10 Prompts & Books To Help With Journal Writing

For as long as I can remember, I’ve kept a journal. Writing has been my way to express myself and my thoughts since I was young, and I always feel better after I’ve let the words spill out on the page. I know that I can always turn to my journal when I’m in need of inspiration, clarification, or consolation.

Even though writing comes naturally to me for the most part, there are days when I struggle to get words onto the page. In a perfect world, I would write every day, but sometimes I can’t find the words to explain everything that goes on in my head.

Luckily for those moments when we don’t know what to write (and maybe that’s all the time for you), there are tons of books and journal prompts out there to encourage us to write. Whether you’ve always loved journaling or you want to get started, here are 10 books for journal writing to inspire you!

10 Books & Prompts For Journal Lovers

1. Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling by Katie Dalebout

Katie is a fellow blogger and a podcast-extraordinaire, and her book is full of journaling exercises that cover everything from going with the flow, decluttering, being present, and moving past fear. Katie also helps the writer to explore different techniques of journaling which is perfect for anyone who craves variety or simply doesn’t know where to start when it comes to writing.

2. 52 Lists for Happiness by Moorea Seal

If you’re a fan of making lists, you’ll love writing in this book. Based on her popular blog series, The 52 Lists Project, Moorea has created a year-long journal for list lovers to discover the keys to their own unique happiness and bring more joy and balance into their lives. Each week you’ll be prompted to make a list, such as things you love, your daily routines, and things you want to say no to.

3. Find Your Happy Daily Mantras: 365 Days of Motivation by Shannon Kaiser

Find Your Happy provides 365 days of inspiration to cultivate more self-awareness, confidence and inner peace. You can choose to follow the prompts day-by-day, or simply flick to a random prompt and write about that. Each day offers an affirmation, a reflection, and a question for readers to journal about, and it’s probably my favorite book to turn to when I need writing inspiration.

4. No Worries Journal

I stumbled upon this journal in TJ Maxx, and I knew right away that it was something I needed. As someone who tends to worry for no reason, I thought this might be a good way to work on letting go of worries. Basically you just write down something you’re worried about and whether you can do anything about it, and then there’s a “worry corner” you can tear off when a worry is resolved.

5. The Five-Minute Journal

I received the Five-Minute Journal as a Christmas present, and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since. Each morning, you write three things you’re grateful for, three things that would make today amazing, and your affirmation for the day. At night, you reflect on three things that went well and what you could have done to make the day better.

6. Start Where You Are: A Journal For Self-Exploration by Meera Lee Patel

Start Where You Are is designed to nurture creativity, mindfulness, and self-motivation. This uplifting book presents supportive prompts and exercises along with inspirational quotes to encourage reflection through writing, drawing, and chart-making. With plenty of room for writing and reflecting, this book makes a perfect gift and keepsake as well as being a powerful tool for positive change!

7. One Line A Day: A Five-Year Memory Book

This will be the fifth year that I’ve been writing in my memory book, and I love it so much that I’ve bought them for friends and family to keep their own. Essentially, you write down a few highlights from your day every single day which makes it a lot more manageable than trying to write a full journal entry.

8. I Am Here Now: A Creative Mindfulness Guide and Journal

This is the perfect journal for anyone who’s looking to cultivate more mindfulness in their life. The mindfulness exercises, meditations, coloring pages, and habit-breakers in this book will challenge your powers of observation, investigation, and cultivation while bringing new awareness to your senses, thoughts, and emotions.

9. 50 Lists To Make When Life Feels Overwhelming by Sarah Steckler

We all get overwhelmed with life sometimes, and we can easily forget the little things things that make us happy. Making lists can be a great way to distract the mind in a positive way, and I love all of the ideas that Sarah has in this post. Whether it’s making a list of reasons why you’re awesome or your favorite foods, these list ideas are bound to relieve some pressure.

10. 30 Intention-Setting Journaling Prompts by Life Goals Mag

This list from Coley includes thirty days’ worth of journal prompts to get you started with journaling or to further your love for your self-care ritual. These intention-setting journal prompts are intended to get you thinking about your love life, career, gratitude, technology, and life in general.

What are your favorite journaling resources? Leave a comment below!

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link or purchase an item from a link, I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you).