61 Journal Prompts to Inspire You This Holiday Season

I know I’m not the only one who feels like the holidays fly by. Personally, I love the month of December and the feeling of holiday spirit and want to savor every moment. But between finding the perfect gifts, making time for a million events, and getting all of the other adulting to-dos we have on our schedule done, it’s hard to stay in the moment. Sometimes we can even find ourselves resentful of special traditions we’d otherwise enjoy if we don’t give ourselves time to decompress.

I love journaling for giving myself perspective throughout all times of year. However, the holiday season is the perfect time to start journaling. Journaling helps you reflect and gain perspective on times we especially want to remember. Moreover, I find that journaling helps me remember special events better. And it assuages the stress I feel during busy times of year. Plus, if the holidays are a difficult time for you, journaling can provide much-needed space to vent your feelings. 

So curl up with some hot chocolate or tea and your favorite journal and let yourself breathe. I’ve provided 50 holiday journal prompt ideas that can be used as Christmas journal prompts, Hanukkah journal prompts, or whatever different winter holidays you celebrate.

Journaling and Mental Health

Before diving into these end of the year journal prompts, I want to spend a bit of time discussing how your journal practice can improve your mental health to highlight why it’s a good thing to make time for. 

Indeed, research shows that journaling may improve anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. It also helps us regulate our emotions, stop the worry cycle, and heal emotionally and even physically! You don’t need to journal for long to experience benefits. One study even found that patients who journaled for 20 minutes after a biopsy had improved healing compared to patients who journaled about their daily experiences. 

However, I find that trying to journal at least a few times a week is most beneficial for my mental health, which we all know is key for being able to adult. And I’m far better at remembering to journal if I start getting into a regular practice.

If you’re thinking of starting a journaling practice, or looking for a little inspiration for your journaling practice, I have 50 holiday-related journal prompts below. They’re organized into categories based on whether you want your journaling time to focus on holiday experiences and plans, feelings around the holidays, New Year goal setting, and more.

The Best Journals for a Holiday (or Year-Round) Journaling Practice

Need a journal in the first place? I love the journals from SugarBoo, in particular. They have gorgeous, leather-bound covers each journal page is thick and feels truly satisfying to write on. These journals also make incredible Christmas gifts. 

For a cheaper option, I also love the journals from Peter Pauper Press. You can get them on Peter Pauper Press’s website, Amazon and from many other retailers. They have beautiful covers and gilt-edged pages, which I’m a big sucker for.

Now that you have your journal, let’s get to the list of holiday journaling prompts.

Holiday Writing Prompts on Your Experience

1.       What experiences do I most want to prioritize this Winter?

2.       Who do I most want to make time to see this holiday season? Also, how can I make sure I make time to see them?

3.       What experiences would I like to avoid this season? And how can I set boundaries to prevent myself from experiencing these things?

4.       What activities and experiences can I do ahead of time to reduce stress? For tips on this, see my Ultimate Guide to Holiday Planning!

5.       What are my favorite holiday foods and drinks? When can I make time to have these foods and drinks to make sure I get to experience them?

6.       What is my favorite holiday movie, book, show, or song? When can I make time to experience these things?

7.       How would I like to give back this holiday season? Additionally, are there any causes that are important to me that I could donate to or volunteer for this time of year?

8.       What would I most like to receive this holiday season? Can I make room in my budget or calendar to give myself any of these things? You can think beyond physical items and also reflect on experiences or feelings.

9.     Is there a new holiday tradition I’d like to create? If so, what does that tradition look like and how can I make it a reality?

10.     What holiday gatherings would I like to organize or attend this year? Can I plan a holiday party to make that a reality? If so, what would my ideal holiday party look like?

Journal Prompts on Holiday Memories

11.   What are my happy memories of the holidays? It could be building a gingerbread house, baking cookies for Santa Claus, decorating the Christmas tree, etc. Are there ways I would like to bring those memories back to life now?

12.   What was the best gift or gifts I received as a child? Why did I love it so much?

13.   What emotions did I experience around the holidays as a child? Do those emotions inform how I currently feel about the holidays? Moreover, if I had any negative feelings about the holidays, are there ways I can let myself experience and work through those feelings this year?

14.   Is there anyone I would like to remember this holiday season? Why are they important to me? How can I honor them and reflect on them this holiday season?

15.   How can I bring child-like joy to my holiday season? What experiences could I partake in that would make for a more joyful holiday?

16.   What were my favorite holiday movies, books, and shows as a child? Why did I like them so much? Can I find ways to experience those movies/books/shows again?

17.   What are my favorite holiday traditions from my childhood? Can I bring back any of those childhood traditions as an adult? Or is there a fun way I can incorporate part of those traditions into my current plans?

Holiday Journal Prompts on Emotions and Self-Care

18.   How does the holiday season and the New Year make me feel? 

19.   How can I manage stress and expectations this time of year?

20.   What self care activities can I make time for this season that will serve me well?

21.   Are there any regrets I regularly have this time of year? Plus, are there steps I can take to minimize the chance of those regrets happening again?

22   Is there a family member or friend in my life who struggles this year? How can I help make this time easier or more special for them?

23.   What does the magic of Christmas mean to me? Is there any way I can create a more magical Christmas for myself and my loved ones?

24.       How can I make sure I am in the moment this season?

Gratitude Journal Prompts

25.   Who or what am I most grateful for over the past year?

26.   Who or what am I most grateful for during the holiday season?

27.   Are there ways I can express my gratitude to those I love to show them how much I care?

28.   Are there ways I can show gratitude to myself for all I’ve done over the past year and during the holiday season?

December Writing Prompts to Reflect on the Year

29.   What have I learned over the past year that I can take with me into the New Year?

30.   In what ways have I grown over the past year?

31.    What are my proudest achievements? Don’t just think about external achievements like awards or money earned, but also about personal growth.

32.   What struggles did I experience this year? Is there anything I can learn from those struggles?

33.   Did I make any meaningful connections or relationships this past year? How did these connections change me or my experiences?

34.   What were my favorite memories over the past year? What made them so special? How can I make sure I make more special memories in the coming year?

Journaling Prompts to Reflect on the Past Holiday

35.   Did the holidays meet my expectations? If so, is there anything I would change? And if they exceeded expectations, how did they do so? In contrast, if they fell below expectations, how so and are there steps I could take externally or internally to improve the experience in the future?

36.   What did I learn from the holidays that could improve my experience next year?

37.   If I made positive memories from the holidays, how can I help those memories and feelings persist into the New Year?

38.   If I journaled on my favorite holiday experiences, food, movies, shows, etc., did I end up making time and space for those things? How did they go? Did I love them as much as you expected? If not, why do you think that was?

39.   Were there new things I experienced this year that became my new favorite things?

New Year’s Resolutions and Planning Journal Prompts

40.   Did I achieve my goals or resolutions over the past year? If so, what helped me achieve those goals? If not, what obstacles got in my way? How can I learn from what helped/hindered my progress this year?

41.   Did I set any goals or have any achievements I didn’t expect this time last year? If so, what were those goals and how did they become meaningful for me?

42.   How can I make room for unexpected growth and goals throughout my year?

43.   What are my goals or resolutions for the coming year?

44.   What steps can I take to make sure I achieve my goals or resolutions this year?

45.   Are there ways I can make these goals SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant to my long-term goals, and time-bound)?

46.   What are my expectations about New Year’s Eve? How can I make sure my expectations are reasonable? And what can I do to make sure I have an enjoyable New Year’s Eve?

Journal Prompts to Reflect on Experiences for a Happy New Year

47.   What experiences do I most want to prioritize next year?

48.   Who do I most want to spend time with next year? Can I create any habits or traditions that will allow me to see these people more regularly?

49.   What experiences do I want to avoid next year? How can I set boundaries to prevent myself from experiencing those things?

50.   What word or image would I like to symbolize my experience of the next year? For example, my word of the year could be “joyful,” “fulfilled,” “creative,” “family”, etc. Why did I pick that word? How can I embody that word in the coming year?

51.   What habits would I like to create in the New Year? How can I keep myself accountable to those habits?

Travel Journal Prompts

52.   If you have the time and resources to go on a vacation, where would you most like to go? Be as detailed as possible planning out a trip you would love. How can you make that trip a reality?

53.   What vacations did you go on this year? For those vacations, what was your favorite thing about your travel experiences? And what was your least favorite thing? Can you use any lessons you learned from traveling this year to inform your travel in future years?

Upcoming Financial and Career Goals Journal Entries

54.   Did I stay in my holiday budget this year? If so, what helped? If not, what hindered my progress? Psst, you can check out our Ultimate Holiday Planning Bundle and Budgeting Bundle to help you get your spending and budgeting on track!

55.   Are there any steps I want to take in the coming year to improve my earning potential?

56.   How do I feel about my current work/life balance? Are there steps I could take in the New Year to improve that balance?

57.   Am I happy and fulfilled in my current career? If yes, what do I love about my job and how can I make sure I am spending the most time and energy on the things I love? If not, are there steps I can take to improve my job situation in the coming year?

Creative Writing Prompts / Prompts to Boost Creativity

58.   Write a short story about Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever holiday you’d like to focus on. Use your holiday story to reflect on the joyous time of the holidays.

59.   Gather together any ticket stubs, pictures, Christmas cards, or other fun holiday memorabilia you have. Create a holiday collage and write about what these memories mean to you.

60.   Write out your own version of It’s a Wonderful Life. If you woke up and found you hadn’t ever been born, whose lives would be negatively affected without your presence? How would the world be different without you?

61.   Write your own funny story about the origin of candy canes, Christmas trees, your favorite holiday song, or whatever holiday thing you want to focus on.

Final Thoughts

Journaling is the perfect way to gain perspective and get your creative juices flowing, venting, clarifying thoughts, laying out plans, and dreaming about the future. If you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, sad, or any other difficult emotion, I highly recommend journaling. Even if you are feeling great, journaling is a great way of preserving memories for the long term. I hope these Christmas writing prompts helped get you into the Christmas spirit and alleviated some stress. If you used any of these prompts, let me know in the comments!

Interested in related holiday posts? Check out my posts on planning for the holidays and my environmentally-friendly budget gift guide. Want to transform your career or earning potential? Check out my posts on asking for a promotion, house hacking, and side hustles. Finally, trying to make a hard decision like ending a relationship? I have posts on that too. 

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