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30 journal prompts for anxiety, sorted by the moment you need them

Kari, Healing Spaces with Kari. Pick one prompt, write for as long as it takes to feel a little lighter. None of these need finishing.

What do I write when the spiral starts?

  1. What is the one thought going round the fastest right now? Write it in full, even if it sounds silly on paper.
  2. What is my body doing at this moment? Shoulders, jaw, hands, breath.
  3. What am I afraid will happen? And then, what would I do if it did?
  4. Is this something I can do anything about today? If yes, what is the smallest first move. If no, what would help me put it down for now.
  5. What would I say to a friend who came to me with this exact worry?
  6. What is one thing that is fine, right now, in this room?

What do I write in the middle of the night?

  1. What is keeping me awake, in one sentence? Write it, then draw a line under it.
  2. What can wait until morning? List it, so your brain can stop holding it.
  3. What did I manage today, however small?
  4. Where do I feel the most tension in my body right now? Can I let that one place soften a little?
  5. What is one comforting thing I can see, hear or feel from where I am lying?
  6. If tomorrow goes gently, what would that look like?

What do I write after a hard conversation?

  1. What was said? Write the words as best I remember them, not the tone I gave them afterwards.
  2. What did I feel in the moment, and what am I feeling now? They may be different.
  3. What did I need from that conversation that I did not get?
  4. What part of this is mine to sort out, and what part belongs to the other person?
  5. Is there anything I want to say that I have not said yet? I do not have to send it.
  6. What would help me feel steadier in the next hour?

What do I write when I cannot start anything?

  1. One word for how I feel right now.
  2. One word for how I would like to feel by tonight.
  3. What is the smallest possible thing I could do next? Smaller than that. Smaller again.
  4. What is getting in the way? Tired, scared, unsure where to begin, something else.
  5. Who or what usually helps when I am stuck like this?
  6. If I did nothing else today but one kind thing for myself, what would it be?

What do I write to close the day?

  1. What went better than I expected today?
  2. What did I worry about that did not happen?
  3. What did I do today that I would like to thank myself for?
  4. What is still on my mind that I can hand over to tomorrow-me?
  5. Who was kind to me today, even in a small way?
  6. What is one soothing thing I can do in the next ten minutes before sleep?

From healing-spaces-kari.co.uk/toolkit/journal-prompts-for-anxiety/. Educational self-help from lived experience, not therapy or medical advice. If today feels heavier than a page can hold, talk to someone: Samaritans 116 123, text SHOUT to 85258, Mind 0300 123 3393.