’re feeling inspired to grow in your personal development and self-awareness this month, I’ve got you covered. These May journal prompts are the perfect form of self care to help you reflect, renew, and prosper in this happy spring month!

So get comfortable, grab your favorite journal and a super inky pen, and let’s write away!

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Insightful May Journal Prompts for Adults

Journaling with the focus on the specific month you’re in can give you a new lens of insight. I’m a big advocate for checking in with yourself regularly all throughout the year, so doing a monthly journal check-in with these May journal prompts will set you up for success!

And if you’re catching this at the beginning of May, you’ll also want to check out my journal prompts for setting yourself up for a new month. They’re the perfect monthly reset you’ll want to bookmark and refer back to as part of your monthly routine.

What are some good monthly journal prompts for May?

When you think about May, what are some themes that come to mind? I know I think of things like growth, renewal, gratitude, and mindfulness, to name a few. Whatever themes pop up in your mind when you think about the month of May, keep them in mind as you journal.

These May journal prompts are especially perfect for this month:

What can you do that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated?
What are you looking forward to doing more of as the weather warms up?
Think of a moment when something in nature inspired you. Describe it.
Do you pay enough attention to the things you’re grateful for? How can you cultivate more gratitude in your life?
What can you do to ensure you make self care a priority?

These are all great things to think about as you step into the month of May! But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Keep reading to find more journal prompts that resonate best with you.

52 of the Best Monthly Journal Prompts for May

Don’t lose these journal prompts! Pin ‘em to refer back to all month long!

May Journal Prompts for Self Care

Let’s face it, you’re a busy woman! You know firsthand how easy it is to forget to take care of yourself. If you know you’ve put self care on the back burner, these self care journal prompts are for you.

On a scale of 1-10, how overwhelmed are you feeling in your life right now? Is there anything you can do to ease this overwhelm? (these anxiety journal prompts are perfect for hashing this out!)
When was the last time you felt burnt out and what brought you to that point?
What warning signs do you need to watch out for to catch yourself before you burn out?
If you had the self care routine of your dreams with all the time in the world, what would it consist of?
What are 1-3 realistic self care activities you can include in your routine on a regular basis throughout May?
What daily habits of yours are hurting and helping your self care?
How can you start putting yourself first when you know you need it?
What is an example of a boundary you struggle to set? What are the negative impacts of not enforcing this boundary?
How can you go easier on yourself this month?
How can you take the guilt out of the need (yes, need) to rest?
What is a fear or limiting belief that’s been holding you back from going after what you really want?
How can you give yourself the permission to celebrate ALL of your wins, no matter how small?
Write a self-love letter to yourself expressing compassion, gratitude, and admiration for the person you are. (if you like this idea, you’ll love my printable gratitude journal!)
What is a hobby you love but haven’t touched in a long time? How can you bring it back into your life?

May Journal Prompts for Mindfulness

May is a wonderful opportunity to practice mindfulness. It’s important to truly live in the moment of every moment. But no doubt, it’s not the easiest thing to accomplish! You’ve got tomorrow’s worries, yesterday’s stress, and a lot to keep track of. That’s where these May journal prompts for mindfulness come in!

What is a distinct time where you felt fully present in the moment? What did you notice about your environment, and how did it feel to be connected to it?
What is a task that you often rush just to get it over with? This could be your morning skincare or your daily commute. How can you slow down a bit and be mindful throughout the activity?
Do you often catch yourself anxiously anticipating the next day, week, or 10 steps ahead of you? How can you draw yourself back into the “here and now” when this happens?
What is a simple pleasure that never fails to put a smile on your face?
Are you struggling with a difficult situation or challenge in your life? How can you practice more ease, compassion, and acceptance about it?
Draw your attention to your breath right now. Describe the physical and mental sensation you feel as you inhale and exhale.
What was a big source of stress or anxiety last month? How can you move into May while approaching these things with compassion and acceptance?
What is one small mindfulness practice you can add to your daily routine?
How can you remind yourself to pause or slow down?
How can you give yourself more time to actually pause and slow down? (Waking up earlier so you don’t feel rushed in the morning, for example).

These mindfulness affirmations are what I often use to help ground me when I’m struggling to stay present throughout my day!

Remember to save these journal prompts for later! Pin ‘em!

May Journal Prompts for Gratitude

Who doesn’t feel more grateful when spring has sprung?! This is a good time to reflect on all the good in your life. Getting in the habit of acknowledging what you’re grateful for is a proven mood-booster. Let’s fit some gratitude into your life with these journal prompts for gratitude!

How often do you practice or intentionally think about what you’re grateful for?
Think about a challenge or obstacle you’re facing right now. How can you turn your frustration or anxiety into more of a growth mindset that’s focused on what you can learn from it?
Write down the first three things that come to mind when you think about what you’re grateful for right now.
Who in your life has recently made a positive impact on you? Describe how they’ve made a difference in your life.
What are some of the small things in your life that you appreciate, but often go unnoticed?
What are some of the really big things in your life you take for granted? (For example, a stable home, food security, etc.)
Why do you think certain things you’re grateful for deep down don’t tend to be thought about much? What can you do to pay these things more mind?
Do you have a special place that brings you peace, calm, or joy? Describe why this place is so special.
Think about a time where someone recently showed you kindness or compassion. What difference did this make? How can you pay it forward?
Taking in the progress you’ve made from last May to now, how have you grown as a person?
What was your biggest accomplishment from last May to now?
What is a particular possession that is meaningful to you? This could be your phone, a favorite book, or something that makes your life easier.
How do the people in your life help you feel loved and supported?
How do you return this same love and support for the good people in your life?
What are some of the toxic things, if any, you used to have in your life that you’ve now been able to cut out or move on from? How do you feel about this transition?

Get the FULL Guide for Journaling Your Way to a Grateful Life

Loving these gratitude journal prompts? Take them a step further with my printable gratitude journal! This journal offers SO much more than what you see here.

It guides you through cultivating a daily, weekly, and monthly gratitude practice so that gratitude becomes a real habit in your life. Get INSTANT access to this journal to level up your mindset all throughout May!

get the GRATITUDE JOURNAL

May Journal Prompts for Monthly Goals

It’s all about that balance of self care and goal chasing. May is almost coming up on the halfway point of the year (can you believe it?!), so now would be the time to pull up those New Years goals and check your progress or determine if you need to pivot. You’ll love these journal prompts for monthly goals!

If you could only accomplish one thing this month, what would it be?
If you could accomplish as many things as you want this month, what would they be?
Choose just one or two goals to shoot for in May. What habits will you perform to make these goals a reality?
What is the “why?” behind these goals? What makes them so important?
How can you break down these goals into smaller, more actionable steps?
Do you find it hard to “just get started” when it comes to working on a goal?
What can you do to make the initial “start” phase a little easier?
What obstacles do you foresee yourself facing on the way to your goals?
What strategies did you have in place to help you meet other goals in the past?
How will you measure your progress toward your goal?
How will achieving your monthly goals change your life in any way?
Visualize what it will feel and look like to achieve your monthly goals. Describe this in detail, as if it has already happened.
Who can you lean on for support along the way?

Want to really dive into monthly goal setting? Go check out my post on new month journal prompts for goal setting!

Does setting goals excite you? You’ve gotta check out my goal planner.

Tired of setting goals but never seem to follow through? Unsure how to set goals that work in the first place? My Printable Goal Planner alleviates all of that by helping you brainstorm, set, plan, AND effectively achieve the right goals for your life! Perfect for prepping for the new month!

GET THE GOAL PLANNER

How do you start a new month in a journal?

At the start of a new month, I recommend reflecting on the previous month before you write about anything else in your journal. This way, you can see what went well and what didn’t, and you can apply what you learned to the new month.

If you’ve been journaling last month, this is a good time to look back on those old entries and see exactly what was going on inside that mind of yours! But even if you didn’t get to journal last month, you can still think about your experiences, feelings, challenges, and accomplishments that played out.

Then, with all that in mind, you can start a new month in a journal by:

Using journal prompts – hey, you’ve already got these May journal prompts to start with! Journal prompts can take the guesswork out of what the heck to write about when you’re stumped by a blank page.
Setting solid intentions – these will set the tone and guide your focus for what you want to do in the new month! This can help cut out distractions and keep you on track.
Writing out your goals – you may not think about it at first, but a journal is a fantastic place to plan and set goals! You can be more detailed and have the space to break your goals down into smaller, actionable steps.
Planning out your self care – no, really. Because you know darn well that if you don’t do this, it’ll probably never get done! So keep your self care plan top of mind by literally scheduling out blocks of time throughout the week or month that are solely for self care.

I want to journal more! What do I journal about every day in May?

Wanting to get into the habit of journaling every day? You’re quite the ambitious one! Love that for you!

Here are some ideas for daily journaling practices to try in May:

Reflect on 3 gratitudes every day.
Identify and celebrate a daily accomplishment, no matter how small!
Brain dump about whatever keeps playing on repeat in your mind
Describe your true thoughts on the last person you texted and how they make you feel.
Write about a new activity or hobby you’re loving lately and what got you into it.
Think about your happy place in deep detail and write about all the sensory experiences you feel when there.
Reflect on a recent mistake. Talk to yourself about it with compassion and discuss what you can learn from it.