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Journaling at night is a powerful way to reflect on your day and to process your thoughts and feelings. When you spend time being reflective in the evening, it helps you to integrate what you have learned that day, which can lead to reduced anxiety, improved sleep, and an overall feeling of contentedness. If you’ve never tried night journal prompts, they are a great tool to add to your bedtime routine.
These 36 night journal prompts are an excellent way to kickstart your nightly reflection practice. These writing prompts will help guide you into thinking about your day and what you want to accomplish in the future.
36 Night Journal Prompts
1. What were your high and low points of the day?
Reflect on the good and bad moments of your day. What made you feel happy or upset? Why did these things happen?
2. What were you most proud of today?
What were the things that you did today that made you feel good about yourself? How could you build on these accomplishments in the future?
3. What resistance did you experience today?
Think about the moments when you felt like you didn’t want to do something or when you felt frustrated. What was the source of this resistance? How did you handle it?
4. What is one word that could describe the day?
One word that sums up your day. Was it good? Bad? Productive? How did you feel at the end of the day when thinking about this word? When we simplify our experiences into a single word or phrase, it helps us to understand what we’re feeling more clearly.
5. How was your energy today?
Energy is an important metric to track. We may not realize what activities or tasks are the most energetically “expensive” until we start to look at our day in this way. Once you know where your energy is going, it will be easier to redirect it into more appropriate channels.
6. Write down what you were grateful for today.
Gratitude is a powerful practice that can help to shift your focus from negative to positive experiences. When we take time to appreciate the good in our lives, it helps us to feel happier and more content.
7. What goals do you have for tomorrow?
Think about the things that you want to accomplish the next day. What steps will you need to take in order to make these goals a reality? How can you get started on them right away?
8. What was your favorite thing that happened today?
When we take the time to reflect on our favorite moments from the day, it can help us to feel more positive and upbeat. What things made you happy today? Why were they so enjoyable?
9. What did you learn today?
Lessons are more impactful when we take the time to process them. Are there any lessons that you learned today? How can these lessons be applied in the future?
10. What is one thing that you would like to do differently tomorrow?
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, but what matters is how we react to those mistakes. What could you have done better today and how will you handle it in the future?
11. Who were the people that impacted your day today?
Think about the people who had an impact on your day. Whether they were positive or negative, these people left a lasting impression. What did they do or say that affected you?
12. Review your day using the four agreements.
The four agreements are a framework for living a more harmonious life. How well did you live by these agreements today? What could you do to improve tomorrow?
If you aren’t familiar with this idea, I’d highly recommend reading Don Miguel Ruiz’s amazing book. What could you have done differently? What will you do tomorrow to make sure that you stick to these agreements?
13. What was your “theme” for the day?
Every day has a different theme, whether we’re aware of it or not. Sometimes our themes are helpful and supportive, while other times they might not be the focus we’d like. Take some time to reflect on your theme of the day and how it showed up in various areas of life.
14. How was your communication today?
Think about the way that you communicated with others today. Were your interactions positive and constructive, or were they more negative and destructive? What can be done to improve communication in the future?
15. Write down your daily affirmations
Ending a day with an affirmation practice can help to set the tone for a more positive tomorrow. What is one thing that you can say to yourself before bed in order to feel better about your day?
16. Write down three things that made you smile today.
Taking time to reflect on our most joyous moments can help us feel less stressed and more content. What were the things that made you happy today? Why did they make you smile? Bonus points if these experiences made you heartily laugh as well.
17. Write a letter to yourself about your day.
This is a great way to process everything that happened during the day. What were the high points? The low points? How do you feel overall about the day? Would you change anything if given the opportunity?
18. Write down three things that you can do to make tomorrow better than today.
Consider how you might improve your life from one day to the next. What are some small changes that could have a big impact on your overall happiness levels?
19. Write out your plans for tomorrow.
When we have a plan, it’s easier to stay on track. What are the things that you need to do in order to accomplish your goals? How will you make sure that you stick to your schedule? Make a timeline for yourself so that you get everything done the next day.
20. What goodness did you bring into the world today?
We all have an impact on others in some way. What goodness did you spread today? How can you continue to make a positive difference tomorrow and in the future?
21. What do you want to dream about tonight?
Sometimes we can choose our dreams, and sometimes they just come to us. Either way, what do you imagine yourself dreaming about tonight?
22. What do you need to let go of tonight?
We all have things that we need to let go of in order to move on. What are the things that are no longer serving you? How can you release them for good and move forward?
23. What will make tomorrow the best day ever?
Visualize the best day ever. What will make it so great? How will you feel? Who will be with you? Let yourself get excited about tomorrow and all of the wonderful things that it holds.
24. Say goodbye to today and thank it for everything that it taught you.
Ending your night on a grateful note can help to ensure that you get a good night’s sleep. What are some things that happened today for which you’re grateful?
25. Journal after evening meditation.
Meditation can help us to focus on the present, which is a perfect state for journaling. What are the things that you learned while meditating? How did they make you feel?
26. Write a stream of consciousness journal entry.
Allow your thoughts and feelings to flow onto the page without editing or censoring them (this is another great time for timed journaling). These can be deep, thoughtful, silly, or nonsensical – whatever comes out.
27. Write about your romantic relationship.
Reflect on your relationship. What are some of the things that you love about each other? How can you continue to make it great?
28. Write down three bucket list items.
What are the things that you want to do before you die? How can you work towards making it happen? If we commit to writing these things down each night, there is a good chance they will happen.
29. Write a letter to someone in your life who inspires you.
Who is a positive role model in your life? Who has inspired and encouraged you to be the best version of yourself possible? Why are they such a great influence? What is it that you admire most about them?
30. Write a letter to your future self.
Who do you want to become in the future? What are the things that you need to work on now in order to get there? How can this journal help guide your progress along the way?
31. Write about an area in life you need to slow down in.
We all have areas in our lives that we need to take it easy on. For some people, there might be workaholic tendencies. For others, it might be over-indulgence in certain activities or relationships. What’s an area in your life where you could use a little more moderation?
32. Simplify one process in your life.
One way to slow down is to make things easier for ourselves. How can you simplify a process in your life? What are some small steps that you could take now in order to streamline it later on?
33. Write about the areas of your life where you’ve had negative thoughts recently.
When we have negative thoughts, we often try to bury them deep inside. But, the more that we hide those thoughts away, the worse they can become over time. What are some areas in your life where you have been having negative thoughts lately?
34. Write about how you could turn these negative thoughts around into positive ones.
With practice and reflection, it is possible to turn our negative thoughts into positive ones. How can you do this for the areas of your life that you’ve listed in question 33? What would it look like if you could think positively about them?
35. End your night with a vision board collage.
Vision boards are a great way to visualize our dreams and goals. Collect some images and words that represent what you want to achieve in the future, and then spend some time arranging them into a collage. How does it feel to look at this board? What do these images and words make you want to do?
36. Write about your daydreams.
What are the things that you daydream about? What do you imagine yourself doing in the future? How can you use these dreams to motivate and inspire your life right now?
Final Thoughts
Bedtime rituals can be a great way to wind down before bed. They allow us to reflect on our day, set goals for the future, and connect with our dreams. What are some night journal prompts that you would like to try? Let us know in the comments below!