40 journal prompts for anxiety and overthinking
By the MOJO team · Updated · 3 min read
The short answer
Journaling helps with anxiety by moving worries out of your head where you can look at them. Use short grounding prompts when anxiety is high, untangling prompts once you're calmer, and reflection prompts at the end of the day to spot patterns. You don't need to write: saying your answers out loud works too.
When anxiety is high (keep it short)
- What am I feeling in my body right now?
- What can I see, hear and feel around me?
- What is the one thing I'm most worried about?
- Is this worry about now, or about something that might happen?
- What would help me feel 10% calmer right now?
- Who could I contact if I need to?
- What has helped me get through a moment like this before?
- What's one kind thing I can do for myself in the next ten minutes?
Untangling a worry
- What exactly am I afraid will happen?
- What evidence do I have for and against it?
- What's the most likely outcome, not the worst?
- If it did happen, how would I cope?
- What part of this is in my control?
- What's one small step I can take today?
- What would I tell a friend who had this worry?
- Will this matter in a month? A year?
- Am I assuming I know what someone else thinks?
- What am I avoiding, and what would happen if I faced it?
- What do I need to accept that I can't change?
- What information would actually help, and how can I get it?
Self-compassion
- What am I being hard on myself about today?
- How would I speak to someone I love who felt like this?
- What did I handle well this week, even if it was small?
- What do I need more of right now?
- What am I proud of getting through?
- What can I let be good enough today?
- What would rest look like for me this evening?
- Which of my strengths helped me today?
End-of-day reflection
- How anxious did I feel today, from 1 to 10?
- When did I feel calmest, and what was I doing?
- When did anxiety rise, and what was happening just before?
- How did I sleep last night, and did it affect today?
- Did I move today? How did I feel afterwards?
- What did I eat and drink, including caffeine?
- Who did I talk to, and how did I feel after?
- What's one thing I'm grateful for today?
- What's one thing I'd like to do differently tomorrow?
- What will I let go of before I sleep?
- What's on my mind for tomorrow, and what's the first step?
- What helped today that I want to remember?
Make it a 30-second habit
The end-of-day prompts are where patterns show up. MOJO lets you answer them out loud in a 30-second voice check-in, and keeps track of your mood, sleep and activity so you can see what makes calmer days more likely.
When to get help
If anxiety or low mood lasts for weeks, gets in the way of work, sleep or relationships, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, please talk to a doctor or mental health professional. If you're in crisis, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line such as 988 in the US or Samaritans on 116 123 in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
Does journaling help anxiety?
Many people find it helpful. Putting worries into words makes them more concrete, easier to question and easier to act on, and regular entries show patterns over time.
How long should I journal for anxiety?
A few minutes is enough. Consistency matters more than length, so a short daily check-in beats a long entry once a week.
This guide is general wellbeing information, not medical advice. If you're worried about your mental health, talk to a doctor or mental health professional.