Journal Prompts to Learn from Past Trauma
Deciding you want to heal from past trauma and actually starting to work on healing yourself are 2 VERY different things. For those of us who have experienced trauma in our past, whether physical, mental/emotional or spiritual, we know that their has been a lot of pain, suffering and hurt we’ve experienced. Sometimes we actually still experience the pain and suffering as it comes up in new ways in our lives, bringing the old pain forward again. Once you are ready to actually commit to the self-healing process you may think that life will become rainbows and lollipops, but I hate to break it to you that this process takes a LOT of work.
Learning and healing from past trauma, whether done on your own or with a support system like a therapist, mentor or coach, takes time and effort towards becoming more self-aware than ever before.
When we are self-healing through past trauma we are opening ourselves up to understand the pain we went through from a new perspective. I believe this process requires a lot of work using different strategies and tools that will help you through mental & spiritual wellness.
Journaling is a great way to reflect, process & learn through your past trauma and is a great practice to add to your Mental & Spiritual Health routine. Here are some prompts that you can use to learn & heal from any past trauma you’ve experienced.
*Note - not sure when is a good time to start learning & healing from past trauma? Check out this blog to figure out what phase you are in when it comes to trauma caused through a relationship.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
What old emotions that I am holding onto do I wish to release?
Where did these emotions come from?
How did I feel when these emotions first came forward?
How do I feel now when these emotions still come forward?
Are there any major lessons jumping out at me from this whole experience?
How was I holding myself back in life through this relationship?
Can I see now how I stopped myself from growing?
Did I realize during the traumatic experience that I was experiencing trauma?
If no, then when did I realize it was inflicting trauma on me?
If I still don’t think it was traumatic then reading the definition of trauma what are the thoughts that come forward? (definition of trauma: a deeply distressing or disturbing experience)
*KEEP READING FOR MORE JOURNAL PROMPTS & A DOWNLOADABLE PDF *
A Guidebook for Connection
start it any day, any month, any year
It’s an undated how-to journal filled with journaling prompts, wisdom, guidance, and lessons all focused on YOU creating YOUR best life.
This Guidebook (journal) will help you:
Get clarity
Feel supported
Release anything weighing you down
Discover the true YOU
Find love and joy
Get clear on your next steps
Uncover your dreams for YOUR future and MANIFEST them
Release trauma
Be inspired
AND SO MUCH MORE!
Back to Journal Prompts to Learn from Past Trauma
Do I think of myself as a victim?
Why do I think I’m a victim?
Do I have anger & resentment towards the person or experience that caused this trauma?
Why do I hold anger & resentment still?
Is this anger & resentment doing me any good?
Do I want to carry this anger & resentment for the rest of my life?
If no, then when is an appropriate time to let go of these emotions?
What did I learn this year?
Why am I moving forward with these lessons, but releasing the negative?
How am I moving forward?
What is holding me back right now (emotions, thoughts, fears, doubts)?
How can I choose to move forward?
What are the dark feelings within that I am holding onto?
What can I possibly change to move away from these feelings?
How can I choose to put these changes into action?
How have I chosen to move forward away from this past trauma?
Have I actually dealt with the emotions that came forward?
What triggers these emotions to come forward again?
Am I ready to move forward and away from the person, place or thing that caused this trauma in my life?
If yes, what action steps am I taking to move forward?
If no, why do I wish to hold onto these negative emotions & feelings from this past trauma?
Do I feel like this past trauma is holding me back from living my life?
If yes, why do I think so?
Can I see the growth I have made as a person since this past trauma?
How have I been able to release & let go?
What have I learnt about myself through reflecting on this past trauma?
Can I recognize that this past trauma has actually brought some greatness into my life because of the lessons I have learned?
Am I a better person now than I was before this past trauma?
Am I in a place where I can honour myself and all that I have gone through and gained through this entire experience?
How can I honour myself?
Am I ready to realize that those people that inflicted this trauma on me actually helped me to step up to be a better version of myself?
How have I become better through their actions?
Am I ready to release all this negativity and move into a new phase of my life?
What happens within me when I reflect on this person & the past trauma in my life?
Is there still healing that needs to take place?
These are just a few journal prompts that can help you in the process of reflecting and learning from your past trauma. Continue to work through them until you are fully ready to say thank you to yourself and all that you have gone through and to the spirits that caused you pain.
When you can look back on your life and see that yes it was a terrible time, but you are in a much better place now, you are then able to have gratitude for the entire experience. This isn’t to say that you wished it to happen, but you recognize that as a human being bad things will happen and you have chosen to become better because of these bad things.
The final step that has helped me in fully releasing and letting go of past trauma is writing a Thank-You statement to the people who caused trauma in my life. These are not letters that will be delivered as they are for my records only. But I read them out loud to the spirits, or higher selves, of those people to say thank you because of their actions I am able to be a better person today.
If you would like to read one of my thank you notes then check out this blog post and scroll to the bottom where I have left my thank you statements.
Feel free to save this post or download the PDF version of the journal prompts to save for your records.
After 4 years of actively learning to release and let go of my fears, worries, doubts, past pains, and all the energetic blocks and resistance I’ve been carrying, I decided to put all of my knowledge together in the form of a book. This is a spiritual tool to guide and support you in learning what you are carrying that needs to be released, while also giving you many different strategies and practices to actively release the energy that no longer supports you. Check out the Releasing Guidebook.
Releasing Guidebook
$11.11 CAD - Spiritual EBook
This EBook is a great support tool for your overall growth, happiness, success and fulfillment.
We have to be willing to release yesterday’s junk in order to receive tomorrow’s treasure. Check out the Releasing Guidebook here.
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to create MORE SELF-LOVE in a supportive community!
Meditation Membership with Sydney Smith
A membership that includes Sydney Smith LIVE leading lessons in spirituality AND guided meditations channeled just for the group.
Focused on self-love, and spiritual growth. Find joy, connection, community, alignment, faith, creation, empowerment, peace, balance, purpose and so much more.
Only $33/month!
You’ll love these…
Needing help to get through the difficulties of life?
The 1:1 Mentoring Program can help you:
find your INNER LIGHT
step into your POWER
HEAL from your past
receive GUIDANCE for your life
gain SUPPORT
learn practices & strategies to help give you the confidence you desire
create the life of your DREAMS