81 Things To Write In A Journal When You’re Bored
If you’re someone who LOVES journaling and wants to know what things to write in a journal when you’re bored. Then look no further!
Journaling is such a therapeutic activity that is great for improving your mental health and boosting your creativity. As a Mindset and Productivity Coach for perfectionists, I am ALWAYS encouraging my clients to start building journaling into their daily habits.
So if you’re at the stage when you want to journal so bad even when you have nothing else to do then congratulations, you have made it to the elite club of journal addicts.
I’m so glad you’re here!
In this blog, I have started off with some very deep journal prompts such as emotional processing, letting go and self-reflection BUT I have ended it with some more fun activities such as creative stories, jokes and fun lists of 100.
Basically you have everything you need to cure your boredom.
1. Autobiography/ Memories
- Write a chronological list of key moments in your life that shaped your personality
- What important lessons have you learned from your life experiences?
- When was the last time you felt truly happy?
- What was your favourite holiday?
- Do you remember the first time you travelled abroad?
- What was the biggest mistake you’ve ever made?
- What is your earliest memory?
- When did you realise you could take control of your life?
- What memory do you wish you could erase and why?
2. Self-reflection
- What motivates you in life?
- Write down a list of your strengths and weaknesses. How can you turn your weaknesses into strengths?
- Write a list of your top 5 core values. How have your values evolved over time?
- What areas of your life do you want to change?
- What does success mean to you? Describe success in all 8 areas of your life (health and fitness, personal and spiritual growth, family and friends, romantic relationships, career and business, financial health, fun and recreation, physical environment)
- In your relationships with others are you secure, avoidant or anxious? Write down the reasons why you think that is the case.
- Are you where you want to be in life or are you living life on autopilot?
- Are you living your life in alignment with your values or someone else’s values?
- Describe a recent situation where you felt proud of yourself. What did you do and why did it make you feel proud?
3. Letting go and gratitude
- Write about something you need to let go of. How does holding onto it affect you on a daily basis?
- What are 3 things you are grateful for today and how do they help your wellbeing?
- Who has had the biggest positive impact in your life so far? What did they do for you and how can you show your appreciation?
- What is a mistake you keep repeating? What stops you from learning from this mistake and never doing it again?
- Write down the top 3 lessons you have learnt from your mistakes over the years
- Describe a moment from your day that made you smile. Why was it special to you?
- How can you incorporate gratitude into your morning or evening routine?
- Take a big deep breath and let it out slowly, as you let out your breath think about releasing negativity from your body. Write a list of everything that came to your mind after this exercise.
- Write a letter of appreciation to someone you care deeply about
4. Emotional processing
- How do you normally react to stress? Is there anything that you could do differently?
- What emotion are you feeling most strongly right now? Describe it in detail, and explore what might be causing it.
- Think about a recent argument. What emotions did you experience, and how can you move towards resolution or understanding?
- When was the last time you cried? What triggered it, and how did you feel afterwards?
- What topics do you find difficult to communicate with others about?
- When was the last time you felt misunderstood? Who
- “No one can make you feel anything”. What thoughts come up around that statement?
- Are there any emotions that you are scared of and actively try to suppress?
5. Ideal life / ideal self
- Describe your ideal day from start to finish. What activities fill your day, and how do you feel throughout?
- Who is your ideal self? What qualities and behaviours does this version of you embody?
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? How would this location support your ideal life?
- Imagine your life five years from now. What are you doing, who are you with, and what have you achieved?
- What steps can you take today to start moving towards your ideal life and self?
- What type of relationships do you want in your ideal life? How do you interact with your friends, family and partner?
- What hobbies or activities would you love to pursue in your ideal life and why?
- Describe your ideal home environment. What does it look like, and how does it make you feel?
- In your ideal life, how do you contribute to your community or the world? What causes or projects are you passionate about?
6. Goal setting
- What are three short-term goals you want to achieve in the next month? How will you accomplish them?
- Reflect on a long-term goal you have. What steps do you need to take to move closer to it?
- What is one habit you want to develop? Why is it important to you, and how can you integrate it into your daily routine?
- Imagine you’ve achieved one of your major goals. How does your life look and feel?
- What obstacles might you face and how can you prepare to overcome them?
- What financial goals are important to you? Create a plan for saving, investing, or managing your money to reach those goals.
- What creative goals do you have? How can you make time for creativity in your life?
- What is a small step you can take outside of your comfort zone to help you achieve your goal?
- Think about a personal project you’ve been putting off. What is it, and how can you start making progress today?
7. Letters to yourself – future and past
- Write a letter to your younger self during a tough time. What would you tell them to help them feel better?
- Write a letter to your teenage self. Share what you’ve learned about life and relationships since then.
- Remember a time you made a mistake. Write a letter encouraging your past self to learn from it and keep going
- Write a letter to your 5-year-old self and tell them how much you love them. This activity is great for healing your inner child.
- Write a letter to yourself five years from now. What do you hope you’ve achieved by then?
- Imagine yourself in ten years. Write about the kind of person you hope to be and what your life looks like.
- Write a letter to your 80-year-old self – ask them as many questions as you can about how your life turned out
- Write a letter to the version of you who has just finished your journal. For example, I start my bullet journal by writing a letter to the version of me who has finished the journal. On the final page of my bullet journal, I write a letter back to that version of myself explaining how life has been.
- Write a letter to your future self about a current challenge. Offer advice and encouragement for getting through it.
8. Creativity and imagination
- Write a short story starting with the sentence: “It was a dark and stormy night when…”
- Create a funny dialogue between two characters who are stuck in a lift.
- Write a poem about your favourite season.
- Think of a time when you laughed the hardest. Write a funny story based on that memory.
- Write a poem using only words that start with the letter “S.”
- Imagine you’re an alien visiting Earth. Describe your day in a journal entry.
- Write a short story where the main character has a superpower.
- Write an Alphabet poem where each new sentence starts in the order of the alphabet
- Create the funniest joke you can think of
9. Lists of 100
- List 100 things that make you happy
- Write down 100 places you want to visit
- List 100 books you want to read
- Write 100 fun facts about yourself
- List 100 goals you want to achieve in your lifetime
- Write 100 random acts of kindness you could do
- List 100 of your favourite songs
- Write down 100 memories that make you smile
- List 100 people who have influenced your life (e.g. authors, family, characters etc…)
- Write 100 quotes that inspire you
What are you going to write about in your journal?
I hope you enjoyed these 81 things to write in a journal when you’re bored! Some of the things are quite deep if I’m going to be honest, so I made sure to mix in some fun, creative activities too!
There is something for everyone – from emotional processing to writing jokes!
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