As a single mother, life can be overwhelming. I know because I lived that life for over fifteen years. During that time, I learned many lessons. One of them is that journaling is one of the best ways to take a break and provide yourself with much-needed perspective. Why? Because it's simple, affordable, accessible, and effective. In this blog post, we will explore ten must-do journal prompts for single moms so you can reclaim your freedom and take back control of your life.

Journal Prompts for Single Moms: Start Here

I invite you to complete one of these journal prompts for single moms each day in the order they are presented. However, if you feel called to skip ahead to a particular prompt, listen to your intuition and click on the title of the prompt you wish to skip to for that day. There is no wrong way to journal, except perhaps not to journal at all!

1st Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Challenges

2nd Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Fears 

3rd Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Letting Go

4th Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Self-Care

5th Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Gratitude 

6th Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Treating Yourself

7th Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Strengths & Accomplishments

8th Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Dreams

9th Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Goals 

10th Journal Prompt for Single Moms: Alignment

What Are the Greatest Challenges You Face?

Life as a single mom is full of challenges. Take a few minutes to vent about some of yours. List three to five challenges you struggle with most at this point in your life.

What Are Your Biggest Fears & How Can You Overcome Them?

In addition to its challenges, single mom life can often be scary. If you find that fear is a big part of your life, you're not alone. Life is full of uncertainty and situations that make us anxious. Let some of these out and onto paper. Then, brainstorm ideas for getting fear out of the driver's seat and into the passenger seat.

What Do You Need to Let Go Of?

What expectations, chores, responsibilities, negative self-talk, limiting beliefs, toxic emotions or people, or bad habits do you need to eliminate? Marinate on this for a few minutes, write it all out, and then burn it (safely: away from flammable objects, using a non-flammable ash catcher, avoiding strong winds, and ensuring it is thoroughly exterminated after).

What Self-Care Are You Going to Invest in?

This is one of my favorite journal prompts for single moms. Reflect on what self-care you need to invest in most right now. Hint: It's usually not a spa treatment. It's much more likely to be a habit shift, setting and enforcing a boundary, or investing more time into doing something that fills you up.

What Are Three Things You Are Grateful For?

Yes, there are many hard things about single mom life, but there are also a lot of blessings. Take a moment to write a paragraph each on three things that you are grateful for, other than the standard mom answer of "My children are my greatest blessing." Of course, they are. But what else can you be grateful for? Pro Tip: Try to be as detailed and specific as possible.

How Can You Treat Yourself Better?

If your friend or family member treated you and talked about you the way you treat and talk about yourself... would you be okay with that? Or would you be having some significant problems with that relationship? Consider the ways that you may be treating yourself with disrespect or disregard. How can you start treating yourself better instead?

Reflect Upon Your Strengths & Accomplishments

Make a list of every quality, skill, ability, and accomplishment that you've achieved. Include any positive comments, feedback, or compliments you've received that you don't believe yet but wish you did. Keep adding to it every time you think of something new. Keep the list where you can look at it often to remind yourself what a badass being you are.

When You Dare to Let Yourself - What Are Your Dreams?

For the majority of the time I spent as a single mom, I did not allow myself to dream. I felt that having dreams was too painful because I could see no way to achieve them. But I came to realize that without dreams, you are lost. You are moving without direction, increasing the odds of burning out and exhausting yourself. So, let yourself dream, and let those dreams be the point you aim at.

What Goals Do You Have?

You can increase your chances of realizing your dreams if you break them down into small, actionable goals. Envision a pathway leading to your dream life. Who do you need to be, and what steps do you need to take to get there? Remember to keep your goals S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timed).

Are Your Actions Aligned With Your Dreams and Goals?

I saved the best of these journal prompts for single moms for last. Analyze your daily actions. Are they aligned with achieving your goals and, therefore, your dreams? Or are they holding you back and leading you further away from your dream life? Imagine the future self that you wish to become. Would she live life this way? Assess and adjust as needed.

Will These Journal Prompts for Single Moms Even Work?

As I said before, journaling is one of the best ways to free yourself from the pressures of life and reclaim your sense of control and freedom. You can use these ten must-do journal prompts to empower yourself and overcome the struggles of single motherhood. But, perhaps you are not yet convinced. If that is the case, consider these eye-opening statistics:

Journaling has been shown to impact various aspects of mental health and well-being positively. According to a Psychology Today article, several studies have demonstrated that journaling can positively impact outcomes such as happiness, goal attainment, and even some aspects of physical health.

In a 2013 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine, researchers found that a certain kind of journaling, sometimes known as expressive writing, may help heal physical wounds, at least small ones. The participants were healthy adults between 64 and 97 years who journaled for twenty minutes daily, three days in a row. Half were encouraged to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings regarding the traumatic experience they had gone through. In contrast, the other half wrote about the facts of their experience. The group that wrote about their thoughts and feelings had wounds that healed faster than the others.

Another study published in Verywell Health found that keeping a reflective journal can help you cope with stress. In this study, participants were asked to write about their thoughts and feelings for 20 minutes daily for three consecutive days. The results showed that 85% of participants agreed that journaling had been helpful, and 59% reported still using writing to cope with stress compared to only 38% before the study.

Finally, according to an article by Greater Good Magazine, a 2006 study of nearly one hundred young adults had similar findings. In that study, subjects were separated into three groups. One was asked to spend 15 minutes each day journaling. Another was told to draw a picture about a stressful event daily, and the third spent time writing about their plans for the day twice a week. The results showed that those who journaled or drew about their stressful event experienced more significant reductions in distress than those who wrote about their plans.

Now that you have read this listicle blog post take a few moments each day to reflect on the questions and record your thoughts in written or voice note form. Or you can draw a picture like some of the participants in the 2006 study mentioned above. Find creative ways to prioritize journaling in your daily life and use it as a form of self-care and reflection.

If you found these journal prompts helpful, consider purchasing this environmentally friendly, downloadable, 90-day guided journal designed to help you balance your mind, body, and soul. At less than $5 for 90 days of morning and evening prompts, it's seriously affordable. Click here to start finding your balance today. 

May these journal prompts help you glow from the inside out despite the stresses and worries of #singlemomlife! 

XOXO,

More Blog Posts to Help You Find Your Glow by Dee Rowe:

• A Behind the Scenes Interview
• Self-Esteem, Self-Worth, and Self-Respect for Single Moms
• Crack the Confidence Code: Empowering Single Moms

P.S. – Are you a single mom? If so, I'm conducting a research survey and need to hear from you! Express yourself by clicking here. It only takes less than 10 minutes, and if you opt in, there's a free thank-you gift for you at the end.