Journal Prompts For A Busy, Cozy, Slightly Messy Season
6 simple questions to steady yourself before an upcoming loud week
I made these with the goal of only needing 5 to 10 minutes. Because sometimes getting intentional, checking in with ourselves, and actually writing things down is oddly therapeutic.
And because this time of year can feel like a strange mix of cozy and chaotic, grateful and… umm, depleted. Fall break, travel, family, food, expectations. A lot of inputs for one nervous system.
Especially if you’re mostly an introvert like me.
I don’t know about y’all (Texas roots coming out)… but I’m guessing we’re all in the same-ish boat. Somehow Thanksgiving is this week, I have family coming into town today, and my kids are out for seven days in a row.
So yeah. A little reflection can help. A tiny reset. Even just naming what you need.
If you want to check in with yourself without doing a full “life audit,” here are a few simple prompts that might help.
You don’t have to answer all of them. Pick one that feels safe and start there.
1. “What does ‘enough’ look like for this week?”
Not in a perfect world. In this one. With your schedule, your family/friends, your energy. Write down what would feel like “enough,” then let that be the bar.
2. “Where am I leaking energy?”
List the tiny things that are silently draining you: a conversation you are avoiding, a decision you keep postponing, a task you keep moving to the next list. Circle one. What is one small step you could take with it this week?
3. “What do I actually want this season to feel like in my body?”
Forget the aesthetic for a second. How do you want your body to feel: steady, warm, unbloated, less rushed, better rested? Write a few words. Then ask, “What is one tiny choice that moves me 2% closer to that?”
4. “If I gave myself permission to not overdo it, what would change?”
Let yourself answer honestly, even if what comes out feels rebellious: fewer side dishes, leaving early, buying dessert instead of making it, saying no to a tradition that stresses you out. You do not have to do all of it, but seeing it in writing is clarifying.
5. “What am I secretly proud of from this year that almost no one knows about?”
Not the big, postable things. The tiny ones: a boundary you held, a habit you started, a way you showed up for someone. Let yourself name them.
6. “What does my body keep trying to tell me that I keep overriding?”
Is it asking for more sleep, more light, more protein, more stillness, more movement, more alone time? Write whatever comes up without editing. It doesn’t need to be fixed right now. Just list it.
You don’t need a perfect routine to journal. This can be three sentences in the Notes app while you sit in the car or stir something on the stove. There’s no doing it “right.” And it doesn’t have to be done all at once either.
If you want to share anything that comes up, I’d love to hear it in the comments.
Here’s to finding some happy moments, a bit of calm (I’ll be looking for it too), and savoring all the small good things tucked into this week.
xx,
Dinah