A Spring Clean for your Mind: 10 journaling prompts to clear mental clutter
Last time, I shared a few easy ways to declutter your digital life. Mental clutter also builds up just as easily and can be harder to shift if we’re not aware of what’s happening. This might look like unfinished projects, guilt about progress (or lack thereof), worries about the future, expectations of ourselves, and internal pressure to be doing all the things. So this week, I’m sharing a few journaling prompts you can use to start shifting some of this mental clutter and hopefully move forward into the next part of the year with more clarity, a renewed sense of purpose, and hopefully a greater sense of peace.
A mental spring clean involves steeping back and asking:
What am I carrying around in my mind that I no longer need?
Journaling is really helpful for this because it is a way of externalising this mental clutter instead of carrying it all in our heads. Writing down our thoughts, feelings, and ideas helps us make sense of them and create meaning from our ideas and experiences. One way of doing this is through stream-of-consciousness journaling. But guided prompts can also be helpful for exploring new perspectives and topics we might not have thought of before. Here are a few to get you started:
What decisions have I been putting off? And why? (Do I need more information or do I just not want to commit to a path?)
What unfinished projects keep popping up in my mind?
What expectations about my life or creative work no longer feel right?
What would feel like a relief to let go of or stop doing?
What beliefs do I have about myself that are no longer true? What would the updated version of this belief be?
What is something I’ve been waiting for the “right time” to do or start? What if now was the right time?
What helps me feel grounded, energised, and invigorated?
What interests or pursuits have I been neglecting?
What would feel exciting to work on this spring?
If I were to look back at the end of the next three months, what do I want to be able to say about how I spent my time?
Of course, you don’t need to answer all of these. Choose 3-5 prompts, take 10-20 minutes and write whatever comes to mind. It might surprise you :) Happy journaling!
Further reading: How to start (or restart) your journaling practice & morning pages
Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash