40 Morning Journal Prompts

Updated 2026-09-29 · By the Journal for iPad team

A few minutes of writing before the day starts can settle your head and point it somewhere useful. These 40 morning journal prompts cover waking up, planning the day, checking in with your body and remembering what you're working toward.

Morning prompts or morning pages?

There are two common ways to journal in the morning. The first is prompts: answer one or two questions, which takes about five minutes. The second is morning pages, a practice from Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way: you write three pages by hand, first thing, about whatever comes up, without stopping or editing. Morning pages are more of a brain dump than a reflection. If you want to try them, read our guide to morning pages or use the morning pages template.

The prompts below work either way: answer one on its own, or use it as a starting line when a blank page feels like too much.

Prompts for waking up

Start with what's already in your head. These don't need an answer so much as a place to begin.

1. Start with whatever was in your head as you fell asleep, and keep going. (From our Morning Pages Month program)
2. Did you dream? Write down whatever pieces you remember, even if they make no sense.
3. What's the first thing you noticed when you woke up?
4. Describe the room you're sitting in as if you'd never seen it before.
5. What was the first worry that showed up this morning? Write it down so it doesn't follow you around all day.
6. What are you craving this morning: food, quiet, company, movement?
7. Write for five minutes, starting with the words “Right now I…”
8. What were you thinking about in the shower?
9. What from yesterday haven't you quite finished thinking about?
10. Describe the mood of this morning in a single image.

Prompts to plan the day

Keep the plan small. One or two answers here are better than a full schedule.

1. It's 9 p.m. and today went well. What happened? Write it in the past tense.
2. Which task will make the rest of the day easier once it's done?
3. What are you tempted to do first that isn't important?
4. Which meeting, call or errand are you not looking forward to? Write the first sentence you'll say.
5. Where are the gaps in today? What will you use them for?
6. What does “good enough” look like for today's biggest task?
7. What's one thing you'll do today just because you enjoy it?
8. Who could use a message from you today?
9. What can you say no to today?
10. What time will you stop working today? Write it down.

Prompts to check in with your mind and body

How you feel in the morning shapes how the rest of the day goes. Notice it before you start.

1. How does your body feel right now, from head to feet?
2. How much energy do you have, from 1 to 10? How will you plan today to match it?
3. What's one thing you'll do for your body before noon?
4. Which emotion woke up with you?
5. Write about the thing you're dreading until it's the ordinary size it actually is. (From our Morning Pages Month program)
6. What would help you feel steady today?
7. What would a calmer version of you do differently this morning?
8. What are you looking forward to eating today?
9. How would you like to feel when you get into bed tonight?
10. What's one kind thing you can say to yourself before you start?

Prompts for the bigger picture

Use one of these once a week, so your mornings stay connected to what you care about.

1. What would a good week look like from here?
2. What are you working toward right now, in one sentence?
3. What small step toward it fits into today?
4. What have you been meaning to start? Could you give it ten minutes today?
5. If you woke up 20 minutes earlier, what would you add to your morning? What would you drop?
6. Which idea keeps coming back to you lately?
7. What are you learning in this season of your life?
8. Who do you want to be this year, in three words? What does that mean for today?
9. What are you glad to wake up to?
10. What question do you want to carry around with you today?

Keep it short and keep it going

Put your journal next to the coffee maker or on your nightstand so it's the first thing you see. If you'd like a structured start, the 30-day Morning Pages Month in Journal for iPad gives you a different opening line each morning. For evenings, see our daily journal prompts, or browse all journal prompts.

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