30 Shadow Work Journaling Prompts for Grief
Use these prompts throughout autumn or whenever you're ready to face your shadows with compassion.
How to Use These Prompts
Set the container:
Find a quiet space where you feel safe
Light a candle or create a cozy atmosphere
Have tissues nearby (grief often brings tears)
Set a timer for 15-20 minutes
Write without censoring - this is for your eyes only
Remember:
You don't have to answer them in order
Skip any that feel too tender right now
Return to prompts multiple times as you evolve
There are no "right" answers
Your grief is valid, whatever form it takes
Physical Grief & Body Loss
Prompt 1: The Body I'm Grieving
Describe the version of your body you're mourning. What could it do that it can't now? How did it feel to inhabit that body? What do you miss most?
Prompt 2: What My Body Is Trying to Tell Me
If your physical pain, illness, or limitation could speak, what would it say? What message has it been trying to deliver that you've been avoiding?
Prompt 3: The Energy I Used to Have
Write about a time when you had energy and vitality you no longer possess. What did you do with that energy? How does it feel to have lost it? What are you learning from its absence?
Relational Grief & Connection Loss
Prompt 4: The Relationship I'm Mourning
Describe the relationship as it was at its best. What did it give you? What role did you play? Who were you in that relationship? What version of yourself died when it ended?
Prompt 5: What I Didn't Get to Say
Write the conversation you never got to have. What needed to be said but wasn't? What do you wish they knew? What do you wish they had said to you?
Prompt 6: The Future That Won't Happen
Describe the future you imagined with this person (partner, friend, family member) that will never exist. What specific moments are you grieving? What dreams died with this relationship?
Prompt 7: Who I Was With Them
Explore the version of yourself that existed in this relationship. What parts of you came alive? What parts did you suppress? Who are you now without them to reflect on yourself?
Mother-Daughter Grief
Prompt 8: The Mother I Needed
Describe the mother you needed but didn't have. Be specific about what was missing. What would she have said, done, or understood that your actual mother couldn't provide?
Prompt 9: The Daughter My Mother Wanted
Who did your mother want or need you to be? How is that different from who you actually are? What parts of yourself did you hide to try to be that daughter?
Prompt 10: The Conversation We'll Never Have
Write the mother-daughter conversation you've always longed for but will probably never experience. What healing would happen if this conversation could occur? What keeps it from being possible?
Prompt 11: What I Inherited That I'm Ready to Release
What beliefs, fears, or patterns did you inherit from your mother that you're ready to let go? How have these inheritances shaped your life? What would change if you were to release them?
Dream Grief & Lost Possibilities
Prompt 12: The Life I'm Not Living
Describe in detail the life you imagined for yourself that you're not actually living. What does a day look like in that alternate life? What version of yourself exists there?
Prompt 13: The Path Not Taken
Write about the significant choice or turning point where you chose one path over another. What would life look like if you'd chosen differently? What are you mourning about the unchosen path?
Prompt 14: The Dreams I'm Still Carrying
What dreams or desires are you holding onto that need to either be pursued or released? Why have you kept them but not acted on them? What would it take to either commit or let go?
Prompt 15: The Person I Thought I'd Be By Now
Who did younger-you expect you'd be at this age? How is your actual life different from what you imagined? What judgments do you hold about this difference?
Innocence, Grief & Lost Trust
Prompt 16: Before and After
Describe who you were before [the trauma/betrayal/loss]. What changed in you after it happened? What parts of yourself did you lose that you're still mourning?
Prompt 17: The Trust I Can't Get Back
What did you use to trust that you can no longer trust? How has this loss of trust changed how you move through the world? What do you miss about that innocence?
Prompt 18: The Beliefs That Broke
What did you believe about life, love, safety, or goodness that you can no longer believe? How did those beliefs serve you? What have you had to think instead?
Shadow Emotions & Hidden Grief
Prompt 19: The Grief I'm Not Supposed to Feel
What are you grieving that you think you "shouldn't" be sad about? Why do you judge this grief as invalid? What would change if you gave yourself full permission to grieve it?
Prompt 20: The Anger Under My Sadness
Grief often hides anger. Who are you angry at about this loss? What feels safer - sadness or anger? What would you say if you let yourself be fully angry?
Prompt 21: The Relief I'm Afraid to Acknowledge
Is there any part of you that feels relief about this loss? What are you relieved about? Why does this relief feel forbidden or shameful?
Prompt 22: The Guilt That Won't Let Go
What do you feel guilty about related to this loss? Did you do something wrong, or is this inherited/learned guilt? If you could forgive yourself, what would you say?
Grief Patterns & Cycles
Prompt 23: How Grief Feels in My Body
Where do you feel grief physically? Describe the sensation in detail. What does your body do when grief arrives? What does it need from you?
Prompt 24: When Grief Hits Hardest
What times, places, or triggers make your grief most intense? What patterns do you notice? What helps you move through these moments?
Prompt 25: The Stages I'm Cycling Through
Grief isn't linear. What stages (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance) are you moving between? Which one feels most comfortable? Which one are you avoiding?
Healing & Integration
Prompt 26: What This Grief Has Taught Me
As painful as it is, what has this grief shown you about yourself, about life, or about what matters? What wisdom have you gained that you wouldn't have without this loss?
Prompt 27: Who I'm Becoming Through This Loss
Loss changes us. How are you different because of this grief? What parts of yourself are emerging? What old versions of yourself are you leaving behind?
Prompt 28: The Relationship I Have With This Grief Now
How do you relate to your grief today? Is it an enemy, a teacher, a companion? How has your relationship with it evolved? What would you like it to become?
Prompt 29: What Wants to Emerge From This Darkness
When you sit with your grief and shadows, what whispers of new growth do you sense? What wants to be born from this ending? What's waiting on the other side?
Prompt 30: How I Want to Honor This Loss
How do you want to carry this grief forward in a way that honors what or who you lost? What ritual, practice, or change would feel like a meaningful tribute?
Special Prompts for Different Types of Grief
For Physical Health Grief:
"The abilities I took for granted were... Now that I've lost them, I realize... My body is asking me to..."
For Divorce/Breakup Grief:
"The version of love I believed in was... This relationship taught me that love... I'm learning that I deserve..."
For Friendship Loss:
"This friendship mattered because... It ended when... What I learned about myself from losing them is..."
For Parental Loss:
"What I needed to hear from my mother/father before they died/before it was too late is... If I could speak to them now, I would say... The part of them I carry forward is..."
For Miscarriage/Infertility Grief:
"The future I imagined included... My body feels... What I need others to understand is... How I'm learning to nurture myself is..."
For Career/Identity Loss:
"I built my identity around... When that ended, I lost... Who I'm discovering I am without that is..."
Using These Prompts in Community
These prompts are designed for personal reflection, but they can also be powerful when shared in safe community spaces.
In The Soft Hearts Society™, we:
Share our responses to prompts in weekly healing circles
Witness each other's grief without trying to fix it
Hold space for the full spectrum of grief emotions
Celebrate the courage it takes to face our shadows
If you're using these prompts alone and want support:
Consider joining The Soft Hearts Society™ for community healing
Work with a therapist who understands grief as a process
Share your reflections with trusted friends who can witness without fixing
Remember: grief shared is grief lessened
Grief Shadow Work Self-Care Reminders
After journaling, practice:
Grounding: Feel your feet on the floor, your breath in your body
Hydration: Drink water - grief is dehydrating
Movement: Gentle stretching or walking to move emotion through
Compassion: Speak to yourself as you would a dear friend
Rest: Honor if you need to lie down or be still
If journaling brings up overwhelming emotions:
Put the pen down and breathe
Place a hand on your heart
Say: "This is grief. It's valid. I'm safe."
Reach out for support if needed
Return to the prompt when you're ready
A Gentle Closing
Beautiful soul, your willingness to face your shadows and acknowledge your grief is an act of profound courage.
These prompts aren't meant to be completed quickly or perfectly. They're companions for your grief journey - tools you can return to again and again as you move through the waves of loss.
Some days you'll write pages. Other days, you'll write one sentence. Both are enough.
Some prompts will crack you open. Others will feel irrelevant. Trust what resonates.
Some grief will resolve. Other grief you'll learn to carry differently. All of it is valid.
Your shadows aren't your enemy - they're parts of your wholeness waiting to be welcomed home with love.
We're holding space for your grief, beautiful soul. You're not alone in this darkness.
Download & Share
Save these prompts:
Print this page for your journal
Save to your notes app
Create a beautiful handwritten version
Share with others:
Send to a friend who's grieving
Post your favorite prompt on social media (tag us on Instagram: @alloniarose)
Use in your own healing circles or grief groups
Join us for more:
Your grief deserves to be witnessed. Your shadows deserve compassion. Your healing matters. 🤍🍂
