journal prompts to bring you home to yourself

a pen and paper can go a long way, lemme tell ya

I’ve always turned to the page when life gets too loud. Certain seasons — illness, transitions, heartbreak, stressful jobs — have a way of pulling us into our heads and away from ourselves. We get so caught up in analyzing, anticipating, or simply surviving that we lose track of what we need, how we feel, or who we are underneath it all. Journaling became a way for me to quiet that mental noise. It helps me return to my body, notice what I’m actually feeling, and hear the thoughts behind the thoughts. On the page, I feel like I can sift through the overwhelm and reconnect with a more grounded version of myself… the one who’s still there, even if everything else feels uncertain.

Journaling also gives me a way to capture life’s beautiful moments before they fade away. One of my fondest memories comes from a childhood trip to Paris, France.

My mom (since she’s the cutest person ever) gifted my siblings and me small leather journals featuring the Eiffel Tower on the cover. She asked us to write for thirty minutes every night before bed. Although I once dreaded this routine (any rule can feel like a chore at age 12), revisiting those entries now brings Paris vividly back to life: the quiet strolls past the Champs-Élysées while seeking powdered sugar crepes and souvenirs, the taste of a buttery steak in a cozy Parisian café, and countless details only my younger self could recall.

Beyond nostalgia and emotional release

Journaling is — more than anything — a powerful tool for our health: emotionally, cognitively, and even physically. Psychologist James Pennebaker’s Emotional Disclosure Theory suggests that writing about our feelings, especially the painful or traumatic ones, helps us process them more clearly and reduces the stress of keeping everything bottled up. By creating a coherent narrative, we organize our thoughts, calm our brain’s fear center, and make meaning out of chaos. Studies even show that journaling can improve memory, focus, and immune function while lowering stress hormones and blood pressure over time. Whether you write by hand or type, journaling offers a moment to pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself.

Have I convinced you to pick up your moleskine journal and become the reflection queens and kings that you are???

I hope so! Because below, I’d like to offer you a chance to journal and thereby bring you home to yourself - with only a pen, paper, and maybe your favorite cup of tea for an extra sense of calm.

Happy journaling, my lovely little overthinkers <3

Journal prompts to bring you home to yourself

1. What are you overthinking today? Why?

2. What’s one thing that’s draining your energy this week and one thing that’s energizing you?

3. What childhood movie or book sticks with you to this day? Why?

4. Where are you when you feel most loved? Who are you with and what are you doing?

5. In what little way(s) can you show others more kindness this week?

6. What hobbies do you love doing the most?

7. What is one story you’ve been telling yourself to “make it through” that maybe you can challenge?

8. What is one change you’ve been meaning to make this year? Is there something small you can do this week to get you one step closer to it?

9. What or who makes you feel less lonely?

10. Write a list of things you like that are a certain color (list of red things, list of green things, and so on).

11. Where have you travelled that’s given you a big sense of “wonder”?

12. What’s one thing you’ve been wanting to change about your daily routine? Start this week.

13. Choose an object in your home. What quiet truth does it hold about your life?

14. Write down all the reasons you are amazing.

15. Write down 3 life quotes that inspire you.

16. Write down anything that connects you to the “bigger picture,” or that reminds you how vast the world is.

17. What have been the biggest turning points of your life?

18. Write down something new you want to try before 2025 ends.

19. What’s your ultimate guilty pleasure starter pack? (snack, movie, self-care hack). Have a guilty-pleasure night and write about how it makes you feel to take care of yourself, guilt-free.

20. Write about a moment you felt guided, even if you didn’t understand it at the time.

You don’t need to answer every prompt at once. Let them meet you where you are: one quiet morning, a restless evening (cue the insomnia), or whenever you feel the pull to check in with yourself. The beauty of journaling is that it doesn’t demand perfection, just presence. There are no rules here — only a gentle invitation to slow down, listen inward, and come home to yourself, word by word.

Until next time,

<3 Delaney

P.S. let me know in the comment section if you found these prompts useful to you!! what other topics do you like to journal about? ✍️

would love to hear from you 🩷