Enrichment · Wellbeing

Five minutes a day
to think it over.

A short, specific question is easier to answer than “how was your day”. Pick who is writing and what to reflect on, and get a prompt for every day of the week, each with a nudge for when the page stays blank.

Get this week’s promptsWhat you get

Deal a week of reflection prompts

The worked example is made up: a grade 7 journal week and two weeks for an adult. Your answers belong in your own notebook; this page keeps only the prompts.

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What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
A school week, a week or two weeks of reflection prompts for one writer, each with a line for when you are stuck, a writing timer, and prompts marked done or starred to come back to.
Who it is for
Students in grades 3 to 12, teachers running a journal routine or an advisory, and adults building a daily reflection habit.
Format
Browser prompt generator with saved sets and a writing timer. Prints the prompts as cut-out cards or a list; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Choose who is writing and what to reflect on.
  2. Each day, open the next prompt in the present view and start the timer.
  3. Write in your own notebook until the timer ends, even if it is one sentence.
  4. Mark the prompt done, and star the ones worth answering again.
  5. Every week or two, read back what you wrote.

Get this week’s prompts

What a few minutes of reflection does

Six things to reflect onFocusA prompt from the pageMy dayWhat would you do differently if you could replay today?LearningWhat was confusing today, and what question would clear it up?PeopleWho helped you today, and how?FeelingsName three feelings you had today and when.GoalsWhat is one small thing you want to do tomorrow?GratitudeList three things that went well and why.Six things to reflect onMy dayA prompt from the page: What would you do differently if you could replay today?LearningA prompt from the page: What was confusing today, and what question would clear it up?PeopleA prompt from the page: Who helped you today, and how?FeelingsA prompt from the page: Name three feelings you had today and when.GoalsA prompt from the page: What is one small thing you want to do tomorrow?GratitudeA prompt from the page: List three things that went well and why.
Drawn for this page. A mix of focuses keeps a daily habit from going stale.

Writing it down helps a little

An analysis of 146 studies of writing about thoughts and feelings found a small but real benefit on average. Expect a modest habit, not a cure: the value builds over weeks.

Naming and noticing

Putting feelings into words and noticing what went well both have research behind them. In one study, people who kept weekly lists of things they were grateful for felt better about their lives than people who listed hassles.

When reflection is not enough

These prompts are for everyday thinking. If writing brings up something that keeps hurting, or thoughts of not wanting to be here, stop and talk to someone you trust: a parent, a school counselor, a doctor, or call or text 988.

Sources

  1. Frattaroli, J. (2006). Experimental disclosure and its moderators: A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(6), 823 to 865. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.6.823
  2. Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377 to 389. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
  3. Lieberman, M. D., et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421 to 428. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x
  4. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Prompts were written for this page; the example sets are made up. This page keeps prompts, not your answers, and it is not therapy or a mental health assessment. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.