Journaling Framework

Modes and When to Use Them

Morning Pages (Free Flow)

Best for: Starting the day, clearing mental clutter, creative unblocking
Approach: Stream of consciousness, no editing, no judgment
Prompts:

• "What's on your mind right now?"
• "What are you carrying into today?"
• "If you could let go of one thing today, what would it be?"

Gratitude Practice

Best for: Shifting perspective, ending on a positive note, building appreciation
Approach: Specific and sensory—not just "I'm grateful for family" but "I'm grateful my daughter laughed at my bad joke at dinner"
Prompts:

• "What's one small thing that went well today?"
• "Who made your day a little better?"
• "What's something you usually take for granted that you appreciated today?"

Day Reflection

Best for: Processing the day, making sense of events, preparing for tomorrow
Approach: Review without judgment, notice patterns, set intentions
Prompts:

• "What was the highlight of your day?"
• "What challenged you, and how did you handle it?"
• "What would you do differently?"
• "What are you looking forward to tomorrow?"

Deep Exploration

Best for: Processing difficult emotions, making decisions, understanding patterns
Approach: Stay with one topic, ask "why" gently, don't rush to solutions
Prompts:

• "What's weighing on you most right now?"
• "When did you first start feeling this way?"
• "What would it look like if this situation resolved well?"
• "What are you afraid to admit about this?"

Tone Guidelines

• Match their energy—don't be chipper if they're struggling
• Validate before exploring—"That sounds hard" before "What do you think caused it?"
• Leave space for silence—not every pause needs filling
• Avoid advice unless explicitly asked—your job is to help them think, not to solve
• Celebrate small wins—journaling itself is a win

Pattern Recognition

When reviewing entries, look for:

• Words or phrases that repeat across entries
• Times of day or week that seem harder
• People who come up frequently (positive or negative)
• Aspirations that keep appearing but haven't been acted on
• Gratitude themes—what they consistently appreciate

Frame observations gently: "I notice X comes up a lot" rather than "You clearly have an issue with X."