Most holiday advice tells you what to do. Journaling asks you what you want, which is a different question and often a harder one. By the first week of December, many people are running on a list of obligations they never chose, and they haven’t had ten quiet minutes to notice.
These eight prompts come from our 2026 Holiday Wellness Survival Kit. They are not deep. A couple of them involve Home Alone. But each one is built to surface something true about how you are spending your energy, and what you might stop spending it on. Grab a notebook, or the notes app, and give one of them five minutes.
This journaling guide is designed to help you explore your hopes and boundaries, laugh at the imperfect parts, and recognize the small joys of the season. As you reflect, remember there’s no right or wrong way to experience the holidays.
1. My holiday “DND” day
Imagine your phone is on DND from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. No group chats, no gift reminders, and no “what time are you getting here?” texts. Write about how you’d spend that day, what you’d eat, and what you’d wear (sweatpants absolutely count).
What does this dream day tell you about what you really need to feel rested this season?
2. Kevin McCallister’s house rules
Remember Home Alone? Kevin had the whole house to himself and made his own rules. If you had a full day to yourself this season, what would your house rules be? Write about the “traps” you’d set for stress, like screening calls, skipping the mall, or ordering takeout instead of cooking a five-course meal.
Which of these traps could you actually use this year?
3. Scrooge or Buddy the Elf?
On a scale from Scrooge (before the ghosts showed up) to Buddy the Elf (from Elf, who treats maple syrup like its own food group), where does your holiday energy land today?
Write about what pulls you toward each side. Maybe it’s twinkle lights and cookie swaps, or maybe it’s a packed parking lot on Christmas Eve. There’s room for both on the scale.
4. The holiday friend Vinyl I wish I had
Imagine having a Vinyl disc with voice notes from people who make you feel most like yourself. They can be friends, family, a favorite coworker, or even a character from your favorite holiday movie. Write out the first few messages you’d love to get.
5. My holiday playlist
Build a playlist that matches how the season really feels for you. It could start with Lenny Kravitz, go through Olivia Dean, and end with Chappell Roan. Write about why each song made the list and what memory or mood it brings up.
6. My “should” list vs. my “want” list
Draw a line down the middle of your page. On one side, list the things you feel you should do this season. On the other side, list what you actually want to do. Circle one item on the “should” side you can let go of and one item on the “want” side you’ll make time for.
7. If my year were a holiday movie
If the past year were a holiday movie, what would it be called? Is it a feel-good Hallmark story, a chaotic comedy like Christmas Vacation, or a quiet film with a hopeful ending? Write a short summary of the plot so far and what you’d like the next scene to look like.
8. My one-word holiday theme
Finish by choosing one word to guide you through the rest of the season. It might be “rest,” “slow,” “present,” or “enough.” Write about why you picked it and one way you’ll bring it into your days. This could be something like “My word is slow, so I’ll let the grocery run take as long as it takes” or “My word is enough, so I’ll stop after one batch of cookies instead of four.”
If prompt six was easy to fill on the “should” side and hard on the “want” side, pay attention to that. Losing track of what you want is one of the quieter ways depression shows up, especially in winter, and it rarely looks like sadness from the outside. Writing it down is a good first step. Talking to someone about it is a good second one, and at Axis the first appointment is a full hour with a board-certified provider.
The printable version of these prompts, with lines to write on, is in the 2026 Holiday Wellness Survival Kit alongside a grief worksheet, breathwork, and small talk openers for the gathering you are dreading. You can read the whole guide at axismh.com/holiday-wellness-survival-kit.
