Journal Writing Prompts about Love

By Alissa Marquess Zorn on February 10, 2020 (updated February 12, 2020)

Loving and being loved, it sounds so simple, but the truth is not always simple. Love is a complex web of action and emotion.

More often than not, real love has its sleeves rolled up, dirt and grime smeared on its arms, and sweat dripping down its forehead.-Seth Adam Smith

These writing prompts about love and being loved are useful for examining the loving relationships in your life and deepening your connection with those closest to you.

20 Journal Prompts about Loving and Being Loved, written with parents in mind.

The first five writing prompts in this set are helpful if you’re feeling out of touch with someone you love – whether that’s your partner your kids or a friend. Spend a few minutes reflecting on these journal prompts to get clarity about what might help you feel more connected to that individual and what they most need at this moment to feel loved

You can find a printable version of these prompts here.

Journal Prompts about Showing Love and Reconnecting

What makes this person feel loved?
What can I do with them, or ask them to do that will allow their unique skills to shine?
If all of my actions are saying one sentence to this person, what should that sentence be right now? (For instance, for one of my children I think he needs to hear/see “I am stable and safe for you.” and for another, “I want to know you.”)
What do I want to be sure not to miss with this person?
How does this person act when they need love, but don’t know how to tell me?

Journal Prompts on Giving and Receiving Love

What makes you feel loved?
Are the things that make people in your family feel loved the same things that make you feel loved, or different? How do you think this affects the way you communicate with each other?
How do you express to the people you care about, the ways that they make you feel loved? Do you think they know when they are making you feel loved?
LOVE vs. RESPECT – Respond to this quote: “Many awful things have been done in the name of love, but nothing awful can be done in the name of respect.” ~Magda Gerber, founder of Resources for Infant Educarers
Can you run out of love?
Is there someone you wish you could tell one more time, how much you love them? Write them a letter telling them. You may wish to burn it afterwards as a way to send out those thoughts.
Is there someone in your life now, whom you need to contact and tell them what they mean to you? What’s stopping you?
What part of yourself do you guard most closely? Are you able to share it with the people you love? Do you think they are able to drop their guard with you?

Journal Prompts About Anger and Love

What happens when someone is angry with you? Do you still feel loved? How do you react?
What do you do when you’re angry with someone you love? Do you feel good about your habits for handling anger with the people you love? why or why not?
Do you ever come down on the people you love too hard because you’re afraid for them? Write about the intersection of love and fear.

Journal Prompts About Love and Partnership

(If you are not in a relationship, and would like one, you might use these questions to describe what you would like in a marriage/partnership relationship.)

Describe your partnership or marriage right now – take a good look at where you truly are at this moment. How do you feel when your partner walks in the room? How are you showing one another love? What needs for love are you missing?
Can your immediate family fulfill your need to feel loved? Are there any needs you have for which it would be appropriate to look outside your marriage or immediate family?
How would you behave, feel, think if you were “madly in love” with your partner? Would things be different? Can you choose to be madly in love?

Books on Loving and being Loved:

Book links are Amazon affiliate links, meaning I may receive compensation if you purchase through them.

The 5 Love Languages talks about how we each have different ways that we feel loved, and different ways of expressing love. I’ve found the Love Languages to be an extremely helpful framework for thinking about how I can interact best with my family. It reminds me that my ways of experiencing the world are certainly not the only ones that count. There is also a 5 Love Languages of Children book which is more child-specific, and lots of resources on Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages site.
The Mastery of Love is by Don Miguel Ruiz who also wrote The Four Agreements. It is more spiritually oriented than the 5 Love Languages and speaks a lot about loving without becoming enmeshed with your partner and taking responsibility for making yourself happy.
If you’re looking for a book about showing love to your children and you enjoy journal prompts, you will enjoy my book, Bounceback Parenting, A Field Guide for Creating Connection Not Perfection.