Have you taken any time to sit with your thoughts lately? The practice can have a pretty big impact on your mindset, even if you take just five minutes a day for meditation. We especially love these 99 reflection questions to help us when navigating life changes, or when we need new journal prompts to help us get our thoughts onto the page.

Below you’ll find questions that can help deepen your relationship with yourself and with loved ones. You’ll also find questions to help identify your values or straighten out your career. Maybe some sections speak to a season of your life currently. But if they don’t, try using some of them the next time you meditate, write, or have coffee with a friend.

Looking for more questions to spark growth and transformation? Try these 99 self-reflection topics to deepen your connections.


Reflection questions to ask every morning

1. How can I nurture myself physically today?

2. How can I nurture myself mentally today?

3. How can I nurture my relationships today?

4. What am I most worried about right now? Why?

“How can I nurture my relationships today?”

5. Do I feel well-rested today?

6. What are some small joys that put a smile on my face?

7. How can I show myself love today?

8. What are three things I’m grateful for?

9. What do I love about my life?


Reflection questions to ask before bed

10. What was the highlight of my day?

11. What was the lowlight of my day?

12. What did I take for granted today?

13. What’s one thing I did today that I’m proud of?

14. Did someone perform a small act of kindness for me today?

15. Did I perform a small act of kindness for someone else today?


Reflection questions to ask before making a big decision

16. What brings me joy?

17. What would I do if I didn’t care what anyone else thinks?

18. When do I feel the most like myself?

19. What are some of my most proud accomplishments?

20. What situations make me feel the most alive?

21. Who do I consider some of the most “successful” people in the world?

22. What are the most important lessons I’ve learned in life so far?

23. What values are most important to me?

24. What have been some of the most transformative moments of my life?

“What would I do if I didn’t care what anyone else thinks?”

25. If I could give any advice to a 16-year-old, what would it be?

26. What’s the best advice I’ve ever been given?

27. If I had one year to live, what would I do?

28. If I had one day to live, what would I do?

29. What are the most important things in my life right now? What would I be devastated to lose?

30. What are some of my biggest mistakes and what did they teach me?

31. What do I want to say no to but can’t?

32. What do I want to say yes to but can’t?

33. What’s something I would regret not doing in my life?


Reflection questions to ask about your relationships

34. How do I want to make others feel?

35. What do people come to me for help with?

36. What would I want my grandchildren to say about me?

37. What qualities are most important to me in a friend?

38. What do I enjoy doing for others?

39. What was the kindest thing someone has done for me?

40. Who do I trust the most in my life?

41. Why does the world need what I have to bring?

42. What is something I wish others knew about me?

43. When was the last time I helped out a friend or family member?


Reflection questions to ask when you feel stuck

44. If I achieved all of my life goals today, what would I do tomorrow?

45. What were my favorite activities as a child?

46. What makes me lose track of time?

47. If I were a professor, what would I teach?

48. Who, famous or otherwise, inspires me the most? Why?

49. What situations make me feel the most productive?

50. When do I feel the most relaxed?

51. What are my top three travel destinations?

52. When I was a child, what did I want to be when I grew up?

“If I achieved all of my life goals today, what would I do tomorrow?”

53. If I could go back to school for free, what would I study?

54. What sparks my creativity?

55. What do I tend to put off out of fear?

56. What’s something I tell myself I’ll do when I “have the time”?

57. What have I given up on? Why?

58. When was the last time I felt out of my comfort zone?

59. What’s a topic I’d love to become more educated on?

60. What do I want more of in my life?

61. How much control do I feel like I have over my life?

62. What is on my bucket list?


Reflection questions to ask about your career

63. Why did I choose the job that I have?

64. If I had to change career paths, what would I choose?

65. Where do I see myself career-wise in 5 years?

66. Where do I see myself in 10?

67. How would I describe my current job to a martian?

68. What could I do all day and not feel like I was wasting time?

69. If money was no object, what would I be doing with my life?

70. If I could receive an unlimited grant to complete any project, what would I do?

71. If I could start my career over, what would I change?

72. If I didn’t have to work, what would I do?

73. When does my work feel necessary and satisfying? Is that in the office, the home, etc.?


Reflection questions to help you live more comfortably in your body

74. What do I get the most compliments on?

75. What do I want to change about myself? Why?

76. What makes me feel the most self-conscious?

77. When I am in physical or emotional pain, what do I do for myself?

78. If my body could talk to me, what would it say?

79. When do I feel the most comfortable in my own skin?

80. If I had to wear one outfit for the rest of my life, what would it be?

81. What’s the best compliment I’ve ever received?


Reflection questions to help you live more in line with your values

82. How would I describe myself in three words?

83. What movie characters do I relate most to?

84. What book characters do I relate most to?

85. If I became president, what would be my first order of business?

86. What makes me laugh hardest?

87. In elevator pitch format (sixty seconds), how would I describe myself?

88. A genie gives me three wishes — what would I wish for?

89. If I could have dinner with someone famous, living or dead, who would I choose?

90. If I had a grant to write a book, what would I write about?

91. If I could open a store, what would I sell?

“What makes me laugh hardest?”

92. What are some of my deepest desires?

93. What would my perfect day look like?

94. What desires keep tugging at my heart?

95. If I had the microphone at the Super Bowl, what would I say?

96. If I had to pick a theme song for a show about my life, what would it be?

97. What are my most important belongings?

98. What are some of my fondest memories?

99. What would I want my epitaph to be?


Natalie Gale is a Boston-based freelance journalist. When she’s not writing about art, food, or sustainability, you can find her biking to the farmers’ market, baking, sewing, or planning her next Halloween costume. Say hi on Instagram!