30 Journal Prompts for Depression

When everything feels heavy

1. 1.What is one word for how you feel right now?
2. 2.What feels hardest today?
3. 3.What is one thing you managed to do today, even if it was just getting out of bed?
4. 4.What does your body need right now: water, food, rest, fresh air?
5. 5.If this feeling had a color or shape, what would it be?
6. 6.What would you want someone to know about how today feels for you?

Gentle self-compassion

1. 7.What would you say to a friend who felt exactly like you do today?
2. 8.What is one thing you can let yourself off the hook for today?
3. 9.What kind thought, even a small one, can you offer yourself right now?
4. 10.What part of you is still trying, even when it is hard?
5. 11.What would being gentle with yourself look like for the next hour?
6. 12.What do you wish people understood about depression?

Small sparks

1. 13.What is something, even tiny, that felt a little okay today?
2. 14.What is a smell, sound, or texture that comforts you?
3. 15.What is one thing you used to enjoy that you might try for just five minutes?
4. 16.Who or what made you feel slightly less alone recently?
5. 17.What is a memory that still brings you a bit of warmth?
6. 18.What is one thing you are curious about, even faintly?

Staying connected

1. 19.Who is one person you could send a short message to today?
2. 20.What makes it hard to reach out, and what would make it a little easier?
3. 21.What kind of company feels okay right now: talking, sitting quietly together, or a text?
4. 22.Who has helped you through a hard time before?
5. 23.What would you want to tell a doctor or therapist about the last two weeks?
6. 24.What is one small way you could let someone in this week?

Noticing patterns over time

1. 25.How have your sleep, appetite, and energy been this week?
2. 26.Was there a part of the day that felt a little lighter than the rest?
3. 27.What tends to make things worse, and what tends to help, even slightly?
4. 28.What is one thing you would like to remember on a better day?
5. 29.What would a slightly better day look like, realistically?
6. 30.What is one small thing you can do tomorrow to take care of yourself?

Tips that make it stick

• •Journaling can be a helpful companion, but it is not a treatment for depression. If you have felt low for more than two weeks, please talk to a doctor or mental health professional.
• •If you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact a crisis line or emergency services right away. In the US you can call or text 988.
• •Try naming the feeling as precisely as you can, like numb, empty, or hopeless. Even a precise word can make a heavy feeling a little easier to describe to someone who can help.
• •Lower the bar. On low days, a one-word entry is still showing up for yourself.

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