Grief, especially the loss of someone dear, is intense and heart-wrenching – something that most of us would like to avoid or wish away if only we had the luxury of choice.
As the saying goes, death and taxes are unavoidable. And, so is the accompanying grief. At some point or the other in our lives, we are forced to deal with the pain.
Just as people experience grief in diverse ways, they learn to deal with it also in their own styles. There is no right or wrong way to grieve as long as it is giving the bereaved the solace they are looking for and they can get on with their lives.
Psychologists suggest joining support groups and therapy sessions to help those who have lost their loved ones overcome the pain and loss. Some find this helpful, while others take help from family and friends to come to terms with their irreparable loss.
There are still others who are reluctant to share their emotions in public and want to grieve in private. In this case, a guided grief journal can be of immense help.
If you suffered a recent loss and are looking for ways to come to terms with it in private, this article may be of help. You will find here how to use a grief journal to get over the pain and heartache. Here, you will also find grief journal prompts to get you started on journaling.
What is a grief journal?
When you are grieving a loss, all kinds of thoughts, feelings, and emotions tend to fill up your mind and you may find them too overwhelming to deal with. Bringing them all out in the open is the remedy suggested by psychologists. Talking to a therapist or a close friend/family member is always the best thing to do. If you wish to grieve in private, the next best choice is a grief journal.
Writing is considered a therapy for troubled minds, especially for those who are unwilling or unable to share it with others. Grief journaling exercises afford you the freedom to say things without the fear of being judged. There is no better medicine for a wounded mind than pouring the heart out onto the pages of a journal.
A grief journal can be anything you wish for. It can be your imaginary best friend, God, or even the dear departed. The journal allows you the luxury to speak to someone who is not present in your real life.
You can also use the journal as a place to write down your thoughts and emotions. You can use it to record your fond memories of the departed loved one. You can choose to share this with others or you can choose not to, it is entirely your choice.
You can pick a grief journal template from the ones available online.
Why do you need grief journal prompts?
When you have recently lost a loved one, it is natural for you to feel devastated by the emotions and thoughts flooding your mind. When you sit down to write in the journal, you may find it difficult to make any sense of it all. You want to say so much, but have a hard time figuring out where to start or what to write in a grief journal.
This is where writing prompts come in handy. They are meant to channel your thoughts in a specific direction so as to get you started on journaling. Maybe after a few days or a few weeks, you would have recovered enough to manage on your own. These grief journaling prompts are just to get you to that stage.
Grief Journal Prompts for adults
After you suffer a major loss, a method adopted by many to deal with it is to get back into the routine. By getting busy with everyday activities and problems, they hope to forget their loss at least for some time during the day. For a few people, this is done out of necessity.
If you are one of those who have tried this approach, you will find that you can cope with the grief this way to some extent. However, you will be going through the day’s activities without getting fully involved in them. Only when you have grieved well, will you feel anywhere close to the old normal.
Try these writing prompts to bring out your emotions and deal with them in a grief journal.
1. Today, I am feeling …
Your pent-up feelings and emotions need a release. Writing about them will help you deal with them and gain clarity of mind instead of ignoring them and brushing them aside.
Once you have them on the paper, see if you need more help from a professional. Such as the inability to come to terms with the loss even after months, disinterest in life, panic attacks, and suicidal thoughts.
2. Today, I yearn for …
Of course, you are missing the person as a whole. But you must be feeling their absence more on particular occasions. Such as dinner time, weekends, and family gatherings. Their empty room, TV time, or sharing chores – you will be missing them badly during all these mundane tasks. Writing about those feelings is therapeutic.
3. I would like to redo this if only I could…
It is natural for you to want to go back in time and relive life with them again; maybe even want to do things differently this time. Maybe they wanted to visit this place and you had to say no because you were busy at work. It is okay for you to have regrets and wish for more time with them.
4. What will I do with my future?
A life without the loved one is inconceivable right after the bereavement. At some point, you need to come to terms with the fact that you need to carry on with your life and think about your life. Your life doesn’t end the day you lost your loved one. It is time you started thinking about the future.
5. What are the most memorable holidays with your loved one?
Holidays remain in your memory brighter and longer than everyday mundane activities. Choose the best holiday memory with the dear departed – from planning and journey onwards. Remember how they enjoyed the trip.
Try to figure out what you are going to do with the holidays this year.
6. What are the three things you loved the most about the loved one you lost?
You must have a long list of things you loved about the person. Think and figure out the top 3 among them. List the reasons why you consider them the best.
7. Things that you don’t want to forget about the loved one you lost.
Again, you may have a long list. You may want to hold on to all the memories you have about them. Try to come up with the most important ones among them. Things that you would want to keep alive and would not allow to fade away even after years.
8. Pick a song that reminds you of the loved one you lost.
It is normal to associate a person with a song/s. Because they liked it so much that every time it plays, you are reminded of them. This can be really hard on you after their passing away. Maybe they liked this particular singer or used to have a playlist that they played on a loop. Have you tried listening to the playlist when you miss them now?
9. Remember what they used to tell you…
This may be a phrase or a proverb they loved a lot and made their life’s motto. Or a piece of advice they used to offer you. Or something about how the world works. When they were alive, you never paid much attention to what they said. Now you really understand and appreciate the meaning.
10. Write a letter to the loved one you lost.
Or you can talk to them as well. But when you are writing, you have the added advantage of that extra time to gather your thoughts. You can keep your journal private. So, pour your heart out and tell them all that you wanted to tell them but did not.
11. What do you find the hardest to deal with today?
Life can be hard in the initial days of bereavement. Do you find it difficult to maintain your composure when you are reminded of your loved one? Or do you find the way others treat you more difficult to deal with?
12. List out the activities that make you feel better today.
Even on the worst days, you will come across things that can help you relax. Listening to music, reading a book, or even mundane tasks like cooking and cleaning. Is going back to work making you feel better or worse? Write down your experiences and thoughts.
13. The feeling you are experiencing most often lately.
What is the predominant feeling in your mind now? Grief, sadness, and hopelessness? Do you think this is alright? Do you want to feel better? Writing down your thoughts can lighten your mind.
14. Where in your body do you feel the grief the most?
Is your heart heavy with sadness? Or is your mind overflowing with sorrow? You may also feel it in the pit of your stomach. Or all these emotions can wash all over you. Identify where you feel the grief the most and what is your strategy for dealing with it?
15. If you give free rein to your mind, where is it wandering to nowadays?
Mind, they say, is like a wild horse or a mad monkey. Hard to be tamed and prone to wandering aimlessly. Now, with sadness filling your mind, how is your mind behaving? Is it going back in time to the happy old memories? Or just staying put and wallowing in self-pity?
16. What do you think you can do to make life easier?
Wherever you are in life now, you can always improve it, if you want to. With the recent bereavement, you find yourself drowning in sorrow or even anger. Do you want to stay in this mind space? Write down your thoughts on how you can make it better.
17. What do you think you need more of?
Now, your life is filled with sadness, anger, and hopelessness. Have you considered how your future is going to be? Do you want to continue feeling the same way? Or do you want to feel better? Write about how you want to feel.
18. What do you think you need less of?
Take an inventory of all the emotions you are feeling lately. Sorrow, bitterness, despair, rage. It must be a procession of negative emotions parading in your mind right now. Is this how you want to feel for the rest of your life? Make a list of everything you want to get rid of.
19. What makes you feel safe and secure?
When you lost your loved one, you must have also lost your safety net. You must be feeling unsure, doubtful, exposed, and vulnerable. How do you think you can improve the situation? List them.
20. Are you comfortable asking for help? Why?
When life deals you a blow, especially if it comes out of the blue, you may falter and stumble. You may even fall down. That is okay. You may find it hard to get up on your own. Are you ready to ask for help? Your family and friends must have offered their help but it is up to you to reach out to them and accept their help. Are you getting real help? If not, why?
Grief Journal Prompts for kids
When you are young and unfortunate enough to lose a loved one, it can be really hard. Most children are unsure how to deal with the loss of a loved one unless offered proper guidance.
Putting your thoughts to paper is a healthy way to get your feelings out and lighten your heart. Grief journaling is ideal for kids to deal with grief.
21. When do you feel the absence of the loved one the most?
Depending on the age of the child, they can answer this. For a very young child, a single-line answer would do. But encourage them to think more on the topic and come up with more. If a child is not good with words, you can encourage them to make a drawing.
22. Do you feel angry that they left you?
Children, especially younger ones, may not be able to grasp the meaning of death. They may even translate their absence in their lives as anger instead of sorrow or grief. If they are angry, it needs to be identified and channeled on the right path. Writing about it helps.
23. What makes you feel better now?
They are indeed sad and they miss their loved ones a lot. Being a child, they can naturally see the world beyond sorrow at least some times. The idea is to highlight this and help them realize that it is okay to feel alive and enjoy life. By listing things that make them feel better, they are coming up with solutions to overcome grief.
24. Recollect an occasion that you enjoyed the most with the loved one you lost.
For a child, their happiest memory need not revolve around expensive presents or exotic vacations. It is usually the everyday activity that they come up with. Such as bedtime reading, cooking together, playing games during weekends, or watching a favorite show together.
25. How would you like to make the loved one proud of you?
Whether it was told in so many words or not, kids have a sixth sense of grasping what is expected from them by adults. Even after the death of a loved one, they would have a clear understanding of what they should do to make them proud. Writing about it can help them deal with grief.
26. What do you like to tell your loved one?
When they were alive, they may have had many conversations. But after their passing away, the child would like to continue those conversations. Use the journal as an outlet for those conversations.
27. Are your friends behaving awkwardly around you now?
This is a very common occurrence. Even adults who have had no experience with death, are at a loss for words when they come across people grieving. It can be harder for kids. This behavior from others can make kids isolated and lonely.
28. Would you like to create a memory box for your loved one?
While the memories of their loved ones are still fresh in their minds, let them build a memory box. They can put in this box – include everything that they want to remember about the person. This will help them deal with their grief.
29. What do you feel when you think about your loved one?
Is it the sadness that they are no longer alive? Or is it the happy old memories? Or is it anxiety, fear, loneliness, guilt, or just exhaustion? Encourage kids to be honest about their feelings.
30. What makes you most scared now?
When a child loses its guardian, it is not only the sadness of the loss that they have to deal with. They are also losing the person who took care of their needs and provided them protection. Now they are no longer alive, how is it affecting the child? Through journaling, you can help the child bring it out in the open.
31. Write a letter to your future self describing the wonderful person you had in your life.
This will prompt them to think about the future as well as deal with the grief of loss.
32. Suggest ways to help a grieving person.
This will give you an idea of what the child expects from you to overcome grief. You can also encourage them to help others in similar situations.
33. What would you like to remember the most about them?
After all, they too were human. Arguments and fights are unavoidable in a relationship. Now that they are no more, prompt the child to leave all those behind and try to remember the good aspects of the relationship.
34. When do you feel their presence the most?
When they were alive, the child must have often run into them on specific occasions and places. Now that they are no more, these occasions and places remind the child of them. How well is the child handling this situation?
35. If you have the chance, what would you like to do with them?
If you come across a genie who can grant you a wish, what would you do with that? Just stay at home and enjoy a quiet day or go out and make the most of it? Whatever your choice is, is that what your loved one also would want?
36. Describe an occasion when you got along well with them.
You had so much love and respect for each other. On most occasions, you agreed. There was rarely a difference of opinion or a raised word. But scan your memories and find out one such instance that stands out from the rest.
37. Describe an occasion when you had a hard time getting along with them.
All relationships have ups and downs. Describe a time when you were in disagreement with the loved one. How bad was that? Do you regret that now?
38. Do you miss talking to them about your day?
When they were alive, you got along so well because you two understood the value of good communication. You loved sharing everything. Others often wondered what you were talking to each other so much about. Do you miss that?
39. What kind of relationship did you have with them?
Was it based on love and trust? Was it a happy one? Did you two have arguments and fights? You may have never thought of classifying your relationship. Now that your loved one is no more, get more clarity on the kind of relationship you had.
40. How did they make you feel?
Beautiful, strong, successful, safe and secure, or loved and cherished? Maybe at times, they made you feel angry, irritated, jealous, or bored. All relationships have their pluses and minuses. Since you are grieving, the good aspects must far outweigh the bad ones. List them.
Grief Journal Prompts for the loss of a husband & wife
You may have been married for a short time or a long time but the way your hearts and minds connected, it is as if you had known each other for many lifetimes. For such made-for-each-other couples, the loss of a partner can be devastating. It is as if you have lost a big chunk of yourself.
Life after the death of a spouse is hard as you have to relearn how to live all over again. Writing is usually considered healing and therapeutic as it compels you to think about the loved one and confront the loss.
41. Which time of the day do you find it hardest to deal with?
For some, it can be waking up in the morning to an empty bed. Or lying awake at night all alone. Or dinner time. Coming back in the evening to an empty home is really hard to deal with.
Identifying them and devising a strategy to deal with the feeling is the need of the hour. Journaling can help here.
42. When do you feel the closest to your partner?
Usually, when you are spending time with your family, you are reminded of your partner. Or participating in some activity that you two used to do together.
When the memory of your partner rushes back into your mind, you may feel overwhelmed. This may result in you breaking down. You need to deal with the grief to avoid such situations and remember your partner with love and affection.
43. When do you sense the presence of your deceased partner in your life?
Often when you are alone in the empty house, you can feel their presence. This is when the bereaved carry on conversations with their departed loved ones. Writing about it is bound to help in the healing process.
44. What do you feel the most grateful for?
When you are grieving, this would seem like a frivolous question. This exercise is meant to help you think positive or look at the brighter side. You need to understand that even when the chips are down there is always something you can be grateful for. Such as having some wonderful years together with your partner.
45. What makes you feel guilty?
Do you feel guilty that you are alive and your partner is no more? Or that you didn’t do certain things with your partner when you had the chance. It is natural to wish for a second chance. Writing about this in the journal can help you deal with the guilt.
46. What prompts you to think about your partner?
When you hear your partner’s favorite song playing, you are reminded of the happy days together. Or when you hear a car horn or the key turning in the lock, you look up with expectation. Unless you confront these feelings, you will drown in them.
47. How has your partner’s death changed you?
Did you age 10 years overnight? Or learn how to do everything on your own? The absence of your partner means there is no one to share your thoughts and feelings with. This will definitely change you as a person.
48. What does grief mean to you?
Grief is not sadness alone. It is loneliness, anger, fear, a sense of loss, and more. Grief means various things to different people. Look inward and identify what it means to you.
Come back to this topic after some time to see how your perspective has changed.
49. Describe the events before the death of your loved one.
Talking about the event and related incidents is essential for healing. This is the only way to get back to normal.
50. What do you want to tell your partner now? Write it as a letter.
Whether you got the opportunity to say goodbye or not, continuing conversations with your deceased partner is vital to your grief recovery. Life put a full stop for your partner. That need not mean you should put a full stop to your conversations. Continue it through letters.
51. How would you describe your partner?
The newer generation in the family may never know how wonderful a person your partner was unless you decide to talk about it. Your account is bound to be biased but should try not to exaggerate. Describe the person with all the pluses and minuses.
52. What would you like to do if you had one day with your partner?
If a genie grants you this wish, write about what you would like to do. Describe the day from dawn to dusk. In the end, also include how the experience made you feel.
53. How did it make you feel to break the bad news to other family members?
It is sad to deal with the loss yourself. If you had the additional task of informing as well as consoling others, it must have been tough. Write about how it all made you feel. Did others’ reactions aggravate your grief? Or did it force you to regain composure?
54. What was their favorite holiday destination?
Where did you often go for your holidays? Was it someplace they were fond of? Or was there a dream holiday on their bucket list that you could never manage? How does that make you feel? Think back and try to recollect why your partner loved this particular holiday spot?
55. What was the cause they were most passionate about?
Was your partner actively involved in the conservation of the environment or animal rescue? Or maybe they had a strong opinion about healthy eating, exercising, self-reliance, or education. Do you know the reason behind their passion? If not, try to find out by talking to your parents and old friends.
56. How do you think you can celebrate their memory?
You can support the causes they were passionate about by volunteering or donating. Or you can work towards making their dreams for you come true. Have they expressed their wish for you to be happy after their death? This may not come easy for you but you can try to fulfill their wishes.
57. If you can, what would you like to forgive them about?
After all, they were human and they must have let you down and made you angry on a few occasions when they were alive. Now that they are no more, there is no point in holding on to the grudges. Make a list of things you fought over and forgive them for causing you anguish.
58. If you can, what would you like to forgive yourself about?
Maybe you were too busy to give them more time. If you had known what was in store, you would have spent more time with them. Do you blame yourself for this? Maybe you think you could have made their life less stressful and more enjoyable. Could’ve, should’ve, would’ve – there is no point in thinking along these lines. Learn to forgive yourself.
59. Describe your partner using one word.
If you were asked to describe your partner in one word, what would that be? You may come up with an answer quickly enough. Think and find out why you think that particular word sums up your partner completely.
60. What is the thing you miss the most about them?
That heart-melting smile, love-filled eyes, soft caress, tight hug, reassuring hand around you, warm bed, helping hand, cuddling, kissing, sex, the list goes on. Make an exhaustive list of the wonderful ways your partner influenced your life.
Grief Journal Prompts for the loss of a mother or father
Losing a parent is never easy whatever your age is. Coming to terms with death can be harder for some than for others. Loss of sleep, inability to focus on the task at hand and disinterest in life are all too common.
This doesn’t mean things need to remain this way for the rest of your life. You should learn to pick up the pieces of life and move on. Use these grief journal cues designed especially for those suffering the loss of a parent.
61. What do you regret the most?
You never considered the possibility of a life without them. You just imagined that your parents will always be around, offering you unconditional love.
Do you regret not saying how much you love them and appreciate everything they have done for you? Do you regret not visiting them often or spending enough time with them? Do you regret taking better care of them?
62. Something you found out about yourself after the loss.
The loss of a parent must have opened your eyes and helped you understand the value of life. Or the importance of family. Maybe you never realized you loved and cared for them so much.
63. How would you like to honor the memory of your parent?
Maybe you want to continue their good work in society. Or you may want to follow their beliefs and traditions. Or you could support a cause they believed in. Think about your parent’s interests and use grief journaling to figure out how to honor them.
64. Something your dad/mom loved.
This would be easy if you were close to them and have spent time with them. Or else, you can ask people who knew them well – now or in their younger days. Try to list their favorite song, food, color, sport, or activity.
65. Are you angry with them?
Did you have any grudges or grievances with them? Parent-child relationship not only has a good side; it is peppered with arguments and conflicts. Now that they are no more, it is time you make peace with it.
66. Do you think you were unfair to them?
This happens. You may have had your reasons for thinking or doing certain things. Instead of blaming yourself, you should unburden your mind by writing about it in the journal.
67. How do you think your family’s response should be?
While you are struggling to deal with the loss, your family may be trying to avoid the topic so as not to upset you. What kind of support and behavior are you expecting from your family? You can write this in your journal and share it with them.
68. What gives you comfort now?
Even when you find yourself drowning in grief, you will be constantly searching for solace and peace of mind. Don’t feel guilty about it as this is normal. Figure out the things that bring you comfort in this time of grief.
69. What qualities have you inherited from your parent?
You must have heard others say “Her hair is just like her mother’s” or “He behaves just like his dad”. You may have many common physical and behavioral traits with your parent. Think about them and list them.
70. What do you know about your parent’s childhood?
You may have heard them talk about the “old days”. Try to recall as much as you can about their past and write them down in the journal. You will feel closer to them when at it.
71. What are your early memories of your parent?
Try to recall how they looked, talked, behaved, or what they did in those days. Can you remember their friends? Are any of them alive? You can meet them if possible and relive memories.
72. What was the best vacation you had with your parent?
This can be either from your childhood or a more recent one. What makes this so special? Was it only happy memories? Did anything bad happen? Recollect the vacation from start to finish.
73. Do you think you ever made your parent feel proud of you?
This can be something trivial like learning to skate, boil an egg, or winning a prize at school in your childhood. Or it can be something you achieved as an adult. How did they react? Did they reveal their feelings?
74. Describe an incident when your parent made you laugh.
Was your parent a happy and jovial person? Was it easy to get along with them? Was he/she fond of cracking inane jokes but still made you laugh? Describe one.
75. Describe an incident when your parent made you cry.
Was your parent highly sensitive and emotional? Did they often talk about feelings and sentiments? Did you cry because they made you feel bad or you were overcome with emotions?
76. Did you get along well with your parent?
A parent-child relationship has its ups and downs. On the whole, how would you describe your relationship with your parent? Was it only arguments and fights? Would you describe the relationship as normal?
77. Describe a few quirks and mannerisms of your parent.
Everyone has their own idiosyncrasies. What were your parent’s? Did you notice them when they were alive? Did you feel embarrassed by them?
78. Describe something that will always remind you of your parent.
A smell. A song. A TV show. Someone. When they were alive, you must have noticed so many things about your parent that you felt are unique to them. How do you feel when you come across them now and your memory is triggered?
79. If you are allowed to spend a day with your parent, what would you like to do?
What were your favorite activities with your parent? Going out shopping. Watching a movie? Cooking together? Or going on a vacation? You must have made plans to do things together before fate snatched them away.
80. What brought them pure joy?
Have you ever watched them enjoy themselves? What made them the happiest? Scour your memory and come up with a list of all those things your parent enjoyed doing. You can attempt some of them, if you feel like, to feel their presence.
Recommended Grief Journal for women who have lost their parents:
Grief Journal Prompts for the loss of a child
Losing a child is the worst kind of misfortune that can befall anyone. Unlike other forms of grief, this one can drown you out and leave you depressed for months or even years. Unless you put in the effort to pull yourself out of the ocean of sorrow, you will end up wasting the rest of your lifetime.
Journaling can help you come to terms with your irreparable loss and return to some kind of normalcy. Here are some writing prompts to help you get started on journaling.
81. Who do you turn to for solace?
Most people avoid grieving parents as they find it awkward and don’t know what to say or do. However, some people offer you exactly what you are searching for. They are always there for you, no matter what you want help with. Make a list of such people in your life and write about how they have supported you in your time of crisis.
82. Something that you find more challenging now.
When you lose a child, any activity associated with children and your own child, in particular, can be heartbreaking. You may want to avoid them. Write about this.
83. What is the story behind naming your child?
Go back a few years and try to recall the birth of your child. Did you name them after someone? Or did you choose the name for its special meaning? Did you draw up a list? How did you choose the name?
84. Has the loss of your child made you turn inward?
Have you become more spiritual or religious? Or turned away from it all? Are you turning to books to understand what happened? Did you come across a quote, a poem, or a book with deep meaning?
85. Have consoling words from people end up giving you heartache?
Often people mean well but say just the opposite as they feel flustered around you. This may end up causing you more grief. Are there too many such people in your life? How do you deal with them? Have you lost your temper with such people? Do you regret that? And, how do you wish they would behave?
86. What do you wish to tell your child?
In happier times, your child would share every small incident with you and ask you for advice. Do you really miss those conversations? Do you feel like talking to your child? Use the journal to say everything you want to share with them.
87. Does grief hit you unexpectedly?
This is the trouble with grief. You feel as if you have completed your grief recovery and try to get back into the routine. And, all of a sudden, some trigger would set you down the grieving path once again. What do you feel about this? How do you deal with this?
88. Would you like to help others in a similar situation?
You have been dealing with the loss of your child for months now and consider yourself stable. Do you think you can share your experience and knowledge in dealing with grief with others in similar situations? Think about how you can contribute.
89. Have you felt anger after losing your child?
This is quite normal and nothing to be ashamed about. When you suffer such irreparable loss, you would feel like lashing out at anyone crossing your path. Explain an instance when you felt uncontrollable anger.
90. What did your child love the most?
Your child may have had a huge collection of things that they considered important. Have you ever talked to your child about why they are fond of them? Write about the things they used to like.
91. Write about a funny moment you had with your child.
This may be intentional or unintentional. Write about how the event unfolded. Did you both enjoy the episode?
92. Are you neglecting your health now?
You may find getting out of bed in the morning a hard task, let alone exercising or eating healthy. Even when you know that you should take good care of your health, you may not have the motivation to carry it out. Find out how you can ensure your physical and mental well-being.
93. How do you think you can be kind to yourself?
Intense grief can make people neglect their health and wellbeing. You should know that you did nothing wrong; it wasn’t your fault. Stop punishing yourself and be gentle and kind with yourself.
94. Do you share all your emotions with others?
Or do you have feelings that are too uncomfortable for you to share with others? If this is the case, writing them down can bring you relief. If you don’t want others to read it, you can destroy the writing.
95. What do you remember about the funeral?
Did you actively get involved in planning it? Could you summon enough courage to attend it? What do you remember about the event? Write about all that you can remember about the funeral.
96. What reminds you of your child?
A song, a smell, a sound, or seeing your child’s friends may remind you of the child you lost too soon. How do you deal with that? Why do they remind you of your lost child?
97. Talk about your pregnancy.
How did you feel when your pregnancy was confirmed? Was it hard in the early months? Did you suffer from morning sickness? Write about what you felt when you held your child in your arms for the first time.
98. What would you like to do with them if you could today?
Watch favorite shows or play games? Or go on a vacation or cook a meal together? List out some of the favorite activities you enjoyed doing together.
99. Describe something you loved the most about them.
Was he/she a happy child? Did they have a positive attitude? How did they feel about chores? Was he/she accommodating and understood you instinctively without having to spell everything out?
100. What made them the happiest?
You can only know about this from what you saw. Have you found them in the best of moods when they are with their friends? Or when you are playing together? Did they enjoy family dinner time?
A grief journal is nothing but a diary for your thoughts and feelings. When you find it too overwhelming, you can create a semblance of order by writing them down in a journal.
Do remember that recovering your mental balance or feeling alright does not mean that you have forgotten your child. Getting over grief is not equivalent to forgetting or abandoning the memory of your child. You need to understand that it is vital for your well-being and helps you live your life productively.
Grief journaling is just one way of dealing with the sorrow of having lost your loved one. If you are reluctant to share your thoughts and feelings with your therapist or friends, journaling offers you a simple path to recovery.
Recommended Reading:
- 60 Writing Prompts for Couples
- 60 Mindfulness Journal Prompts for Students
- 30 Journal Prompts for Emotional Healing
- 50 Daily Journal Prompts for Adults
- 365 Journal Prompts for Self Discovery
- 80 Manifestation Journal Prompts For Beginners
- 100 Gratefulness Journal Prompts
- 50 Weight Loss Journal Prompts