Mindfulness journal prompts will train your mind to be present, to pay attention in certain situations, and to notice what’s going on inside your mind as well as outside of it.
It’s common to live day after day on autopilot. Not really paying attention while cooking, driving, eating, showering, getting dressed, and doing all the other daily activities that are pretty much the same every day. This habit of sleepwalking through well-known daily activities causes the feeling of time passing faster the longer you’re alive.
It’s not that the time goes by faster it is that you’re sleepwalking through life.
Remember the movie “Click” with Adam Sandler? Where he gets a remote control for life and starts speeding through those “boring” parts of the day. Soon the remote “learns” which parts of life he wants to avoid and starts skipping them automatically. In no time man finds himself at the end of his life not knowing where life went by and wishing to experience all those “boring” parts of life once more.
Life is everything you do, not just exciting, new experiences but all the little daily moments. Living mindfully means being present and awake with everything you do even with the “boring” stuff.
But be warned this will cause the time to go slower.
It is why children have the feeling every day lasts a lifetime because they are present in every moment, they pay attention and notice everything.
Practicing mindfulness together with journaling will help you keep the present state of mind long after you finish your journaling session.
Practicing mindfulness journaling includes shortly engaging in an everyday activity while being fully present with the activity. Afterward, you write about your experience by describing emotions you felt, sensations you picked up with your senses, and thoughts you had. Write without judging or labeling thoughts and emotions as good or bad. You’re simply exploring your body and mind.
This is a simple exercise you can do with just about any activity you regularly engage with. Prompts included in this article will give you an idea of what mindfulness journaling is and how you can use it to train yourself to be more present.
Benefits of combining mindfulness and journaling:
- reduce stress
- improve mental clarity
- increase emotional intelligence
- improve creativity
- better overall well-being
- slow down time
Journal prompts for mindfulness
Mindful Movement
Gently stretch one part of your body for a few minutes, and move through a few different stretches. Write about the sensations you felt in your body during and after the stretch. Write about the thoughts that came up while stretching.
Emotional Check-In
Identify one emotion you are feeling right now and stay with it for a moment. Feel it without judging or analyzing it. Write about the emotion you’re feeling, where you feel it in the body, and which bodily sensations it creates.
Mindful Eating
Choose a meal or snack and eat it slowly, savoring each bite. Use all your senses to experience the food, look at it closely, touch it with your hands, smell it, and hear the sounds it makes while you handle it and eat. Afterward write about the flavors, textures, and all the sensations you had while eating. How did you feel while using all your senses to eat? Which thought did you have?
Mindful Walking
Take a walk and use all your senses to take notice of the world around you. Write about your experience when you return. To help you remember you can make short voice records of your thoughts and insights during the walk. Write about the emotions you felt during and after the walk.
Creative Expression
Doodle or draw freely without thinking too much about what you’ll draw, or trying to create something meaningful. Write about thoughts you had and emotions you felt while drawing. Look at your drawing for a moment and write down the thoughts that come to you while looking at it. How does the sight of it make you feel, if it makes you feel anything?
Mindful Breathing
Breathe calmly for a few minutes, feel the breath going in and out, and notice where it passes on its way through your body. Write about your experience. How did you feel before, during, and after the breathing exercise?
Moment of gratitude
Think about one thing you’re grateful for in this moment, and spend a few minutes thinking only about it. Write about emotions you felt and the thoughts that came up.
Shower thoughts
Take a relaxing shower, let your thoughts wander, and pay attention to how the water feels against your skin. After the shower write about your experience. How did you feel during and after the shower? What thoughts came up during the shower?
Body Scan
Close your eyes, breathe calmly, and scan your body from head to toe. Notice how each part of your body feels, pay special attention to areas of tension and areas that are relaxed. Write about what you found during the body scan.
Self-acceptance
Write a letter to yourself in which you acknowledge yourself just as you are in this moment and express your love for yourself, warts and all.
Mindful Observation
Choose an object in your environment and observe it closely for five minutes. Write about every detail you notice. Express your thoughts about the object, and its properties. Describe how that object makes you feel.
Listening to the silence
Spend 10 minutes in silence. You don’t have to try to meditate. Just sit comfortably, let go of a desire to act, and observe what your body and mind do of themselves. Write about any insights or observations that arise during this time.
Mindful Social Media
Spend 5-10 minutes scrolling through a feed but paying close attention to the thoughts and emotions that come up. You can note them down if you wish. After 5-10 minutes are up write how you feel and what you’re thinking about.
Gratitude List
List five things you are thankful for today and write a sentence about why each one is meaningful to you. Then write about emotions you felt while writing about the things you’re thankful for.
Feeling the music
Pick one song and listen to it while focusing on the way it makes your body feel. Write about the sensations you felt in your body, emotions the music evoked, and thoughts you had.
Moment of joy
Think about one thing that brings you joy in this moment. Where in your body do you feel the joy? How does it feel to feel joy? Which thoughts go through your head while feeling joyful?
Movement Exploration
Try a new physical activity or move your body in a new way like a dance move or exercise you’ve never done before. Pay attention to how it feels to move your body in a new way. Then write about your experience, and make a note of thoughts that came up.
Sensory Awareness
Engage your senses fully in a simple task like washing dishes. Write about the sensations you had with each one of your senses.
Mindful Rest
Engage for 10 minutes in a moderately intense activity like fast walking. Then sit, rest, and relax. Write about how it feels in your body to rest after a physical activity.
Mindful Breathing Pattern
Experiment with different breathing patterns (such as deep belly breaths, alternate nostril breathing, or box breathing) and note how they affect your mood and momentary energy level.
Letting Nature Teach
Spend time observing a natural element like a plant or animal. Write about the sights, sounds, emotions, and thoughts evoked by this natural element.
Mindful Reading
Read a poem, paying attention to each word and its meaning. Write about thoughts you had and emotions you felt while reading the poem.
Mindfulness is about being present in each moment. It’s about approaching life with a childlike curiosity. It’s about consciously experiencing life with all your senses and without any judgment. And ultimately it’s a tool for slowing down time. Start with a few prompts that resonate with you and gradually explore others to expand your mindfulness practice.
