Guided Journaling Prompts to Reconnect with Your Creative Self
The below guided journal prompts are for mothers who feel overextended, overstimulated, or just ‘stuck’ in an energy depletion mode but crave a way to return to their creative, energetic selves.
Contributed By: Liz SanFilippo Hall · Writer, Coach, Workshop Facilitator
The Core Challenge
Many mothers feel consistently exhausted between work and the logistics of running a household/childcare. The invisible mental load is heavy, and it can be hard to switch between their identities of career woman, mother, friend, daughter, and the other identities they embody… all while remembering who they were before kids and the frantic pace of life.
Key Insight
I used to believe I needed hours upon hours to be a writer or to “feel” like myself—but what I needed was to give myself permission to play and explore my creativity. Journaling has been a lifeline for me, a practice that I used to rediscover myself after having kids. A journal can be anything you want it to be—a place to free write, brain dump, figure out how you feel about life, muse on a story idea, or simply document the things you want to remember—but it all starts with giving yourself permission to take 10 minutes for yourself.
Practical Strategies
Open an empty notebook and brain dump. Neuroscience research shows that the simple act of journaling and “brain dumping” our thoughts can be extraordinarily healthy as it creates more energy and “space” in our heads. Through journaling, you can have a safe space to write everything you think, feel, or want to document, ultimately lowering your stress levels and experiencing other cognitive shifts.
Turn off your inner editor. In our highly-curated social media world, we imagine things as “perfect.” But nothing about our identities, our schedules, or our energy levels, are ever ideal. Separate your writing self from your editing self. Don’t scratch out words or self-censor yourself; get it all out on the page.
Release perfection and have fun. Similar to shutting off that inner editor, remind yourself: journaling is supposed to be messy. Think of it as a playground. There is no one right way to do it (and interpret the writing prompts however you want!)
Give yourself permission to explore and play. As I learned from my business coach, the antidote to feeling pressure is to play. But as someone who may feel overwhelmed, it can be hard to stop focusing on the “to do list” and do something that is fun, just for the sheer joy of it. Consider these journaling prompts your “permission slip” to take some time for yourself.
A Small First STep
Take 5-10 minutes a day to choose a journal writing prompt and free write—meaning, do not censor yourself. It’s also ok to write in fragments or just doodle! Research shows that act of journaling can improve self awareness and physical health, regulate emotions, and reduce anxiety. Before you start journaling, put your hand to your heart and take four deep breaths.
Since some find it easier to use writing prompts, rather than free write, here are some ideas to get you started:
* What is most on your mind right now? Put it all out on the page.
* What is something you accomplished today? It can be just one small thing. Write about what it is and how it felt to take it off your ‘list.’
* Fill in the blank and ground yourself in this particular moment. Right now, I feel ________ because __________. Continue writing about what comes after the “because” and how you can either keep this feeling tomorrow or try to change it.
* When you feel overwhelmed, what do you experience in your body?
* What parts of your job do you enjoy the most? What are the parts you like the least?
* List five things you are grateful for this week. Why are you grateful for these things? What have they brought into your life?
* What time of the day do you feel the most awake and focused? What time of day do you feel drained? Brainstorm ways you can organize your day to honor your natural rhythm.
* Look up from your notebook. What is something you see or notice that is important to you?
* What does kindness look like in action? What is one way you can be kinder to yourself?
* Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. When you open your eyes, write down how you feel in the body. What’s tense? What’s relaxed?
* How does delegation feel to you? What is something you can delegate this week?
* What is one thing you can do for yourself tomorrow? What about that ‘thing’ brings you a feeling of comfort, peace, or joy?
* What is something you can say ‘no’ to this week? How does it feel to make this commitment to yourself?
As a professional writer/editor and coach, Liz SanFilippo Hall helps women re-discover themselves through writing in safe spaces, including workshops, guided journals, and Creative Clarity Sessions. She is also an author of the picture book Etta Betta and the Beast and a forthcoming Young Adult historical fantasy, Becoming Charlotte Corday. She plans to launch a “Creativity Community,” called Open Window Lit in late 2026, where women and non-binary individuals are invited to create, write, and share their stories through various opportunities and experiences.
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