You are currently viewing 10 Journal Prompts To Deal With Difficult Emotions

10 Journal Prompts To Deal With Difficult Emotions

How comfortable are you sitting with your feelings?

Therapy is one of those spaces that can help you learn how to build vulnerability and strength in sitting with difficult feelings. For some, it’s learning how to accept the hard things that have taken place in life. For others, it’s talking about the traumatic experiences that have taken place.

Sitting with feelings is not easy.

It takes strength, commitment, and honesty to let out the experiences that have created pain and discomfort. As a mental health counselor, I can share with you that the practice of sitting with your feelings is powerful and can help to create healing.

Below are journal prompts that you are welcome to use. They provide you with the opportunity to begin the practice of comforting feelings and beginning the work of healing and recovering.

If you are not certain, please list what you feel would be the most important primary service to start with. The intake coordinator will support you during the scheduling process.
Please check multiple age boxes if needed. Please only add information you are comfortable sharing. This is not a HIPAA compliant form. The completion of the form does not establish a counselor and client relationship. ​If you're experiencing a crisis that can't wait, please first contact 911 or go directly to your nearest emergency department.
Your response aims to help us improve our quality of care
We promise not to spam you

10 Journal Prompts For Sitting With Your Feelings.

  1. What emotion do you find the most difficult to accept?
  2. What feeling are you trying to get comfortable with?
  3. What feeling are you trying to numb?
  4. What has been bothering you lately?
  5. What do you need to stop trying to control?
  6. My body feels stressed when?
  7. What clues does your body give you about how you are feeling?
  8. What are the underlining triggers of your anxiety?
  9. What are the underlining triggers of your depression?
  10. Name and identify what you are feeling at this moment.

Why Dealing With Difficulty Emotions Is Important

Difficulty emotions can connect to different experiences in life with trauma being one of them. Trauma shows up in different shades. One way to heal and grow after a traumatic experience is to practice exercises that slowly shed the layers of the trauma. Somewhat like peeling an onion. After the traumatic experience, you may find yourself not sharing the experience, avoiding things that connect to the trauma, and in some ways changing how you live your life.

Today, give yourself the goal of completing the journal prompts. As a whole, it gives you space to shed the layers and work towards healing and growth.

For more supportive reads on mental wellness use the links below:

What Are Difficult Emotions?

A difficult emotion is one that takes you from a position of clarity to feeling or experiencing something that is not serving you in a positive manner. For instance, let’s consider that you are at work, and due to a certain situation, you start to shift from a calm and controlled mood to overly frustrated. The frustration gets to the point that you throw your desk across the room. Next thing you know, you are getting too close to the line of losing your job. 

Take a moment to reflect on your life. Consider what emotions you are struggling to navigate. Working with a counselor can support you to learn exactly how to navigate difficult emotions.