40 Powerful Journaling Prompts For Anxiety To Try If You Worry Too Much!

40 Powerful Journaling Prompts For Anxiety To Try If You Worry Too Much! (+ gratitude and self-love prompts and affirmations!)

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Are you often so worried and overly anxious about the future that it ruins your daily schedule and interrupts your peaceful moments? Does it make you feel numb, powerless, and simply sick to your stomach?

Don’t worry girrrll! I’ve got you! Keep on reading!

Have you ever heard of or tried journaling?

Keeping track and record of your sometimes inundating, daunting, and mind-boggling thoughts, feelings, and insights can significantly help you nurture your well-being, take the pressure off your heart and body, and mollify the tightness and anxiety in your body!

Getting your thoughts on paper rather than deciding to bury them deep within can break the cycle of rumination and finally free you from whatever issue and internal struggle you’re dealing with.

I’ve experienced significant improvements in my ability to manage daily stressors, anxiety, and even some more significant daily life issues that we all encounter since I started journaling on a regular basis!

When I started expressing my inner feelings and turmoils on paper and immersing myself in the present moment, I gained a totally different and mind-blowing perspective of myself, others, and life in general.

it’s more than just self-understanding!

It does not only help you on your journey but also helps you understand other people better.

We are all connected, kinda the same. How many times have you stumbled upon such a relatable TikTok video that you couldn’t believe that someone there also has the same thoughts? Like, do I have an original thought anymore? I doubt it!

You’ll learn to understand the cause, and the root of your particular behaviors, and with regular practice even start having those “aha moments” and epiphanies for your problems!

How Can Journaling prompts for anxiety Help You?

By keeping a journal, you can spot recurring patterns in your behavior and understand the root reasons for particular negative emotions, thoughts, limiting beliefs, and insights.

Due to hectic schedules, lack of belief in its benefits, and difficulty starting, journaling is a discipline that is frequently disregarded and overlooked. We simply can’t understand something’s value and importance if we don’t try it.

Numerous types of journaling have been demonstrated in studies to improve memory, lower signs of anxiety and despair, and even strengthen the immune system. Additionally, it boosts your creativity and gives you the ability to sleep peacefully at night since you will have begun to understand the causes and implications of some of your biggest worries.

It’ll help you focus, concentrate, and become more productive, because now you can fully dedicate your time to your work, rather than being blocked and bothered by wandering, intrusive thoughts in your mind.

You’re not them, just the observer of them!

How did journaling help me when I finally started practicing it? (after perpetually disregarding it) How it can help you Too?

Perhaps you’re now at the place I was 3 years ago – perpetually Googling some additional help after years and years of dealing with intrusive, negative thoughts and anxiety. And nothing seems to work.

You’ve probably already stumbled upon a method called „Journaling“ as a well-known practice, but thought „That’s ridiculous, how can writing my thoughts help me?!?“ Don’t feel guilty… that was my exact thought years ago until I decided to give journaling a chance! Little did I know it’d change my life completely.

I don’t say that my anxiety is completely, 100% gone now, it’s probably gonna take some more time, but, that’s the key. Being patient with yourself. Not everyone’s path is the same and not everyone can react to certain solutions. You’ll need to try multiple things and find what works best for you.

One of the most beautiful and valuable things journaling has given me is understanding my inner self, my shadows, and why I am the way I am. Why do I react the way I do sometimes… When you acknowledge your behaviors, you are more likely to come up with a solution to them.

Here is how I did it and how you can too!

Not to overwhelm you much, let’s get to business.

I have to point out that I’m not any professional in this field, I’m just sharing my positive experiences, what worked for me, and what could potentially work for you, if you’re willing to work on yourself more dedicatedly.

You can read here more about journaling from a professional side if you want a scientific approach.

1. Challenge your thoughts.

When you begin challenging your thoughts, keep on intentionally asking yourself every slightest detail so you can get it out of you where the storm is raging within, in that way, you can calm your nerves.

You can ease anxiety in that way. Rather than burying it deep within you, living in survival mode, or being in the panic that you’ll somehow manifest it – acknowledge it. Ask yourself these questions:

• How do I know this will happen? Am I 100% sure?
• Since when this has been happening?
• How did this overthinking and worrying start? Did someone tell me that or did I make that up in my mind out of my own wild imagination?
• Why do I think these negative intrusive thoughts about the future keep chasing me?
• What are they trying to tell me?
• What would happen if I stopped worrying about those things? What would be different?
• When was the last time I experienced a lack of control? How did I handle it? What came out of it?
• What impact do my worries about the future have on my current life?
• How am I feeling when I think about them?

…

• How have I changed/how has it affected me, since I started leading the inner war with myself and my anxious intrusive thoughts? Am I more fragile? Did I start eating less (lost weight?), am I approaching people much less, hiding away? Can I sleep well? What kind of dreams do I have (nightmares?)
• Do these thoughts maybe take me back to my childhood when something bad happened after I was afraid?
• What is the percentage of that particular circumstance happening?
• If what I am anxious about does happen, could it end up being not so intimidating, and even end up being a positive experience? How?
• How can it end up even being my breakthrough, and something leading to so much better that I’m not even aware of?

how these journal prompts for anxiety can help you?

Asking these questions will help you understand your inner fight, and inner self on a much deeper level. You may end up realizing (which happens most of the time) that you made it all up in your wild imagination out of the consequence of your own childhood traumas.

We can never emotionally completely heal if we treat the symptoms (anxiety, in this case), but only when we treat the root cause. It means diving deeper into our inner, hidden selves, keeping on asking questions, ad willing to be a little peculiar, and curious as a little child.

When you finally understand why (maybe because of deeply ingrained childhood trauma when something similar happened) you are the way you are (anxious), you’ll be more likely to find a better approach to the issue and find a solution.

2. Think back to your fearless, bold moments

This is just a temporary feeling and state of mind you’re currently experiencing. It doesn’t mean it’ll last forever. It doesn’t define you. But you have to be willing to work on its root cause so it doesn’t come back so easily.

One of the key elements to treating this intensive fear of the future is to recall and remind yourself of all of your strengths.

This also includes recalling similar past experiences when you successfully dealt with the problem, was fearless, bold, decisive, and won whatever struggle was bothering you.

Those were your strongest, wisest moments. When you felt like a hero.

• When was the last time I was faced with some arduously foreboding challenge/a bad thing that caused the anxiousness to overflow me AND I dealt with it so WISELY, BOLDLY, and managed to get over it victoriously?
• What do I like most about myself? There must be at least 3 things!
• Do I have a favorite thing about myself? What is it?
• What part of my life do I love right now?
• A time(s) I recall being so confident in myself. What was the event/situation? How did I feel? How did it feel?
• What are 3 simple ways I can pour myself with love every day?
• What makes my heart sing and forget about all the problems?
• What makes me unique?
• How do I want people to see me?
• What am I proud of myself the most?
• How did my darkest and most challenging experiences shape me into who I am today? What have a learned? How have I changed?
• What fears are holding me back from living my best life?

3. Make a plan for every scenario. Prepare.

Assuming that your fear did happen.

• What would you do?
• How would you prepare for the scenario?
• How can you prepare now for that scenario? (develop habits and skills that will be useful in the future; seek advice from friends and family; build stronger connections with them…)

Your mind is more likely to steer clear of the worst-case scenarios (to which we all occasionally gravitate) if you are confident that you would have the resources at your fingertips if the unlikely scenario happens.

Probably, some of our unconscious anxieties are because of the fear of not being prepared if that thing happens. Since we don’t want it to happen, out of apprehension, we tend to just get away and not think of it.

Where can you escape if you’re always running?

Practicing Positive thoughts is more important than you think

Pro tip: Have a phone reminder set at a specific time of day (you choose) when you can calmly and without any distractions have some self-comforting time.

I personally use an app called „Any. do“ and it does a wonderful job at helping you plan your day! You write your tasks for the day (or for the future), organize them into sections (work, personal… custom), and set the time. You’ll always get a notification for a scheduled task!

What you’ll do is set the appropriate time in the day (ideally in the morning, after you wake up) and dedicate a few minutes to imagining the best possible scenario. Just for a few minutes immerse yourself in the feeling of living your desired reality.

• What would you be doing? What do your days look like?
• How do you feel while living in that reality?
• Who are the people with you in that reality?
• What does your ideal day look like?
• How have you changed?
• What does that version of you think? What are her beliefs about life, money, well-being…
• Observe your attitude. Your walk. Your talk. How do you feel when talking to people (you’re not socially anxious anymore, you talk and walk confidently, fully sure of yourself).

4. Additionally, calm your mind with comforting affirmations (this was the game changer!)

Getting my anxious thoughts out of my head was not just a single process. I always strive to go a step further. That’s when affirmations come to play.

Using positive affirmations can help you break bad thought patterns and create a new neural pathway for good ones. They will give you that so-needed comforting words and feeling you seek.

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool for overcoming fear, self-doubt, and self-sabotage.

The key is consistency. You’ll probably not see the immediate results, since many factors interrupt the process (like anxiety, and limiting beliefs), and you’ll need to repeat them daily!

• Everything will be all right. I have nothing to fear.

• Whatever happens, things always work in my favor.

• Whatever happens, I will be all right.

• I am highly intelligent. I can come up with the best solution to any problem at any time.

• I am able to deal with any problem that arises because I am fearless and bold.

• I am here for a bigger purpose. I am important.

• I am skillful enough to overcome any challenge.

Pro tip: We most often stick to practice for a day or two and then fall back if we don’t see the immediate results, or simply just get busy with other things and forget. It can’t work like that.

So, I recommend printing out these affirmations and putting them somewhere where you can see them every time, without exception.

5. Return to gratitude – Miracles are drawn to those with grateful hearts!

No matter how stressful and anxious you may feel – the best way to ease it is to remember how much you are lucky.

Do you actually know how lucky you are for having what you already have? The fact that happiness is found in small things isn’t just another cliche. You woke up today, smelled the enchanting smell of morning coffee, ate a delicious breakfast…

We are constantly bombarded with negative news and stressful people around us, and we also become anxious and stressed.

Get out in nature. Aren’t we so lucky to live and experience this heavenly Mother Earth? Isn’t it astonishing? Feel the grass touching your feet, look at the bright blue sky, at sunrise, listen to birds chirping, feel the wind gently touching your skin, and play with your hair.

A priceless moment, right? It’s crazy how often we forget or even underestimate things we are born and meant to do.

• What are the 5 small, and 5 big things that I am grateful for today? (small things like beautiful weather, and delicious breakfast, and big like some bigger accomplishment that has happened recently – something you’re proud of)
• What is the valuable lesson you have learned recently?
• What parts of your body/things bout yourself you can appreciate every day?
• What memories are you grateful for?
• What’s one thing that made you smile/laugh recently? How did you feel after?