Wellbeing

40 Grief Journal Prompts

These prompts are for anyone carrying a loss. That might be a person who died, a pet who used to sleep at the foot of your bed, a relationship that ended, a home you left, your health, or a future you had already started picturing. We wrote them for every kind of grief, including the kinds people don't always recognize.

Grief journal prompts won't fix anything or move you along a schedule. What they can do is give you a place to put the things that are hard to say out loud: the anger, the numbness, the guilt, the unexpected laugh at a memory. Some days you may write a full page. Some days a single line is enough.

There is no right way to do this. Write honestly, skip any prompt that feels like too much, and come back whenever you want. These prompts are for reflection and are not medical advice, and if you are in crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a crisis line.

All 40 prompts

Each prompt is marked quick (2 to 5 minutes), reflective (about 10 minutes) or deep (20 minutes or more).

  1. Name what you have lost in one plain sentence, using whatever words feel true right now. quick

  2. What object near you right now reminds you of what you lost, and where did it come from? quick

  3. Which three words describe how you feel this morning, even if they contradict each other? quick

  4. What sound, smell or taste brings your loss rushing back to you? quick

  5. What is one thing someone said or did since your loss that actually helped, however small? quick

  6. Write down a funny moment connected to what you lost, the kind of thing that still makes you smile or laugh. quick

  7. Where in your body do you feel your grief today: your chest, your throat, your shoulders, somewhere else? quick

  8. What is one thing you wish the people around you understood about how you are really doing? quick

  9. If you could have one more ordinary hour with what you lost, what would you do with it? quick

  10. What would you like to set down on this page tonight so you don't have to carry it to bed? quick

  11. Where is a place your grief seems to have a little more room to breathe, and what makes it feel that way? quick

  12. What routine did you share with what you lost, and what happens now at that time of day? quick

  13. Describe a typical day before your loss, with as many small details as you can remember. reflective

  14. What are you angry about right now, and who or what is your anger pointed at? Let it be as unfair as it needs to be. reflective

  15. Write about a moment when you felt nothing at all, and what that numbness was like. reflective

  16. Which people have shown up for you in ways you didn't expect, and whose absence has hurt? reflective

  17. What do you miss about who you were before this loss? reflective

  18. If you are grieving an animal, what did your days with them look like, and what is too quiet now? reflective

  19. What future did you picture that is no longer coming, and which details of it do you keep returning to? reflective

  20. What have you been avoiding since your loss: a room, a song, a road, a conversation? reflective

  21. What has grief changed about your sleep, your appetite or your energy, and what do you notice when you write it down? reflective

  22. What do you say when someone asks how you are, and what would you say if you answered with complete honesty? reflective

  23. If your loss is a relationship that ended, what do you miss, and what are you relieved to be without? reflective

  24. Write about a time you laughed since your loss and how you felt afterward. reflective

  25. How has your loss shaken your sense of home or place, and where do you feel unsettled now? reflective

  26. What would you like to keep doing in honor of what you lost, and what feels like too much right now? reflective

  27. Write a letter to the person, animal, place or version of your life you lost, telling them what has happened since. deep

  28. Write about the day you learned of your loss, or the day it became real, in as much or as little detail as you can bear. deep

  29. What are you carrying that you never got to say, and what would you say now if you could? deep

  30. Is there guilt or a "what if" you keep replaying? Write it out fully, then write what you would say to a friend carrying the same thought. deep

  31. If you have lost your health or something your body could once do, what do you grieve, and what do you wish people would stop assuming? deep

  32. Which parts of your loss are complicated, the things that were hard or unresolved, and what is it like to grieve those too? deep

  33. Who are you becoming as you carry this loss, and what do you notice about that person? deep

  34. What has this loss shown you about what you love, without needing it to be a lesson that makes the loss worth it? deep

  35. What do you wish you could ask the person or thing you lost, and what do you imagine they would answer? deep

  36. Which dates ahead are you dreading, such as birthdays, holidays or anniversaries, and what might you need on each one? deep

  37. If you are grieving alongside someone else, how is your grief different from theirs, and what do you need from each other? deep

  38. What would you want to remember about this time if you read these pages years from now? deep

  39. Write a page that begins with "What I lost was" and keep going without stopping until you reach the end of what you need to say. deep

How to use these prompts

Start by reading through the list and picking the prompt that catches your attention, even if you can't say why. The quick ones near the top take 2 to 5 minutes, and the deeper ones further down may ask for 20 minutes or more, so choose based on how much you have in you today. Write whenever it fits: with your morning coffee, on a lunch break, or before bed. If you feel stuck, write the prompt itself at the top of the page and then write "I don't know what to say" until something else comes. You can also stop at any point, close the notebook, and do something kind for yourself instead.

Download the grief prompt sheet (PDF)

Questions

Can I use these prompts for a loss that isn't a death?

Yes. We wrote them for any loss, including a breakup, a move, a change in your health, a lost job, or a future that didn't happen. If it feels like grief to you, it belongs here.

What if writing about my loss makes me cry or feel worse?

That can happen, and it doesn't mean you are doing anything wrong. You can stop at any point, take a break, or choose a lighter prompt next time. If the feelings become too much to carry alone, please reach out to someone you trust, a counselor, or a crisis line.

How often should I journal while I'm grieving?

There is no set amount. Some people write every day for a while, and others write once a month or only on hard dates. Let your own needs decide.

What if I can only write a few words?

A few words count. A single sentence, a list, or the name of what you lost written once on the page is still journaling.

What should I do with what I write?

Whatever feels right to you. You can keep it, reread it later, share a page with someone close to you, or tear it out and throw it away.

Scripture to journal with