120+ Journal Prompts for Teens for Self-Love, Gratitude & More

As a former teen, I think the most important thing you can do at this time is understand and embrace yourself, and journaling is a wonderful way to do it.

I have written a lot in my life. When I was a teen I used to write about how hurt I was that my best friend didn't want to hang out with me, how worried I was about studies, all the things I wanted in my life.

My journal was my best friend. The place where I poured my heart into. The place where I wrote poems. The place where I could be myself - as dramatic and overemotional as I seemed to be. But that's how I felt and I needed to be honest somewhere.

It is in journaling where I discovered myself too. I am quite clear on how I want to live my life and I have realized and affirmed all of that through writing. I have written letters to my future self and done gratitude journaling every single day for the past three years.

As a person growing into adulthood, you'll face a lot of conflict. How you thought the world could be incredibly different from what it turns out to be. The people who were once your friends could change or worse backstab you. There will be times when you're not sure what you really want.

In all these times and more, you'll have one place you can turn to and that will be your journal. Your journal will be there for you at every time in your life and it will help you understand who you are.

In our world of social media, it is so easy to compare ourselves to others. To stay strong and confident despite all of this, you have to know your value and how you are enough just as yourself, with the life you have.

So, I have hand-picked all of the prompts in this blog post to help you have a wonderful time being the person you are and also set a loving foundation for the person you'll grow to be. Here are some journaling tips to help you. I hope you enjoy this!

Journal Prompts for Teens

Self-Reflection Journal Prompts for Teens

1. Reflect on a mistake you made and what you learned from it.
2. What is something that recently made you laugh out loud?
3. What are three things that want in your life by next year?
4. Write a letter to your future self, five years from now.
5. Describe a person who has had a significant impact on your life.
6. What qualities do you value most in a friend?
7. Describe a time when you overcame a difficult obstacle.
8. Write about a fear you want to conquer in your life.
9. Reflect on a recent change in your life and how it has impacted you.
10. Create a bucket list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime.
11. Describe your dream job and why it appeals to you.
12. What does success mean to you?
13. Reflect on a time when you helped someone else, and what impact did it have on you and them?
14. What's a favorite food or meal that brings you joy, and why is it special to you?
15. Write about a product or tool that helps your life every day.
16. Envision a future where all your troubles are gone. Express how you would feel.
17. Think of a time when you felt at peace. Describe what it meant to you.
18. What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
19. If you were given $1 million that you had to spend on yourself within a year, how would you spend it?
20. How would you like to be remembered?
21. What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
22. What was the most enjoyable part of your early childhood?
23. What do you like about growing up?
24. Which is your favorite weather, and why?
25. What is the most fascinating thing about life to you?
26. What are you always excited to do?
27. What is your strongest life value?
28. What does spirituality mean to you?
29. What is your favorite part about nature?
30. If you could change one thing about human beings, what would you change?
31. What is one part of your life that you won't trade for anything?
32. What is something that you are looking forward to in your life?
33. What is your favorite holiday, and why do you love it?
34. What is your favorite TV show, and why do you love it?
35. Write about your favorite artist in any creative field.

Gratitude Journal Prompts for Teens

1. Write about a recent time when you felt deeply grateful for something or someone.
2. Describe the best thing that happened to you today.
3. List 5 little things in your life that support you every day.
4. Write down three things you're grateful for right now.
5. Find three things you are still grateful for despite the difficulties you're going through.
6. Express gratitude for 5 things that you use daily.
7. Who is the person in your life that you'll call in an emergency?
8. Write a thank-you note to yourself.
9. Pick a random photo, and write about why you’re grateful for that memory.
10. What is your favorite part about your town or city?
11. List 5 ways that having a mobile phone makes your life easier.
12. Appreciate a friend who lives far away but is dear to you.
13. Write about a movie that touched your heart, and why.
14. Write about a song that always comforts you.
15. What is the best gift that you have ever received?
16. Take a moment to appreciate a fond memory that always brings a smile to your face.
17. Look around you and find something that you can feel grateful for, no matter how small.
18. Think about the people you don't know who help make your life easier.
19. List 5 things in your bedroom that you are grateful for.
20. Express gratitude for 5 tools that help you save time.
21. What privilege do you enjoy that others might not?
22. Write about an aspect of your health that you feel grateful for.
23. Write about something that makes you feel lucky.
24. Write about someone that you idolize, and why.
25. Express gratitude to yourself and the journey you're having.
26. Write about one positive thing that happened today.
27. What is your favorite part of your life?
28. Write about a day when you felt really happy.
29. Take a deep breath and feel grateful to be who you are, right where you are.
30. Write and share a Letter of Gratitude to someone who has been your well-wisher.
31. Choose 3 people to say thanks today. Write about why you are thankful to them.
32. Write about something valuable that you learned this week.
33. Write about someone you’ve never met but who has enriched your life in some way.
34. What part of your life has changed for the better over the past year?

Morning Journal Prompts for Teens

1. How are you feeling this morning?
2. Write down three positive affirmations about yourself for today.
3. Write down an inspiring quote that resonates with you at this moment.
4. What is something that has been troubling you lately?
5. Write about someone you feel grateful for this morning.
6. Write a random act of kindness you want to do today.
7. What are your hopes for today?
8. Write three things, big or small, that you achieved yesterday.
9. What is one worry that you want to let go of today?
10. Reflect on the best part of your morning so far.
11. Who do you want to be today?
12. What excites you about the future?
13. Reflect on something you learned or experienced yesterday.
14. What's something new you'd like to learn or explore today?
15. Write a loving and encouraging message to yourself for the day ahead.
16. Is there something you need to let go of or release to have a better day today?

Self-love Journal Prompts for Teens

1. List five things that make you unique.
2. Describe your favorite personality trait and why you like it.
3. Write about a time when you felt truly happy.
4. Describe an experience that made you feel proud of yourself.
5. What is one thing you're proud of achieving in your life?
6. Describe one act of self-care you can do for yourself today.
7. What is something that helps you feel better when you're down?
8. What clothes do you love wearing and feel good in?
9. What do you love about your mind?
10. What do you love about your body?
11. What do you love about your personality?
12. What are the 5 things that your younger self would love about your current self?
13. What would you do today if you loved yourself?
14. What did you love to do as a child? How can you bring more of that into your life?
15. What do you want more of in your life?
16. What do you want less of in your life?
17. Freely imagine and write about how you want your life to be.
18. When do you feel the most at peace?
19. What fears hold you back from living your best life?
20. How can you take better care of yourself?
21. If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?
22. How would your best day go?
23. Make a list of 10 things that make you smile.
24. What do you love about life?
25. How do you feel about your body?
26. How do you deal with anger?
27. What cheers you up on a bad day?
28. Is there something you can change in your life to make it better?
29. If the weather was controlled by your emotions, what would the forecast be like today?

Creative Journal Prompts for Teens

1. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
2. Write a short story about a magical adventure you'd like to go on.
3. Create a new fictional character and give them a backstory.
4. If you had a time machine, where and when would you travel? Describe your time-travel adventure.
5. Invent a brand-new gadget or technology. Describe how it works and how it would benefit people.
6. If you could take a vacation to any fictional world (e.g., from a book, movie, or video game), where would you go, and what adventures would you have there?
7. You find a journal with magical properties. Anything you write in it becomes real. What would you write, and what consequences might it have?
8. If you could communicate with animals, what would you ask them? Write a conversation with your favorite animal.
9. Describe a day in the life of your alternate self in a parallel universe where everything is different.
10. If you could swap lives with a fictional character for a day, who would it be and why? Describe your day as that character.
11. Create an imaginary friend and describe their personality, appearance, and adventures together.
12. Write a story that begins with the line, "The door creaked open, revealing a world I never knew existed."

Continue Reading: Discover the Power of a Morning Journal with Journal Prompts

Aarushi Tewari

The writer and affirmations speaker at Gratitude, Aarushi believes that one of the most effective ways of feeling inner peace is by being grateful and having a loving self-relationship.