Sunday Journal Prompts

If you’re anything like me, you may find the prospect of a new week daunting sometimes. Whether you have a busy week ahead, or some new challenges in the pipeline, one thing that can help is to take a moment to reflect on a few things that will help to put you in a better mindset as the week approaches. Journaling is one of these things, and it is a great self-improvement tool for all kinds of different situations. Simply grab a pen and paper, find somewhere you can sit quietly for a few minutes, and follow along with this blog post to get started. 

What is journaling? 

Journaling is an exercise that gives you the space to write down your thoughts and feelings in a way that helps you understand them better. It is not just a writing exercise, but also a mental, emotional and physical exercise too. Journaling comes in many forms, and there isn’t one right way to do it, it is something that is completely personal and down to individual preference. Some prefer to use the traditional pen and paper to journal, some prefer to use a phone or laptop. Some have specific notebooks, some use random scraps of paper. Likewise, some have a rigid journal schedule, doing it every morning or evening, and some only do it when they need to work through something. It really doesn’t matter- there are no rules, and each person is different. 

What are some of the benefits of journaling? 

Journaling comes with a wealth of benefits, especially when done with a specific intention. Lots of people use prompts to guide their journaling session and provoke questions within themselves that they want to answer. Some benefits of journaling, whether you do it regularly or not, include: 

Calm your mind 

Journaling provides an outlet for stress, anxiety or general worries among other emotions. Those that suffer from mental chatter, especially when feeling intense emotions, find that the act of journaling allows them to get out whatever is going on in their minds out, and onto paper instead, promoting a calming response in the brain afterwards. Indeed, even if you are writing about positive emotions or positive events, the act of revisiting them by writing promotes a happy, calm feeling. 

Problem solve

Lots of people use journaling as a way to work through specific problems or hurdles. Again, the act of putting pen to paper often brings a new perspective to situations and is an effective way to work through them without judgement or further worry. 

Become more self-aware 

A lot of journal prompts ask questions about yourself and your feelings that you may not otherwise notice, let alone explore deeply. The act of journaling allows for this growth of self-awareness, and if you journal regularly you may also notice patterns or triggers around certain things that you weren’t aware of before, allowing you the chance to work on them.  

A chance to switch off 

I think we are all guilty of spending too much time looking at screens, especially nowadays. Journaling requires a few minutes, or more depending on how long you want to spend on it, of uninterrupted time and if you choose to use a pen and paper, it is time away from your phone and away from screens that in itself is good for your mental state. 

Why do a Sunday journal? 

As we have discussed already, journaling on any day at any time has its benefits, but there is something especially beneficial to taking part in a journal session on a Sunday, ahead of the new week, that has its own individual benefits too. 

The prompts listed below will help you to not only reflect on the week that has just passed, identifying how you felt and what went well, but to also set intentions for the week ahead: how you want to feel, what you want to do differently from last week and what things you are worried about.

These will all help to put you in an intentional and productive state of mind ahead of the upcoming week, so grab a pen and let’s get going! 

Five Sunday journal prompts 

Once you are settled somewhere you can write uninterrupted for a few minutes, have a pen and paper (or phone or laptop, however you want to do this) to hand, write out the below prompts and answer them in as much or as little detail as you want to. Some people may write pages, some people just a few lines, all are fine. 

P.S having a coffee whilst you do this is optional, but recommended. 

1. What did I struggle with this week that I can improve on next? 

2. What am I grateful for today? 

3. How do I want to feel next week?  Is this different to how I felt this week?

4. What are my top priorities for next week?

5. Am I worried about anything that is happening next week? What can I do to reduce this worry now? 

There may be just five prompts, but there is lots to think about with them. Take as much or as little time as you need to work through them, and you can even refer back to what you wrote as the week progresses and you try to stick to your intentions. 

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Journaling is a powerful activity, and one that if done regularly can become an excellent well-being habit. Journaling comes in many shapes and forms, and there is no right or wrong when it comes to doing it. Taking just a few minutes on a Sunday to journal about the week that has just passed, and the week ahead, is a great way to set positive intentions and truly think about how you are feeling. That being said, whether you choose to journal daily, weekly or even just when you feel you need to, the wealth of introspection and self-awareness that it brings can provoke feelings of respite and calmness that is beneficial any day of the week, not just a Sunday.