*content warning* please be advised this article contains discussion of trauma and deep journal prompts for internal work that may bring up some buried emotions and memories. please read at your own discretion.

why should i journal

there are so many ways that are considered journaling that you may not have known.

after i went through a traumatic experience, i wrote poems about the experience, my feelings, how it changed me and what i was thinking.

i had no idea that this was a form of journaling.

powers of journaling

i found journaling to be so very powerful in the sense that it allowed me to write down my true, deeply deeply buried emotions, as i felt i was safe. 

by doing so, i was able to view them (as i had written them), be able to process them, make sense of them and then deal with them.

give yourself permission to let it all out and try not to try to hide how you are feeling or make excuses for what happened.

journaling is an expressive coping method,

meaning it allows you to express any emotions, thoughts, experiences, feelings that you have within you. 

this is so so so very important as this allows you to let go of the unwanted feelings you may have built up inside of you.

it teaches you to release instead of suppress / repress.

please remove all judgement, as you need to feel safe within yourself to let out all of the deepest things you have within you. 

also, please realise that vulnerability is a strength, it is not something that should be feared or shamed. 

having vulnerability is a beautiful thing – you are showing your genuine, raw true self.

so be proud.

allow yourself to grieve

i had a misconception with grief for a very long time.

i thought grief was a loss through death.

but grief can also stem from the loss of identity, trust, safety, goals, a sense of control and much more.

after trauma it is important to allow yourself to grieve.

the person you were before, the friendships or family you had, the life you had envisioned for yourself, ect.

(you may still have the same future plans for yourself after trauma, but in my circumstance, everything changed so i had to grieve my previous ambitions)

i must note that this process can, and probably will, take time.

there is no timeline or manual for how long your grieving should last. 

allow yourself to have space to fully feel the grief without rushing yourself to move on.

please be patient and have trust that healing is possible.

reconnect with yourself

after trauma we can become disconnected from who we were and what we truly value or enjoy.

take the time to reflect, and as you’re here for journal prompts, you are already on the right track.

please allow yourself time to have breaks, and moments of mindfulness to dig deep within.

i also recommend engaging in self compassion as you need to know that you’re there for yourself during these harder times in life.

journal prompts for healing trauma

these prompts allow us to confront our trauma instead of avoiding thinking about it.

i have an in-depth article on everything journaling here if you’d like to learn more

includes how to start journaling, the benefits of journaling, ways to journal, what is journaling and more.

10 prompts for healing deep trauma

here is a free downloadable version of the prompts.

you are print them off and fill in the ones you wish to answer, or you can save them and write on them electronically.

if you wish to answer them in your own journal, these are the prompts.

also i must say – please be so proud of yourself for your resilience and strength to work through this trauma.

you are amazing 🤍

1. experience/s that caused me the most pain

2. moments that i have experienced grief

3. past memories or thoughts that resurface often

4. how my trauma has changed me

5. where do i feel the safest & what does it mean to me

6. something i wan’t to let out but i keep within …

7. core or vivid memories from my childhood

8. aspects in my life & myself i hope to change

9. a list of things i am grateful for

a list of the small things in life that bring me joy

10. what is holding me back from moving forward

i also recommend writing a letter to your past self.

– what would i say to myself in the time of the experience/s and shortly after?

this letter should be a compassionate letter.

professional help

i highly advise you to seek professional help from a trained mental health or health professional – a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist or any trained professional of that sorts.

all of the information and strategies i am providing you with today is purely from personal experience.

i am not a professional and the contents in this article are solely for general and informational purposes, it should never constitute professional advice and should not be relied upon as such.

reach out

i wish you all the best on your healing journey, and just know i have your back ❤

please feel free to share anything on your mind if you feel comfortable to do so below.

if you have a specific topic you want to read about, please reach out to me so i can look into it for future articles.

-MAO