Begin by choosing a quiet space where you can reflect without distractions, then read through the prompts slowly, allowing each question to resonate before writing. Start with the prompt that feels most approachable, and don’t rush—give yourself permission to explore your feelings honestly. Use the guides to identify specific moments or decisions tied to regret, noting what you’ve learned or how your perspective has shifted over time. If emotions become intense, pause and practice deep breathing before continuing. Revisit your entries after some time to observe growth or new insights, and consider writing letters to yourself or others as a way to process unresolved feelings. Remember, journaling about regret is a personal journey, so be gentle and patient with yourself throughout the process.

Read more tips on how to start and keep a journaling practice that can guide your wellness and personal growth.

Journaling about regret helps move painful, repetitive thoughts into structured reflection so you can clarify emotions, reframe what went wrong, and extract specific lessons that support change rather than rumination. Decades of expressive‑writing research (e.g., Pennebaker and colleagues; Smyth’s meta‑analysis) show that putting emotions into words reduces distress, lowers physiological stress markers and short‑term health complaints, and improves mood and cognitive processing; work on regret and counterfactual thinking (e.g., Gilovich & Medvec) suggests that reflective processing can turn regret into motivation for better future choices. By externalizing regrets on the page you create psychological distance that aids self‑compassion and problem‑solving, making it easier to forgive yourself, learn practical lessons, and translate insight into action.

Learn about the science-backed benefits of journaling along with primary sources.