Here is a step-by-step guide to journaling and a few journal prompts you can complete if you are trying to cope with failures.
Handling failure is tough for everyone. Imagine adding narcissistic abuse to the mix. Failure can be very hard to deal with if you are surrounded by narcissists or were a victim of narcissistic abuse.
In this article, journal prompts are included for dealing with failures.
Years of gaslighting and abuse can take away your ability to see things clearly. Journaling is a great way to attain that clarity and gain perspective.
You need to deeply think about certain emotions and where they are coming from to take the next steps after a failure.
Before attempting the journal prompts, pay attention to the following reminders:
Set Realistic Expectations for Journaling
Journaling is going to be a difficult experience. Thinking deeply about some unpleasant incidents in your life will not be fun.
You have to move beyond a lot of emotions like guilt, fear, shame, etc., to come to a rational conclusion to a problem.
Find a Peaceful Location
Find a safe space to write down the prompts. You can light a candle, clean your space—make the space your own.
Make sure there is nothing to disturb you at that time. Set aside 10-20 minutes for journaling.
Set Aside Some Time After Journaling to Relax
Some journal prompts can be difficult to process and may bring up unpleasant memories. It’s important to take time to relax after journaling.
You can go for a walk, take a shower, or do some deep breathing exercises.
You can attempt the following journal prompts on different days in the order they are given.
Journal Prompt 1
Write down how you feel about yourself. Write down all the emotions that you feel in this moment—it could be guilt, shame, fear, or helplessness.
Write down why you are feeling what you are feeling.
For example:
“I feel like a loser. I am feeling guilty because I could have tried better.”
Out of these emotions and feelings, how many have you heard a narcissist say to you? Are there any words that came from a narcissist’s mouth?
Are any of these emotions based on what a narcissist told you? Are you judging yourself based on anything a narcissist said that you internalized?
If so, correct that part and rewrite what you truly feel about yourself. Try to write something positive.
For example:
Instead of writing
“I feel like a loser.”
rewrite the sentence as
“I failed at one attempt. I will try again. It is not the end of the world.”
Journal Prompt 2
Write down the reasons why you think you failed—the genuine reasons.
This is not the time to be emotional. Just factually state what could be the possible reasons.
Ponder over how much of it is due to narcissistic abuse. Does your mental and physical health have a role to play in this failure?
There is a general perception that we cannot blame other people for our failures. It is not always true. Narcissists will work actively and passively for someone else’s failure.
So sometimes a person could be the reason for your failure.
Journal Prompt 3
What are the lessons you learned from this failure?
What were the impacts of narcissistic abuse in this failure and how will you make sure it doesn’t show up in the future?
Journal Prompt 4
Moving forward, what changes would you like to implement in your life?
Write down one change you will make in four aspects: work, relationships, physical health, and mental health.
Having hope can help you move forward. Create small goals for motivation. Explore our dream life planning and vision board creation for inspiration.
Additional Resources:
https://spiritualprimate.com/50-journaling-prompts-to-unravel-the-hidden-lessons-in-failure/
https://rabbisgreenberg.medium.com/how-to-keep-a-failure-journal-162193e89e4b
https://www.thecorporatesister.com/blog/keep-failure-journal/