Night Journal Prompts
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Night journal prompts for connecting with yourself in the evening
Journaling at night
Ending your day with journaling can be a relaxing way to ease out the hustle and bustle of the day. Journaling at night can also help you connect with yourself, understand yourself better, and ease into sleep. In this article you’ll find night journal prompts along with four fun night journal exercises that incorporate poetry, music, meditation, and free association into your journaling practice.
Night journal prompts
Here are a few night journal prompts to end your day with! Choose a few night journal prompts from the list below and use them every day, or mix up your night journal practice and choose different prompts every night.
What’s one thing I can do to make myself feel cared for this evening?
How connected with myself did I feel throughout the day today? How grounded (in the present moment and connected to my body) did I feel today? How often did I check in with myself today to see how I was doing and what I needed?
What’s one thing I did today to take care of myself?
What’s one thing I accomplished today?
What am I proud of myself for doing today?
What was the highlight of my day today?
What was the hardest part of today?
What did I learn today?
Did I honor the limits of my physical, mental, and emotional energy today?
Was I kind to myself today? What did my self-talk today sound like?
What experience today did I have the most intense emotional response to? What emotions did the experience bring up? What did the emotions feel like in my body physically? What thoughts were associated with the experience? Why did this experience bring up intense emotions?
Did I experience gratitude today? What am I grateful for about today?
What am I looking forward to tomorrow?
What thoughts are on my mind this evening?
Is there anything I’m carrying from my experiences today that I need to process?
Were any emotional, physical, or intellectual needs of mine not met today? If so, how can I try to meet those needs tomorrow?
What music lyrics were on my mind today? Is there a reason my subconscious mind is bringing these lyrics to my attention?
How relaxed do I feel this evening? Do I feel relaxed enough to ease into sleep tonight? If not, what can I do to help calm my nervous system so I am ready for a restful night of sleep?
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Night journal exercises
Journaling exercises that incorporate other activities can be a fun, relaxing, and grounding way to connect with yourself at night. Here are four of my favorite journaling exercises to try at night.
Poetry night journal exercise
Read or listen to a poem, and write about the poem’s meaning to you and what emotions, thoughts, and memories the poem brings up. Check out the Poetry Foundation Poem of the Day or Audio Poem of the Day.
Music night journaling exercise
Listen to a piece of music and write about the music’s meaning to you and what emotions, thoughts and memories the music brings up for you. Check out the Song of The Day from The Current, or choose a song that has been on your mind lately.
Mediation night journal exercise
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Meditate and afterwards journal about your mediation experience. How did the mediation make you feel? Were there thoughts, emotions, or images coming into your mind during the mediation? If so, what can these thoughts, emotions, or images tell you? If you’re looking for a free meditation podcast, check out First This.
Free association night journal exercise
Start with any word, and then 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? Check out this free printable if you want to give this exercise a try with the word “Butterfly.”
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