Journal prompts
20 journal prompts for teens
Twenty questions for the years when a lot changes at once. Nobody reads your answers unless you show them.
Nobody reads these unless you show them. That is worth saying first, because the honest answer and the answer you would give out loud are often different things, and the honest one is the only one that is any use here.
The list starts with how you are right now and what has been on your mind. It moves through what worries you about the future, what you are actually good at, and how you handle it when things go wrong or when somebody criticises you. Then it turns to the people around you and who has changed things lately. The last few look forward and back at once: what you would tell yourself a year ago, and what you would tell a teenager if you were the adult in the room. You do not have to answer twenty. One, properly, on a day when something is bothering you, is worth more than the whole list on a day when nothing is.
One more thing about the order. Several of these ask about setbacks, criticism and the worst you have felt, and they sit deliberately alongside questions about what you are good at and who has made things better lately. That is on purpose. A list that only asked about the hard parts would give you an inaccurate picture of your own year.
The prompts
How are you feeling today?
Your answer might differ depending on the person who is asking this question. In this case, you are asking and answering this question. Be honest and never afraid of the truth. You may extend on this reflection by going deeper into the why.
Is there something on your mind that you wish was resolved?
The first thing that jumps to mind is probably the most pressing. If you find the thought is resolvable, consider writing down a list of actions that can help you to get this task out of your headspace.
What worries you about the future?
Try to focus on a single subject at a time. If you are answering this question for a second or third time, consider focusing on a different topic.
What potential setback do you fear the most, and could you prevent it from happening?
Life tends to throw many setbacks and curveballs, some of which are unavoidable. When you think of one, try to explore whether you could gain a little more say over it.
If you had to give yourself one compliment, what would that be?
It's not uncommon to be your own harshest critic. Be kind to yourself for a moment and come up with a lovely compliment.
What is your greatest achievement?
Why is this your biggest achievement? Do you feel positively about it? What other emotions are you experiencing?
When did you feel at your best?
Try to be detailed in describing the time, day, and event. This helps when you find this question again in the future. Why was this your best moment?
When did you feel at your worst?
Try to be detailed in describing the time, day, and event. This helps when you find this question again in the future. Why was this your worst moment?
How did you deal with criticism?
Feedback doesn't always arrive gently. Sometimes it's said in a hurry, or without much thought behind it. It's our job to filter critique so we can take the good bits and learn from it. How did you feel after a more recent critique? Can you take some good from it?
How do you deal with setbacks?
It helps to see the setback unfold in your mind. Some setbacks can't be solved, and that's okay. What could you do in the given situation?
What unhappy moments in your life have you managed to turn into positive ones?
A simple list will do, but before you click next, take a glance. How does this list make you feel, and more importantly, can you make changes to make some of these items disappear for the next session?
Are you motivated to move forward in life, and how does this show?
Motivation comes from within yourself when you really want something.
Who has had the greatest impact on your life recently?
Because we focus on recent memories, this "greatest impact" can feel rather small in the grander scheme of life. This is intentional, of course. We are learning to take small steps here by focusing on recent events we enjoy and can extrapolate.
Which person in your life makes you happy right now?
Even a small contribution is enough. Why does this person make you happy? Are they important for your mental health and support?
In what ways do you show how you truly feel with someone close to you?
It helps to think back to a time when you felt this way. Did you tell this person how you felt in the end?
If you could go on an adventure with someone, who would that be and why?
As you may only pick one person, this is probably a difficult question. Why would you pick this specific person, and what would the adventure roughly look like?
How would you describe your current way of learning?
Each student is different. You may be a visual learner, or perhaps a hands-on type of student. If you know what techniques you like to use, try follow-up reflective questions such as: Is this technique delivering the results you want? Is the method sustainable? Would you describe it as productive or helpful?
Imagine being a parent. What advice would you give your teenage child?
If you could only give one piece of advice, it had better be a really good one.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you have given yourself one year ago?
Reflect on the past year. What singular advice would you give yourself? By focusing on one topic, it helps prioritize what matters most to you.
If your entire life could be rearranged, what would be your number one change?
Start with something small and climb up from there.
Prompts that keep your answers
These lists are yours to use anywhere, and a notebook works perfectly well. If you would rather the questions came to you, and kept every answer in one place so you can read them back later, that is what Luci does. Over 600 prompts across twenty topics, and when a question comes round again it shows you what you said last time.
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