Journal prompts for depression
When you're low, a long journal prompt can feel impossible. These 16 are short on purpose. They help you notice small shifts in mood, plan one manageable thing to do, and answer the harsh voice, and none of them asks you to feel grateful or cheer up.
How to use these. Many of these take a single line. On the hardest days, one line is the whole entry, and that counts. If you're having thoughts of not wanting to be here, please reach out now.
For days when everything feels heavy
Nothing here asks you to fix anything. Put a little of it down. That's all.
What's one thing I did today, however small: got up, drank water, answered one message?
Answer this with JoyWho is one person I could send a short message to today, even just "hi"?
Answer this with JoyOne small thing to do
Low mood can shrink a day down to the bed and the phone, and the smaller the day gets, the lower it can feel. One small thing, and a note on how it went, is a way back in.
What's one thing I used to enjoy that I could do for ten minutes this week?
Answer this with JoyWhat's a task I've been avoiding, and what's the smallest first piece of it?
Answer this with JoyAfter I did one small thing today, how did it feel compared with what I expected?
Answer this with JoyWhere could I get a little daylight or movement tomorrow, and at what time?
Answer this with JoyAnswering the harsh voice
Depression often brings a critic that sounds like the truth. Write down what it says, word for word, so you can look at it from the outside.
What's the harshest thing I've said to myself today, in its exact words?
Answer this with JoyNoticing change
Low weeks can blur together.
A number written down each day lets you see that some days were less low than others, which is hard to see from inside the week.
From 0 to 10, how low has my mood been this week, and which day was least low?
Answer this with JoyWhat was different about that least-low moment: where was I, who was there, what was I doing?
Answer this with JoyCompared with two weeks ago, what's a little better, a little worse, or the same?
Answer this with JoyWhat's one thing I'd like to be able to do again, and what would a first small step toward it be?
Answer this with JoyWhat a trial of 40 people found
Twenty minutes of writing on three days in a row lowered depression scores more than a control task did, in a trial of 40 people whose major depression was confirmed by a clinical interview.1 Half of them wrote about their deepest thoughts and feelings; the gap was still there four weeks later.1
It's one small, self-selected group. The authors called writing a possible supplement to treatment.
The "one small thing" group borrows from behavioral activation, a treatment that has people plan activities and then notice how they felt afterward. Across 26 trials it worked better than control conditions for depression, though many of the studies were of low quality.2 These prompts take its first step and stop there.
Example entry: "Heavy: 8. Did today: showered, ate toast. Small thing: walked to the corner shop and back. Expected it to feel pointless. It was a bit less heavy outside. Harsh voice: 'you're useless.' Friend's reply: 'you're exhausted, and you still went out.'"
- "I'm useless": You're exhausted, and you still did two things today.
- "Nothing will ever change": This week felt the same. Last month had one better day.
- "I should be able to handle this": You're handling a lot, and it's okay that it's hard.
The two-week line
The US National Institute of Mental Health describes depression as symptoms present most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks.3 The signs include a sad, anxious or "empty" mood that won't lift, hopelessness, and losing interest in things you used to enjoy.3
If that sounds like your last two weeks, don't wait for it to get worse before you ask for help, and don't wait until you can explain it well, either. The depression check-in can help you find the words, and a few weeks of 0 to 10 numbers from the "noticing change" group say a lot on their own.
Questions people ask about journaling for depression
Can journaling help with depression?
A little, on the evidence so far, and the trial above is small.1 Treat writing as something you add alongside a doctor or therapist.
What should I write when I'm depressed and have no energy?
One line. "Today I feel ___, and the heaviest part is ___." On a day with slightly more in the tank, add one small thing you did.
What if journaling makes me feel worse?
Stop for the day. Writing can stir things up for a while. If it leaves you worse most times, switch to the one-line prompts or the 0 to 10 number, and tell someone you trust how you've been.
Related
In the journaling section: journal prompts for mental health and journal prompts for self-love. For a harsh thought that keeps coming back, try the thought record. You can also read understanding depression.