Morning Journal Prompts: 12 Prompts to Kickstart Your Day

Last Updated on July 20, 2023

Could you use a little more intention in your day? Need some time to slow down and reflect before you start the chaos? You should give morning journaling a try!

These morning journal prompts will help you take time for you while also setting up your day for success. I’ve got you covered with morning journal prompts for adults, productivity, and anxiety! So depending on what you want to focus on that day, you’ll have prompts geared toward your goals.

Let’s see what these morning journal prompts are all about!

Table of Contents

Why you should use morning journal prompts

Including morning journal prompts in your morning routine is a great way to check in with yourself before you dive into the busyness of the day ahead.

Journaling gives you the chance to slow down and actually reflect and process your thoughts and emotions. Sometimes we have things on our mind that we push away because we don’t have the time to deal with them.

This can be an unhelpful habit to fall into. Checking in with yourself regularly, like each morning, ultimately helps with your emotion regulation skills because you aren’t letting things go unchecked. So take the time in your morning to reflect on what you need before jumping into your day!

Benefits of having a morning journal routine include:

Setting the intention for your day
Increasing self-awareness
Mapping out your needs
Ease your distress when you’re struggling
Getting focused
Reducing overwhelm by organizing your thoughts
Emotion regulation
Improved overall mental health

Morning Journal Prompts for Adults

morning journal prompts for productivity

1. What is the main intention you want to set today?

Thinking about the main intention for your day can help you visualize how you’ll approach it. Maybe you need to be more mindful of taking breaks, maybe you need to hone in on being laser-focused. Think about the primary idea you want to put behind everything you do today.

2. What is one thing you’ll do today that is strictly for yourself?

Making time for ourselves, even if it’s just 15-30 minutes, is non-negotiable. We need time to rest and recharge away from our obligations. How will you give to yourself today? Will you end your day with a nice warm bath? Watch your favorite TV show? Make sure to do something nice for yourself!

3. What do you need most today and how will you get it?

On days where your to-do list is a mile long, self care might take a back seat. But self care needs to be a priority too! Think about what form of self care you need most today and make a game plan to ensure you get it. Self care is almost like maintenance in the way that we can’t go without it for too long or else we face the consequences (such as burnout).

4. At the end of today, how will you want to feel? Brainstorm how to get there.

How do you want to feel when you look back on today? Will you have wished you prioritized balance? Spent time on a hobby? Think about the choices you’d need to make to feel truly good at the end of the day!

Morning Journal Prompts for Productivity

5. What was your biggest win yesterday and how can you carry that motivation into today?

I say “biggest” win, but it doesn’t have to be anything crazy! Maybe your highlight of yesterday was seeing a good result at work, doing something fun you haven’t done in a long time, or successfully tackling something unexpected that popped up. Anything that uplifted you and made you feel good! How can you carry the same energy from that win into today?

6. Which good habits do you want to work on today?

A new day brings new opportunities. If there’s a few good habits you wish you could be more diligent about, now’s your chance to plan them into your day! Whether that’s read for 20 minutes or meditate for 10, jot down the habits you want to start or keep up today.

7. How can you best balance work and leisure time today?

This question is very important to think about. We aren’t machines, and we can’t expect to be productive all day long. We all need to have a stable balance of work and leisure time. Will you make sure to shut off your devices at the end of the day? Take a midday walk? Whatever work life balance you can manage today, plan for it!

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8. What is one action you can take today to make progress on your biggest goal?

Do you have something you’re working toward? No matter how big the goal is, you can usually find one small thing to do that will contribute to the larger goal. What will that be and when can you do it?

Morning Journal Prompts for Anxiety

9. Today, I won’t let ____ hinder me.

Fill in the blank with anything that has been holding you back. Think about patterns in your life where a negative thought has hindered you from pursuing something. Is it self doubt? Fear of failure? Social anxiety? How can you reframe your thoughts surrounding these subjects to be more rational or positive?

10. What reminder could you use today?

What do you need to hear that would keep you going today? Maybe it’s to take breaks, to not be so hard on yourself, or to believe in your capabilities. You can even think of a specific positive affirmation, write it down, and repeat it to yourself to instill the reminder into your day.

11. What do you feel challenged by today?

Anything daunting happening later today? Feeling stuck on a project? Whether you have a new upcoming challenge or you’ve felt routinely challenged by the same thing, talk about it. How can you prevent the feeling of being challenged from overwhelming you?

12. Did you face something stressful yesterday? How do you feel about it now?

When you’re in the middle of a stressful situation, sometimes you have to ask yourself, “will this matter in 24 hours? 48? 72?” Sometimes we get ourselves so worked up about something that resolves itself within a day or two! So if anything stressful happened yesterday, reflect on whether or not it’s still just as stressful today.

What should you write in your journal in the morning?

Using your journal in the morning in any way you please will benefit you! Since the morning is all about preparing for the day ahead of you, the best approach would be to consider aspects like:

Your feelings toward the day – are you anxious? Tired? Dreading your tasks? Feeling good? Journaling about these feelings can help you understand what’s triggering them.

What you need to accomplish today – if you have a bajillion things on your plate and it almost feels like too much, writing them out gives you the chance to break them down and make them more digestible. It also prevents you from forgetting the little stuff!

Plans for your self care and balance – no matter what you have going on, never neglect taking much-needed time for yourself. Even if it’s just 30 minutes to yourself in the evening before you wind down for bed, plan out what you will do and how you will find the time for self care.

Is it better to journal in the morning or before bed?

Honestly, journaling both in the morning and before bed provides helpful benefits, though in different ways.

Morning journal prompts are especially great if you experience morning anxiety, if your mornings feel hectic, or if you could use a little check-in before getting your day started.

Bedtime journal prompts, on the other hand (I have a whole post on bedtime journal prompts you might like!) are perfect if your mind races at night and you could use the opportunity to let those thoughts out for a more restful sleep.

While it can be a lot to journal every single morning and night, you might want to try morning journaling one day and night journaling the next. See what provides you personally the most benefit, and stick with that!

How to Create a Morning Journaling Routine

Journaling can fit into your morning routine easier than you think! It doesn’t have to take up too much of your time, yet it is so worth it to feel refreshed before tackling your day.

Some ways you can bring these morning journal prompts into your routine include:

Habit stacking. Combine something you already do each morning with your journaling. Always have a cup of coffee? Open up your journal while it’s brewing and write while you’re sipping away!
Keep your journal visible and easy to reach. Perhaps right on your coffee table!
Have this list of morning journal prompts ready (print them out or bookmark them!) so you don’t waste time pondering the question we all get stuck on: “what do I write about?!”
Do what you can! Can’t dedicate a whole 20 minutes? Just do 5! Consistency is what matters more than anything when trying to make something stick.

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