Anxiety is a natural feeling, but for some of us, it can be an issue that makes it difficult to move through life unless we do something about it. There are several ways we can ease this feeling. One of them is to use journaling prompts for anxiety.
In this article, we’ll explore what anxiety is, 39 journaling prompts to ease it, and alternative journaling styles.
What is anxiety
Anxiety is something that affects most of us, whether we’re diagnosed or not. Outside a formal diagnosis, anxiety can be defined as: “A feeling of unease, nervousness, or worry either about an event happening soon or something with an uncertain outcome.” Another common symptom is overthinking.
We can be anxious about our future careers, whether we’re passing the exam, or if our partner stays loyal. While it’s normal to have these feelings, they can negatively impact our lives if we try to ignore them.
The feelings can drain the body, and the constant overthinking can drain the mind. It can cause us to self-sabotage and mess up what we were worried about or leave us with no energy to do anything but be anxious.
How journaling can ease anxiety
Journaling is one of the best tools for easing anxiety. There are several reasons for this, but the two most important are:
Help you release emotions
Anxiety is often a result of pent-up emotions, emotions that you are or have been suppressing. When you don’t allow yourself to feel them, they’ll come out in other ways. This is a common cause of anxiety.
When you journal, you create an outlet for your emotions. Here, you can process the different emotions you might have suppressed or even the anxiety itself.
Related: Journaling prompts for recognizing your emotions
Stops your overthinking
Overthinking is a common anxiety symptom and often puts you in a spiral, which only makes the anxiety worse. Before you can feel better, you need to stop the spiral.
Overthinking is usually based on indications that something bad is going to happen, but without any definitive proof, which makes it irrational. Journaling can help you gain a more rational view of things.
As you gain a more rational perspective, your anxiety eases, which helps you think even clearer. The spiral begins to reverse, and you’ll feel better.
Other benefits of journaling for anxiety
Even when you’re journaling specifically for anxiety, it’ll have other benefits that might spill over to additional areas of your life. Some of these include:
- Healing trauma
- Better sleep
- Better decision making
- Improving cognitive abilities
- Higher productivity
- Higher self-esteem
- Better self-awareness
- And more
Most of these will come as a direct benefit of easing the anxiety. Others might come as a benefit of self-discovery and practice.
Related: Journaling prompts to increase productivity
39 journaling prompts for anxiety
Prompts are short questions or statements that can guide your journaling efforts in the right direction. Below are 39 journaling prompts for anxiety.
- How does your anxiety make you feel in your body?
- How does your anxiety make you feel emotionally?
- How do you talk to yourself when anxious
- Are your overthinking based on facts or indications? (Remember, indications don’t mean that it’s real)
- Think of a time when you were anxious but things went better than expected
- Describe what’s making you anxious
- Are you feeling any other emotions than anxiety?
- List the things that you can’t control and accept that you can’t control them
- Reflect on a time when you were strong
- Write a letter to the person who is involved in your anxiety (A partner, a boss, or maybe yourself)
- Describe a place where you feel safe (Either real or imaginary)
- What are three things that make you smile
- What did you love as a child? How can you include more of that in the present?
- Write a letter to yourself about your anxiety
- Write about three small things you achieved in the past week
- List three things you like about yourself
- Write about something that makes you happy
- Write a letter to a former version of you who experienced hardship. Offer them guidance and consolation.
- Write a thank you note to yourself
- What are you grateful for?
- What is your favorite weather and why?
- What’s one supportive thing you can say to yourself?
- What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
- What do you need in this moment?
- What is making me anxious?
- What is occupying my mind that I need to get out?
- Write down today’s small wins
- What am I afraid of and how is it limiting me?
- What is the best advice you’ve given to someone else who’s anxious?
- Write a goodbye letter to your anxiety
- What would your relaxed self say to the anxiety?
- Imagine that your anxiety is trying to be helpful. How is it trying to help? Try to find something positive about your experience
- Is there anything that the anxiety is keeping you from doing?
- What are you looking forward to this week? Describe it
- What are you looking forward to this year? Describe it
- What are your dreams in life
- Write 5 things your past self would love about you now
- What is something that was difficult but you did anyway
- Describe yourself in 5 positive words
Related: Journaling for stress relief
Types of journals for anxiety
Prompts are a great way to ease anxiety with a journal. However, it isn’t the only way. There are several types of journals for anxiety, and depending on why you’re anxious, they can all be helpful. Let’s look at a few options.
Stream of consciousness journal
Stream of consciousness journaling is an unstructured journaling technique where you let your thoughts, emotions, and anything else that might be in your head flow out through a pen (or keyboard). You simply write about what’s going on inside of you the exact same way as you’re thinking it.
With this type of journaling, you’ll follow your thoughts wherever they take you. This allows you to get to know yourself and your anxiety better and is a great way to release any pent-up emotions.
Today and tomorrow journal
Sometimes, the best way to ease anxiety is to get up and do something productive. A today and tomorrow journal is a great tool for helping you do this.
In your today and tomorrow journal, you’ll reflect on your daily productivity and set goals for the next day. It creates accountability for yourself and makes you far more likely to get up and do something. As you begin to stick with it, you’ll gather small wins, increase your self-confidence, and be less anxious about the things you’ve left undone.
Gratitude journal
Our brains haven’t changed much since our early existence. Back then, they wouldn’t survive if they didn’t have enough in their lives.
Today, most of us have more than enough to survive, but we still feel we lack certain things. This feeling of not having enough provokes our ancient brains. They’re wired to view a lack of things as life-threatening and causes anxiety.
With a gratitude journal, you help yourself notice and appreciate the things you have in life. Maybe it’s enough food, clean water, good relations, and a safe place to sleep. When you notice and appreciate these things, you’ll begin to feel safer, and your anxiety will ease.
Final thoughts
Anxiety can have a negative influence on our lives, and it’ll often cause us to survive instead of thrive. With the 39 journaling prompts for anxiety and the other types of journaling, you can begin to ease these feelings and move towards a better life.
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