10 Introspective Journal Prompts for Deep Inner Reflection
Journaling is something that I’ve come to recognize as a gift. Picking up a pen, breathing deeply, and writing out your thoughts, feelings, and questions is one of the most beautiful ways to get present and reflective. Journaling gives us the space to pause, ask hard questions, and slowly work through their answers. For those ready to ask themselves the deeper, more difficult questions, these 10 introspective journal prompts will get your thoughts flowing.
Why get into the habit of journaling?
As much as I enjoy journaling, for a long time it wasn’t something I did consistently. I’d journal if once every quarter and then let my notebook continue to collect dust. Writing about my day or momentary feelings didn’t seem worth the effort and wrist cramps. That changed when I started attending therapy consistently. Yes, you read that correctly: therapy turned me into a journaler. But let me back up a bit…
In therapy, introspective questions are the name of the game. My therapist would pose a question and I’d sit there, stumped, gathering my thoughts for minutes at a time. Not only did I (oftentimes strugglingly) answer these questions in therapy, but I continued to think about them…and wrote them down…and then, finally, I journaled about them.
Suddenly, it was like a dam was released. There were so many nuances to my thoughts and feelings that journaling gave me the space and pace to address head-on. My journal’s empty pages temporarily alleviated any anxiety, shame, guilt or sadness I felt. I wrote questions, I worked through tough answers, and my journal soaked it all in.
I want you to have that feeling, too.
Everything that we need comes from within. As Brené Brown says, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” There’s no better reminder of that when fully, presently, and vulnerably journaling our hearts out. Whenever I feel disconnected from myself or my truth, these introspective journal prompts help me to reflect deeply & that reflection often begets growth.
And if you’re not convinced yet…
Did you know that journaling has health benefits?
According to Web MD, journaling helps us to:
Reduce anxiety
Break cycles of overthinking and/or brooding
Create awareness
Regulate emotions
Emotional healing
Open up to others
Additionally, journaling may also have an impact on our physical health. According to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, women with breast cancer that journaled expressively about their journey had fewer physical symptoms and fewer cancer-related medical appointments. How’s that for a healing practice?
The below 10 introspective journal prompts helped me to do deep inner reflection.
I hope they do the same for you.
10 Introspective Journal Prompts for Deep Inner Reflection
1) What are you currently learning? What are you currently un-learning?
Like many kids, whenever I would return home from school I was often asked: “What did you learn today?” As adults, that question still leads us toward introspection and deep inner reflection. Your answer may be as simple as sharing something new you learned about a co-worker, or as complicated as describing the anxiety exercises you learned in therapy. What’s most important is that you also journal about how these learnings make you feel. What feelings, memories or thoughts does the new thing you’ve learned bring up for you?
Similarly, focusing on what you’re un-learning requires introspection and deep inner reflection. What are the behaviors/beliefs you’ve carried with you up to this point that you’re now letting go of? How is the process of un-learning for you (difficult, easy, somewhere in-between)? It’ll feel a bit weird to write about what you’re actively trying not to learn, but by shifting your perspective, you can use this introspective journal prompt to reach new depths of inner reflection.
2) Think of the people that you love and your favorite qualities about them. How are you a similar light to/for others?
In life, we come across many spectacular, vibrant, and joyful people — and if we’re lucky, we may even get to consider them our friends and family. When you think of the most special people in your life, what are they like as a whole? Are there certain qualities that keep coming up? Spend 5-10 minutes free writing about the people that bring the most joy and fulfillment into your life, then ask yourself: In what way are you a light to others?
This is one of my favorite introspective journal prompts because it asks us to be kind to ourselves in a way that doesn’t feel forced (e.g., saying mantras in the mirror). When we spend time thinking about the many ways that our friends make us feel loved, it becomes easier to start thinking about how those qualities manifest within ourselves. We get to dive headfirst into deep inner reflection by taking a step back and seeing ourselves for all that we are and do. Even if your only positive quality is that you always Venmo-back your friends right away…this introspective journal prompt gives you the chance the celebrate the HECK out of that! :-)
3) What does it mean to live authentically? What are the most authentic parts of your current life?
Spoiler alert: We all have individual understandings of what authenticity is! Although there are many definitions out there, such as Merriam-Webster’s, it’s important for you to know what living an authentic life looks like for you. How would you spend the day if the world was your oyster and your funds were unlimited? What recent adventures left you grinning into your pillow as you fell asleep? When is the last time you laughed so hard it hurt? Think of these moments and then begin to sketch out what an authentic life looks like for you. Equally important, identify the areas of your current life that make you feel like your most authentic self (as well as those that don’t). This introspective journal prompt will not only lead to deep inner reflection, but also add more clarity around the things you need to live a fulfilled and joyful life.
4) What are 3 of your pet peeves? Do they say anything about you as a person?
Everyone has a pet peeve (or two…or three…). Whether your blood boils when someone chews with their mouth wide open or you just. can’t. stand. when people arrive late, identifying your pet peeves and why you carry them is essential to deep inner reflection. For example, one of my pet peeves is being interrupted. Yet it was only after I answered this introspective journal prompt that I could see the links between my annoyance and past traumatic experiences of feeling “silenced.” When you begin to notice what drives you up a wall, and take the time to journal, brainstorm, and reflect on what got you there, you can begin to see the patterns, beliefs, behaviors, and/or traumas that inform your actions. This introspective journal prompt allows us to examine our own emotions (especially those of anger and annoyance) in order to better understand ourselves.
5) If you had to introduce yourself in one sentence, what would you say?
Imagine someone sets you up on a blind date. A moment after you’ve sat down, your date gets an urgent phone call and needs to leave. As they stand up — politely re-folding their napkin neatly on the table, of course — they say: “I’m so sorry I have to leave. I’d love to know at least a little bit about you…What can you tell me in 10 seconds?” …Do you know what you’d say? What are the core elements of who you are as a person? Would you describe your job but not your hobbies? Vice versa? Would you tell your date about your personal values or the types of movies you love? Journal out the challenge and see what comes up. You may be surprised at what this introspective journal prompt shows you about how you view yourself.
6) How do you hope someone would describe you? Why?
If someone had to describe you while you weren’t there, what would you want them to say? When you imagine their description, do you cringe or smile? How would the description vary if given by a friend? A co-worker? Your parent? Surprisingly, this introspective journal prompt isn’t so much about how you think others view you, but more so about how you view and trust others. For example, do you assume people say the unflattering or negative things? Why do you make this assumption?
When I wrote out my response to this journal prompt I realized that in all of my imaginings, everyone said at least one thing negative about me! Even if I envisioned my husband describing me as the love of his life, my mind still threw in a “But she does have some stinky farts though!” This introspective journal prompt really pushed me to examine how I view the world and how my own negative self-talk can interfere with my relationships with others. Hello, self-reflective-lightbulb-moment!
7) Do you use your skills and talents to help others?
This is one of my favorite introspective journal prompts for inner reflection because it gets straight to the point: How are you using your skills and talents to help others? How do you help sustain, build, and maintain your communities? Do you want to spend more time helping others? Do you feel you always help others and never take time for yourself? This one question leads to a plethora more that ask you to analyze and evaluate how you spend your time and where you give the most of your energy. By the time you finish this journaling prompt, you’ll feel better suited to figure out how you do want to use your skills and talents.
8) What is currently bringing you joy? How can you experience more of this thing?
For this introspective journal prompt, think deeply about both the obvious and less obvious elements of your day that bring joy. There isn’t any measure for what level of joy you write about: eating a donut, taking a long walk with a loved one, binging your favorite Netflix show, or having a really great therapy session are all in equal standing here. It’s also important to think about how to incorporate more of that joy into your life. Why aren’t you giving yourself the things you love more often? Fill your journal’s pages with the most joyful aspects of your life and aim to bring those elements into your life more consistently.
9) Is there anyone that you need to let go of? What’s stopping you from letting go?
Of all the introspective journal prompts in this article, this is one of the toughest. Inevitably, there will always be relationships that no longer serve us and/or that we need to release, but it doesn’t make the process any easier. Even if there’s no one in your life that you feel you need to separate from, consider your memories of people as well. Do you need to let go of the memory of a relationship? While you likely won’t find the answer to why it’s difficult to let go of this person or relationship, you will have to intentionally think about what you will/won’t accept in your future relationships.
10) If you could ask your future self anything, what would it be? Do you think they’d have a good answer?
Most of us would love to ask our future self a few questions. Hell, even one question. Although this isn’t truly possible, spend 10 minutes journaling about what you would ask to your future self. Pay close attention to your questions: Are all of your wonderings centered on career? Love? Life purpose? This introspective journal prompt will highlight the areas of your life that you may feel unsure or insecure about. Try not to judge your thoughts — just notice them and keep journaling.
Similarly, this introspective journal prompt will show you how much you truly trust yourself. Are you convinced your future self would be a millionaire or a pauper? Do you imagine kids? A Tokyo penthouse? An RV in the middle of nowhere? As you imagine your future self with more clarity, you’ll also be able to see what doubts you have about your own ability to live your truth. Would your future self struggle over certain questions? Avoid others? Simply through daydreaming and journaling, we can use this introspective journal prompt to practice deep inner reflection.
It’s often difficult to step back and evaluate where you are emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically — especially when you’re in the midst of a challenging period of life. That’s where journaling comes in. It’s a moment to pause, slow down, breathe and get present.
I hope that these 10 introspective journal prompts for deep inner reflection have sparked your desire to journal.
