Journaling Prompts for Work-Life Balance
The phrase 'work-life balance' has almost become meaningless from overuse—but the feeling underneath it is real. The feeling that work expands to fill every available space. That there's no hour that isn't potentially a work hour. That rest feels dangerous, or guilty, or unearned. This isn't just a scheduling problem; it's often a deeper belief about what makes you acceptable, valuable, or safe. Writing about it isn't about hacks or time-blocking. It's about getting honest about what you're trading, why you've agreed to that trade, and whether you've ever actually consented to it.
Journaling Prompts
What does a good day actually look like for you—not a productive day, but a day you go to sleep feeling like it mattered? How often does your life currently look like that?
What do you believe will happen if you stop being available for work outside of work hours? Write out the fear specifically. Is it grounded in evidence, or in a story you've told yourself?
What is work giving you beyond money—identity, purpose, distraction, control, belonging? Are those needs being met in any other area of your life?
What have you told yourself you'll do 'when things slow down'? Write that list out. How long has that list been waiting? What would it mean to start one thing on it now, without waiting?
Who in your life is most affected by your current relationship with work? Have you ever asked them what they actually experience? What would it mean to take that seriously?