Journal Prompts For May
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Daily May journal prompts
Journal through the month of May with me with these daily journal prompts for May! These May journal prompts explore a variety of topics. In May we’ll journal about our connection to nature, the stories we tell ourselves, childhood daydreams, confidence, and internal transitions. We’ll also do a few fun journaling exercises involving poetry, free association, our dreams, and a personality test.
P.S. If you’re looking for journal prompts for a different month, find your monthly journal prompts here!
Journal prompts for May
Journal Prompts for May 1st
If you had to rate the speed at which you live your daily life on a scale of 1-10, what rating would you give it? Whether you think the pace of your daily life is slow, fast, or in-between, how does this speed impact you positively? How does this speed impact you negatively? Are you happy with the speed at which you live your life? Ideally, would you live your life at a faster or slower pace than you currently live it? If you would like to change the pace at which you live, what’s one small practical thing you could do to work on that?
Journal Prompts for May 2nd
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How does the changing of the seasons impact your life? How does your schedule or your daily activities change when the seasons change? What impact does the change of seasons have on your mental and emotional health and wellbeing? How can this help you reflect on your connection to nature and the natural world?
Journal Prompts for May 3rd
Think of a time when you were upset or frustrated with someone. Write about what happened. What led you to become upset or frustrated? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories were going through your mind about why the person engaged in the behavior they did? What past experiences or memories with this person or with other people did your internal dialogue or stories call upon? What emotions did you experience? How did you respond to these emotions? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories went through your mind about your emotions and/or your response? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon?
Journal Prompts for May 4th
What’s one thing you commonly have an “outsized” reaction to? Think of something that bothers you, but doesn’t seem to bother most other people to the same degree. Write about a time you felt you had an outsized reaction to this. What emotions did you experience? What thoughts went through your mind? What stories did you tell yourself about the situation, anyone else involved, and yourself? Is this experience reminiscent of any earlier experiences in your life? Start with the assumption that your reaction makes perfect logical sense and write about why it makes sense. Why do you think you react to things like this differently than other people in your life?
Journal Prompts for May 5th
Think of a childhood daydream, imagined story, or make-believe game you commonly played. Write about everything you can remember about how the daydream, story, or game goes. Reflect on what you wrote. What can this tell you about your childhood dreams, personality, longings, or something you were working through as a child?
Journal Prompts for May 6th
How much time do you spend outside in nature? How does spending time in nature impact your physical, mental, and emotional health? Do you feel like you spend enough time outside in nature? If not, why not? If yes, what benefits do you see from the time you spend in nature?
Journal Prompts for May 7th
Think of a time when you felt cared for by someone else. Write about what happened. What did the other person do that made you feel cared for? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories were going through your mind about the experience of being cared for and the person who made you feel cared for? What past experiences or memories with this person or with other people did your internal dialogue or stories call upon? What emotions did you experience? How did you respond to these emotions? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories went through your mind about your emotions and/or your response? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon?
Journal Prompts for May 8th
Read Marginalia by Billy Collins (or choose another poem to read). What emotions do you connect to this poem? What memories do you connect to this poem? Why do you think you made those connections?
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Journal Prompts for May 9th
Think of a time in your life when you went through an internal transition. (For example, a time when some aspect of your worldview or values changed, your view of yourself changed, or your approach to some aspect of life changed.) Write about what this experience was like. What emotions were associated with this transition? What did you learn from this transition? What led to this transition? How has your life changed because of this internal transition? What have you learned from this about the process of internal transition?
Journal Prompts for May 10th
Think of a time you felt confident and write about it. What led up to the experience? Why do you think you were feeling particularly confident? What emotions and physical sensations were associated with the experience?
Journal Prompts for May 11th
Think about an aspect of the natural world that you have some familiarity with. For example, the way a particular plant or tree grows, weather patterns, the behavior patterns of a certain bird, etc. Write about what you know about this aspect of nature. How do you see similar patterns or processes at work in your own life? What comparisons can you draw between how this aspect of the natural world works and how you work?
Journal Prompts for May 12th
Think of a time you felt sad. Write about what happened. What led to you feeling sad? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories were going through your mind about feeling sad? What past experiences or memories of feeling sad did your internal dialogue or stories call upon? What other emotions did you experience? How did you respond to your sadness and any other emotions that were present? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories went through your mind about your emotions and/or your response? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon?
Journal Prompts for May 13th
Take the Gender Personality Test. Do you think the personality test that you took accurately reflects something about your personality? What about the results of the personality test didn’t surprise you? What surprised you? If the personality test resulted in any new insights for you about who you are, what can you do with this information in your daily life? What general reflections do you have about this personality test? What thoughts and feelings about gender norms does this test bring up for you?
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Journal Prompts for May 14th
If you had to choose one symbol to represent nature in its entirety, what symbol would you choose? Draw the symbol or describe it in detail. Why did you choose this symbol? What does your symbol choice tell you about your view of nature and the natural world?
Journal Prompts for May 15th
Think about a change you made at some point in your life that you’re proud of. What did you change? What led to you making a change? Did you try to make this change more than once before succeeding?
Journal Prompts for May 16th
Write out a description of any dream you remember having. Why do you think you dreamt this? If you want more tips on how to write about your dream to help you understand it, check out the posts on How to Keep a Dream Journal and A Dream Journal Example Entry.
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Journal Prompts for May 17th
Think of a time you felt happy or joyful. Write about what happened. What led to you feeling happy or joyful? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories were going through your mind about feeling happiness or joy? What past experiences or memories of feeling happy or joyful did your internal dialogue or stories call upon? What other emotions did you experience? How did you respond to your happiness or joy and any other emotions that were present? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories went through your mind about your emotions and/or your response? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon?
Journal Prompts for May 18th
What does it mean to be wild? What personality traits or behaviors would make you describe a person as wild? What drawbacks do these traits or behaviors present? What positive aspects do these traits or behaviors have? In what ways are you wild? Are there any ways in which you would like to be more or less wild?
Journal Prompts for May 19th
How does the daily weather or weather patterns impact your life? How does your practical day-to-day life respond to the weather? How does the weather impact your emotions? How can this help you reflect on your connection to nature and the natural world?
Journal Prompts for May 20th
What aspect of the natural world are you most grateful for? Write about a time you felt gratitude for this aspect of nature.
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Journal Prompts for May 21st
How much of your time do you spend helping others? When do you find helping others energizing? When do you find helping others depleting? How much value do you place on being someone who helps others? Do you feel like you have a good balance between helping others and caring for yourself? Either way, why do you feel that way?
Journal Prompts for May 22nd
Think of a time when you felt critical of yourself or someone else. Write about what happened. What led you to become critical? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories were going through your mind about why you or the other person engaged in the behavior they did? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon? What emotions did you experience? How did you respond to these emotions? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories went through your mind about your emotions and/or your response? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon?
Journal Prompts for May 23rd
What’s something you learned about yourself that came as a surprise at the time? How did you go from not knowing this about yourself to realizing this about yourself? What was the process like? Was it a slow or sudden realization? How did you respond to this realization? How did this realization impact your life?
Journal Prompts for May 24th
What aspect of the natural world do you feel most in awe of? What awes you about this aspect of nature? Write about any memories you have related to this aspect of nature. What does it feel like to be awed? What physical sensations are associated with feeling awed by nature? Why do you think this particular aspect of nature is what came to mind for you?
Journal Prompts for May 25th
What does it mean to be your own home? Do you feel like you are your own home? Why or why not?
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Journal Prompts for May 26th
Joseph Campbell once said, “The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.”¹ What do you think this quote means? What would it mean to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe? What would it mean to match your nature to Nature? Do you agree with the sentiment expressed by this quote? Why or why not?
Journal Prompts for May 27th
Think of a time when you felt hopeful about something. Write about what happened. What led you to feel hopeful? What were you hopeful about? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories were going through your mind about feeling hopeful? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon? What other emotions did you experience? How did you respond to the feeling of hopefulness and any other emotions that were present? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories went through your mind about your emotions and/or your response? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon?
Journal Prompts for May 28th
What does it mean to have a legacy, or leave a legacy? Is having a legacy or leaving a legacy important to you? Why or why not?
Journal Prompts for May 29th
Start with the word “tulip” and write down the first word that comes to mind next. Now write down the first word that comes to mind after that word. Try to feel rather than think the next word. Continue until you’re at the bottom of the page. Look back at the page; which word association was the most surprising to you? Why do you think you made that connection?
Journal Prompts for May 30th
Think of a time when you felt confused. Write about what happened. What led you to feel confused? What were you confused about? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories were going through your mind about feeling confused? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon? What other emotions did you experience? How did you respond to the feeling of confusion and any other emotions that were present? What thoughts, internal dialogue, or stories went through your mind about your emotions and/or your response? What past experiences or memories did your internal dialogue or stories call upon?
Journal Prompts for May 31st
Are there particular emotions or situations that make it extra difficult for you to talk to yourself positively? If so, why do you think these emotions and experiences are particularly difficult to maintain positive self talk during?
Citations for Journal Prompts For May
¹ Joseph Campbell, A Joseph Campbell Companion: Reflections on the Art of Living
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