Journal prompts for teens

How to use these journal questions for teens

There are no right answers here and nobody is grading this. A journal is a place to think out loud without anyone interrupting, judging or screenshotting.

• Pick one prompt. Choose whatever matches your mood. You do not have to go in order.
• Write fast. Set a timer for five minutes and do not stop to fix spelling.
• Make it yours. Lists, rants, drawings and song lyrics you love all count.
• Keep it private. Our free online diary saves pages in your browser with a PIN lock, so you can be honest. If you share a computer, remember to lock it when you are done.

Journal prompts for teens about school

1. Which class feels easiest right now, and which feels hardest? Why?Write
2. Which teacher actually gets me, and what do they do differently?Write
3. What is one grade I am worried about, and what is one thing I can do this week to help it?Write
4. Describe the best and worst part of a normal school day.Write
5. If I could change one school rule, which would it be and why?Write
6. What subject would I study if grades did not exist?Write
7. What do I do when I do not understand something in class? Do I ask?Write
8. Where do I sit at lunch, and how do I feel about it?Write
9. What is a group project I was proud of, or one that drove me crazy?Write
10. What time do I usually do homework, and does it work for me?Write
11. What is something I learned at school that I actually use?Write

Prompts about friends

1. Who are the friends I can be completely myself around?Write
2. What makes someone a good friend to me?Write
3. Have I ever drifted apart from a friend? What happened?Write
4. Write about a time a friend stood up for me, or I stood up for them.Write
5. Is there a group chat that stresses me out? Why?Write
6. What would I want a new friend to know about me?Write
7. How do I act when my friends are fighting with each other?Write
8. Have I ever felt left out? What helped?Write
9. What is the funniest memory with my friends this year?Write
10. Is there someone at school I would like to get to know better?Write
11. What is one thing I can do this week to be a better friend?Write

Journaling prompts for teens about who you are

Your teen years are when you start choosing who you want to be. These prompts help you notice it. For more, try journal prompts for self discovery.

1. What are five things that make me, me?Write
2. What do people get wrong about me?Write
3. What part of my personality am I starting to like?Write
4. What music, style or show feels most like me right now?Write
5. What do I believe in, even if my friends do not?Write
6. When do I feel most confident?Write
7. What is something I changed my mind about this year?Write
8. Who do I look up to, and what is it about them?Write
9. If I describe myself without mentioning school or looks, what would I say?Write
10. What do I want to be known for?Write
11. What is one thing about me that I hope never changes?Write
12. Write a letter to myself at 12. What would I want that kid to know?Write

Journal prompts about phones and social media

1. How do I feel after scrolling for 30 minutes? Better, worse or the same?Write
2. Which apps make me feel good, and which ones make me feel bad?Write
3. Who do I compare myself to online, and is it fair?Write
4. What would a day without my phone look like? What would I miss?Write
5. What is something I posted that I am proud of? Something I regret?Write
6. Do I act differently online than in person? How?Write
7. What do I check first when I wake up, and why?Write
8. If I could design a perfect social media app, what would it have and not have?Write
9. Have I ever felt pressure to reply right away? What happens if I wait?Write
10. What accounts could I unfollow or mute to feel calmer?Write
11. What is one rule I could set for my phone at night?Write

Prompts about family and home

1. Who in my family do I talk to the most, and about what?Write
2. What is a family tradition I love, even if I pretend I do not?Write
3. What do I wish my parents or guardians understood about my life?Write
4. What chore do I hate, and what chore do I secretly not mind?Write
5. What is one thing I argue about at home? What is the other side's point of view?Write
6. What is my favorite place in my house, and why?Write
7. What did I learn from a grandparent or older relative?Write
8. What is my relationship like with my siblings, or what is it like being an only child?Write
9. What is something kind someone at home did for me lately?Write
10. What would I like to do more of with my family?Write

Journal questions for teens about stress and big feelings

Writing can help you sort out feelings that are hard to say out loud. Go easy on yourself with these.

1. What is stressing me out the most right now? Write it all down.Write
2. What does stress feel like in my body?Write
3. What are three things that calm me down when I am overwhelmed?Write
4. Who can I talk to when things get hard?Write
5. What is something I am pretending to be fine about?Write
6. When did I last cry, and what helped afterward?Write
7. What is a mistake I keep beating myself up about? What would I tell a friend?Write
8. How do I feel about how I look, honestly? What would a kinder thought be?Write
9. What pressure do I feel to be perfect, and where does it come from?Write
10. What is one thing I can take off my plate this week?Write

Prompts about your future

1. What do I want my life to look like when I am 25?Write
2. What jobs sound interesting to me, even if they seem far away?Write
3. What is one thing I want to do before I finish high school?Write
4. If money were not an issue, where would I live?Write
5. What does success mean to me, not my parents or school?Write
6. What is a skill I want to learn this summer?Write
7. What scares me about growing up? What excites me?Write
8. Who do I know with a cool job I could ask questions?Write
9. Where would I travel first if I could go anywhere?Write
10. What kind of adult do I want to be?Write

Fun journal prompts for teens

1. If I had a whole Saturday to myself, how would I spend it hour by hour?Write
2. What is my comfort movie or show, and why does it work?Write
3. If I could have any superpower for one day, which would I pick and what would I do?Write
4. Make a playlist for my current mood. List the songs and why each one fits.Write
5. What would my perfect sandwich, pizza or snack be?Write
6. Describe my dream bedroom.Write
7. What is the weirdest dream I remember?Write
8. If my life were a video game, what level am I on, and what is the next boss?Write

Tips for teens who want to journal

• Start small. One sentence a day still counts. Try a one line a day journal if full pages feel like homework.
• Write at the same time. Right before bed is easy for most teens. See our journal prompts before bed.
• Mix it up. Lists, doodles, stickers and quotes all work. Get ideas from our journal ideas and bullet journal ideas.
• Do not write for an audience. Write like nobody will ever read it, because nobody has to.
• Read back sometimes. Looking at entries from a few months ago shows you how much you have grown.

Parents: if your teen keeps a journal, respect their privacy. Ask how they are doing instead of reading it. For faith based writing, see our prayer journal for teens.

Questions people ask