What is the best guided journal?
If you'd like to be kinder to yourself, the guided journal I'd recommend is the Give Yourself Kindness Journal. It's a guided journal for your mental health and wellbeing, built on self-compassion: the journal that helps you treat yourself like you'd treat a friend.
Clinical psychologists at Harvard Medical School and the University of Oxford recommend it, and counsellors use it with their own clients.
Quiet your inner criticExpert-backedAll emotions welcome
5.0 from 57 reviews · Recommended by psychologists at Harvard and Oxford
Two of the four journals here are mine. I made the first one after Compassion-Focused Therapy, when I went looking for a journal to help me keep speaking to myself kindly and couldn't find one that wasn't forced positivity or the same prompt on every dated page. It's now recommended by clinical psychologists at Harvard and Oxford, and you can read their reviews further down this page.
This guide is here to help you find what's right for you. I'll say plainly where one of mine isn't it.
"It prompts rather than directs and there's no sense that unpleasant feelings are unwelcome or unhelpful."Rachael Oliver, MBACP, Accredited Counsellor
Which of these sounds like you right now?
Pick the one closest to how you feel. I'll tell you honestly which journal I'd suggest, including when it isn't one of mine.
The four kinds of guided journal
Guided journals do genuinely different jobs, and knowing which kind you're after is most of the decision. Most people typing "best guided journal" are looking for the first one.
Emotional wellbeing and mental health journals
What they do Help you name what you're feeling, make sense of it, and answer yourself kindly.
For you if You'd like to understand your emotions, not just record what happened.
The one I'd suggest: the Give Yourself Kindness Journal.
Gratitude journals
What they do Guide you to notice what's good, and give you a way in on the days it doesn't come easily.
For you if You specifically want a gratitude practice rather than broader emotional work.
The one I'd suggest: the Gratitude Journal: A 30-Day Challenge.
Creative and self-discovery journals
What they do Combine writing with drawing and open exploration, at your own pace.
For you if You'd like room to play rather than a set path.
Start Where You Are, by Meera Lee Patel.
Goal and habit journals
What they do Help you plan, track and tick things off.
For you if You're after organisation rather than emotional support.
When I was looking, I bought one of these. It wanted me to track my food, my weight and my exercise, and that really didn't help me. Which journal suits which need →
The best guided journals compared
The journals that come up most often when people ask this question, side by side. The first two are mine.
| Journal | Best for | Format | Reviewed by | What's inside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Give Yourself Kindness Journal | Being kinder to yourself, and your mental health and wellbeing | Undated. 90 days of varied prompts across 224 pages, no two the same. A visual emotion guide on every page | Clinical psychologists at Harvard and Oxford, and a CFT specialist. 5.0 from 57 verified reviews |
224 pages, A5, 6" x 8.5". 120gsm FSC-certified paper, luxury pistachio green cloth cover. Over 50 printed reminders. Wrapped in bespoke tissue paper, with a handwritten note if you'd like one |
| The Gratitude Journal: A 30-Day Challenge | Gratitude, without the pressure | Undated. 30 prompts, all different | Psychotherapist Carrie Pollard, MSW RSW | 120gsm FSC-certified paper, luxury textured cover, made in the UK. A guided meditation I recorded, and QR codes through to the research |
| 52-Week Mental Health Journal, by Cynthia Catchings, LCSW-S | A year of weekly mental health prompts | 52 weekly prompts, paperback | Written by a licensed clinical social worker | 172 pages. Weekly prompts across four themes: calm and resiliency, connection and engagement, goals and purpose, and healthy living. Draws on mindfulness and cognitive behavioural techniques |
| The Five Minute Journal | A short, fixed daily routine | Undated. The same prompts each morning and evening | Not listed | 264 pages, approx 5.28" x 8.58", lasting six months. Recycled FSC-certified paper, linen cover, cotton sew binding and a ribbon. Five daily prompts, weekly challenges and a quote each day |
| The 6-Minute Diary | A short morning and evening routine | The same structure twice a day, with a weekly reflection | Not listed | Three minutes in the morning and three in the evening, built on principles of positive psychology |
| Self-Reflection Journal, by The School of Life | Returning to the same questions over time | A set of questions, repeated so you can revisit your answers | Not listed | 150 pages of questions. Hardback with a cloth-bound cover, a ribbon bookmark and quotes throughout |
| The Artist's Way Morning Pages Journal, by Julia Cameron | Three pages of longhand writing each morning | Blank pages rather than prompts | Not listed | A companion to The Artist's Way, with an introduction and instructions by Julia Cameron on how to use it |
| Start Where You Are, by Meera Lee Patel | Creative exploration at your own pace | Open-ended, writing and drawing | Not listed | 128 pages, paperback, 5.5" x 7.5". Illustrated throughout, with quotes, open-ended prompts and room to write |
Which guided journal is best for what
- To be kinder to yourselfThe Give Yourself Kindness Journal. The prompts ask you to notice how you're feeling, then write down what you'd say to a friend who felt the same.
More on self-compassion journals → - For your mental health and everyday wellbeingThe Give Yourself Kindness Journal. Recommended by clinical psychologists at Harvard and Oxford, and used by counsellors with their own clients.
What to look for in a mental health journal → - If you can't tell what you're feelingThe Give Yourself Kindness Journal. A visual emotion guide on every page, not one chart at the front.
More on journals for tracking emotions → - If your thoughts won't settleThe Give Yourself Kindness Journal. A different prompt each day gives a busy mind somewhere new to go.
I've compared these separately → - For gratitude, without the pressureThe Gratitude Journal: A 30-Day Challenge. Thirty different prompts and not a numbered list anywhere.
More on gratitude journals → - For a short, fixed daily routineThe Five Minute Journal or The 6-Minute Diary. The same prompts each morning and evening.
- For a year of weekly promptsThe 52-Week Mental Health Journal, written by Cynthia Catchings, a licensed clinical social worker.
- For returning to the same questions over timeThe Self-Reflection Journal, by The School of Life.
- For creative explorationStart Where You Are, by Meera Lee Patel, or The Artist's Way Morning Pages Journal.
Which guided journal I'd suggest, depending on what brought you here
Four answers. Each one stands on its own, so you can read only yours and go.
If you're hard on yourself, this is the one I'd choose for you
That harsh voice is far more common than it feels from the inside, and having it doesn't mean anything is wrong with you.
The journal that helps you treat yourself like you'd treat a friend. You already know how to be kind. This just points it inwards.
"What has challenged you today? Talk to yourself as you would talk to a friend—write down what you would say"
"Notice how you are feeling right now. Think about what you would find it helpful to hear. Write down words to say to yourself"
"Choose an emotion that you have just noticed. Imagine a friend came to you explaining that they feel that emotion. Write down what you would want to say to them"
This might be the one for you if you'd like to:
- be gentler with yourself, and aren't sure where to start
- understand what you're feeling, not just record what happened
- have something to use between therapy sessions
- try journalling for the first time, with the questions already written
- come back to it after a gap without feeling behind
You write the answer down, and then you have it. A kind sentence in your own handwriting is the one version a harsh inner voice tends to accept.
Three things about it that matter if you're hard on yourself:
- A visual emotion guide on every page, not one chart at the front. The words are there when you need them.
- 90 days of varied prompts across 224 pages, no two days the same. A different question each time gives your mind somewhere new to go.
- Undated. Put it down for a month and it will be exactly where you left it, waiting for you rather than counting.
- "You are enough, exactly as you are"
- "It's normal to feel conflicting emotions at the same time"
- "No emotion defines who you are"
- "Be careful how you talk to yourself, you are listening"
Professor Willem Kuyken, PhD, DClinPsy
Ritblat Professor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science, University of Oxford. Among the top 1% most cited scientists worldwide
"Writing can be creative, beautiful, resourcing, but it can also invoke an inner critic, rumination and procrastination. Rachel has curated the experience to make the writing intrinsically rewarding and the journal something to treasure."
Julie Burke, LPC-S
Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor. Therapist and private practice owner, Austin, Texas
"There are affirmations throughout the journal that feel safe and encouraging to feel your feelings/experience emotions in ways that create a sense of safety and are free of judgment for yourself. It is part of the human experience to feel an array of emotions and this journal helps users navigate that. As a mental health clinician, this is something I would encourage clients to use as an extra support and as a human with emotions, it's something I highly value for myself."
If you want gratitude without the pressure, here's what I'd suggest
Thirty prompts, and not one of them is "list three things".
One day you'll notice something through your senses. Another you'll write a letter you never send. Another you'll find something worth keeping in a mistake.
Three things about it that matter if the pressure is what you'd like to avoid:
- No numbered blank lines anywhere. There's room for the days gratitude comes easily and the days it doesn't.
- Thirty completely different prompts. Nothing repeats, and thirty days is short enough to finish.
- Undated, with a guided meditation I recorded, and QR codes through to the research if you'd like to read further.
I used the numbered kind for years before I realised the format simply wasn't built for hard days, and that nothing was wrong with me on the evenings I couldn't fill it in. I've written about that here →
Reviewed by Carrie Pollard, MSW RSW, an experienced psychotherapist. Read the expert reviews →
If it's the harsh inner voice you'd like help with, the first answer on this page is the one built for that.
If you've only got five minutes, here's what actually works
Five minutes is genuinely enough. You don't have to choose between short and meaningful.
The prompt is already on the page, so the part that takes the time, working out what to write, is done before you sit down.
There's no minimum here. One honest line is a full entry, and you can stay longer on the evenings you want to.
Three things about it that matter when time is short:
- One prompt per page, already written. Nothing to decide before you start.
- A visual emotion guide on every page. Recognising a feeling from a list is quicker than searching for the word yourself.
- Undated. Three times this week is simply three times this week. There's nothing to make up.
Dr Chris Germer, PhD
Clinical Psychologist, Harvard Medical School. Co-developer of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) programme, taught to over 250,000 people worldwide
"A warm invitation to make friends with your emotions and yourself!"
If what you'd really like is the same short prompt every morning and evening, the Five Minute Journal is made for exactly that, and I'd point you there.
If you're not sure yet, let's work it out together
Not knowing yet is a perfectly good place to start. One question usually settles it.
Almost everyone looking for a guided journal wants the first. Goal and habit journals are a different shelf.
If it's how you feel, pick whichever line below sounds most like you. Each one goes straight to the answer.
- I'd like to be kinder to myselfThe Give Yourself Kindness Journal→
- I want to notice good things, without pressureThe Gratitude Journal→
- I can't tell what I'm actually feelingWhat an emotion guide does, and where it needs to be→
- I've had a journal before and set it asideFour things worth checking this time→
- I'd like the psychologists' view before I chooseEvery expert review, in full→
If none of those is quite it, the comparison table shows all four formats together, and what to look for gives you the four things worth checking on any guided journal anywhere.
What to look for in any guided journal
Four things decide how a guided journal feels to use, and all four are visible before you buy.
Everything here applies to any guided journal, including the ones I don't sell, so you can take this list anywhere.
1. Look for undated pages
This makes the biggest difference of the four. An undated journal picks up wherever you left it, so life can be busy for a fortnight without it costing you anything.
What to look forGenuinely undated. Not "90 day" or "12 week" on the cover, but no dates printed anywhere.
Both of mine are undated. Start tonight, put it down for a month, come back in the spring: it will be exactly where you left it, waiting for you rather than counting. See the inside pages →
2. Look for prompts that change
A different question each time keeps the practice alive, and it gives a busy mind somewhere new to go.
What to look forPrompts that genuinely change. Look at the sample pages rather than the description. If two spreads look identical, they all will.
Every page is different in the Give Yourself Kindness Journal, across 90 days of prompts and 224 pages. The Gratitude Journal has thirty prompts and no two are the same. Compare the two →
3. Look for open prompts, not numbered slots
You know the layout. Three things I am grateful for today: 1. ___ 2. ___ 3. ___. On a good day it's lovely. On a harder day it can read like a test with a right answer, and gratitude doesn't really work to order.
An open prompt asks the same question with room to move, so whatever you have that evening is the right amount.
What to look forOpen prompts rather than numbered slots, and wording that makes room for a difficult day as well as a good one.
Neither of mine has a numbered list anywhere. I've written about why that format wasn't the one for me →
4. Look for paper worth writing on
Good paper makes writing a small pleasure rather than a chore, and a book that feels lovely in your hands is one you'll want to come back to. You're allowed to want the nice one. This is time you're spending on yourself.
What to look forThe paper weight in gsm, and what the cover is actually made of. Most listings will tell you if it's worth telling you.
120gsm FSC-certified paper in both, heavier than most notebooks use. The Give Yourself Kindness Journal has a cloth cover in pistachio green and is A5, 6" x 8.5". Both arrive wrapped in bespoke tissue paper. See the photographs →
"The journal is a lovely weight and size and oozes with quality - the paper and the embossed cloth-bound cover both feel lovely." … "The journal is very gentle and easy to use, ideal for anyone new to journalling or the more experienced."Alison, verified customer review
That's the whole list. Four things, all visible before you buy, on any journal anywhere.
"I can't tell what I'm actually feeling"
Naming a feeling accurately is a real skill, and almost none of us were ever taught it.
When you can't tell whether it's dread, guilt, resentment or plain tiredness, "how do you feel today?" is a hard question to be asked. A list of feelings in front of you turns it into recognition rather than recall, which is a kinder job for a tired mind.
The Give Yourself Kindness Journal has a visual emotion guide on every single page, right where you're writing rather than in a chart at the front you'd have to remember to turn back to. It's the part people mention to me most. More on journals for tracking emotions →
The psychologists who reviewed the Give Yourself Kindness Journal
Three clinical psychologists have read this journal and put their names to it, along with two psychotherapists and a counsellor who uses it with her own clients.
Dr Chris Germer, PhD
Clinical Psychologist, Harvard Medical School. Co-developer of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) programme, taught to over 250,000 people worldwide
"A warm invitation to make friends with your emotions and yourself!"
Professor Willem Kuyken, PhD, DClinPsy
Ritblat Professor of Mindfulness and Psychological Science, University of Oxford. Among the top 1% most cited scientists worldwide
"Writing can be creative, beautiful, resourcing, but it can also invoke an inner critic, rumination and procrastination. Rachel has curated the experience to make the writing intrinsically rewarding and the journal something to treasure."
Dr Chris Irons
Clinical Psychologist. Compassion Focused Therapy researcher and trainer, and co-director of Balanced Minds
"This is such a fantastic resource! Supportive, encouraging and containing, whilst also helping people to explore and learn how to manage their emotions with compassion. Highly recommended."
Dr Irons has also written for this site on which part of you is doing the writing when you journal. Read it here →
Nina Holle
Psychotherapist and writer
"This is a wonderful, easy-to-use and transformative journal which will help you befriend your emotions and find more ease and contentment as a result. The journal is rooted in state-of-the-art research that emphasizes the importance of understanding our emotions in order to lower stress and lead a happy and meaningful life."
And two practitioners who use it with clients
Carrie Pollard, MSW RSW
Experienced Psychotherapist
"Being able to identify what you're feeling and compassionately explore the 'why' is central to self-connection and self-growth. The Give Yourself Kindness journal is a steady guide in this process. It helps you name and process your emotions, identify what you need to cope and/or problem-solve, balance the acknowledgment of hurt and suffering with gratitude and comfort, and give yourself the same compassion you would a loved one. For me, journaling has been an important practice for insight, reflection and release, and this is by far my favourite guided journal that I've used!"
Rachael Oliver, MBACP
Accredited Counsellor
"This is my latest of many orders of the Give Yourself Kindness journals. I have been using them with my counselling clients for years and feel like for many, it's an absolutely essential tool for helping build self awareness, compassion, reflect on things happening between sessions and collect thoughts and feelings."
My honest verdict
Here is what I'd say if you asked me directly.
If you'd like to be kinder to yourself
The Give Yourself Kindness Journal. It's recommended by clinical psychologists at Harvard and Oxford, counsellors use it with their own clients, and it helps you answer yourself the way you'd answer a friend.
If you specifically want gratitude
The Gratitude Journal. Thirty different prompts, no numbered lists, and room for the days it doesn't come easily.
If a short, fixed daily routine is what you want
A fixed-format journal like the Five Minute Journal is made for exactly that, and I'd point you there. If you'd like something short but with room to go further on the evenings you want to, mine is undated and has no minimum, so one honest line is a full entry.
If you want a mindfulness practice on paper
Mindfulness journals are their own category, and which one suits you depends on whether you'd like structured prompts or open pages. I've compared them separately in the best mindfulness journals guide.
Guided journals aren't interchangeable. Some are built around gratitude, some around emotional wellbeing, some around goals and habits. Choose for what you'd like more of, and trust yourself on that. You know better than any list does, including this one.
Common questions
What is a guided journal?
A journal with prompts, questions or exercises already on the page, rather than blank paper. It guides you through a theme: emotional wellbeing, gratitude, goals or creativity. Some repeat the same prompt daily and some vary it, which is the main thing to check before buying.
Which guided journal is best if I'm very self-critical?
The Give Yourself Kindness Journal, and it is the reason I made it. The prompts ask you to notice how you're feeling, then write down what you'd say to a friend who felt the same, so the kind words end up in your own handwriting. It has a visual emotion guide on every page and is recommended by clinical psychologists at Harvard Medical School and the University of Oxford.
What do the prompts actually say?
Here is one, word for word: 'What has challenged you today? Talk to yourself as you would talk to a friend—write down what you would say'. The prompts ask you to notice how you're feeling, then write down what you'd say to a friend who felt the same. There are 90 days of them across 224 pages, with no two days the same.
I've tried journaling before and stopped. Will this be different?
It might, and it usually comes down to how the book was made rather than anything about you. The four things worth checking are undated pages, prompts that change, open questions rather than numbered slots, and paper you want to write on. All four are visible before you buy, on any journal anywhere.
What is the best guided journal for mental health?
The Give Yourself Kindness Journal is the one I would point you at, and the only one on this page recommended by clinical psychologists at Harvard Medical School and the University of Oxford. It has a visual emotion guide on every page, and the prompts make room for a difficult day as well as a good one. Counsellors use it with their own clients.
What is the difference between the two journals you make?
The Give Yourself Kindness Journal is for your mental health and wellbeing: 90 days of varied prompts across 224 pages, a visual emotion guide on every page, and prompts that ask you to notice how you're feeling and write down what you'd say to a friend who felt the same. The Gratitude Journal is thirty gratitude prompts, all different, with a guided meditation included. If you would like to be kinder to yourself, take the first; if you want to notice good things without a numbered list, take the second.
How many pages is it, and how long does it last?
The Give Yourself Kindness Journal is 224 pages, A5, 6 by 8.5 inches, holding 90 days of varied prompts. Because it is undated there is no schedule attached, so three months of prompts can comfortably be six months of use. The Gratitude Journal is a thirty-prompt challenge, deliberately short enough to finish.
Is it dated? What happens if I miss days?
Both journals are completely undated. Nothing anywhere prints a day or a date, so there is nothing to be behind on and nothing to catch up. This is the single most useful thing to check on any journal you are considering, mine or anyone else's.
Do I have to write in it every day?
No. The therapists who wrote the beginners' guide on this site take genuinely different views. Psychotherapist Nina Holle finds a daily rhythm works best, and Collette Jones, LCSW, a licensed therapist specialising in perfectionism, suggests allowing yourself the freedom to experiment with different styles and formats until you find what feels right. Both are good advice, for different people, and an undated journal lets you find out which one you are.
What paper is it printed on?
120gsm sustainably sourced, FSC-certified paper in both journals, which is heavier than most notebooks use. The Give Yourself Kindness Journal has a luxury pistachio green cloth cover; the Gratitude Journal has a textured cover and is made in the UK. Both arrive wrapped in bespoke tissue paper.
Does journaling actually work, according to psychologists?
Yes, and decades of studies support it, but Dr Chris Irons adds an important qualification: it depends which part of you is doing the writing. If your self-critic holds the pen, journalling can reinforce a narrow and negative view of yourself. Compassion Focused Therapy works by developing the wise, kind part of you first, and then having that part do the journalling.
Which guided journal do therapists actually recommend?
The Give Yourself Kindness Journal is used by accredited counsellors with their own clients. Rachael Oliver, MBACP, an accredited counsellor, says 'I have been using them with my counselling clients for years'. It is also recommended by Dr Chris Germer of Harvard Medical School, Professor Willem Kuyken of the University of Oxford, and Dr Chris Irons.
Why do gratitude journals sometimes make me feel worse?
Usually the format rather than the practice. Three numbered blank lines on a hard day reads as a test, and when nothing comes the inner critic arrives with 'I should be grateful, what is wrong with me'. Nothing is wrong with you: gratitude just doesn't come to order, and the format was asking it to.
Can a guided journal actually help with anxiety?
It can, when it is built for emotional wellbeing. Naming a feeling precisely tends to reduce its intensity, and answering yourself with kindness rather than criticism eases the second layer anxiety usually carries. It is a supportive tool rather than treatment, so if anxiety is affecting your work, your sleep or your relationships, please do speak to your GP as well.
Are guided journals better than blank ones?
Better if you find the blank page hard to start, which most people do most of the time. A prompt removes the hardest part of the practice, which is deciding what to write, and it also decides which part of you answers. Blank journals suit people with an established habit and plenty to say.
How long before I notice anything?
Usually a shift in self-awareness within a week or two, and something steadier around three to four weeks of fairly regular use. It grows rather than arrives, and you'll notice it sooner than you'd expect.
Is a guided journal a good gift?
It is the most common reason people buy this one, and the undated format is part of why: there is no schedule for the person receiving it to keep to. Every order is wrapped in bespoke tissue paper, and you can add a gift message in the order notes at checkout which is written out by hand before it is sent.
You are enough, exactly as you are. You matter. Both of those are true right now, before you write a single word.
What a journal can give you is somewhere to practise believing it. A page at a time, in your own handwriting, on the days it comes easily and the days it doesn't.
I hope you find the right one for you, whether that's mine or not.
