When you have depression, it's really, really important to practice self-care. This is because, among other benefits, practicing self-care can help you to:
- Regulate your emotions;
- Become "unstuck" from thoughts that you may be ruminating on;
- Think clearer and gain clarity over your feelings.
And, while there are many different ways in which you can practice self-care, a particularly popular one that we'd like to share with you right now is journalling.
Journal Prompts To Help You Practice Self-Care When You Have Depression
In order to practice self-care by journalling when you have depression, an effective method is to:
- Find a quiet, relaxing place to sit down with a pen and a piece of paper;
- Write out your response to a question or a "prompt" that helps you "get your feelings out there", or explore something that you want to problem-solve or gain some clarity on.
On that note, below, we've included some example questions / prompts you may find it helpful to write out your response to:
- Whatâs a more positive way of looking at a situation thatâs troubling me?
- What am I worried about right now? And, what are some reasons why things may not turn out as badly as I fear they will?
- If something Iâm worried about does turn out as I fear it will, then what are some reasons why Iâll actually be able to cope much better than I give myself credit for?
- What are some reasons to be hopeful that I could be more mindful of?
- Whatâs a negative past event thatâs taking up too much space in my head? And, what needs to happen in order for me to let go of it?
- What are some positive things about myself that I should be more mindful of?
- What are some wins or successes Iâve had recently which I havenât congratulated myself for?
- What are some healthy ways I could release any painful emotions Iâm experiencing?
- What are some daily practices I can implement that would elevate my mood?
- What are some things I could do to reduce stress and help me relax?
- What are some things I could do to help re-charge my batteries when Iâm feeling worn out?
- Fill in the blanks: âWhen I feel [insert negative / painful emotion], I often ____________. However, a more effective way of coping with this emotion would instead be to ____________."
- Fill in the blanks: âInstead of shaming myself when I donât do / achieve ____________, I will instead try to be more self-compassionate by reminding myself that ____________.â
- In what ways could I live a healthier lifestyle?
- What would be some helpful boundaries for me to implement with others?
- How could I make more time for the things that really matter to me?
- How can I continue to cultivate more meaning, fulfillment and purpose in my future?
- What are some daily habits I could practice that would help me feel more connected with the world and my place in it?
- What are some good things about the present moment which I can be grateful for?
- Are there any areas of my life that are lacking clarity? How could I gain more clarity in those areas?
- What would my âhighest selfâ do to navigate the challenges Iâm facing right now?
- What are some things Iâve been putting off doing that it would really be in my best interests to do?
- Am I on track to achieving my goals? What additional steps could I take to help me realise them?
We really encourage you to practice self-care by journalling in this way, because we think you'll be surprised at how beneficial it can be!
All our love,
The Depression Project Team.
P.S. Each of these journal prompts are taken directly from our Self-Care Bootcamp - which will help you create a comprehensive self-care plan in order to make it easier for you to, among other things:
- Regulate your emotions and feel more energetic;
- Function and uphold your day-to-day responsibilities;
- Prevent you from getting burned out and having your depression deteriorate.
Access to this Bootcamp and lots of others are included as part of our Depression Bootcamps Membership Platform - which if you're interested, you can learn more about by clicking the button below.