27 Journal Prompts for When You've Done Everything Right as a Mom (And Something Still Feels Off)
You've read the blogs, listened to the podcasts, highlighted the books. You're doing everything "right" - so why don't you feel better?
Hey there, beautiful human who happens to be a mom.
I'm Kayla Huszar, a Registered Social Worker and Expressive Arts Therapist who helps millennial mothers rediscover their authentic selves through mindfulness and therapeutic art. I work with women who've done ALL the "right" things in motherhood but still feel disconnected from themselves - because sometimes the problem isn't that you need more tips or strategies.
Sometimes you just need space to escape, breathe, pause, feel, express, and be create.
As a mom, you've likely done ALL the "right" things.
You did some type of post secondary education, got a job, got married, had kids... maybe not in that order... but most of the clients I work with have a checklist of things they've done, planned for and researched and executed... So if you're anything like me (a little type a-b-ish) you've read the blogs. You've listened to the podcasts. You've highlighted the books. And still… You don't feel fun. Regulated. Present. Better.
You just feel… fried, frantic, frazzled (and even if you don't feel that way now, you know what I'm talking about). Like a once-sparkly version of yourself who now runs on cold coffee and leftover goldfish.
Sure, there are moments - bursts of joy, giggles, a bedtime routine that hits just right. But there's also the heaviness. The always-open mental tabs. The silent seething. The guilt. The mental load.
The ache of wanting more you in your life, and not knowing how to get her back.
When Being a "Good Mom" Leaves You Feeling Empty
You love your kids. You love your partner. You love your life (on paper). But if you're honest? You're craving more for yourself. More joy. More fun. More pleasure. More freaking aliveness.
Some days, you're the softest place your kids can land. Other days, you're the scariest one in the room. (Been there. Sat on that bathroom floor. No judgment.)
You're crushing it one moment, and fantasizing about a solo cabin with no Wi-Fi and no one saying "mom" for at least 72 hours the next.
Wouldn't it feel freaking amazing if #momlife just paused for a sec?
So you could exhale. Let go of the rage. Tell your inner critic to chill. And finally feel like yourself again?
It's exhausting trying to be someone you're not. You don't need to be fixed. You don't need more tips. You need space to feel. To express. To be held.
Why Journaling Helps When Nothing Else Does
Here's what I've learned working with hundreds of overwhelmed mothers: sometimes the very act of trying to be "better" keeps us stuck in patterns that don't serve us. We intellectualize our way out of feelings that need to be felt.
Journaling isn't about finding solutions or fixing yourself. It's about creating space for your authentic voice - the one that gets buried under mental loads and endless to-do lists. It's about reconnecting with your inner rebellious teenager, the version of you who knew exactly who she was before the world told her who she should be.
These prompts aren't therapy homework. They're invitations to explore the messy, beautiful complexity of your inner world without judgment. They're permission slips to feel whatever you're feeling and express it authentically.
27 Journal Prompts for Feeling More Like YOU
When Everything Feels Heavy
1. What am I feeling right now that I've been trying to think my way out of?
2. If my exhaustion could speak, what would it say to me?
3. Where in my body do I feel the weight of being "on" all the time?
4. What do I need to unclench - in my body, my mind, my heart?
5. What would it feel like to let someone else be the strong one for once?
6. If I could scream into the void right now, what would I scream?
7. What am I grieving about my pre-mom self that I haven't admitted yet?
8. What does my sadness need from me today?
9. What does my anger want me to know?
Finding Your Way Back to You
10. Who was I before I became afraid of being a burden?
11. What did my rebellious teenager self know that adult me has forgotten?
12. What part of myself have I been hiding to be a "good mom"?
13. What am I denying myself because I think I'm "not good at it"?
14. What "rules" about motherhood would I break if no one was watching?
15. If I could spend a day being completely selfish, what would I do?
16. What would I do if I trusted my instincts completely?
17. What might my intuition whisper to me when everything else is quiet?
18. If my frustration was a color, what would it be? How would I paint with it?
Creating Space for What You Actually Want
19. When I pause to really see the good in my life, what do I notice?
20. Do I need a digital detox? What would that look like?
21. When I look back on this season of motherhood, I see...
22. How can I remember that there are many good ways to be a good mom?
23. Anger, what do you want from me?
24. What does my soul crave?
25. If I could give myself three gifts that money can't buy, what would they be?
26. What would change if I treated myself with the same fierce love I give my children?
27. If I could write a love letter to my future self, what would I want her to know?
What If You Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out?
Look, I'm not going to tell you that journaling will magically solve everything or that you need to write perfectly formed thoughts. Sometimes my journal entries look like angry scribbles or the same word written seventeen times because that's what my brain needed to do.
The point isn't to have profound insights or beautiful handwriting. The point is to let whatever's swirling around in there come out - messy, incomplete, contradictory, real. Your authentic voice doesn't need to make sense to anyone else. It just needs to be heard by you.
When You're Ready to Go Deeper
If these prompts stir something up and you find yourself craving more space to explore, express, and be held in community with other mothers who just get it, I'd love to invite you to check out The Motherload Membership.
It's an online space where moms can put down the mental load and reconnect with themselves through expressive arts, weekly open studio hours, and authentic community. Because sometimes what we need isn't another strategy - it's a brave space to be exactly who we are.
You don't need to fit into any version of motherhood. You already belong, and you are enough.
Want more support in reconnecting with your authentic self? The Motherload Membership is a brave space for mothers to explore their identities beyond motherhood through expressive arts and genuine community. Learn more about how creativity can help you feel like yourself again.
Follow Kayla on her Instagram account @kayla.huszar
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This information is for educational purposes only. Kayla cannot provide personalized advice or recommendations for your unique situation or circumstances. Therefore, nothing on this page or website should replace therapeutic recommendations or personalized advice. If you require such services, please consult with a medical or therapeutic provider to determine what's best for you. Kayla cannot be held responsible for your use of this website or its contents. Please never disregard or delay seeking medical or therapeutic treatment because of something you read or accessed through this website.
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