Everyone’s been there. You’re about to meet new classmates, coworkers, or social acquaintances, and the proverbial mic turns to you. Someone asks, “What do you do?” or “Tell me about yourself.”
Unless you had your answer planned, you may have panicked. Or you shot off a response only to remember that you forgot an important detail about yourself.
Expressing who you are in a brief introduction is a challenging task, and not just because you’re nervous in front of new peers. The question of who you are is one of the toughest to answer. You might struggle with your self-awareness or identifying your deepest values.
So, who are you, anyway? If you feel you’re not entirely ready to answer confidently, it’s normal. In fact, it’s an indicator of your introspective nature.
You can get closer to understanding this question by penning your thoughts. Here are 90 journal prompts for self-discovery to get the ink flowing and help you learn more about yourself.
Benefits of journal prompts
Journaling is good for you — physically and emotionally. Research has proven it. According to a report by the New York Times, journaling leads to improved sleep, better self-acceptance, and a more robust immune system. This activity helps people channel their ideas, flush out emotions, and process new challenges. The New York Times article’s author tried journaling herself while going through a difficult time and found that it provided her a pressure valve for her anxiety — these are mental health benefits of journaling backed by science.
As the article’s author learns, knowing where to start is tough — maybe more so if you’re a person who doesn’t often express themselves through the written word. That’s where a journal prompt comes in.
According to UConn’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, journal prompts help students focus and encourage interest. In other words, journal prompts help you overcome writer's block to explore ideas with direction and freedom.
90 journal prompts for self-discovery
Seeing as they promote reflection, self-discovery journal prompts allow you to tap into the information you already have via your imagination, feelings, and desires. These prompts push you to go deep and become more self-aware, allowing you to explore your identity and learn more about yourself. From there, you can identify opportunities for personal development or ways to let your authentic self shine.
Self-reflection or self-esteem journal prompts should inspire you but not cause further stress or anxiety. If you start on a prompt that causes you to self-reflect in painful or unproductive ways, try another. The good news is that there are countless to explore. Here are 90 journaling prompts for self-discovery for various occasions — from when you’re curious to when you’re stuck.
Journal prompts to get you started
So, you’ve never journaled before. You may doubt whether this practice will help, and your hesitance may intensify the writer’s block. Here are several high-level journal prompts for beginners, focused on general self-knowledge to get you started.
1. What are my core values? (Honestly, compassion, productivity, loyalty, for example) Why?
2. What do I like about myself?
3. What was a time I overcame a challenge? How did I do it?
4. Who or what events have helped determine who I am today? Why?
5. What are my most common emotions?
6. Is anything missing in my life right now?
7. What are the three most important things in my life?
8. How would I describe myself to a stranger?
9. What was one of the best days or periods of my life?
10. What brings me joy?
11. What are the good and bad habits I’ve formed?
12. How could I improve my self-care, self-love, or well-being?
13. How do I make time for myself?
14. What has been my greatest accomplishment so far?
15. What are my strengths and areas of opportunity?
Journal prompts to use after a hard day
When you’re feeling emotionally activated, it can be hard to break the cycle of sad, nervous, or frustrated thoughts. Using the following self-evaluation prompts, you can explore the root of these feelings and enjoy a release at the same time.
Remember that if you’re struggling to unpack traumas or deal with emotions, you may want to complement your journaling practice with help from a mental health professional or life coach. They can guide you on coping techniques, help you understand your behaviors, and provide tools for feeling better.
16: What coping mechanisms do I tend toward? (Repression, altruism, humor, channeling emotions through art.)
17: Whose emotional regulation skills do I admire? Why?
18: Was there a moment I could have handled better today?
19: Do my behaviors reflect impulses or how I would like to act?
20: What’s one way I could have more compassion for myself today?
21: What prevents me from feeling good or happy? Can I change that?
22: Are there parts of my daily life or environments I could alter to feel better? How could I make every day my ideal day?
23: What is the root of the worry that I feel?
24: How can I make more time for myself at stressful times?
25: Is there someone I can ask for support right now? Why and how?
26: Is it possible that I should let go of (insert: job, relationship, place) to feel better?
27: What would my role model do at this difficult moment?
28: Why was X moment so challenging for me today?
29: What about my life causes X emotion? (Sadness, stress, anxiety)
30: What advice would I give myself if I could see my situation from the outside?
Journal prompts when you’re at a career crossroads
Feeling unsatisfied, lost, or overwhelmed in your career is stressful. You depend on your job for income and stimulation, and questioning whether you’re on the right path can be destabilizing. Before making a career change, soul search with the following thought-provoking questions, get professional help from a career coach or therapist, and ensure the conditions of your life (like finances) permit a safe, practical shift.
31: Finish the sentence: “If I could reinvent myself, I would…”
32: What do I think I was called to do?
33: What do I most like about my job?
34: What do I dislike about my job?
35: What are roles I could use my current skills in?
36: Am I taking full advantage of my talents in my current role?
37: What dreams did I have growing up that I left behind? Are they still important to me?
38: What would I do with my life if money were no object?
39: Finish the sentence: “If I could go back to school for anything, I would study…”
40: What do my peers appreciate about me?
41: What’s one action I can take in my current role to work more comfortably?
42: Is there a way I could better prove myself at work and advance?
43: Where would I like to see my career in five years? 10?
44: How’s my work-life balance?
45: How are my relationships with my coworkers? Is there anything I could do to improve them?
Journal prompts to show gratitude
Showing gratitude is the practice of recognizing the people, things, events, and inner strengths that fulfill you. The act implies taking a moment to be thankful for what you have. Practicing gratitude is important — research shows that thankful people are less depressed. Start your gratitude practice today and carry it into the future with the following self-reflection journal prompts.
46: What’s one thing I am grateful for today?
47: What makes me glad to be alive?
48: What people am I grateful for? Why?
49: What are five objects in my surroundings that I’m grateful to have? (I.e., books, appliances, etc.)
50: What do I enjoy about the place I live?
51: In what ways am I grateful for my job?
52: What are five positive affirmations I could say about myself?
53: What is something I can do to help others who are struggling?
54: How can I use my resources and talents for good?
55: What am I looking forward to?
56: What is good about my financial situation?
57: What aspects of my health are strong?
58: What’s one lesson I’m thankful for? Why?
59:What was a time that life surprised me with something unexpected good?
60: What would I thank my past self for?
Looking to a bright future
Set your sights on a positive future by visualizing it, then planning it. The following journal prompts for self-reflection can help you craft a way toward what you want in life, set meaningful goals, and decide on actions you can take immediately to start working toward that brighter tomorrow. This activity may even help you manifest change.
61: What will my life look like in five years?
62: What would self-actualization feel like?
63: What does a dream life look like?
64: What’s a bad habit I hope to drop or a healthy one I’d like to foster?
65: How do I want people to remember me at the end of my life?
66: What would I add to my bucket list?
67: What’s a skill or credential I would like to acquire?
68: How do I envision my mental and physical health in an ideal future? What can I do to work toward it?
69: What steps can I start taking today to achieve X (financial wellness, better health, a new career)?
70: Are any aspects of my current lifestyle unsustainable, and how could I change them?
71: What would I regret later on if I didn’t do it now?
72: What’s a short-term, high-impact goal I could start working on today?
73: What’s something I hope to achieve in the coming year?
74: What advice would my future self give me?
75:What are three things I can accomplish from my to-do list this month?
Journal prompts for assessing your relationships
Many relationships have seasons. Your best friend from college moved to another country, and you no longer have the tight-knit bond you once did. A partnership was no longer serving you, so you moved on.
Sometimes, life phases out relationships naturally or cues you into red flags worth heeding. Other times, you have an inkling that a relationship is working out well or poorly, and you want to explore that gut feeling. Here are several self-discovery prompts to help you do that.
76: Who do I envision having a role in my life in the future?
77: Are there any toxic elements of my familial, romantic, or friendly relationships?
78: What do I admire most about my X (partner, best friend, sibling)?
79: What can I do to better support my X (partner, best friend, sibling)?
80: When did a relationship end that was for the best? Why?
81: Is there anyone in my life I’d like to get to know better or spend more time with?
82: What is my love language? What is my partner’s?
83: Is there a boundary I could set in a relationship to make it healthier?
84: What’s a relationship lesson I’ve learned?
85: What’s my communication style? Could I improve it?
86: What’s a recent interaction that didn’t go well? How could I avoid repeating it in the future?
87: How have other people in my life brought out good qualities in me?
88: How have I bought out good qualities in others?
89: Is there anyone in my life who deserves an apology?
90: What’s my idea of a healthy relationship?
Keep prompting and writing
Knowing yourself is integral to personal growth. And using journal prompts for self-discovery can help you spot areas of opportunity and manifest a better life.
Aim to make free-writing a daily practice, and encourage yourself to keep it up by seeking prompts that resonate with you. Collect strong ideas as you see them or write down ones that come to you to gather 365 journal prompts for self-discovery to support this positive habit.
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