Fear Journaling Prompts: 10 Guided Reflections to Help You Reclaim Courage
Feeling afraid or stuck? These 10 therapist-written prompts help you explore fear, challenge irrational thoughts, and move forward with strength.
Updated on
June 24, 2025
Fear protects — but it can also paralyze.
These journaling prompts, written by Jon (a Licensed Mental Health Counselor), help you explore the roots of fear, question what’s real, and loosen its grip on your thoughts and decisions.
You’ll also find many of these prompts in the Stoic app’s emotion check-in — so you can reflect in real time when fear shows up in your day.
✍️ 10 Journaling Prompts to Process Fear
1. What situation is making you feel this way?
Focus on what happened — not yet why.
2. Why do you think this is making you feel afraid?
What meaning are you assigning to this event?
3. Take five minutes to free-write:
“I may be in a state of fear right now, but I can live courageously by…”
4. Complete this sentence:
“I’m afraid that…”
Naming the fear is the first step toward understanding it.
5. Where did this fear begin?
How old were you? Where were you? Did someone teach you this fear?
6. Has this fear ever kept you safe — physically or emotionally?
If so, thank it. Then ask: is it still serving me now?
7. How does your body react to fear?
What changes when you’re calm? Notice the physical contrast.
8. Is the fear you’re feeling based on fact — or irrational thoughts?
If factual, prepare your mind. If not, practice releasing it.
9. How likely is it that your fear will actually happen?
Play the odds. Most fear fades in the light of probability.
10. If your fear did come true — what’s the worst that would happen?
Often, writing out the worst-case scenario softens its emotional charge.
🧠 Bonus Prompt
Is your fear tied to not being liked or judged by others?
How does that affect your actions, choices, and goals?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is writing helpful when I’m afraid?
It slows your reactions, activates your logical brain, and turns vague fear into something you can see, name, and work with.
Do I have to finish every prompt?
No — choose one that fits how you feel today. One good reflection can be enough.
Can I use these in the Stoic app?
Yes — most of these prompts appear directly in the fear emotion check-in inside Stoic.
FAQ updated on Jun 20th, 2025
Licensed Mental Health Counselor in private practice in Dubuque, Iowa. He has been providing mental health counseling to individuals and families in the Dubuque area since 1999 and earned his Mental Health Counselor license in 2005. Jon offers outpatient counseling in a private practice setting, primarily working with individuals aged 17 through adulthood.
Want to journal with guidance?
Use these prompts in the Stoic app. Check in with your emotions, reflect in the moment, and turn fear into insight.
