Hello

I am so very sorry you have reason to visit this page. I hope the writing prompts below will help you to find the words on the days you feel overwhelmed by a blank page.

Lisa x

Writing to your loved one

You don’t need to think about all of the grief writing prompts below at once. Take some time to pick the one that resonates with you the most at this moment in time. This will most likely change with each time you write to your loved one. Skip past ones that feel just too hard right now and the ones that feel irrelevant to you personally (we are all so different).

Letters to you...

If you decide to use your notebook to write to your loved one using separate sections, here are some ideas for your index:

  • Things I would like you to know/I would like to tell you.
  • My favourite memories of you.
  • Things I miss so much (can be past or future)
  • What has been helping me lately.
  • The things that have made me feel worse.
  • My plan for bad days.
  • How I will honour your life.
  • A release section for a good rant.

Or choosing to write without sections is of course just as good! You may still choose to mark certain pages if you've discovered a new awareness or a self-care tool to help you through the really bad days whilst writing.

  • Grief Writing Prompts (for the loss of an adult)

    • Today, I am really missing...
    • I feel lost when...
    • If I could go back in time, I would...
    • I don’t ever want to forget...
    • When I think about you, I feel...
    • A dream I had about you is...
    • My strongest emotion this week has been...
    • If I could have one more day with you, I’d...
    • I forgive myself for...
    • I feel/felt helpless because...
    • ...has helped me so much recently.
    • I haven’t felt able to ask for help because...
    • A part of myself I have lost is...
    • If I was being kind to myself, I would...
    • I am scared that...
    • I am grateful for...
    • I wish I had said this to you...
    • I am so proud of myself because...
    • A new part of myself I have gained is...
    • Living without you has taught me...
    • I need more of...
    • I need less of...
    • In your memory, I am going to...

  • Grief Writing Prompts (for the loss of a baby)

    • Being your parent has made me feel...
    • I wish so much I could tell you...
    • I don’t ever want to forget...
    • I feel lost when...
    • When I think about you, I feel...
    • A dream I had about you is...
    • My strongest emotion this week has been...
    • I forgive myself for...
    • I feel/felt helpless because...
    • ...has helped me so much recently.
    • I haven’t felt able to ask for help because...
    • A part of myself I have lost is...
    • If I was being kind to myself, I would...
    • I am scared that...
    • I am grateful for...
    • Your name was chosen because...
    • A new part of myself I have gained is...
    • Living without you has taught me...
    • I am so proud of myself because...
    • I need more of...
    • I need less of...
    • My hope for the future is...
    • For your anniversary this year, I am going to...

Remember

Grieving is HARD. Be super kind to yourself always and try to speak to yourself internally as you would a best friend. I've added some links below for further support should you become aware through writing in your journal that you are struggling more than you had thought 🫶

Helpful links

  • Find support

    There is a really helpful filter here to find national and local bereavement support services if you would like someone to talk to. You can filter by type of loss, the age of the person needing support and the type of support you would like.

    Grief support 

  • Guided grief journal

    If you have found the grief writing prompts on this page helpful, you may also find our gently guided grief journal useful. As well as writing prompts, you can also find grief affirmations, a section for cherished memories and an area to gather your self-care tools.

    View more details 

  • Blogs about grief

    Head over to our blog area to find articles about writing for grief and grief in general. You can use the filter at the top of the page to choose blogs on grief and personal stories (about grief) only. You can also get in touch to write a guest blog.

    Read articles