4 Grief Journaling Exercises

Writing about grief in full sentences isn’t always possible. Sometimes you sit down with the intention to journal, and all you can manage is a single line, or nothing at all, and that’s not a failure; it’s just what grief does to language sometimes.

That’s where a bit of structure helps. Rather than facing a blank page and hoping something comes, these 4 grief journaling exercises give you a specific way in: writing directly to who or what you’ve lost, holding two conflicting feelings at once, keeping a record of memories, or skipping words altogether in favour of something more visual.

Grief Journaling Exercises To Try

Use whichever one fits how you’re feeling today; there’s no order to work through them in.

Exercise 1. Letter Writing

Letter writing is one of the most meaningful creative writing exercises you can try, in my opinion, because it gives you plenty of space to connect and talk with the person, pet or entity that you are missing. ‘Entity’ is a strange word to use, right?

But the truth is that you can experience grief over the loss of anything, from a job to a relationship. What letter writing does is give you a forum to articulate that sense of loss and what it means to you.

So how does that work? How do you start this letter?

Well, you might write to the person, pet, or thing you have lost, or to your future self, talking about how you feel in this moment and what you hope to change over time.

You might begin with:

• “What I wish I could tell you is…”
• “Since you’ve been gone, I’ve noticed…”
• “I hope you know…”
• “I am still learning how to be resilient, but…”

It will feel emotional, and because that’s a huge feeling, it’s important not to over-edit yourself or worry about corrections. Instead, just let what you feel spill out onto paper.

The aim is to find clarity and release.

But if you notice emotions becoming too overwhelming, it’s absolutely okay to pause or take a break. Listening to your own needs during these moments is an important part of self-care.

And if all you do is write this letter and never read it again, you might be surprised at how much relief you feel from going through the motions.

Does one letter work, or do you need to write a series? Well, that’s entirely up to you. If you feel the work is valuable, then repeat it.

Exercise 2. Dual-Entry Journaling

Grief rarely exists in a single emotional state. We can feel sadness while celebrating the life or pursuits that have made us happy. Dual-entry journaling can help you reflect on this strange duality.

Divide your page into two columns or sections, one for ‘what I currently feel’ and one for the ‘hope I hold’.

In the first column, write openly about what is difficult right now. Talk about your emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations.

In the second column, write about what has felt positive: small moments of calm, things or people that help you cope. Anything that feels even slightly grounding.

While it may look like we are trying to balance grief, we’re actually acknowledging that multiple truths can coexist. And that’s important, because holding onto guilt of feeling ‘happy’ throughout the grieving process can be counterproductive.

How often should you repeat this type of journal entry? I don’t think this exercise works every day. Maybe once a month, if you want to use it for reflection. Otherwise, I’d say use it as and when it feels appropriate.

Exercise 3. Legacy Journaling

Legacy journaling is really the act of memory keeping. It helps you hold onto the story of the person or experience you’ve lost. You might use this exercise to create:

• A memory book of stories and moments
• A timeline of significant experiences
• A list of lessons or values you learned
• A collection of quotes, habits, or sayings you remember

Through remembrance, we preserve an ongoing connection. Over time, it can also help shape how you carry forward the influence of who or what you loved.

You could definitely get creative here, particularly if you are used to other types of journaling or even scrapbooking. You could even convert your entries into one of those professional hardback photobooks if you wanted to.

The idea above all is to celebrate. And that’s important in the grief process, because it allows us to honour what we’ve lost, shifting our focus from the pain of absence to the positive memories and lasting impact it had.

Is this a one-off journal project? Maybe, but it can take as long as you need it to. Does it need a finish? No, I don’t think so, unless that tangible journal is something you want to keep. Above all, I think you go with your gut.

You will instinctively know what ‘finished’ looks like. For some, it might be the act of celebration that is important for a short but sustained period. For others, it might be something you want to come back to, or even add to over time.

Exercise 4. Creative or Symbol Journaling

There may be days when writing feels too difficult or emotionally heavy. Creative or Symbol journaling offers an alternative way to express yourself and is something you might find easier to dip in and out of, depending on how you feel.

Your journal entries could include:

• Drawings or sketches
• Poems or fragmented phrases
• Collages or visual memory pages
• Or, well, anything really

Creative and symbolic expression allows emotion to exist without needing an explanation. It acknowledges that you might feel unable to pinpoint what you feel until it’s on the page. And that’s okay.

Grief is messy. It’s confusing, and sometimes it can really zap your energy. Doodle when you feel like that. It doesn’t have to mean anything, but the act of doing it is an act of self-care, and that’s really what we are focusing on with this exercise.

Try the Grief Journaling Exercises That Feel Helpful

Because grief does not follow a fixed timeline, these grief journaling exercises are not designed to help you move through it ‘quickly’. They are simply there to provide a supportive space to process, to feel, and to explore your relationships.

If you notice that intense emotions keep coming up during your journey, remember that it is okay to seek support outside of your journaling experience. Reaching out to a friend, family member, or your GP can be an important step.

None of these grief journaling exercises is about getting through grief faster or “doing it right.” They’re just different ways of getting what’s in your head onto a page, so you’re not carrying all of it around unspoken.

Try one this week, even if it’s just for ten minutes. If letter writing feels like the right starting point, don’t worry about finishing it in one sitting, or ever showing it to anyone.

If you’d like some smaller entry points to work from instead, my 35 Grief Journal Prompts post is worth reading next, or let me know in the comments which of these four you’re drawn to first.

If you’d like to read more about grief journaling, to explore how it might be helpful, I’d like to invite you to visit this blog post: Grief Journaling as a Tool for Coping.