• Do not pause to reread the line you have just written…that is stalling and trying to get control of what you are saying. Just let it flow!

  • That is editing as you write. Even if you write something you did not mean to write, leave it, let it be.

  • Do not worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Don’t try to be logical and follow a script. Just write…

  • Do not avoid the scary, unsettling parts of grief…this is sometimes where the best processing and healing takes place.

  • Journal on a grief emotion, use a sentence starter or grief journal prompt or draw/paint your grief.

  • Remember, this is a judgement-free zone.

Below are some tried and true tips for journaling from Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within.

Below are some prompts for journal writing that can be a place for you to start on your journaling journey.

Today, I am really missing…

The hardest time of day is…

I have been feeling a lot of…

I feel most connected to my loved one when…

I can honour my loved one by…

A comforting memory of my loved one is…

Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed by pain, regret, guilt, or despair, I will…

To be more compassionate towards myself, I am willing to try…

Some of my grief triggers are…

I could use more of…

I could use less of…

I am grateful for…

My favorite memory of my loved one is…

My most difficult memory of my loved one is…because…this memory makes me feel…