Journal Prompts for Chronic Pain

Living with chronic pain is hard. It’s especially hard when those around us don’t fully understand the depths or the reality of it. #morethanjustaheadache.

As a result, we’re adding frustration and loneliness to the physical pain. So how do we best support ourselves on this long journey?

How have I supported myself?

First, plugging into a community of people who “get it” is important. That’s why I love this one here so much. I feel like I’m with my people or my besties when I read the comments on many of these articles.

Beyond that, I also find a lot of healing through journaling. I’ve always enjoyed journaling, but I easily fall in and out of routine with it.

Does journaling really help with migraine?

The days that I’m inspired to write are easy. I grab a cup of herbal tea and my journal, and cozy up with my blanket.

Then comes a migraine, and the idea of sitting up, let alone having the light on bright enough to see my writing, is too painful. The next thing I know, it’s been a month since I put pen to paper. What I’m often surprised at, at that moment, too, is realizing that I am feeling more unexpressed emotions inside of me. It makes me think, does journaling really help me that much? I always looked at it as a fun hobby but not really a tool for healing.

How can you get started?

If the idea of journaling intrigues you, but you’re not sure how to get started, you’re not alone. Many people say, I just don’t know what to write.

The suggested answer is often, “then write, ‘I don’t know what to write until something else comes to mind.'” Thank you, captain obvious.

What do I write?

I’d like to suggest a different approach. It’s one that I recently took and found to be so therapeutic.

Try writing a letter to your newly diagnosed self. I asked myself…

• What does her body need to know?
• What does her heart need to hear?
• What does her mind need to do?

Was it hard going back in time?

It took me a minute to drop back into that space in time, but once I started writing – and I came back to writing this letter several times – it felt so good.

Going back to validate those feelings of desperation for pain relief was powerful. Going back to my craving for a sense of hope to enjoy life and attend the special events on my calendar was so comforting.

I needed to know that despite this being a hard road to travel, I have come a long way. And while there still may be a long road ahead, I am getting through it. And as I continue on with my migraine journey, I continue on with my journaling because it has become another tool for healing.

What other journal prompts can you try?

What is your experience with journaling? Has it helped you in managing the chronic pain of migraines?

If you haven’t done so already, I invite you to write that letter to your newly diagnosed self. Some other journal prompts you could do include:

• How do you feel today?
• What is one thing you wish was better understood about migraines?
• How have migraines positioned you to help others in your life?
• If your body could talk, what is it asking for right now?
• What are you most grateful for having on your migraine journey?

Do you have other journal prompts? Please share below!