As another month in the year 2020 draws to a close, most of us either breathe a sigh of relief or wait with bated breath in apprehension for what September holds. While we may differ in our approach to processing the events of this year, one thing surely everyone can relate to is feeling groundless or overwhelmed by all that's been happening as of late.

For anyone grappling with feed fatigue and adjusting to returning to school and work in a pandemic, I encourage you to turn inward and check on yourself.

Journaling can be an intimate and cathartic habit to help you make sense of where you are mentally as well as in your life overall. When your emotional and mental well being is fortified, you're more able to accomplish goals and less susceptible to being distracted by things outside of your influence. Here are 10 prompts that will turn your focus on yourself and the things within your control.

Prompts to Assess Where you are Mentally:

- What did the actions you took this month say about your character?

- What occupied your mind the most and how did it make you feel?

- How do you feel about yourself at the moment? What contributes to how you feel?

- What are some things that brought you joy, why did they make you happy and how often did you do those things?

- In what areas of your life do you feel less satisfied? Is it something within your control?

Prompts for Self-Improvement:

- How would you want to be described? What can you do that embodies the qualities you'd want attributed to you?

- How do the things you do habitually make you feel? Are there things you want to do more or less?

- Consider the type of friend you are and the kind you want to be; how different are the two?

- What's an area in your life that you'd like to focus on for a while and why? What time can you set aside to grow in this area?

- What are some negative, invasive thoughts you have on a recurring basis and how can you replace them with positive affirmations?