journal prompts for relationships

the people close to you

1. 1who do you feel most like yourself around, and what do they do differently?
2. 2which relationship takes more than it gives right now?
3. 3who have you been meaning to call for months?
4. 4what do you appreciate about someone that you’ve never said out loud?
5. 5which friendship has changed shape, and how do you feel about it?
6. 6who knows the real version of your week?
7. 7who do you only see in groups, and would you like more than that?
8. 8who did you want to tell first the last time something good happened?

how you show up

1. 9how do you show care, and how do you like to receive it?
2. 10what do you do when you’re hurt but don’t want to say so?
3. 11which conversation have you been avoiding, and what would the first sentence be?
4. 12when do you give advice when someone just wanted you to listen?
5. 13what do you need from people that you rarely ask for?
6. 14how do you act when you feel left out?
7. 15what pattern do you notice in your arguments?
8. 16what kind of friend are you when you’re stressed?

partners and closeness

1. 17what made you feel close to someone this week?
2. 18what’s a small ritual you share with someone, and what does it mean to you?
3. 19what do you wish a partner, now or future, understood about you?
4. 20what does feeling safe with someone look like for you?
5. 21which of your needs is easy to meet, and which is hard to ask for?
6. 22what did the relationships you grew up around teach you to expect?
7. 23when do you feel most cared for?

boundaries and repair

1. 24where do you say yes when you mean maybe?
2. 25what’s a boundary you held recently, and how did it feel afterward?
3. 26who do you owe an apology, and who owes you one?
4. 27what would repair look like with someone you’ve drifted from?
5. 28which relationship do you want to put more into this month?
6. 29what could you do this week to make someone feel seen?
7. 30what are you no longer willing to pretend about?

how to use these

• Pick one prompt. Not the best one, just the one that catches.
• Write for five minutes. Set a timer if it helps, and stop when it rings.
• One line is a fine answer. Some days that is the whole entry.
• Don’t edit while you write. Nobody grades this.
• If a prompt doesn’t fit, skip it. Come back in a month and it might.
• Write about the relationship, not just the other person. You’re the only one in it you can change.

more journal prompts