If you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one, the first thing we want to say is that we’re so very sorry. Losing the people we love is arguably the hardest part of life, and taking the time to grieve is both difficult and necessary. Grief journaling — or using grief-related journal prompts in your daily journaling practice — is one of the best and most important ways to process what you’ve gone through.
The below 25 journaling prompts are meant to help aid you in your grieving process and healing journey. While the language of these prompts is geared toward people who have lost human loved ones, if you are grieving the loss of a pet (another very real and difficult life experience), you can feel free to swap the word “person” for “pet” in some of these prompts.
1. Write down a funny memory you have of the person you lost2. If you could tell your loved one about your day, what would you tell them?
3. Today, I miss...
4. Have you dreamed about the person you lost? Write down what happened in the dream
5. Who is your support system?
6. What was your loved one’s favorite holiday? How can you celebrate and remember them on this day?
7. Come up with a mantra you can say to yourself when a wave of grief comes on
8. List three activities that always make you feel good, even in the hard moments
9. Name a few things you engage in that you know aren’t good for your mental health, especially during this time, and write through how you can engage with them less
10. What songs make you think of the person you miss?
11. Describe your loved one in 10 words
12. Write a letter to your loved one about anything you want
13. I need more of…
14. I need less of…
15. One thing I want to remember is…
16. This experience has taught me…
17. Do you feel comfortable asking for help? Why or why not?
18. List three ways you can be compassionate with yourself today
19. What have you felt most afraid of since you lost your loved one?
20. Write down a comforting memory you have about the person you lost
21. How can you take care of your physical health today?
22. If I could forgive myself for something, it would be…
23. Who else do you know who is grieving? How can you support each other?
24. What are some ways you’ve expressed grief in the past, and were they helpful?
25. Write about a time you had difficulty getting along with the person you lost
How journaling can help with the grieving process
Wondering why journaling is so helpful in processing grief? Anyone who has ever experienced grief knows that grief can come in crushing tidal waves that feel like a punch to the stomach, but it can also exist in your body in the form of a mild, low-grade depression. Some people push grief aside and do their best not to think about their loss, but then it hits them when they least expect it.
While there’s no right or wrong way to grieve — and we all grieve differently — journaling can help us organize our thoughts around grief and help us keep our loved one in our lives in a healthy way as we write through happy, funny, or even difficult memories. The bottom line: If you are dealing with grief, journaling can be your best friend during this time.
Are you grieving a loss right now? If you feel comfortable, let us know in the comments. And while you’re at it, here’s your action plan if the news is bringing you down right now.
Feel free to save or print this list for easy reference.