What to Journal When You Don’t Know What to Write: Prompts for Anxiety, Depression, and Burnout
You’ve probably heard that journaling can be helpful, but when you finally sit down with a brand-new notebook, nothing comes out. You might find yourself thinking, “Am I doing this wrong?” or “Why does everyone else seem to benefit from this, but I feel stuck?”
Honestly, a lot of people feel this way about journaling.
When I bring it up as a tool for processing emotions or as an emotional outlet in therapy, I often hear, “Journaling just isn’t for me,” or that it hasn’t been helpful in the past. And that makes sense, because journaling can start to feel like something you’re supposed to do “correctly,” instead of what it actually is: a space to dump thoughts, emotions, and whatever else is taking up mental space.
Often, we get stuck in the idea of what journaling should look like, rather than using it as the flexible tool it’s meant to be.
In this blog post, we’ll explore common barriers to journaling and offer simple, low-pressure prompts to help you get started.
Why It Feels So Hard to Journal Sometimes
Often, our mental health makes it harder to engage in journaling, even when it is something that could actually support us. Anxiety can make it difficult to focus. It can also lead to perfectionistic thinking about journaling, as if there is a “right” way to do it. Depression can make it feel hard to do anything at all. Burnout often leaves people feeling exhausted at the exact time they finally have time to journal. ADHD can make it difficult to initiate the task of journaling in the first place.
All of these factors can feel paralyzing when you open a notebook and try to start writing.
On top of that, social media, movies, and TV often portray journaling as something done by an “epic writer” in a perfectly aesthetic notebook. The handwriting is neat. There may be candles lit. Everything looks calm and organized. In reality, this image can make journaling feel even more inaccessible.
We often lose sight of the real goal of journaling. It is meant to be a space to process thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It is not meant to be performed correctly or made to look a certain way.
5-Minute Journaling Prompts for When You Feel Overwhelmed
Sometimes, setting a short timer for journaling can help with task initiation. It can also make journaling feel more doable, especially when it feels like a never-ending task.
Below are a few simple prompts you can use when you are feeling overwhelmed and only have about 5 minutes.
If you could take one thing off your plate today, what would it be and why?
What is one small thing I can do for myself today that shows care and support?
What are one to two things I need to get done today, and how do they add to my life or values?
What part of you is needing the most attention right now?
If I could get support from someone right now, who would it be, and is that support available or accessible in any way?
Journaling Prompts for Anxiety + Overthinking
Journaling during periods of overthinking can be helpful. It gives your thoughts a container, a time, and a place to land. It also creates gentle boundaries around worry, “what if” thinking, and mental spirals.
Below are a few journaling prompts that can be helpful when anxiety is escalating or when your thoughts feel stuck in loops.
What is the best case, worst case, and most likely outcome of what I am worrying about? Would I be okay if each of these scenarios happened?
What part of what I am overthinking is coming from my imagination, and what part is based on my five senses or actual evidence?
If I were watching this situation unfold in a TV show for my favorite character, what would I be yelling at the screen to tell them?
What feels unsafe right now? What are a few things that help me feel safe, grounded, or more secure in this moment?
Journaling Prompts for Depression or Low-Energy Days
When going through a period of depression or low energy, even small tasks can feel like climbing a mountain. This can make it difficult to use journaling as a tool to cope or process what is going on. It may start to feel like something that requires too much mental effort.
But we often forget that journaling does not have to be long, structured, or done perfectly. It can be bullet points. It can be voice notes. It can be video journaling. It can also be art-based expression.
Below are a few simple journaling prompts that may be helpful when you are feeling low on energy.
Write three bullet points of things you are grateful for. These can be very small or simple. For example, a fuzzy blanket, a favorite show, or something that helped you get through the day.
What things feel hard to do right now? Is there a way to make them easier, smaller, or “good enough” instead of perfect? Depression and burnout can often bring all-or-nothing thinking. Small steps can help build momentum.
What would I need in order to feel like my battery could recharge even 10 percent more right now?
Journaling Prompts for Burnout + Emotional Exhaustion
Journaling during a period of burnout can be very helpful. It can guide us in understanding our feelings and needs. It can also help us notice systemic or environmental factors that may be impacting recovery. Journaling can also create space to release thoughts in an unfiltered way.
Below are a few prompts that may help with journaling during burnout or emotional exhaustion.
What am I currently doing for myself in each of these areas: work, social life, emotions, mental health, spiritual life, and physical health?
If I were to plan a restorative day off from work, whether professional or caregiving, what would it look like?
What areas of my life could I add a little more to in order to restore energy? What could I subtract or reduce in order to increase my current capacity?
What feels within my control right now, and what feels outside of my control when it comes to burnout?
If Even Prompts Feel Like Too Much: Ultra-Simple Options
Sometimes even journaling prompts can keep us stuck in our heads, and we end up not journaling at all. It can help to remember that journaling is not about doing it perfectly. It is about processing thoughts and feelings and staying more present with what is happening internally.
Below are some simple ideas to try when even the prompts above feel too difficult or overwhelming.
Bullet point journaling
Set a timer for 3 to 5 minutes and do a brain dump. Write whatever thoughts come to mind without filtering. If you run out of thoughts, you can also doodle or draw.
Emotion wheel journaling. You can search “emotion wheel” online and choose one or two emotions you experienced that day. You can simply identify them or write one to two sentences about each emotion and what it was connected to.
Voice note journaling. Sometimes speaking your thoughts out loud or using voice-to-text can feel easier than writing.
Video journaling. Recording yourself can also feel more natural and may help you express emotions more fully.
Art journaling. Drawing, collaging, scribbling, or creating art instead of writing words to process thoughts and emotions.
How to Make Journaling Actually Helpful (Not Another Task)
Thinking of journaling as a tool or skill can make it feel more accessible. It can be a way to check in with yourself, almost like one-to-one time where there are fewer distractions. This can help it feel less like another task on a to-do list.
Things to remember to make journaling more helpful:
Some days, journaling will not lead to a “breakthrough” or a sudden insight. That is okay. The goal is not to find a perfect solution or fix how you feel. The goal is to process thoughts and emotions as they are.
Journaling can help you notice patterns in your thoughts and emotions over time. It does not need to be a perfect essay or a finished product.
Try not to put strict rules on what “counts” as journaling. If it helps you process, it counts.
You do not have to journal every day. It is okay to use it when you need it.
If You’re Feeling Stuck, Support Can Help
Journaling is a way of meeting yourself where you are, without pressure to fix or figure everything out right away. Some days it will feel clear and helpful. Other days it might feel messy or repetitive. Both are okay.
You can come back to these prompts anytime your mind feels too full, too quiet, or stuck in overthinking. If you are noticing that anxiety, depression, burnout, or overthinking is becoming hard to manage on your own, support can make a real difference.
If you are looking for a space to sort things through more deeply, I offer virtual therapy in Michigan. You can schedule a consult call with me by completing my contact form.
