When anxiety hits, a blank page can feel overwhelming. These 30 prompts give you a starting point — a way to untangle the knot in your chest and put your worries into perspective.
Why Journaling Helps Anxiety
Anxiety lives in the gap between threat and reality. When worries spin in your head, they feel urgent, overwhelming, and often vague. Writing forces you to slow down, name what you're feeling, and examine whether your fears are realistic.
Research published in the journal Behavior Research and Therapy found that expressive writing reduced intrusive thoughts and improved working memory — essentially freeing up mental space that anxiety had claimed.
Prompts for Understanding Your Anxiety
1. "What exactly am I anxious about right now?"
Start by naming it. Often anxiety feels like a fog until you try to articulate the specific fear.
Example: "I'm anxious about the presentation tomorrow. Specifically, I'm worried I'll forget what to say and everyone will think I'm incompetent."
2. "What's the worst that could realistically happen?"
Let yourself go there — then reality-test it.
Example: "Worst case: I stumble over some words. Realistically, that's happened before and nobody remembered it a week later."
3. "What would I tell a friend who felt this way?"
We're often kinder and more rational when advising others.
4. "Have I felt this anxious before? What happened then?"
Remind yourself of past survival.
5. "What physical sensations am I experiencing right now?"
Connecting with your body can ground you in the present moment.
Prompts for Challenging Anxious Thoughts
6. "What evidence supports this worry? What evidence contradicts it?"
This is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in writing form.
7. "Am I confusing a thought with a fact?"
Example: "I keep thinking 'everyone hates me' — but that's not a fact. It's a feeling wearing a costume."
8. "What cognitive distortion might be at play here?"
Catastrophizing? Mind-reading? All-or-nothing thinking?
9. "If this worry came true, what would I do?"
Having a plan reduces the fear of uncertainty.
10. "What's one small thing I can control in this situation?"
Anxiety often stems from feeling powerless. Find your agency.
Prompts for Grounding and Presence
11. "What are 5 things I can see, hear, and feel right now?"
The classic 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique in journal form.
12. "What's one thing that went okay today?"
Anxiety narrows focus to threats. Expand your view.
13. "What does safety feel like in my body? When did I last feel it?"
Reconnect with the memory of calm.
14. "What comforts me when I'm anxious?"
Build your toolkit before you need it.
15. "What am I grateful for despite this anxiety?"
Gratitude and anxiety have trouble coexisting.
Prompts for Processing Specific Worries
16. "What's the story I'm telling myself about this situation?"
Recognize that you're the narrator — and you can revise.
17. "What would 'good enough' look like here?"
Perfectionism fuels anxiety. Define your realistic target.
18. "What am I afraid people will think of me?"
Social anxiety often has a specific fear underneath. Name it.
19. "What's the kind interpretation of this situation?"
Your first interpretation isn't the only possible one.
20. "What would I do if I weren't afraid?"
Separate the fear from your values and desires.
Prompts for Building Resilience
21. "What's one thing I've handled that I didn't think I could?"
Evidence of your own strength.
22. "What have I learned from past anxious periods?"
Extract wisdom from difficulty.
23. "What are my anxiety triggers? What patterns do I notice?"
Awareness is the first step to management.
24. "What boundaries might reduce my anxiety?"
Sometimes anxiety is a signal that something needs to change.
25. "What would my life look like if this anxiety weren't running the show?"
Visualize freedom.
Prompts for Evening Anxiety
26. "What's weighing on me as I try to sleep?"
Get it out of your head and onto the page.
27. "What do I need to let go of to rest tonight?"
Give yourself permission to release.
28. "What can wait until tomorrow?"
Most things can. Write the list and close it.
29. "What went well today that my anxiety is ignoring?"
Balance the negative bias.
30. "What does tomorrow's version of me need from tonight's rest?"
Connect with your future self's needs.
Tip: Voice Journaling for Anxiety
When you're too anxious to type, speaking your thoughts can feel more natural. Hello Diary lets you record voice entries that stay completely private on your device — no typing required, no cloud uploads, no AI analysis. Just you and your thoughts.
How to Use These Prompts
Don't try to answer all 30 at once. When anxiety strikes, pick one that resonates and write for 5-10 minutes. The goal isn't perfect prose — it's processing.
Some people find it helpful to have a dedicated "anxiety journal" separate from their regular diary. Others prefer to integrate anxiety processing into their daily practice. There's no wrong approach.
When Journaling Isn't Enough
Journaling is a powerful tool, but it's not a replacement for professional help. If your anxiety is significantly impacting your daily life, relationships, or physical health, consider speaking with a therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support.