Journaling for Nurses: How to Find Inspiration Again And Prevent Nurse Burnout
It’s no secret nurses deal with difficult experiences every single day. Long shifts, emotional exhaustion, and chronic stress can drain your energy and leave you questioning why the heck you decide to join the nursing profession in the first place.
As a nurse, I know you’ve experienced burnout or compassion fatigue at some point during your career. Studies show that more than 80% of nurses experiencing burnout cite low staffing as a primary factor, with emotional exhaustion and high workloads close behind.
Maybe you’re feeling burnout right now but you’re looking for a way to find inspiration again and prevent burnout from coming back (and wondering if maybeee journaling for nurses is it for you?)
Honestly, I’ve been you.
I’ve been right where you are, wondering how the heck to continue on this career path and still provide excellent patient care when I’m mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.
So how do you find inspiration again after experiencing burnout in your nursing career?
One of the most effective (yet often overlooked) tools is journaling. Writing things down helps process emotions, gain clarity, and develop a deeper sense of self-awareness. In fact, journaling has been shown to:
Reduce stress
Improve mental clarity
Enhance problem-solving skills
Strengthen emotional resilience
Foster creativity and inspiration
By carving out just a few minutes a day for reflection, you can create space to process your experiences, rediscover your purpose, and build a healthier mindset.
Below, you’ll find seven ways to use journaling to refresh your perspective and reignite your passion for your nursing career — along with prompts to guide your reflections.
Journaling for Nurses: Prompts To Find Inspiration Again and Prevent Burnout
1 | Being Honest With Yourself
The first step in finding inspiration again is acknowledging where you are right now because self-discovery will always play a vital role in finding inspiration, creativity, and joy again.
Brené Brown, in Atlas of the Heart, discusses how we need the appropriate language to define our emotions and express ourselves to our fullest. Brown emphasizes the importance of accurately identifying emotions because the more precise you are in naming what you’re feeling, the better you can process and navigate it.
Journaling allows you to do just that — without judgment, without an audience — just raw honesty from pen to paper.
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
What are three words that describe how I feel about my job today?
What’s weighing on me right now?
What are the biggest stressors in my nursing career right now?
How does my work environment affect my emotional well-being?
When was the last time I felt truly fulfilled in my role as a nurse?
What does burnout feel like in my body? (Describe physical and emotional signs.)
What’s one small change I could make to improve my overall well-being?
How do I feel about nursing compared to when I first started?
If I had complete freedom, what would I want my nursing career to look like?
2 | Set Healthy Boundaries
One major contributor to nurse burnout is the inability to set and maintain boundaries. Whether it’s saying yes to too many extra shifts or feeling guilty for needing time off, boundaries can feel difficult to enforce. But you have the right to choose how you spend your time.
Create healthy boundaries with the people or things around you. But, first, you must decide what you feel are “healthy” versus “unhealthy” boundaries. Journaling can help you reflect on where your energy is being drained and how to set limits that protect your well-being.
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
Where in my life do I feel the most overextended?
Who or what do I need to say “no” to more often?
When have I felt guilty for setting a boundary? Why?
What’s one boundary I can set this week that will protect my energy?
How do I typically respond when someone asks me to do something I don’t have the capacity for?
What’s one way I can advocate for myself at work?
What would a work-life balance that actually supports me look like?
How do I know when I need to step back and recharge?
3 | Try Something New
Sometimes, burnout stems from feeling stuck in routine. Let creativity be your inspiration, and be brave enough to try something you’ve never done before. It could be anything, from learning a new language to painting a masterpiece, from rock climbing to swimming with sharks.
Use your journal to brainstorm activities that bring you joy, and challenge yourself to try one this month. It doesn’t matter what it is because you can always try something different if it doesn’t turn out the way you expected. Take this as an opportunity to explore something new until you find something you truly love.
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
What’s a creative activity I’ve always been curious about but never tried?
When was the last time I learned something just for fun?
What did I love doing as a child that I could revisit as an adult?
What small step could I take toward trying something new this month?
What’s one skill I’ve always wanted to develop?
How do I feel when I try something unfamiliar? Excited? Nervous? Both?
If I could take a class on anything outside of nursing, what would it be?
What’s one experience I want to have within the next year?
4 | Connect With Nature
Nature has an incredible way of helping us reset. Nature can promote peace, reduce feelings of loneliness, lower stress, boost energy, promote cognitive function, and inspire creativity!
Connecting with and being surrounded by nature can enliven all 5 of your senses and spark a sense of harmony with yourself and the world around you. Use journaling to reflect on how you feel when you engage with all the beautiful nature around you.
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
How do I feel before and after spending time outside?
What’s my favorite natural environment (beach, forest, mountains, etc.), and why?
What can I learn from the cycles of nature?
How often do I spend time outside without distractions (phone, music, etc.)?
How could I bring more nature into my daily routine?
What’s one natural place I’ve been wanting to explore?
How does being near water, trees, or fresh air affect my stress levels?
What’s one nature-based activity I can do this week?
5 | Hold Space for Gratitude
Gratitude often feels like a buzzword these days, but regularly practicing gratitude can improve mental resilience and overall well-being, making it an effective tool in how to prevent nurse burnout.
Remember, it is much easier to recognize gratitude when things are going well for you. It is exponentially harder to feel gratitude when times are tough, so when things feel overwhelming, grab your journal and focus on what’s still good in your life.
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
What’s one small moment from today that I’m grateful for?
Who in my life has been especially supportive lately?
What’s a challenge I’ve faced that led to unexpected growth?
How has nursing changed my life for the better?
What’s something about my job that I once took for granted but now appreciate?
What’s a patient interaction that reminded me why I became a nurse?
How do I feel when I focus on gratitude versus when I focus on stress?
What’s one thing I can do to express gratitude toward myself?
6 | Practice Self-Compassion
As nurses, we’re great at showing compassion to others — but often, we’re our own harshest critics. Your relationship with yourself needs to be nurtured, just like any other relationship, because your relationship with others is a direct extension of your relationship with yourself.
You will learn love, kindness, and understanding by caring for yourself first. In turn, you’ll increase your capacity for compassion and improve your interpersonal relationships. If you fill your cup, you’ll have the capacity to fill the cups of others.
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
What’s one kind thing I can say to myself today?
If I were giving advice to a friend in my situation, what would I say?
What’s one mistake I need to forgive myself for?
When do I feel the most critical of myself, and why?
What’s one way I can be gentler with myself this week?
What’s something I love about myself that has nothing to do with my job?
How can I celebrate small wins in my life, even if they seem insignificant?
What’s one comforting phrase I can tell myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed?
7 | Let Go of What No Longer Serves You
Holding onto stress, resentment, or perfectionism can keep you stuck in a cycle of exhaustion and burnout. But letting go doesn’t mean ignoring challenges or pretending problems don’t exist — it just means acknowledging what’s no longer helping you and making space for what will.
Sometimes, we hold onto things because they feel familiar, even when they drain us (like the job you’ve probably been holding onto for a little too long). Whether it’s a difficult patient interaction, an overwhelming workload, or unrealistic self-expectations, ask yourself: Is this weight necessary? Or is it time to set it down?
Releasing what no longer serves you allows you a chance to free yourself and truly grow. You deserve to move forward without unnecessary burdens holding you back, and journaling for nurses can be a great support for walking you through this.
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
What’s one thing I’m holding onto that no longer benefits me?
What fears keep me from moving forward in my career or life?
How does it feel when I imagine letting go of stress and control?
What’s one situation I need to make peace with?
How do I respond when things don’t go as planned?
What’s something I once thought was important but no longer aligns with my values?
What can I do today to take a small step toward letting go?
How would my life change if I released the need to be perfect?
8 | Commit to Positive Daily Routines
We all know burnout doesn’t happen overnight — it builds over time when we neglect our own well-being. Likewise, healing from burnout happens through small, consistent choices that prioritize your needs.
Your daily habits should replenish you, not drain you. It’s the small moments that add up over time, like a morning cup of tea, an evening walk, or five minutes of deep breathing before (or after) a shift.
Your positive daily routines serve as anchors that help you stay grounded and cared for. What small shifts can you make to create a life that feels nourishing rather than depleting?
Journaling Prompts for Nurses:
What does an ideal daily routine look like for me?
What’s one small habit I can implement this week to improve my well-being?
How do I typically start and end my day? Does it support my mental health?
What’s one self-care practice I’ve been neglecting?
How can I make time for joy in my everyday routine?
What’s something simple I can do to make my workday less stressful?
How do I typically recharge after a long shift, and is it effective?
What’s one part of my routine I can improve to make my days easier?
Journaling for Nurses: A Daily Practice for Long-Term Well-Being
As nurses, we pour so much of ourselves into caring for others that it’s easy to forget we need care, too. And if we don’t take time to check in with ourselves, burnout becomes inevitable.
Journaling is a simple but powerful way to reconnect with what brought you to nursing in the first place and help you define and live the life you want to live. It helps you process stress, regain clarity, and rediscover what inspires you.
You don’t need to have all the answers today. Just start with a few minutes, one question at a time. Write honestly. Give yourself grace. And remember — caring for yourself isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. The more you nurture your well-being, the more you’ll be able to give to your patients, your loved ones, and yourself.
So take a deep breath, grab your journal, and start writing.
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