Journal Prompts for Life's Difficulties & Past Trauma
Intention - to give yourself grace as you move through this challenging time & honour your emotions as you learn, heal & grow.
It’s been two months of quarantine here in North America, even longer in other parts of the world, and I know we are all wondering when and if this will all change for the better. It’s times like these that we can be filled with uncertainty on a day-to-day basis, leading us further into stress, worry, fear, and anxiety. It’s times like these that our past trauma can be triggered and we start to recognize the toll our past trauma has taken on us. Today I asked myself, how can I show up & share my light with the world, and I knew right away that I wanted to help you move through these times with more grace as you honour your emotions through these current life difficulties. If you are feeling the weight of this current challenge or the pain from your past trauma is being triggered then it’s important to know you aren’t alone.
It’s important to remember that we are all experiencing different difficulties through this uncertain time and even though these difficulties look different it doesn’t mean that some are easier to move through than others. I keep hearing the quote “we are all experiencing the same storm, yet we are on different ships managing the storm in the best way we know how”, I’m not sure who said this, but it rings true!
The key when experiencing any difficulties in life is to NOT DIMINISH what you are experiencing. It can be scary moving through the unknown and yet we have an opportunity to learn more about ourselves if we are willing.
I know that the only way to show up BETTER TOMORROW is to take the time to LEARN FROM TODAY.
Are you tired of the worry, fear & doubt that is filling your mind daily?
Are you experiencing pain, emotionally, mentally, physically or spiritually, from your past trauma?
Do you desire to connect back to peace, calm & joy even if for a few moments every single day?
Do you desire to create true healing from your past trauma?
My solution for you is JOURNAL PROMPTS.
These prompts are going to support you to look at the fear & worry right in the face and uncover an ACTIONABLE step in order to move away and create the PEACE & JOY you desire. This is what it looks like to do shadow work, or inner work, and begin the healing process of your past trauma. Maybe the trauma you’ve experienced isn’t in the distant past, and it’s still something you desire to heal.
Does that sound easier to say than actually do?
That’s because it is easier to say it, but with everything in life reaching SUCCESS TAKES WORK! Right now we are saying success feels like experiencing peace & joy on a daily basis, so let’s give ourselves grace to move through the work of understanding & processing our emotions and thoughts.
Before I dive into the journal prompts I have a disclaimer for you…
You will NEVER experience an ENTIRELY HAPPY DAY.
Happiness is an emotion and we know that emotions come & go. So it’s just the same to say that you will NEVER experience an ENTIRELY WORRY-FILLED DAY! Worry is another emotion.
The intention behind these journal prompts is to help you recognize where the negative emotions are coming from so you can actively connect back to the positive emotions you desire. Each and every day you have the choice to give power to the positive emotions & to learn from the negative emotions. It’s up to you to do the work, but as I said earlier, I desire to help you with the journal prompts.
This is YOUR Personal Growth Journey
Upon moving through these journal prompts if you are finding it much harder than anticipated and you are unsure if you can do it alone I want you to know that I am here to help you further if that’s your desire.
I am constantly sharing tips, wisdom, guidance & strategies around personal growth with the focus on mental & spiritual wellness, here on my blog, in my podcast, on social media & in my free community on Facebook. I mentor & guide clients through healing past trauma, learning about their energy and connecting to the universe, manifesting their dreams into reality and more. I focus my work in spiritual mentorship & emotional and mental wellness coaching. I use my gifts of psychic, medium, intuitive, and clairvoyant abilities to guide, support & uplift you!
If you are on your growth journey and looking for more guidance then check out the Personal Growth Blog , follow me on Instagram, join my free community Shifting Forward, or check out my podcast.
If you are ready to learn, heal & grow, but are scared to do it alone then know that I am here. If you are ready to dive deeper and are looking for personalized guidance & strategies for your life then know you are not alone. I offer one on one mentoring calls where we focus on your specific needs in this moment. Solo Sessions offer a quick 60-90 minute call filled with strategies and tools to put you on the next level of your personal growth. Meanwhile the 1:1 Monthly Mentoring focuses on more in-depth guidance and wisdom for your growth journey.
Work with Sydney
Ready to heal from life’s difficulties?
Ready to step into your own power?
Ready to stop having your emotions control your life?
Ready to have a mindset that supports you rather than holding yourself back?
These journal prompts are going to require you to open up and be vulnerable with yourself, as that is how self-healing and self-growth works.
As you move through these reflections make sure you are offering yourself grace because being self-aware is extremely beneficial when you remove self-judgement and blame.
IT’S OKAY TO HAVE NEGATIVE EMOTIONS.
We all experience negative emotions.
IT’S OKAY TO STRUGGLE & MOVE THROUGH DIFFICULTIES.
We all struggle and experience hard times.
IT’S OKAY IF THE ANSWERS DON’T COME IMMEDIATELY.
Being vulnerable is hard, so give yourself the grace to understand with the desire of helping yourself move through this time.
You’ll notice that I’ve split the journal prompts up into different groups because sometimes we need several prompts to get to the root of the lesson. Give yourself a quiet space and set your intentions before moving through any of these prompts.
I send you love & light as you work through these difficulties & connect back to peace.
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How do I feel at this moment?
What are the thoughts I am telling myself while in this emotion?
Are these thoughts based out of fear?
After giving myself time to flow through this emotion & ground myself, what is the truth right now in this moment versus fear-based situations my mind is conjuring up?
If the fear-based situations were to come true what is 1 actionable step I could take to bring myself back to peace through this situation?
If the fear-based situations were to never come true how would I feel?
Because these fear-based situations are NOT what I’m currently experiencing, how can I come back to peace in this moment?
Affirmation to repeat to self - “I am safe in this moment. My family is safe at this moment. I release all fears about the future & choose to create peace at this moment.”
Actionable step - do something that helps you to feel at peace & allow the peace to fill you up completely. Carry this feeling with you throughout the day.
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What did I struggle through the most this past week?
What were the feelings I had through this challenge?
Where did I feel these emotions within my body most?
Why do I think I was caused to feel these emotions?
How long did these emotions sit within me after the challenge ended? Is the challenge still on-going?
How do I feel right now reflecting on this moment?
What do I have control over that I can change moving forward to not experience these feelings again? (change the way I react to my emotions; give myself time & space to calm down after this type of challenge; remove myself from experiencing this situation again; change my perspective to understand the challenge from a different viewpoint; etc.)
Whether I am still moving through this challenge right now, or the challenge is passed, do I want to stay in these negative emotions?
What emotions & feelings do I desire to connect to right now?
What can I do to create these emotions & feelings?
Affirmation to repeat to self - “I am understanding how I respond to my emotions through a difficult situation & changing what I can control for next time. Now I am choosing to connect back to the positive emotions I desire because I have control over how I experience positivity.”
Actionable step - do something that helps you create the positive emotions you desire & carry this feeling with you throughout the rest of the day.
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What worry is constantly filling my mind on a regular basis?
Upon reflection what are the chances this worry will actually happen?
If this worry were to happen what is 1 thing I can do to support myself through the situation?
If this worry were to never happen how would I want to experience life in a positive way?
If worrying on a daily basis increased the chances of this situation happening would worrying be a good use of my time? If not, what would I rather use my time for?
If there was 1 positive thing I could tell myself to let go of the worry every time it popped up in my head what would that be?
How can I remind myself of this positive thought on a daily basis rather than the worry?
Will this positive thought allow me to feel a bit more peace than the worry does?
What can I do to support this positive thought rather than support the worry?
Affirmation - “I trust in myself today. I am enjoying the present & having faith in my future. I choose to be positive because I know it is a better use of my time. When worries roll in I quickly connect back to the positive because I prefer to be at peace than on edge.”
Action step - write out the positive reminder and keep it somewhere that you’ll see it on a daily basis. 10 times a day for 10 days tell yourself this positive thought!
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Remember, this is a time like no other across the globe. Nobody has the answers, nobody is living in the perfect way. We are all doing the best we can with what we know and what we have in each moment. You can only show up better tomorrow by gaining knowledge on how you moved through yesterday & to support yourself with the wisdom gained.
If you are struggling more than what these prompts can help you with then I urge you to reach out to someone. WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS ALONE. Asking for help is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself!
I see you.
I hear you.
I support you.
Much love my friends.
P.S. Download the journal prompts here to carry them with you through this time!
