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40 Journal Prompts for Women

These journal prompts for women are for you whether you are nineteen or ninety, starting out or starting over, busy every hour or finally finding some quiet. They ask about your body, your voice, your ambitions, your rest, your relationships and the women who helped make you who you are.

A few minutes with a pen can help you notice what you have been carrying, what you want more of and what you are ready to set down. Some prompts are light and quick. Others ask you to sit a while with an old memory or a hard question.

Come to them with curiosity, not a grade in mind. There are no right answers here, and nothing you write has to be shared, tidy or finished. We wrote these to make room for your own words, in your own time.

All 40 prompts

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

  1. Name a woman who made your day a little easier this week. What did she do? quick

  2. What is a small pleasure you enjoy that is just for you? quick

  3. Which compliment from years ago do you still remember, and why has it stayed with you? quick

  4. What would you wear tomorrow if you dressed only for your own comfort and delight? quick

  5. What is one part of yourself you want to bring with you today, and where do you think you will need it most? quick

  6. When did you last laugh so hard you couldn't stop? Who were you with? quick

  7. What is one thing you want to say no to this week? quick

  8. What did rest look like for you today, even if it only lasted five minutes? quick

  9. Which room, chair or corner feels most like yours, and what makes it feel that way? quick

  10. What is a skill you have that you rarely get credit for? quick

  11. Write about a moment this week when you spoke up, even in a small way. quick

  12. What would you like more of this month, and what would you like less of? quick

  13. Which woman in your family do you resemble most, in looks or in habits? What do you make of that? reflective

  14. What did you learn as a girl about how much space a woman should take up? Which of those lessons do you still follow? reflective

  15. Describe a moment when you felt strong in your body. What were you doing, and where were you? reflective

  16. When do you hold back your opinion, and what are you protecting when you do? reflective

  17. What does ambition mean to you right now, and how has that changed over the years? reflective

  18. Which friendship with another woman has taught you the most? What did it teach you? reflective

  19. What do you apologize for that doesn't really need an apology? reflective

  20. How do you know you are tired before you admit it to yourself? List the signs. reflective

  21. What quality were you once told you had too much of? How do you feel about that part of you now? reflective

  22. Who do you take care of, and who takes care of you? Does that balance feel right to you? reflective

  23. Write about a woman you admired when you were younger. What did you hope to borrow from her? reflective

  24. Which part of your appearance have you spent the most energy worrying about, and where else could that energy go? reflective

  25. Describe a goal you quietly gave up on. Was letting it go a relief, a loss or both? reflective

  26. Write a letter to your younger body, telling her what you know now that you wish she had known then. deep

  27. Which messages about being a woman came from your family, your culture and the media around you? Which do you want to keep, and which can you set down? deep

  28. Think of a time your voice was ignored or talked over. What did you want to say? Write it out now, in full. deep

  29. Write about the woman who shaped you most, for better or worse. What did she give you, and what are you still sorting through? deep

  30. If no one would judge your choices, what would your life look like five years from now? Describe an ordinary day in detail. deep

  31. Where in your life do you shrink to make other people comfortable? What would it cost you to stop, and what might you gain? deep

  32. What does real rest look like for you, beyond sleep? Describe a full day of rest you would design if you had no one to answer to. deep

  33. Write about a decision you made that others didn't understand. Why was it right for you, or what did it teach you? deep

  34. Which stage of your life so far has changed you most? Write about who you were before it and who you became. deep

  35. What are you still waiting for permission to do? Whose permission do you imagine needing, and could you give it to yourself? deep

  36. Write about anger you have swallowed. Where did it go, and what would it say if you let it speak freely on the page? deep

  37. What kind of older woman do you hope to become? Describe her habits, her friends and the way she spends an ordinary Tuesday. deep

  38. What do you hope the women who come after you, in your family, work or community, will learn from the way you lived? deep

  39. Write a letter to yourself for a hard day, from the part of you that has already gotten through hard things. deep

How to use these prompts

Pick a prompt that catches your eye, or start at the top and work down, since the list moves from lighter questions to deeper ones. Give quick prompts two to five minutes, reflective ones about ten, and deep ones twenty minutes or more when you have the time and the quiet. Morning prompts can help you set a tone for the day, and evening prompts suit a slower moment before bed, but any prompt works whenever you sit down. If you feel stuck, write the prompt itself at the top of the page and answer just the first word that comes to mind, then ask yourself why. You can also set a timer and keep your pen moving until it rings, even if you write "I don't know" a few times along the way.

Questions

Are these prompts for women of a certain age?

No. We wrote them for women at every age and stage, and many of the prompts can be read again years later with very different answers.

Do these prompts assume I have a partner or children?

They don't. The prompts ask about the people and relationships that are actually in your life, whatever those look like for you.

What if a prompt brings up something painful?

You can slow down, skip it or close the notebook for the day. If what comes up feels like more than you want to hold alone, it's okay to talk with someone you trust or a counselor.

Can I use these prompts with a group of women?

Yes. Many of the lighter prompts work well as conversation starters, and you can invite people to share only what they choose to share.

How often should I write?

Whatever rhythm you can keep is the right one. Some women write a few lines every morning, and others sit down once a week with a longer prompt.