Here are 20 journal prompts for anger:

I can be quite a hothead sometimes. Call it passionate or strong-willed, and maybe it sounds a little bit better. But it’s still one of the main things I’m trying to work on in the realm of self-development. We all get angry sometimes, though. And suppressing those incensed feelings is certainly not the way to a happy mind and healthy relationships. 

While we can’t always whip out a notebook and start writing down all our emotions in the heat of the moment, journaling can be a really useful tool to turn to for help managing anger, resentment, frustration, and all the other dark-cloud, daggers-in-the-eyes feelings that sometimes rise to the surface. 

Whether you’re stewing in white-hot rage from something that happened earlier today or you’re still feeling the burn of what you pretend is a long-forgotten argument, anger writing prompts can help. 

Here are 20 journal prompts for anger:

3 Benefits of Journaling for Anger Management

But first, why even consider turning to pen and paper when you’re feeling angry? Well, it obviously beats the other options: 

1. Banging your head against the wall
2. Breaking something
3. Yelling at someone
4. Screaming into the abyss
5. Burying the angry feelings deep down and pretending they don’t exist—only to be revealed years later in arduous (expensive) therapy

In comparison, taking a few minutes to respond to some anger journal prompts sure seems like the better choice, right? Here are a few benefits of journaling for anger management: 

1. It reduces stress

Journaling is an easy way to let out all your emotions without causing a dumpster fire. After all, no one’s going to read what you write, so you can release all the nasties without hurting someone else or burning bridges. 

This makes journaling a great, risk-free way to express your emotions. In turn, you’ll also reduce your stress load. According to James Pennebaker, Ph.D., psychologist and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at University of Texas at Austin, repressing emotions leads to stress. And nobody wants that—so get journaling. [Source: Duke Health]

2. It helps you identify your triggers

If you make journaling for anger management your go-to response for dealing with frustrating situations, overtime you can actually become better at managing your feelings. 

How? When you regularly write your feelings in a journal, you can begin to pinpoint the situations, people, etc. that trigger your anger. Then, you can develop tactics to help you keep your cool the next time you find yourself in a situation that makes you want to pull your hair out. [Source: Mental Health America]

3. It improves your emotional intelligence

Those angry feelings may be coming in hot—but that doesn’t always mean they’re easily identifiable. You know the feeling when you’re angry or frustrated about something … but you don’t really know why? 

Journaling can help. By taking the time to slow down, really process your thoughts, and write it all out, you can get a better understanding of your own strengths, weaknesses, and behaviors. And being fully aware of your emotions is the first step in learning how to better control them—so they don’t control you. [Source: University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences]

10 Journal Prompts for Anger

I know—when your blood is starting to boil, turning quietly to your journal isn’t usually the first instinct. So if find yourself staring at a blank page and silently fuming, whip out one of these anger journal prompts.

Don’t like the first one? No worries—just move on to the next. I’m all about the options.

Here are 10 journal prompts for anger that you can use any time, anywhere:

1. Reflect on a recent situation that made you angry.

• How did you handle the situation? 
• Why do you think you responded that way? 
• Could you have responded differently? 

2. Write a letter to someone who has caused you anger or hurt in the past.

• What did you say to them in the moment that you wish you hadn’t? 
• What did you NOT say to them in the moment that you wish you had? 
• What do you need (if anything) to move on from feelings of anger or hurt? 

3. Imagine yourself in a peaceful and serene place.

• Describe a scene that makes you feel calm and comfortable. 
• Why does it make you feel that way? 
• What can you do to recreate even a small part of that scene in your real life today?

4. Describe a healthy outlet or activity that helps you release anger.

• How do you feel after doing this activity? 
• Why do you think it helps you release your anger?
• Is it possible to do this activity more often? 

5. Reflect on a time when you successfully managed your anger. 

• What made you feel angry at the time? 
• How did you respond? Why do you think it worked? 
• Can you do this again the next time you feel angry?

6. Write a dialogue between your angry self and your rational self. 

• What does your angry self want to tell your rational self? 
• What does your angry self think your rational self doesn’t understand? 
• How can your rational self help your angry self?

7. Create a gratitude list of things or people that bring you joy and happiness.

• Do these things and/or people help relax you? 
• Can you return to this list every time you get angry? 
• How can you remember this list in times of anger?

8. Reflect on the long-term consequences of holding onto anger. 

• What does being angry do for you? 
• Is there something you feel angry about that you want to let go?
• What will holding onto a grudge do to you in the long term?

9. Write a fictional story that symbolizes your anger. 

• Who are the characters? 
• What is their struggle? 
• Do they resolve their problems? Can they? 

10. Imagine yourself having a compassionate conversation with someone who causes you stress, anger, or hurt.

• Do they know they’re making you feel this way? 
• Do they intend to make you feel this way? 
• How are you making them feel? 

5 Journal Prompts for Resentment

Oh, resentment. She’s a nasty beast. Not to get all Merriam-Webster on you, but let’s first go over exactly what the word means. This dictionary defines resentment as: “a feeling of indignant displeasure because of something regarded as a wrong, insult, or other injury.”

Ouch. Nobody likes to feel wronged or insulted. (And when we feel that way, it often brings out the very worst in ourselves.)

Let’s try to put a lid on it. Or rather, better understand it with these five journal prompts for resentment:

1. Reflect on a specific situation or person that you feel resentful towards.

• Why do you feel resentful towards them? 
• How long have you been feeling this resent? 
• What do you need to let it go?

2. Identify three positive qualities or lessons you can draw from the situation or person that caused resentment. 

• Did you learn anything from them? 
• How has this situation helped you grow? 
• If you could get a do-over of the situation, what would you do differently, if anything? 

3. Write a letter to the person you resent.

• Do they know how you feel? 
• Do you want them to know how you feel? 
• When will you see them again? 

4. Write a letter to yourself, forgiving yourself for holding onto resentment. 

• Why are you holding onto resentment? 
• Are you ready to let go? 
• What do you need to let go? 

5. Imagine a scenario where you have completely let go of resentment.

• How does this scenario make you feel? 
• Do you want to realize this scenario? 
• If so, how can you make it happen?

5 Journal Prompts for Frustration

Have you ever been so frustrated that you’ve thrown a wooden spoon across the room? No? Just me. Okay, then. (Maybe that makes me sound like a total crazy person, but I: 1) was really angry; 2) wanted to release my anger with something that made a clatter; 3) didn’t want to break and/or hurt anything and/or anyone (or clean up a mess.))

I digress. Seems like journaling might have been the better option. So next time, I’m going to turn to one of these journal prompts for frustration:

1. Describe a recent situation that caused you frustration.

• Who was involved in the situation?
• When did the frustration start? 
• Did you share your feelings in the moment? Why or why not? 

2. Identify one aspect of the frustrating situation that you had control over.

• Did you try to change that one aspect? 
• Why or why not? 
• How do you feel about the way you handled the situation?

3. Imagine yourself finding a resolution or a positive outcome to the frustrating situation.

• What would you say or do? To whom? 
• Is there still time for you to say what you want to that person? 
• If not, is this something you can remember and apply for next time?

4. Reflect on a time when you successfully overcame a frustrating situation or obstacle.

• What made you feel frustrated? 
• How did you react? 
• What effect did your actions have?

5. Write a letter to yourself, acknowledging and validating your feelings of frustration. 

• Why do you still feel frustrated? 
• Are you ready to let go?
• What do you need to move on from your feelings of frustration?

How to Choose a Journal Prompt for Anger

There’s no need to overcomplicate journaling—and I’m not going to try to. But not every journal prompt is the right fit for what you’re feeling at the moment, so it does help to narrow down the search a bit before diving into writing. 

As you look for a journal prompt for anger, ask yourself:

1. What am I angry about right now?

Are you thinking about a specific situation? Or are you reflecting on your feelings or anger in general? 

If you’re seeing red because of something your unappreciative boss just said, you might not have time for a long journaling session right in the moment. Instead, try whipping out your phone and typing a few lines in your Notes app to help yourself calm down.

But if you’re stewing over reflecting on years of pent up feelings, then it may be a good idea to wait until you have at least 20 minutes to open up to a fresh page and try to release some of that angst.

2. What do I want to journal about?

Do you need to just word-vomit a whole bunch of rage? Or do you want to spend some time analyzing your feelings and finding strategies to work on your anger management and conflict resolution? 

Depending on what feels you’re feeling, there are a couple of different styles of anger writing prompts you can try out, such as:

Open-Ended Journal Prompts for Anger

These prompts lend themselves to more of a free-form style. They’re a good fit when you have the time to really just let your thoughts run wild for pages and pages. (Basically, these are the prompts to turn to when you want to vent your feelings but your mom or best friend isn’t picking up.)

Try this: Write about something in your life that consistently makes you angry. What are your immediate thoughts about this issue? Why does it make you angry?

Reflective Anger Writing Prompts

Rather than simply doing a brain-dump of all your angry feelings, these anger writing prompts are designed to help you focus more on introspection and self-analysis. In other words, be prepared to face the looking glass and take some responsibility for your actions. These are not the journal prompts for you if you’re still in the phase of having a big, old pity party for yourself (which we all need sometimes).

Try this: Think about the patterns in your anger responses. How do you typically cope with anger? Why do you think you behave this way? What is good or bad about your reactions?

Problem-Solving Anger Journal Prompts

If your blood is boiling and you feel like that little red character in Inside Out, perhaps try one of the open-ended journal prompts above before turning to this section.

Problem-solving anger journal prompts are best used when you’re a little past the white-hot anger stage and are ready to get constructive. This is where to turn when you need a sounding board to help yourself come up with solutions to better manage your anger.

Try this: Think of a situation (or relationship) that frequently triggers your anger. Then, brainstorm different ways you can respond to create a more positive outcome. Finally, think of what you can do proactively to prevent yourself from being in this situation to begin with.

Journaling Prompts for Anger—with Gratitude

Sometimes, you just need to be that (slightly annoying) person who is always positive no matter what the situation. Basically, you need to fake being positive until you make it.

While I definitely don’t advocate taking this approach all the time (after all, suppressing anger is its own problem in and of itself), sometimes forcing a little bit of positivity is all it takes to change your perspective and genuinely turn your attitude around.

And don’t just take it from me. One study from Stanford University indicated that faking a smile can, in some cases, actually make you feel better—for real. [Source: Nature Human Behavior]

Try this: Start by writing down what’s making you angry. Then, force yourself to write at least three things that aren’t SO bad about the situation. Add three things you can do to improve the situation. Finish with three things you’re grateful for—whether they’re relevant to the situation or not.

3. How much time do I have? 

Do you just have 10 minutes to quickly release some pent-up tension? Or do you have time for a long writing session where you can really pour your heart out? 

Personally, I think opened-ended, free-form journal prompts for anger are the best option when you’re short on time (like if you’re at work or at a party). For starters, you don’t have to focus on adhering to a specific theme. Instead, you can just quickly get your thoughts down on paper (or in your phone) to help you cool down before you have to get back to reality.

Pro tip: Don’t stop there! Close the loop on your venting by returning to this quick journal entry later for deeper reflection.

When you do have time for more careful reflection, that’s when I think problem-solving journal prompts for anger come in handy. Make a cup of tea (these are some tea recommendations for people who don’t drink tea but want to start). Put on your favorite angsty music. And get prepared to get all meta about your feelings.

3 Tips for Effective Anger Journaling

Of course, sometimes you don’t even need a prompt for anger journaling. You can just open a notebook or a Word document or a new page in your Notes app and let those sparks fly. 

And I’m not saying this style of anger journaling isn’t worthwhile. (It certainly feels pretty damn good, sometimes.) But if you want to get a little more out of your journaling session than just a brain dump and an explosion of bottled-up feelings, here are a few tips you can try to make your journaling practice more effective:

1. Incorporate mindfulness techniques

Before you start journaling all willy-nilly, take a second to ask yourself the above questions:

• What am I angry about right now? What do I want to journal about? How much time do I have? Pick a prompt that corresponds with what you’re feeling right now.
• Then, chill for a second. Try some mindful breathing. And if you think that sounds like a complete waste of time, consider this: Studies show that breathwork can actually be an effective strategy for reducing stress and improving mental health. [Source: Scientific Reports]
• Finally, when it’s time to start writing, go easy on the self-judgment. Seriously. It’s all too easy for us to be our own worst critics, even about our own thoughts and feelings. But journaling is your no-judgment zone. Just let it all out, judgment-free.

You can reread your journal entry immediately after writing, in a few hours, the next day, a week later, a month later … you get the idea. Or you can never reread it. Maybe you want to crumple it up and throw it away or simply leave it forgotten in the pages of an old notebook.

Personally, I love rereading my old journal entries. You know those cleaning sessions every year or so when you turn your whole home upside down and find yourself sitting in a mess getting nostalgic about stuff you found in the back of your junk drawer? Yeah, that’s usually when I end up reading my old journal entries. It’s a real blast from the past. I love seeing what younger Merry was up to and how she’s changed. Plus, it’s a great reminder that most of the things we stress, fret, and worry about eventually pass with time. But that’s a topic for another day …

2. Start doing it regularly

I know, I know. Another habit to add to your list of things to do every day. Right up there with meditating and exercising and reading and practicing gratitude and all that self-improvement stuff we tell ourselves we need to do to become less stressed but which just ends up making us more stressed.

Sigh.

Don’t let journaling become something stressful. You don’t have to do it EVERY single day, nor does every entry have to be a huge novella of all the feels. Rather, just a few quick lines most days out of the week counts as journaling.

The key is to make it a regular practice—even if that doesn’t mean every day. Because making writing a regular part of your routine can, in the long term, help you better cope with stress. (And don’t we all need more of that?) [Source: PubMed Central]

3. Look for patterns in your journaling

As you regularly respond to different journal prompts for anger, try to stop yourself every now and then and go back over old entries to look for recurring patterns.

For example, see if you can identify:

• What triggers commonly make you angry
• How you normally respond to these triggers
• What relationships in your life are sources of anger
• How these relationships have evolved over time
• What strategies help you manage your anger
• What strategies don’t help you manage your anger

4. Feel free to stray from the prompt

Spoiler: There are no journaling police. At least not any that I know. We’re not living in a 1984 dystopia yet. (Didn’t get that reference? No sweat—but it’s not too late to start flexing your classic literature muscles. Start by catching up on this list of the easiest classic novels to read.) (1984 is one of them.))

Anyway, what I mean is, don’t worry if you end up straying from the original prompt. After all, these journaling prompts for anger are mostly there to help you get going. In the end, you may find yourself writing about something totally different—and that’s okay!

Basically, journal prompts for anger are helpful to 1) get you started or 2) help guide you for a more specific analysis, if that’s what you’re into.

No pressure.

5. Get insight from a professional

Clearly, I am no health professional. I’m just talking about journaling, dude.

And while journaling may have many reported benefits for mental health, it is in no way a substitute for professional treatment or guidance.

So if you feel you need more help than a quick journaling session, please do get it—from the pros.

Understanding Anger and Its Impacts

Being angry is annoying. (I don’t have to tell you that.) But beyond just being a less-than-pleasant part of your day, anger is bad for you, your health, and your relationships. (After all, no one wants to be around a sourpuss all day.)

So if you need some more motivation to cool it with a few journal prompts for anger, just take a lot at theses statistic about the consequences of anger:

How Suppressed Anger Affects Your Health

Not a big shock, but here it is in black and white: Suppressed anger has been linked to depression. [Source: PubMed Central]

For more bad news, consider this: Multiple studies show that anger can determine diseases, like coronary disease, bulimia nervosa, diabetes, etc., and even be the cause of car accidents. Yikes! [Source: PubMedCentral]

So, yeah. I think it’s time to stop ignoring those journal prompts for anger and get writing.

Anger Writing Prompts: One Healthy Outlet for Expressing and Managing Anger

Of course, starting a journaling practice won’t just magically solve all your problems. (Oh, if only it were that easy!)

But it’s no exaggeration that turning to journal prompts for anger can go a long way to help you:

• Release your feelings to avoid anger suppression (and its scary potential consequences)
• Better understand your feelings
• Identify your triggers
• Come up with solutions to better manage your anger
• De-stress
• Remember to be grateful for the many things that DON’T make you angry
• Improve the way you communicate when you are angry
• Help you track your progress in becoming a better communicator, partner, friend, and personal, overall

One step (or page) at a time, eh?

My Experience with Journaling

I’ve been keeping a journal since I was in middle school. (I go through phases of writing every day and then practically not at all.) But even though it’s always something I advocate for and remind myself to do, I don’t write in my journal every day. 

(After all, there are so many good daily habits I want to pick up …  But there’s only so much time in the day!)

But you know what I find in looking back on my old entries? When life is good, I journal less.

Of course, this means that when I reread my journal, I often think, “Wow. I’m super depressed and my life sucks.” I have to remind myself that this isn’t true, that rather, my journal is just not a good representation of my daily life. This is because it’s usually in the bad moments that I turn to my journal for a good rant. And you know what? Nine out of 10 times, it works!

After burning through some journal prompts for anger, my attitude usually does a 180. I calm down, get some clarity, and walk away feeling much more optimistic and energized.

That’s one reason why I’m trying (again) to become more regular about journaling. But I don’t want to put pressure on myself and stress my perfectionist self out. That would just be coming full circle …

Have you tried any of these journal prompts for anger yet? Do you think you’ll get into a regular journaling practice soon?

Before You Go … 

Journaling is a great way to de-stress and take a break from our way-too-busy days.

Another way I like to chill out is simply pausing with a book for at least 20 minutes. Besides, you know, enjoying the book I’m reading, I welcome the pause from what feels like an always-stuffed schedule of always-urgent tasks.

Not feeling in a journaling mood? If you want to read instead and need some book inspiration, please read my article on the best easy-to-read classic novels.

Journal Prompts for Anger: References

Duke Health Writing to Heal: Health Benefits of Journaling

Mental Health America How to keep a mental health journal

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences 10 Ways Journaling Benefits Students

Source: Nature Human Behavior A multi-lab test of the facial feedback hypothesis by the Many Smiles Collaboration

Scientific Reports Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials

PubMed Central Better Together: Long-term Behaviors and Perspectives after a Practitioner-Family Writing Intervention in Clinical Practice

Source: PubMed Central Anger Suppression, Interdependent Self-Construal, and Depression among Asian American and European American College Students

PubMedCentral Anger and health risk behaviors