Try These Writing Prompts for Hard Moments or Seasons

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

This morning I had the joy of speaking to a group of caregivers called Amazing Angels, led by a wonderful woman named Nadine Nichols. We talked about something I believe with my whole heart: the words we say to ourselves impact our lives, and writing is one of the most powerful tools we have to change our daily experiences and outlooks.

If you have ever sat in a hard season and thought, "I will never get through this," or, "I do not even know where to start," then this post is for you. You do not have to be a caregiver to need a mindset reset. You just have to be human.

I shared these prompts with the group this morning, and I did not want to keep them to myself. They come from people I admire: Rachel Koltin, my co-leader at Women Connect; Gavin McHale, a gifted mindset coach; and the members of my Cancer Caregiver Support Group of East Tennessee, who show up with courage and grace every single time we meet.

Try these when you have a quiet moment. A cup of coffee, a journal, and five minutes are all you need.

One Word Check-In
Right now, I feel...

Thought Reframe #1
I worry that...
What if...

Thought Reframe #2
How will I ever...
How can I...

Thought Reframe #3
I will never...
For now, I will...

Three Good Things
Even during difficult seasons, there are still good things worth noticing. What are three of yours?

Looking Ahead
I wish I would...
This week, I will...

One Small Step
What is one thing I can do this week to care for myself?

Here is what I want you to notice about these prompts. Every single one of them moves you forward. "I worry that" becomes "What if." "I will never" becomes "For now, I will." That is not toxic positivity. That is the quiet, steady work of choosing a different story, one sentence at a time, and finding HOPE through the power of writing, which changes your thinking.

Here is why that matters to me personally, especially for those of you who are thinking about writing your own story someday: the way you talk to yourself on the hard days is the same voice that will carry your memoir, your devotional, or your legacy book across the finish line. Learning to reframe is not just a mindset skill. Reframing is a writing skill.

If you are curious about what it would look like to write and publish your story with a team that genuinely cares about you, I would love to invite you to schedule a Publishing Pathway Call with one of our Publishing Advisors. There is no pressure, no pitch, and no judgment. We just have a real conversation about your story and where you want to take it.

Books live forever!
Jody Dyer
CEO & Caregiver
Crippled Beagle Publishing and Story Mountain Media