120 Helpful Journal Prompts For Dealing With Difficult People To Empower

Dealing with difficult people can be, well, difficult. We have all had those situations when someone blasts us about something, and it isn't fun. But by using journal prompts for dealing with difficult people, you can navigate these challenging interactions with more clarity and resilience.

If we are in the unfortunate situation of having a difficult person at our workplace it can make going to work a real burden.

Dealing with difficult people can cause heightened anxiety and can be a cause of leaving a job. It can seem easier to search for new employment than to have to deal with a difficult co-worker.

The existence of difficult people is not limited to the workplace. Sadly, many people find themselves in personal relationships with an individual who is difficult.

In order to deal effectively with difficult people you need to know how to respond to them. This skill can be developed through journaling.

The prompts in this article will help you do this. There are several categories so you can focus on the area that is the issue for you, or work through all of them.

Let’s get started!

Journal Prompts For Letting Go Of

When we have had an encounter with a difficult person it can weigh on us for days. It is critical for our well-being to let go of the encounter.

The following journal prompts can help you to work through your feelings, let go of the incident, and move on.

I am a people pleaser and always find it very hard to let go of an incident where someone has been upset with me.

When I find myself in this situation, I read this list of journaling prompts and select one or two that really speak to what has happened.

Reflecting on the occurrence, the words, the gestures, and my response is all part of working through what has happened.

I have the chance to gain some understanding of what happened and how I can better respond in the future if such an occurrence should happen again.

Have a look at this list. This is a great place to start if you have been in a situation with a difficult person.

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19 Journal Prompts For Letting Go Off

1. "I choose to put my energy into what serves me. This includes…"

2. "Why do I choose to dwell on things I can’t control or change? Where does this come from?"

3. "Does this serve me anymore? If yes, how so?"

4. "I’m okay with not having all the answers because…"

5. "Why am I finding it so hard to move on from this?"

6. "What makes me feel safe?"

7. "What are five things that make you happy?"

8. "Write about a tough situation you’ve overcome."

9. "How have I grown from my past struggles and experiences?"

10. "Has this affected how I treat others or approach situations? How so?"

11. "What are three long-term things I can do to move on from this and heal?"

12. "What triggers me to over-think?"

13. "What’s one event I lose sleep over?"

14. "Has this affected other areas of my life? How so?"

15. "“Other people’s opinions of you are none of your business.” How does this statement make you feel? Why?"

16. "What would I gain by letting go? How would it make me feel?"

17. "Write about your five strongest traits."

18. "What does ‘letting go’ really mean for me?"

19. "What emotions does this event or memory trigger in me?"

Journal Prompts For Anger Management

When we find ourselves face to face with a difficult person and they are yelling at us our response will usually fall into one of the following - fight, flight or freeze.

If you are someone who freezes when facing a difficult person you don’t say anything and you can’t move.

If flight is your automatic response then you remove yourself from the threat and take off as quickly as you can.

People who fight get into it with the person. This often results in you hollering as well, and the interaction rarely results in a productive conclusion.

If you are a ‘fight response’ person, you are likely burdened with anger yourself. Working through your own anger is key to handling difficult people in a productive way.

The prompts in the following list will help you explore the cause of the anger you feel and how you can deal with your anger.

In an interaction with a difficult person, the one thing we can control is our actions and our words. These prompts can help you to respond in a better way than fight, flight or freeze.

30 Journal Prompts For Anger Management

20. "I need to let go of this issue that is weighing down my mind……"

21. "These people make me feel worse when I am angry so I need to avoid them………."

22. "Reading these books help calm me………"

23. "I am planning on reading these books that will help me deal with my anger………."

24. "On a day like today, I would prefer to be doing……"

25. "The last time I journaled about my anger I felt……."

26. "When I am looking for my safe space, I ……….."

27. "The next time I attend therapy, I will request that we focus on the following topics……"

28. "I no longer want to feel this anger, I would love to feel…………………."

29. "The songs that will calm me are……………"

30. "When I avoid socializing, it makes these feelings worse by………"

31. "The last time I felt anger like this, I found enjoyment in……………….."

32. "I need to change things up and create good karma for myself, I can do this by……"

33. "I can feel my anger melt away when……."

34. "Writing helps to calm me because…………"

35. "Social media helps me when I am feeling angry because……………….."

36. "I would like to start these activities which will help to lower my anger……….."

37. "One person that I know would understand how I feel today is……."

38. "Something that is holding me back from feeling better is……………"

39. "I will limit barriers to my positive feelings by………………………"

40. "Social media hurts me when I am feeling angry because………………."

41. "When I feel anger like this, it helps to remember……"

42. "These are my favorite tools to utilize when I am feeling angry………………"

43. "I am stronger than this angers, here’s why…..…"

44. "In order to focus on my goals, I need to………"

45. "Dear Anger, (write a letter to your anger, telling it everything)"

46. "The activities that help calm me are………"

47. "The last time I withheld my anger it caused a problem by……."

48. "I no longer blame myself for this problems…….."

49. "I take responsibility for these issues in my life……"

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Journal Prompts To Examine Your Relationships In Life

Relationships can be a hotbed of disagreement and conflict. The fact is that people are complex and, let’s face it, we all have some baggage.

Exploring the relationships you have with various people in your life can be revealing and can lead to making improvements and ultimately building solid, healthy relationships.

We form different kinds of relationships throughout our lives. We have relationships with colleagues in the workplace, relationships with family members, and relationships with good friends.

What is the nature and the quality of the relationships that you have? Is there someone in particular you dread seeing?

If this is the case, why do you think that is, and is there something you can do to handle the interactions in a healthier way?

The prompts that follow will help you to think through these things, and can help you make positive changes.

30 Journal Prompts To Examine Your Relationship In Life

50. "Who do I dread seeing?"

51. "I feel energized after spending time with"

52. "How would I describe this relationship to my best friend?"

53. "How satisfied are you with your social life?"

54. "Do you tend to hold grudges, or do you forgive and move on?"

55. "What qualities do I bring to a relationship?"

56. "Do I take an interest in life?"

57. "What is something special about ?"

58. "How do you like people to communicate hard things to you?"

59. "What relationships make me feel seen?"

60. "What am I grateful for about ?"

61. "I feel drained after spending time with"

62. "What is the ideal size of your social circle?"

63. "What are three important qualities you look for in a friend?"

64. "How do you like to communicate hard things?"

65. "What does love mean to you?"

66. "What are my deal breakers in a friendship?"

67. "Is this person reliable?"

68. "What are my deal breakers in a romantic relationship?"

69. "What is my Love Language?"

70. "What does intimacy mean to you?"

71. "What actions can someone take to make me feel seen?"

72. "I feel like I can be myself around"

73. "Who do I rely on most for support? Why?"

74. "Does take an interest in my life?"

75. "What are three things I admire about ?"

76. "What does good communication look like to you?"

77. "Does inspire me to be a better person?"

78. "How do I feel about asking for help?

79. "When we spend time together, who initiates it?"

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Journal Prompts For Self-Reflection

An important part of responding in a rational and calm manner to someone who is being difficult is to turn the mirror toward ourselves.

When someone is being difficult, possibly hollering at you that you are incompetent and incapable, it can do a serious number on our self-esteem.

Taking some time to think about the person you are, and all of the talents and strengths you possess can help to counteract the damage that has been done.

The journal prompts in this list encourage you to see your skills and your capabilities.

The following three prompts are good examples of this:

How do you shift your mindset if it isn't working for you?

How do you advocate for yourself?

What makes you feel powerful?

When we reflect on the strength that we have, and put those thoughts into words, seeing them in black and white helps us to know these qualities are real.

These kinds of prompts can be healing and they can also help to build our reserves for future incidents with difficult people.

22 Journal Prompts For Self-Reflection

80. "What makes you feel calm?"

81. "How do you shift your mindset if it isn't working for you?"

82. "How do you advocate for yourself?"

83. "What makes you feel powerful?"

84. "What does your situational best look like today?"

85. "How do you trust yourself to make big decisions?"

86. "What can you do today that you didn’t think you could do a year ago?"

87. "How do you put yourself first without feeling guilty?"

88. "How do you stay focused and steer clear of distractions?"

89. "How do you swap envy for joy when other people accomplish things?"

90. "What helps you slow down and feel more present?"

91. "How do you set boundaries and avoid absorbing someone else's emotions and stress?"

92. "What's a goal you want to accomplish and why?"

93. "How do you practice self-acceptance?"

94. "How can you celebrate yourself today?"

95. "What's a choice you can make this week based on your needs?"

96. "How do you notice when you're nearing burnout?"

97. "What makes you feel in control?"

98. "How do you share your feelings with the people who care about you?"

99. "How do you recharge?"

100. "How do you encourage yourself when you're trying something new?"

101. "How do you savor the time you get alone?"

Journal Prompts For Mindfulness

When dealing with difficult people the last thing you want to do is play their game. Do not lower yourself to their level.

Easier said than done. Our knee-jerk reaction might be to start hurling awful words and accusations back at the person.

One way to avoid this trap is to be mindful.

When dealing with a difficult person, stay calm by thinking about your strength, your intelligence and your skill.

This will keep you from getting sucked into the vortex with the difficult individual.

Mindfulness gets easier as we practice it, so take time to reflect on this list of mindful journal prompts and build your mindfulness habits.

These prompts will help you to focus on what is important to you, what you truly value, what you want out of life, and how you can live that life each and every day.

Build your sense of self with these motivating prompts!

19 Journal Prompts For Mindfulness

102. "When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How has this changed?"

103. "List five traits you have that make you unique"

104. "How would you like your life to change in five years? In 10 years? How would you like it to stay the same?"

105. "Who do you look up to for inspiration? What qualities do you like best about that person?"

106. "What do you like about yourself? What are your best qualities?"

107. "What goal would you like to reach this year? What will it look like when you reach it? How will you feel?"

108. "What would other people say is your superpower? What do others look to you for?"

109. "Write five things you are grateful for."

110. "Things I like to do when I’m off of work."

111. "My favorite memories from childhood."

112. "If money were not an issue, what would you do with your time?"

113. "What gets you fired up? What are you passionate about? This can be something that gets you excited or something that gets you angry."

114. "What is your definition of success? In what areas do you consider yourself successful?"

115. "Describe a time when you were challenged. How did you get through it? What did you learn about your strengths?"

116. "If you won one million dollars, what would you do with it?"

117. "You have a full day to spend doing whatever you want to do. How will you spend it? Who will you spend it with? (Hint: It is ok to spend it alone if you wish)"

118. "What is one thing you learned this week that you want to remember?"

119. "What was your biggest accomplishment and how did you feel when you reached it? Describe that day in detail, including feelings and thoughts."

120. "Fill a page with things that make you happy. You can do this as a list or as drawings."

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Journal Prompts For Dealing With Difficult People?

Journal Prompts for Dealing with Difficult People are thought-provoking questions or statements designed to help individuals navigate and manage challenging relationships and interactions with people who may be difficult, demanding, or problematic.

How Can These Journal Prompts Benefit Me When Dealing With Difficult Individuals?

These prompts serve as a tool for self-reflection, emotional processing, and developing effective strategies for handling difficult people. They can help you gain insight into your emotions, identify healthy boundaries, and find constructive ways to address challenging situations.

Can You Provide Examples Of Journal Prompts For Dealing With Difficult People?

Certainly, here are some examples of Journal Prompts For Dealing With Difficult People:

• Describe a recent interaction with a difficult person. What emotions did it trigger, and how did you respond?
• Reflect on your boundaries in this relationship. Are they clear and respected, or do they need adjustment?
• Write a letter to the difficult person (you don't have to send it) expressing your feelings and concerns. What would you like them to understand about your perspective?
• Explore your own triggers and reactions when dealing with difficult people. What patterns do you notice, and how can you manage your reactions more effectively?
• Consider potential strategies for effective communication with the difficult individual. How can you express your needs and concerns in a constructive way?
• Reflect on self-care practices that help you maintain your emotional well-being when dealing with difficult people. How can you prioritize self-care in this relationship?

How Do I Effectively Use These Journal Prompts For Dealing With Difficult People?

To use these prompts effectively, set aside dedicated time for journaling in a quiet and comfortable space. Select a prompt that resonates with your current situation or emotions and write openly, exploring your thoughts and feelings.

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