Best Guided Journals for Mental Health [2023]

The benefits of journaling for anxiety and depression have been long proven to work, and I can personally attest to that. It has helped me so much as journals became my personal confidant during those “dark days”. However, I know a lot of people still can’t seem to start with it because they’re not the writing type—which is why guided journals for mental health are becoming more and more popular.

What Is a Guided Journal?

A guided journal serves as a powerful tool for self-reflection and self-discovery. It goes beyond a regular journal by providing a structured format that includes thought-provoking prompts, engaging activities, and insightful exercises. This purposeful design encourages you to delve deeper into your thoughts, emotions, and experiences, fostering a greater understanding of yourself.

Think of it like you’re a celebrity being interviewed for a talk show or writing on your friend’s slam book back in the ’90s (except this one is relatively more personal).

I’ve seen a lot of reviews on how manufacturers basically print the same questions on a couple of pages and easily *earn* from that, but I think it doesn’t really matter if they do. I’d like to think guided journals exist because it helps us have some self-reflection. It’s still up to us how we’re going to use these journals to boost our mental health.

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How to Use Guided Journaling for Anxiety and Depression

It’s recommended to incorporate guided journals for mental health into your morning routine. This is when you’re still setting the mood for your day. Answer all the prompts honestly—write for your eyes only.

Because frankly, journaling for anxiety and depression accounted for about 50 percent of my healing process. I truly believe that healing starts with us, and we can only do that once we learn to be completely honest with ourselves—and that’s where journaling comes in.

Most guided journals for mental health only take about five minutes to answer, again depending on the journal you choose, so it’s important to really pick the right one for you.

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Best Guided Journals for Mental Health

Note: this section contains affiliate links. This means I might receive a small commission when you purchase products through the links on my post. Rest assured that I always recommend products that I like and/or are best-sellers.

Shine Sparkle Slay: Daily Self Care Journal for Women

This self-care journal for women is a comprehensive and beautifully-designed guided journal by Shine Sparkle Slay. It aims to help you pay attention to your mindfulness and personal development, thanks to its thoughtful prompts and engaging content.

From intention setting and self-care ideas to routine trackers and monthly sections, this one is perfect if you want to reduce stress, boost productivity, or improve your overall mood.

Available in blue or pink covers, this journal comes in A5 size and 120gsm premium paper.

Let That Sht Go: A Journal for Leaving Your Bullsht Behind and Creating a Happy Life

Journals for mental health — **Buy on Amazon**

Perhaps my favorite among Monica Sweeney’s Zen as F*ck series, Let That Sh*t Go is perfect for anyone who can’t seem to let go of any baggage. It includes questions that will ultimately help you replace those negative thoughts. Although, it does have a good amount of profanity, too.

Good to know: this one is marked as #1 Best Seller under Self-Help & Psychology Humor on Amazon.

Price: $8.99

Burn After Writing (Celestial)

The Burn After Writing series is a quirky guided journal that includes entertaining prompts and activities for self-reflection. The overall concept is quite catchy for me because I used to burn (or dispose of) old journals with entries that I wanted to let out at the time but didn’t want to remember in the long run.

P.S. the majority of bad reviews are about missing matches from the package. But overall, the journal prompts are thought-provoking, helping you to make sense of your past experiences for a better future.

The cover is also catchy and this is something I’d want to use as a boho decor.

The Five Minute Journal

This is one of the simplest guided journals for mental health that I’ve seen so far, but still tackling the important aspects of self-reflection. It will literally only take you five minutes as it only has five questions to answer per day.

It comes in four colors—original canvas, bold black, earth green, and sunshine yellow—but the original canvas is definitely my pick.

Price: $29.99

Soul Therapy: A 365 day journal for self exploration, healing and reflection

The Soul Therapy guided journal is perfect to buy alongside your planner as it has 365 days’ worth of prompts to guide you throughout the year. The goal of this journal is to help you create healthy habits, release stress, and of course, understand yourself better, among many other things.

A disclaimer from the book though:

P.S: The word “Therapy” in the title is just for fun! The journal is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Price: $19.99

Daily Positivity Journal For Happiness, Wellness, Mindfulness & Self Care

I think the cover is very witty because if I saw this at the bookstore, I would most likely be curious to know what makes it “the best journal ever”. Apart from being a cool journal for mental health, it also has a section for habit trackers, which I think is a really good bonus.

This guided journal comes with a premium white box so it’s easily a great gift for the holidays.

Price: $20

369 Manifesting Journal

As someone obsessed with patterns, I’m really close to buying this guided journal. It introduces the significance of the numbers 369 and how the method can be used to manifest what you want. It also includes a to-do list section, along with some affirmations to .

If you’ve read or watched The Secret, you’re also likely to pick this one.

Price: $13.93

You Are My Fcking Sunshine: A Gratitude Journal for the Sht That Makes Your World Happy and Bright

Another guided journal from Monica Sweeney’s Zen as F*ck series, You Are My F*cking Sunshine leans more towards practicing gratitude, with quirky and entertaining prompts to keep everything in your life bright and sunny.

Again, this has lots of profanity in it so if you’re not into that then this is not the journal for you.

Price: $12.01

Gratitude Journal for Women: A Daily 5 Minute Guide for Mindfulness, Positivity, Affirmation and Self Care

Personally, I feel like this is one of the journals that I would buy at the bookstore at first sight just because the cover looks so pretty (would even look good on display as a bedroom decor). I love how classy it looks with its premium hardcover and gold stamping, paired with a minimalistic layout inside.

As a gratitude journal, its goal is as simple as helping you flush out what you’re thankful for every day. And the overall feel of it is perfect for the modern woman.

Price: $13.49

Getting to Good: A Guided Journal

As the cover implies, Getting to Good will guide you to practice mindfulness and gratitude through writing prompts prepared by licensed clinical psychologist Lena Walsh. This guided journal features science-backed methods so you’re sure you’re on the right track.

Price: $11.60

Burn After Writing (Pink)

Another one from the Burn After Writing series, this one feels like answering a slam book but it’s all about yourself. But can we talk about the pretty old rose cover?

Plus, this one is marked as #1 Best Seller under Fiction Writing Reference on Amazon.

Price: $16.12