Depression Living With The 10 Best Grief Journals of 2022, According to an Expert Begin your healing journey today By Mary K. Tatum, MS, LMHC Mary K. Tatum, MS, LMHC Mary K. Tatum is a licensed mental health counselor and psychotherapist and has worked in the field of psychology for over 15 years, with seven years in the private practice setting. Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 16, 2021 Learn more." data-inline-tooltip="true"> Fact checked Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Marley Hall Fact checked by Marley Hall Marley Hall is a writer and fact checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education. Learn about our editorial process Print We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Grief is a complicated, confusing, and painfully bewildering process. Many people make the mistake of thinking that time correlates with the degree of healing, but often it does not. The pain of grief can be delayed or surface at surprising times and in surprising ways. Holidays, milestones in life, and general daily reminders can bring up aspects of loss that are still painful and need processing. Grief can often be painful when other people around us have adapted to the changes of life, but we have not yet. We can feel alone and left out all over again. “In grief, we often do not want to move forward for fear that we will forget about our loved ones. Yet be assured, our loved ones would desire our growth,” says Jonathan Rios, LMHC, a licensed psychotherapist. People do not grieve in the same ways or in the same time frame. Some may experience feelings of depression and lethargy, while others may feel angry and the need to stay busy and distracted. It’s important to find resources and support options that work for each person. It’s also important to have compassion for ourselves and others in the understanding that much of the grief process won’t make sense nor will we move through it very gracefully. The important thing is to find what techniques, resources, and daily routines are most helpful for you in the healing process. Here are the best grief journals, according to an expert. Our Top Picks Best for Loss: WordsFromYourHearts Conversations With You Journal at Etsy Jump to Review Best Set: GuidedGriefJournal The Grief Box with Guided Journal at Etsy Jump to Review Best Guidebook: Angel Catcher at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Kids: My Grief Journey at Amazon Jump to Review Most In-Depth: The Grief Workbook at Amazon Jump to Review Best Funny: Grief F*cking Hurts at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Loss of a Father: Dear Dad, I Keep Thinking About at Amazon Jump to Review Best Daily Journal: Taking it Day by Day at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Inspiration: On Coming Alive: Journaling Through Grief at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Family: The Memory Book at Amazon Jump to Review In This Article Expand Our Picks What to Look For in a Grief Journal Why Trust Verywell Mind Best for Loss WordsFromYourHearts Conversations With You Journal Courtesy of WordsFromYourHearts View On Etsy Pros Customizable Hand-made when ordered Includes conversation prompts Cons Not able to be returned or exchanged More expensive than other journals Not having the ability to talk to our loved ones who have passed is one of the most painful parts of loss. When you can no longer call or go see someone anytime you like, the pain of loss returns. Journaling can’t replace conversations with that person, but this hand-made and customized “Conversations with You” journal can provide a place to have conversations you normally would with your loved one. The journal is made with spiral binding for easier writing and durability. Some pages include prompts and others are left blank to help customize entries. Customers can also request their journal pages to be perforated for easy removal if desired. Price at time of publication: $25 Best Set GuidedGriefJournal The Grief Box with Guided Journal Courtesy of GuidedGriefJournal View On Etsy Pros Includes self-care items Includes prompts Valuable keepsake of memories Cons No customizable designs One scent option to choose from Self-care is a crucial part of the grief process and allowing yourself to heal. This healing set comes with a keepsake journal, therapeutic lavender bath soak, and body oil to help with relaxation and stress relief. The journal includes prompts to document happy memories experienced with your loved one and is designed to be a keepsake of happy memories you can return to for years. Buy this set for yourself or as a thoughtful gift for someone you know who is grieving. Price at time of publication: $40 Best Guidebook Angel Catcher: A Journal of Loss and Remembrance Amazon View On Amazon Pros Writings to inspire hope Room for memories and pictures Thoughtful gift Cons More guidebook than journal No spiral binding The Angel Catcher is a combination of a journal, guidebook, and keepsake with room for photographs and space to record memories. The writings help guide readers through the journey of healing from loss while providing plenty of space to personalize and write your own thoughts and healing moments. This journal was designed to be a companion as you go through the grieving and healing process and evolve into a type of time capsule that you can revisit to remember the loved one and celebrate the life they lived as well as your relationship with them. Price at time of publication: $22 Expert Advice “In our grief journey, we should never obligate ourselves to feel a particular way. We cannot force ourselves to move through emotions, we have to feel them as they come. It’s important to choose a grief journal that not only guides you through the stages of grief but also allows you to move through them freely. Denying our own pain is the ultimate block to transformation, so choose a journal that helps you acknowledge your pain freely, “ —Jonathan Rios, LMHC, Licensed Psychotherapist Best for Kids My Grief Journey: Coloring Book and Journal For Kids Amazon View On Amazon Pros Promotes discussion Kid-friendly Helpful words and designs Pros Best if used with an adult More drawing than writing Helping children through the grief process can be a complicated task as children process things differently than adults. Grief and loss can be confusing for children as it is difficult to help them understand adult topics. The Grief Journey coloring book can be a useful tool for both therapists and parents to help promote discussion and conversation when working with a grieving child. Encouraging words and concepts help give children a starting place to begin processing their emotions and experiences, while the coloring designs allow kids to be active and mentally process their experience and grief concepts. Price at time of publication: $13 Most In-Depth The Grief Workbook Amazon View On Amazon Pros In-depth exercises Science-backed techniques Helpful instructions Cons May be too intense for some Best used with therapy The grief process can be intensely confusing which compounds the pain experienced. The Grief Workbook offers more than just writing prompts and uplifting passages. It is designed to educate and help move its reader through seven stages of grief. Full of clear instructions, space for writing, challenges, and explanations to help increase understanding and self-compassion, this book is suitable for a more complex grief and healing process. It is helpful to use in conjunction with therapy to allow for deeper processing and understanding, as some aspects of the workbook may be painful to deal with. Price at time of publication: $15 Best Funny Grief F*cking Hurts Amazon View On Amazon Pros Allows total writing freedom Helpful for angry part of grief High-quality paper Cons Some may not like all writing No spiral binding or perforated edges Be free and in total control of your anger, frustration, and grief with the “Grief F*cking Hurts” Journal. Using high-quality, lined paper, this journal offers 100 gloriously blank pages for you to use however your mood sees fit. Grief shows up in surprising ways and is triggered by the oddest things at times. A blank journal that gives permission to be bewildered, angered, and free to write what you like can be very helpful for some. While some grievers benefit from structure and a well-planned process, others need total freedom to just be themselves. Make this journal exactly what you need it to be. Price at time of publication: $10 How to Maintain a Gratitude Journal for Stress Relief Best for Loss of a Father Dear Dad, I Keep Thinking About Amazon View On Amazon Pros Effective writing prompts Good for past and future experiences Combines healing with keepsake Cons May be too structured for some Short length: 47 pages No one can ever replace a parent, and the loss changes how we live life forever. Part of the pain lies in the specific things we used to talk to that parent about. This journal is made just for conversations with Dad. With writing prompts to encourage healing and resilience along with plenty of space to record all the Dad-specific conversations, the Dear Dad journal is a helpful processing tool and keepsake. The writing prompts are especially unique, such as the prompt “things that will always remind me of my father.” Designed not only to record memories but also to record all the things in the future that you would want Dad to know about. Price at time of publication: $9 Best Daily Journal Taking it Day by Day Amazon View On Amazon Pros Daily prompts Plenty of writing space Mood and energy tracking Cons Some prompts repeat themselves Some may require more guidance This journal is designed specifically for women and addresses several aspects of healing through grief. It includes a daily mood and energy tracker, writing prompts, and space for remembrance. The journal is made to be a slightly smaller size for added convenience when having to move around a lot. The paper is lined, made of high-quality stock, and 110 pages allow for plenty of room to write and document both emotions and memories. Because grief is a daily process, the journal is designed to be used once a day in either short or more in-depth entries. The daily structure and writing prompts help to keep you on your healing journey. Price at time of publication: $8 Best for Inspiration On Coming Alive: Journaling Through Grief Amazon View On Amazon Pros 100 writing prompts Inspirational passages are helpful Addresses deeper topics Cons Best used with therapy Easy to quit using if overwhelmed Grief can make us at a loss for words at times. This journal pairs writing prompts with inspirational writings and quotes from authors and visionaries to help give readers words to go with their confusing emotions. There are 100 writing prompts focused on helping readers work through the most depressing, sad, and dark parts of the grief journey. Because grief can be a complicated and confusing feeling, this journal is designed to help sort out thoughts, memories, things left unsaid, and confusing emotions that remain. It includes an in-depth feelings chart which is very helpful to use when tracking daily emotions, progress, and in therapy sessions. Price at time of publication: $16 Best for Family The Memory Book Amazon View On Amazon Pros Good for families Beautiful colors and design Good keepsake Cons Individual family members may need more Short prompts not enough for some adults Designed to be used as a family, The Memory Book is appropriate for children as young as 4 to participate in. Family members can fill the pages of this journal with photos, keepsakes, and writings to process emotions as a family. This technique helps decrease feelings of loneliness that grief can bring when someone struggles to express themselves. Grief can be especially confusing for children and confusing for adults who aren’t sure how to talk about different aspects of the process. The writing prompts are simple and easy to follow with plenty of room to personalize. The book is short at 64 pages to prevent it from becoming an overwhelming project. Price at time of publication: $18 Final Verdict On Coming Alive (view at Amazon) is the most in-depth journal and addresses not only the sad emotions but the angry and confused emotions of grief as well. The inspirational writings help bring clarity and the writing prompts allow the reader to make the book specific to their experience. The Memory Book (view at Amazon) is a helpful option for children and families to grieve together, remember the loved one together, and improve communication, which decreases the feelings of isolation that grief can create. What to Look For in a Grief Journal Prompts for reflection If you’re new to journaling, you might want to choose a grief journal with lots of very specific prompts to provide direction and guidance. But some journals have fewer prompts or simply blank pages with inspirational quotes—this type is suitable for someone who looks for a journal that offers freedom and flexibility. Customizable pages Grief journals with open, unlined pages can be used for writing, drawing, collaging, scrapbooking, or however else you want to express yourself. If you want to do a bit of everything, look for a journal with a range of page styles, such as fully lined pages, half-lined pages, and one-third-lined pages. Easy to use Whatever else you look for in your grief journal, it shouldn’t require a manual to figure it out. “A grief journal helps capture feelings and thoughts that we can then comb through in therapy, and functions as a kind of reminder,” says Matt Lundquist, founder and clinical director of Tribeca Therapy. “Writing feelings down is a way of holding onto them and encouraging more time to sit with hard feelings, which is an important part of working through grief.” Frequently Asked Questions What is a grief journal? A grief journal can be whatever helps a person move through the emotions and phases of grieving by allowing them to document their feelings, emotions, struggles, and adjusting to daily life. It can be structured with writing prompts, or unstructured, allowing you to write about anything that comes to your mind at the time.The phases of grief often do not correlate with time and can come in unexpected waves, therefore journaling can be done daily, or only on days when the feelings are overwhelming. How does journaling help with grief? Journaling gives us something to do when we don’t know how to handle our emotions or feel powerless to relieve the pain of grief. Journaling gives us somewhere to go to when we can no longer go to the person we lost.We can document our journey through the dark phases of grief and write out feelings we think other people may not understand. Journaling also allows us to look back and see how far we have progressed through pain and challenges that were overcome, which strengthens our self-confidence. How do you write about grief? Some people need prompts to help put words to emotions. Others have so many jumbled thoughts that they can write for a long time but struggle to make sense of it all. You write about grief by just writing about where you are right now and how life has changed because of the loss you've suffered.You can also write about the ways the person or thing you've lost affected your life in a positive way. There is no right or wrong way to write about grief. What does grief do to your brain? “Grief Brain” is a term commonly used to describe feeling scattered, forgetful, overwhelmed by daily tasks, sad, and angry, and even disoriented. Loss can be traumatic and change the way your brain processes thoughts or even how you think about your identity.The intense feelings of grief can shock your brain and cause it to feel confused and foggy. This will improve as you heal and begin to feel better. Why Trust Verywell Mind As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with over 15 years’ experience working with clients to improve mental and emotional health, Mary K Tatum understands the importance of finding quality resources and techniques that work for each person. Not everyone will have the same kind of healing journey, therefore, having lots of options to choose from is vitally important in creating a lifestyle that combats mental illness and promotes health and wellbeing. 2 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. University of Washington. The stages of grief: Accepting the unacceptable. American Heart Association. How grief rewires the brain and can affect health-and what to do about it. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? 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