Stress is a normal response to difficult and demanding situations. In small amounts, it can help you achieve your goals and grow. But when left unchecked, it can have serious consequences for your physical and mental health. But how can we ensure that it doesn’t get out of hand? One option is to use journal prompts for stress relief.
In this article, we’ll explore what stress is and 30 journal prompts for stress relief.
What is stress
Stress is something we all experience, no matter who we are. It can be defined as “A state of mental or emotional strain as a result of difficult or demanding situations.” Some degree of stress is healthy and unavoidable and can actually be a part of growth. However, it can have serious consequences when it becomes chronic or severe.
We can feel stressed about meeting deadlines, our relationships, our circumstances, pent-up emotions, or sudden changes in our lives. While it’s normal to experience some stress, ignoring it and letting it build up can have serious consequences. That’s why it’s crucial to deal with stress before it gets out of hand.
Signs of stress
Stress can impact your physical and mental well-being. The more stressed you are and the longer it has been going on, the stronger the symptoms will become. As the symptoms get worse, it might be tempting to suppress them, but the importance of dealing with it immediately becomes more important.
Let’s explore some common physical and mental symptoms of severe stress.
Physical symptoms
Some common physical symptoms of stress are:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Muscle tension and pain
- Chest pain
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sexual problems
Mental symptoms
Some common mental symptoms of stress are:
- Difficulty concentrating
- Anxiety
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Difficulties making decisions
- Constantly worrying
- Overthinking
- Fatigue
- Forgetting things
- Feeling more dependent on bad habits
How journal prompts can relieve stress
Journaling is a great tool for exploring what’s going on inside of you, processing your emotions, and relieving stress. Let’s explore 2 ways journal prompts can relieve stress.
Understand and relieve pent up emotions
Many tend to suppress or avoid difficult emotions such as anger, sadness, or anxiety. Suppressing these emotions might give temporary relief from the inner turmoil, but tends to lead to stress over time. There are 2 primary reasons for this.
- Suppressing emotions requires energy and will leave you drained.
- Your emotions don’t just disappear without you feeling or releasing them. If you don’t allow them to come out as they are, they’ll emerge as something else – usually stress.
When you journal about these emotions, you’ll begin to understand them better. This allows you to feel and then release them. As you begin to let go, your stress levels decrease, and you’ll feel better.
Identify the cause of stress
Many things can trigger stress. It might be a project you have procrastinated, certain people, or how you spend your time. It’ll often be difficult to point out exactly what it is, and if you don’t know, it’ll be difficult to manage.
With a journal, you can explore the things that trigger stress in you. As you become aware of those things, it’ll be easier to avoid them, minimize their impact, or change your behavior. Even the knowledge and awareness of your triggers can reduce stress by itself.
Related: Journal prompts for self-discovery
30 journal prompts for stress relief
We have explored why it’s so important to handle stress for living up to our full potential and how journaling can help us do that. Let’s look at 30 journal prompts for stress relief.
- What’s currently causing my stress?
- Where do I feel stress in my body?
- How does the stress impact my life?
- Which needs can I connect to my stress? (Emotional, financial, physical, etc.)
- What are some small steps I can take towards resolving my stressor?
- What are some long-term changes I can make to reduce stress in my life?
- What is one thing I can let go off?
- Have I been suppressing any emotions lately? What is it and how can release it?
- What can I do to take care of myself?
- Who can I reach out to for support?
- Write about an anxious thought you’ve had lately. Is it rational?
- List 5 things your grateful for.
- Write about a challenging time in your life. How did you overcome it?
- When do you feel most safe?
- How do you typically handle stress? Is it helpful or destructive?
- Name a positive thing that have happened lately?
- What does your dream vacation look like?
- How do you feel about your life. What do you appreciate and what would you like to change?
- What fears are holding you back in life?
- Write down everything that’s causing stress, anxiety, or other difficult emotions.
- How does your stress levels change throughout the week? When do you feel most stressed, and when are you calmest?
- How does the people in your life make you feel?
- Which external resources can help you learn more about how to handle your stress?
- What is something you can do right now to feel calmer?
- How would you advise a friend to handle your current stressors?
- How can I reframe the stress to seem more positive?
- What does the stress try to tell me?
- What lessons can I take from the stress I’m currently feeling?
- What are 3 things I look forward to?
- Is the stressor something I can control? If yes, what can I do to improve it? If no, what can I do to accept it?
Alternative journaling techniques for stress relief
Using journal prompts is a great way to relieve stress, but there are many other options. Let’s explore 3 alternative journaling techniques that can help you relieve stress.
1. Stream of consciousness journal
A stream of consciousness journal is a technique where you’ll write down your unfiltered thoughts. Doing this helps you declutter your thoughts, release emotions, and discover your inner world.
2. Journaling for overthinking
Many struggle with overthinking, and for those who do, it tends to be a major stressor. Dealing with these thoughts can reduce their intensity and impact on you, which can reduce stress and other difficult emotions.
3. Gratitude journal
Stress often stems from a feeling of scarcity. This feeling of not having enough will prepare your body to get out and get more, which can be extremely stressful. With a gratitude journal, you’ll remind yourself of all the good things in your life and remember that you already have or are enough. As you practice this, you’ll cultivate a feeling of abundance, and your stress will decrease.
Final thoughts
We all experience stress, and it’s a healthy and important reaction to difficult or demanding situations. However, when it becomes too much, it’ll have serious consequences for your physical and mental well-being. With various journal prompts and techniques, you can decrease it and begin to feel better.
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