20 Journal Prompts for Grief

It has been almost 4 months since we lost my dad and my grandpa. It’s been hard to deal with the rollercoaster of emotions that come with grief on top of being the executor of my dad’s estate and having to deal with everything that comes along with that. It’s overwhelming, and that makes it easy for me to spiral. I feel lost without my dad, and not being able to call him and talk or hug him has been the hardest part. He was such a big part of my life, and there are days when all I want to do is stay in bed all day and cry.

I’ve journaled on and off pretty much since I could write in full sentences. Most of the time I turn to journaling to clear my head and find inspiration. After my dad died, I found my old diaries and I figured out that I also turned to journaling when dealing with my grief around the loss of a loved one. I have diary entries from after my grandma Carole died, and then more after my grandpa Ozzie died, and then again after I lost my grandma Lorna. Journaling allows me to express my feelings while also recognizing the different ways that grief manifests itself in the various areas of my life.

The loss of my dad and grandpa has felt so profound that simply just writing down my feelings didn’t feel like enough. So, I headed to my Google search bar to find some prompts for writing about my grief. Today, I wanted to share with you some of the prompts that I have found helpful, in case you are in the thick of it like I am. Here are 20 journal prompts to get you writing about your grief.

How have you changed since losing your loved one?
Write a letter to your loved one.
Write a list of the things you are grateful for, even amidst the grief
Something that makes me feel better when I’ve had a hard day is…
What rituals or traditions did you share with your loved one? How can you honor those traditions in their absence?
What would your loved one want other people to know about them?
Do you think your grief will ever end?
The one thing I miss most is…
If I had one more day with my loved one…
Describe a favorite memory you had with your loved one. How does it make you feel?
Where do you feel the grief in your body? Where does it stay?
I feel most connected to my loved one when…
What songs make you think of them?
Grief feels like…
How is your grief different in public than at home?
What are your grief triggers? Songs? Dates? Smells? What holidays trigger your grief?
Do you believe that grief and happiness can coexist?
Today I am really missing…
How has your perspective on life and relationships changed since the death?
Who is in your support system? How can they help? What do you wish they could help with?

Grief is the price we pay for love. It ebbs and flows, never ending but ever changing. Some days are easier than others, but the pain and the void never go away; they simply become manageable. If you are dealing with profound grief, I hope that you take care of yourself in the ways that are unique to you. No one grieves the same, so please don’t compare your grief journey to mine. Along with my journal practice, I go to therapy every two weeks and lean heavily on my close family and friends to help get me through each day. Take things one day at a time and give yourself some grace. Your life is forever altered, and you are learning how to live in your new normal. It’s going to take time.