Questions · Journal prompts
Journal prompts for when the page stays blank
A blank page asks too much. A prompt asks one thing. These are written to be answered in writing, alone, from a few lines on a weeknight to a long Sunday page.
- 17 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
What have you done recently that you are pleased about?
Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?
If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?
Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?
The questions
17 journal prompts
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
Five-minute prompts for a busy day
4 questions
A few lines before bed is enough.
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Name one small part of today that felt okay.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na part ng araw mo na okay naman.
Back of the card
An okay moment still counts. It does not have to fix the whole day to be worth noticing.
Bilang pa rin ang okay na moment. Hindi niya kailangang ayusin ang buong araw para mapansin mo siya.
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Name one tiny habit that has been helping you lately.
Magsabi ng isang tiny habit na nakakatulong sa'yo lately.
Back of the card
Small habits can hold more weight than they look like. Notice the quiet things that help you keep going.
May bigat din ang maliit na habit. Pansinin yung tahimik na bagay na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.
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What have you done recently that you are pleased about?
Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?
Back of the card
If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?
Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?
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Tell us about a small routine that helps you feel okay when your day feels off.
Ikuwento yung small routine na tumutulong sa'yo maging okay kapag off ang araw mo.
Back of the card
A routine does not have to be impressive to help. Sometimes familiar steps are enough to help you find your footing again.
Hindi kailangang impressive ang routine para makatulong. Minsan sapat na yung familiar na steps para makabalik ka sa okay.
Prompts for a longer page
5 questions
When you have twenty minutes and a cup of something warm.
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Describe what you usually do when you feel emotionally or mentally full.
I-describe kung ano usually mong ginagawa kapag emotionally or mentally puno ka na.
Back of the card
Your first response to being full can teach you a lot. It may be asking for gentleness, space, or help.
May tinuturo yung unang response mo kapag puno ka na. Baka kailangan mo ng lambing, space, o tulong.
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Point to one pattern you notice in your week, like energy, mood, time, habits, or relationships.
Magbanggit ng isang pattern na napapansin mo sa week mo, like energy, mood, time, habits, o relationships.
Back of the card
Understanding a pattern is already movement. You do not have to fix everything before you begin to notice.
Movement na rin yung maintindihan ang pattern. Hindi mo kailangang ayusin agad lahat bago ka magsimulang makapansin.
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What difficult situation are you proud of handling?
Anong mahirap na sitwasyon ang proud kang naharap mo?
Back of the card
You can pass or keep the situation private. What did handling it help you notice about your own abilities?
Puwedeng mag-pass o itago ang sitwasyon. Ano ang napansin mong kaya mo pala matapos mong harapin iyon?
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What can you do now that would have surprised you a few years ago?
Ano ang kaya mo na ngayon na hindi mo inakalang magagawa mo ilang taon na ang nakaraan?
Back of the card
Picture showing your younger self how you do it. What might surprise them first?
Isipin na ipinapakita mo sa mas batang sarili mo kung paano mo ito ginagawa. Ano kaya ang una niyang ikagugulat?
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When you think of home, what small detail comes up first?
Kapag naiisip mo ang home, anong maliit na detail ang unang pumapasok?
Back of the card
Home can be a smell, a sound, a person, a room, or one ordinary detail that stayed.
Pwedeng amoy, tunog, tao, kwarto, o isang ordinaryong detail ang home. Minsan yun ang unang bumabalik.
Letters across time
4 questions
Write to your younger self, from your future self, or about your past one.
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If you could tell your younger self one piece of good news, what would it be?
Kung may isang good news kang masasabi sa batang ikaw, ano yun?
Back of the card
This is a gentle way to name progress. Not everything is fixed, but maybe there is something younger you would smile about.
Gentle way ito para makita yung progress. Hindi man ayos lahat, baka may isang bagay na ikakangiti ng batang ikaw.
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Imagine your future self laughing at one thing you're doing now. What is it?
Imagine yung future self mo natatawa sa isang ginagawa mo ngayon. Ano yun?
Back of the card
Future you may have a softer sense of humor about today. Some things feel bigger before time makes them funny.
Baka mas soft na tumawa ang future self mo sa today. May bagay na malaki ngayon, pero funny later.
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Which version of your past self are you starting to understand more now?
Aling version ng past self mo ang nagsisimula mong mas maintindihan ngayon?
Back of the card
Understanding your past self does not erase what happened. It can soften the way you hold the person you were.
Hindi binubura ng understanding ang nangyari. Pero puwede nitong palambutin kung paano mo hinahawakan yung dating ikaw.
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Finish this sentence: “In this next season, I hope I get to experience...”
Tapusin mo yung sentence: “Sa next season, sana ma-experience ko...”
Back of the card
This sentence can stay small or open wide. Either way, it gives your hope a place to begin.
Puwedeng maliit lang o biglang lumawak yung sentence. Either way, may starting point yung hope mo.
For the pages nobody reads
4 questions
Private prompts about mistakes and hard truths.
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Name one mistake you are ready to stop replaying so much.
Magsabi ng isang mistake na ready ka nang hindi paulit-ulit i-replay.
Back of the card
A mistake can teach without taking over the whole story. You can remember the lesson without replaying the hurt.
Puwedeng may tinuro ang mistake nang hindi siya ang buong story. Puwede mong tandaan ang lesson nang hindi inuulit ang sakit.
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Name one apology you owe yourself.
Magsabi ng isang sorry na utang mo sa sarili mo.
Back of the card
An apology to yourself can name what was unfair, ignored, or too heavy. It can begin without being perfect.
Ang sorry sa sarili puwedeng pangalanan kung ano ang hindi naging fair, napabayaan, o masyadong mabigat. Puwede siyang magsimula kahit hindi perfect.
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How do you talk to yourself when you fall short?
Paano ka makipag-usap sa sarili mo kapag nagkukulang ka?
Back of the card
The voice you use with yourself matters. It can either add weight or make room for a wiser next step.
Mahalaga yung boses na gamit mo sa sarili mo. Puwede siyang magdagdag ng bigat o magbigay ng space para sa mas wise na next step.
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Name one truth about this season that has been hard to admit but helpful to say.
Magsabi ng isang truth sa season na ito na mahirap aminin pero helpful sabihin.
Back of the card
Some truths become less heavy when they stop hiding. Naming them can be a quiet form of courage.
May mga truth na gumagaan kapag hindi na tinatago. Minsan courage na rin yung kaya mo siyang pangalanan.
How to use them
Before you ask
A journal prompt is a question small enough to start writing from. The blank page is hard because it asks what you want to say, and most nights the honest answer is “I don’t know yet.” A prompt hands you the first line, and the rest tends to follow.
These are sorted by how much time you have. The five-minute prompts fit a busy weeknight and still leave you with something true. The longer ones need a quiet evening. The letters across time ask you to write to your younger self or from your future one, a classic exercise that works better than it sounds. The last group is for the pages you’ll never show anyone.
Write by hand if you can, and don’t edit. If a prompt doesn’t pull you in after two lines, switch. Unlike a conversation, nobody is waiting for your answer, so take as long as you like. For questions to think through rather than write, see questions to ask yourself.
Good for
Tips
- Pick the prompt before you sit down.
- Write for five minutes without stopping or editing.
- Date every entry so you can spot patterns later.
- Skip any prompt that doesn’t pull you in after two lines.
- Keep the private pages private. You’ll write more honestly.
Decks for this
A simple journaling routine
- Same time, same place. Five minutes after dinner or before bed beats an hour once a month.
- One prompt per day. Choose it before you sit down, so you don’t spend the time deciding.
- Keep the pen moving. Write for five minutes without stopping, even if you write “I don’t know” twice.
- Underline one line. When you finish, mark the sentence that surprised you.
- Look back once a month. Read only the underlined lines. Patterns show up fast.
Journal prompts
Frequently asked questions
What are good journal prompts for self-reflection?
Prompts about one specific thing: a small part of today that felt okay, a pattern you notice in your week, a letter to your younger self, a mistake you’re ready to stop replaying. Specific prompts are easier to start than big ones.
How long should I journal each day?
Five minutes is enough to build the habit. Save the longer prompts for a quiet evening when you want to go further.
Can I keep these journal prompts on my phone?
They come from Kumustahan, a free conversation card app with every question in English and Filipino. Draw one, answer it, and keep your answer in the app’s notes.
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