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Are you looking to delve into the self-healing process of Shadow Work but don’t know what to write about or what your shadow self looks like?
Then looking for some deep and thought-provoking Shadow Work questions and prompts to help you get past the initial beginner blocks is a great place to start.
If you’re still not sure what Shadow Work is or if you’re just starting out, make sure to take a look at my article on the basics before continuing.
Once you’ve grasped the basics, the Shadow Work questions and prompts included in this article will help put your knowledge into practice.
What is Shadow Work as a mindset and wellness tool?
Shadow Work is based on the psychology that we all have a side of ourselves that we suppress, hide or internally attack because we view it as negative or ugly.
Shadow Work is the process of working with these shadow aspects through exercises and journaling so that we can accept it as being a part of ourselves in a more holistic way.
It can be uncomfortable working with your shadow personality traits and behaviors. Still, it’s important to accept, embrace and work with your shadow to achieve the benefits of Shadow Work like inner healing, growth, and emotional balance.
Why use Shadow Work Questions & Prompts?
Trying to identify your shadow self can be a challenging process as it often hides in your subconscious. This makes finding and bringing it to the surface of your consciousness complex, uncomfortable, and difficult even before you try to work through and accept it as a part of you.
However, by using Shadow Work questions and prompts, you can make the whole process a lot easier, especially for the shadow aspects of yourself that are the most difficult to acknowledge, accept and integrate.
Shadow Work questions are an incredibly powerful tool everyone should have as part of the journey to a more balanced and authentic version of themselves. Because not only will they help you record your thoughts and feelings. They can also help you identify and discover aspects of yourself that are causing conflict and struggles you may have never recognized on your own.
Shadow Work Questions & Prompts For Beginners
By now, you should have a general idea of what to do with Shadow Work questions and prompts, plus the benefits they can have for your journaling journey.
If you’re not confident you understand Shadow Work just yet, then remember you can always check this article for more information or the bottom of this article for more resources.
Or, if you’d prefer a more structured approach, I recommend checking out my 14-day Shadow Work challenge that takes a more guided approach.
Below you’ll find a list of the best Shadow Work questions and prompts that are perfect for beginners to dig deep into their shadow self when just starting out:
Prompt #1
Pick a negative emotion or trait from the list below, or come up with your own. When did you last feel it? What triggered it? Where else do you notice this emotion appearing in your life?
sad/angry/jealous/cruel/stupid/manipulative/selfish/disgusting/racist/sexist/ageist/ugly/lazy/hopeless/paranoid/stubborn/impatient/over-sensitive/afraid/aggressive/possessive/irreponsible/arrogant/childish/weak/depressed/not good enough/fatigued
Prompt #2
When recently did you have a strong negative response to something? Why do you think you reacted this way? What core emotions did you feel, and are there any additional emotions you felt that were more subtle or hidden? Looking back at this situation, how do you feel about it now? Are there any differences, and why might this be?
Prompt #3
Write a list of personality traits or physical traits you hate in other people. Who comes to mind when you write this list? Why do these traits make you feel this way? Are there any examples you can think of where you have these same traits yourself?
Prompt #4
Name a word that would upset you if someone described or called you with it. What’s bad about it being true? What’s a way this could have a positive aspect?
Prompt #5
How do you deal with negative emotions right now? How has it changed compared to when you were a child?
Prompt #6
Name a trauma from your past. How does it make you feel? What influence does it have on you right now? How can you perceive yourself as healing from this trauma, and how would your life be different because of it?
Prompt #7
Name someone who you haven’t forgiven. Describe what happened, why didn’t you forgive them, and how it makes you feel. Do you feel it’s possible to forgive them now? Write your reasoning and why.
Prompt #8
Name a relationship you have or had that felt unhealthy or toxic. What happened, and why do you think it felt this way? What would you change if you could? If you could write a letter to that person, what would you say?
Prompt #9
Write down your worst personality trait. Why do you think it’s bad? How does it make you feel? Are there any positive aspects it can bring? How can you be more compassionate with yourself over it?
Prompt #10
Write down your worst physical trait. Why do you think it’s bad? How does it make you feel? Are there any positive aspects it can bring? How can you be more compassionate with yourself over it?
Prompt #11
Name something you’ve recently avoided doing because you were afraid of being rejected. Why do you think you avoided it? What could have happened, both negative and positive, if you had tried it?
Prompt #12
Name a time you’ve made a mistake. What were the consequences, and how did it make you feel? Be honest about whether the mistake was avoidable and whether you feel the need to make up for it.
Prompt #13
What aspects of your parents’ traits and attitudes do you feel you also have? How long have you felt like this, and how does it make you feel? Does it influence your perception of your parents in any way?
Prompt #14
Do you find it easy or difficult to form or maintain relationships? Why do you think this is, and how does it make you feel? Do you feel this is a positive or negative thing? How do others seem to view this?
Prompt #15
Pick a negative emotion from the list or come up with your own. Write down the first person or event that comes to mind when you think of this emotion. Why do you think this is, and how do you feel it influences your behaviors and attitudes?
sad/angry/jealous/cruel/stupid/manipulative/selfish/disgusting/racist/sexist/ageist/ugly/lazy/hopeless/paranoid/stubborn/impatient/over-sensitive/afraid/aggressive/possessive/irreponsible/arrogant/childish/weak/depressed/not good enough/fatigued
Prompt #16
Write a list of your weaknesses and write a letter to yourself accepting them. Why are they a part of you? How do they make you who you are? What things wouldn’t be the same without them? If you decided to improve on them, how would you go about it?
Prompt #17
Name an aspect of your workplace or job that makes you angry. Why do you think it triggers this emotion? What other things can your anger be related to both in and out of work? How can you accept or avoid this aspect of your work emotionally triggering you?
Prompt #18
Name an emotion you feel like you’ve been ignoring or bottling up lately. Why do you think this is? What other things in your life right now can you relate to it? How can you express it instead of ignoring it?
Prompt #19
Name a situation or event you’d like to forget. How does this situation make you feel? Why do you want to forget it? Why do you feel like you haven’t been able to forget it? Does it remind you of a certain event or person from your childhood? Evaluate the positive and negative consequences of forgetting this situation.
Prompt #20
Name a time you’ve felt like giving up on something. Why was this? What was the end result? Were they any other consequences? Did you regret your decision? How does it make you feel now?
Prompt #21
Name a situation where you felt betrayed by someone. How did it make you feel? Was it fair? Would you change anything or say anything differently to explain it to them? How do you feel about the situation now, and do you feel forgiveness should be sought out? How is your relationship with this person now?
Where to find more Shadow Work questions and prompts
These Shadow Work questions and prompts will help you get started with this mindset and wellness tool, even if you’ve never done it before. I hope you’ll find them useful in your journey, but if you’d like more prompts to go through at any point, be sure to grab these 60 free prompts here, or you can buy even more printable prompts and journaling pages through the shop.
