15 Anxiety Journal Prompts

Get Help Self Soothing and Overcome Anxiety Through Journaling

When you’re feeling anxious, it can impact many areas of your mental health. The edginess and racing thoughts can make your emotions feel like a tinder box, and you fear the next person you encounter is the spark that will set your anxiety symptoms ablaze.

You feel deep inside that you must release the anxious thoughts before that spark is ignited. One thing you do to remove yourself from this situation is anxiety journaling – and our anxiety journal prompts PDF can help you start.

The team at Icarus Behavioral Health in Las Vegas, Nevada, has helped innumerable people like you learn to manage anxiety disorder. With our professional help, you’ll learn how to identify anxiety triggers and make the necessary lifestyle adjustments that help calm the brain and control panic attacks.

Read on to download our prompts to guide your anxiety journaling and learn more about why the journal writing process is so helpful.

15 Proven Journal Prompts for Anxiety Processing

Do you want to start journaling but are unsure how to start writing? To accompany our trauma journal prompts, our prompts for anxiety PDF gives you 15 days of self-reflection starters. For each journaling prompt, we will also include an example to help you get started. The examples give you an idea of how to start – just insert your own situation and expand it from there.

Find a private space and write freely without worrying about writing conventions or grammar. These prompts to help anxiety are for you alone – nobody’s “grading” them.

With that bit of housekeeping out of the way, let’s move on to those journaling prompts:

1) Write about a time when you felt anxious but managed to overcome it. What can you take away or learn from that experience?

This journal prompt is open-ended. It promotes reflection, asking you to consider how you’ve conquered anxious thoughts before they overwhelm you.

For instance, did you count to ten or use other mindfulness techniques while taking deep breaths? Quick self-soothing is the key to managing an anxious thought the moment it enters your brain – before it can interrupt your focus.

When you write down the things that have helped control anxiety symptoms in the past, it can remind you of ways to keep them in check in the future.

Example: “I was so nervous at a job interview, but I stayed present and mindful of the questions. I learned that I could manage the pressure.”

2) Imagine a time machine taking you to meet your past self. What advice would you give them about handling anxious thoughts?

Don’t overthink this journal prompt; jot down the first thought that pops into your head. The answer you write will help you explore your anxiety in an objective, helpful way. You distance yourself from the feeling of impending anxiety and examine it from a new POV as you write.

Example: “I’d tell myself to ignore the lies my anxious thoughts are telling me – its predictions never come true!”

3) Describe the physical sensations you feel when you feel anxious. How does journaling help you manage these feelings?

When writing down the senses you feel when anxiety strikes, you’ll identify patterns present in the early stages. This is one of the journaling prompts that serves two purposes.

First, it helps you put down the baggage of those anxious feelings to reduce their impact on your mental health.

Second, it helps you understand the emotional warning signs of anxiety in your body. With the advance warning, you can take steps to calm your brain before you have a full anxiety attack.

Example: “My chest tightens, my heart pounds. It feels like my mind might just spin out of control.”

4) Reflect on your life today and the moments that bring you peace. How can you incorporate more of these into your daily routine?

You gain valuable insight into your anxiety as you look back on the things that help you manage the emotions that trigger anxiety. Once you examine these stress-managing factors, you can take things a step further and consider how you can integrate them into your daily life.

Example: “I feel calm when I sip coffee when watching the birds outside my window.”

5) If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your anxiety? Write down what life would look like without it.

This journal prompt empowers you to unleash your imagination and write about your anxiety treatment and management goals without judgment.

The magical element removes any real-world roadblocks. That gives you the opportunity to brainstorm ideas about how to overcome your anxiety triggers creatively.

Example: “I’d wave the wand and erase the worries that keep me awake at night.”

6) Find solutions to your current worries by writing down three things that make you feel safe when you feel overwhelmed.

Discovering what makes you feel unsafe versus what brings you a feeling of safety is an important part of anxiety journaling.

This prompt helps you reconcile your current fears or worries against the self-care actions you can take to step back into safety. Giving this some thought helps you form a bridge from anxiety to calm.

Example: “Talking to my best friend, taking an extra long shower, and listening to meditation music always help me feel secure.”

7) What self-care activities help you relax when stress and anxious thoughts creep in?

Looking after your well-being is key to good mental health for everyone. But when you have anxiety, self-care plays an even larger role.

Writing down the strategies you use to take care of yourself helps you re-commit to them. It’s one thing you can do to remind yourself to prioritize self-love.

Example: “I enjoy deep breathing and taking a nature walk. Here’s why…”

8) When you feel anxious today, pause and describe the moment in detail. What is a sense or feeling that stands out?

These journal prompts for anxiety are excellent as part of a pre-planned activity to support your emotional well-being. Still, times will arise when your anxiety or negative emotions threaten your peace.

Writing in your journal can be an emergency strategy to help you seize control of your emotions in these moments. So today, carry this tool with you and turn to journaling when that anxious feeling appears.

Example: My hands are trembling. My stomach feels tied up in knots. But I can hear the sound of the wind blowing outside, which grounds me in the present.”

9) Take a moment to write about five things you’re grateful for. How does focusing on gratitude help reduce your anxiety?

Gratitude is a powerful tool. It helps you frame things in a positive light, squashing the negativity that can give rise to anxious thoughts.

When you reflect on the small things that make you grateful, you support this sense of joy. That can help you move forward as you continue on a growth trajectory.

Example: “I’m grateful for; 1. My supportive friend. 2. A cozy home. 3. Health. 4. The ability to breathe deeply. 5. A kiss of warm sunshine on my arms.”

10) Reflect on your personal growth. Have you learned to manage stress and anxiety differently?

Anxiety is not linear. It can ebb and flow like a body of water.

The strategies you’ve used before might still work well for you. But they may also require some updates or adjustments due to the progress you’ve made. This journaling activity asks you to consider your growth and whether you need to update your techniques.

Example: “I’ve learned how to set boundaries and say no. That used to feel practically impossible but now helps me manage my stress.”

11) How do you recognize stress in your physical sensations, and what can you do to reduce it?

Stress can trigger your anxiety. Naming it and journaling about it can help you recognize it quickly.

When you have the tools and skills to recognize it (i.e., when you write about it in your journal), you can shut it down quickly. Managing the feeling early makes it far less disruptive to your life.

Example: “When stressed out, I feel tense in my neck and shoulders, and my stomach hurts.”

12) Describe a time when you were able to focus despite feeling anxious. What helped you stay grounded in that moment?

Anxiety is a great distraction. It robs you of your presence in the moment and leads to losing focus and making mistakes.

Recalling a time when you overcame anxiety using effective coping mechanisms can help guide you to managing those anxious feelings when they creep up on you in the future.

Example: “I was anxious before my presentation. Instead of panicing, I took deep breaths and reminded myself I’d prepared well.”

13) Use this journaling session to explore your current worries. How can you shift your focus from them to the positive?

This journaling prompt invites you to look closely at the things that you feel worried about right now. You will identify your current concerns in the first part of the prompt.

In the second part of the prompt, you will look at making a deliberate shift, taking them off the “worry plate” and putting them on a platter with other resolved issues.

Example: “I’m worried about how I’ll handle my upcoming work project. It should help if I break it down into smaller tasks.”

14) Write about your daily routine. How can you adjust your habits to feel more calm?

A set daily schedule brings order and a certain comfort to your mind. People struggling with anxiety don’t generally appreciate “gotchas” or surprises, so this orderliness is a must.

Look for ways to improve your routine to increase your comfort level and decrease your worries.

Example: “I often feel overwhelmed by my rushed mornings, so I’m considering awakening earlier to give myself a bit more time.”

15) Reflect on how journaling has helped you process your feelings. Do you notice a difference in how you manage anxiety when you write?

Journaling helps increase your emotional regulation. It gives you a safe space to process your thoughts and release them.

This prompt asks you to reflect on your journaling experiences and shows you how the past 14 prompts have helped improve your anxiety.

Example: Journaling has given me a safe space. I can untangle my confused thoughts and vent.

Helpful Tips for a More Effective Journaling Practice

Here are some tips to reap the most reward from these jounraling prompts for anxiety:

A Handwritten Journal Is More Effective Than a Digital Journal

Research shows that writing by hand promotes more cognitive activity than writing in a digital journal. While either journaling practice can help you identify patterns of negative thoughts and help release your feelings, handwriting may be more beneficial.

Using the Journaling Prompts for Anxiety Daily Is Most Beneficial

If you want to receive the most benefits from these journaling prompts for anxiety, be sure to write daily.

Repetition is the key to turning journaling from a leisurely activity into a habit that will help you control your anxieties and fears for the rest of your life.

Don’t Overthink Things; Write Whatever Comes into Your Head

Write down your gut reaction to the journal prompt after you read it. Overthinking your response can kick your anxiety triggers into high gear.

Your goal is self-expression, not perfection. So, reflect on the prompt for a quick beat, then commit it to paper without second thoughts.

Get Effective Help for Anxiety at Icarus Nevada

We hope these journal prompts to help anxiety offer you a new way to explore your emotions and help when you are feeling anxious.

However, we also understand that while self-care techniques like journaling are essential, they are not enough to help every person soothe their worries and racing thoughts.

If you need help with severe anxiety symptoms, especially if it co-occurs with depression, substance abuse, or trauma, consider seeking professional help from Icarus Nevada. We provide a full continuum of care to help heal anxiety during every step of your healing journey.

Call us today to learn more about the opportunities we offer or to schedule your treatment.