Journaling Prompts To Help Explore More Into “Whys” Of Anxiety

If you have ever been to therapy you may have heard from a therapist at some point that journaling can be a tool to utilize to explore and process experiences. The work of journaling can help to jog a memory, help with emotional regulation, and help in problem solving difficult life situations. If you have never been to therapy before, the concept of journaling for therapy purposes might feel more foreign to you. Whether or not you have been to therapy or not this article could be helpful in thinking about new journaling prompts that could be helpful in exploring more into your anxiety and patterns of it. This article is not meant to replace or serve as a therapy service. If you are interested in anxiety counseling for yourself you can reach out to us here at Inward Counseling. We see individuals, families, and couples that struggle with anxiety.

Journaling Prompt:  1.) What is the message that my anxiety is sending me right now? What is this response trying to protect me from?

Anxiety definitely has negative effects on living out everyday life. It can hold us back from getting things done or prevents us from doing things that we want to do in our lives. But anxiety is often seen as a negative, when in fact it has a function and positive purpose in our life. Anxiety can help us discover deeper meanings and purpose of what we are looking for in our life. Use this journaling prompt to start thinking about what message anxiety is trying to tell you about your life.  

Journaling Prompt: 2.) Think about your anxiety and experiences from the lense of a friend. What would you tell a friend that is struggling with a similar experience?

Our individual experiences with anxiety can also come with some harsh critics. What is our internal dialogue to the experiences you face? Is there a lack of compassion? Using a prompt like this can help you to tap into your compassionate side that is within all of us. It can get you to think about how you can provide yourself the comfort that you so willingly give out to others.  

Journaling Prompt: 3.) If you could wake up tomorrow and not experience anxiety, what would that day look like for you? What would you be doing and experiencing?

This type of prompt can help you uncover what is happening in your life that could be perpetuating harmful anxiety cycles. What in your life is missing for you to feel anxious everyday? What might need to be added to your life to enrich experiences. It is not possible to completely eliminate anxiety and nor should it be eliminated. But there are things that are within our control in our lives that can be changed or redirected. It can be hard to realize that habits or patterns of our life are not serving us. Your therapist can also help you process through this if that is something you uncover with this prompt activity.

Journaling Prompt: 4.) How do I experience anxiety in my body? How does it manifest?  

Where do you feel tension in your body when it comes up for you? Acknowledgement and awareness of the mind body connection is important to know how to release tension in the body. Journaling about the body can help to see what areas of the body need more attention. The sooner we are able to release tension in the body the less we are likely to experience severe symptoms of anxiety that can manifest.

Click here for more on anxiety therapy.