November Journal Prompts

When scrapbooking November pages, the first place to get ideas for your journaling is from the photos you took in November. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. What’s not to love about getting together with loved ones to give thanks and eat delicious food? It’s the perfect month to reflect on our blessings and express our thanks. There are many gratitude journal prompts and challenges going around on social media in November. We can carry those over to our albums with some of these fun ideas. As you look at your photos/events from November what stories are emerging?

In this post I’ll share some journaling prompts with you for November layouts. You may be current or you may be working with photos from the 1960’s … it’s ok, just jump in where you’re at. I’ll be posting journal prompts every month until I have the whole year covered with journaling ideas. (You can find the other monthly prompts HERE.)

Besides photos, another place to get journaling ideas is from the current Sticker Packs and Variety Mat Packs you are using. Some of my November Journal Prompts are from my photos and some are from Creative Memories Thanksgiving Theme Pack and I Am Grateful Project Recipe Kit.

November Journal Prompts

Here are some journaling prompts to help you tell your stories from the photos you took in November (any year). Of course we all have different events and life circumstances but if you are stuck and not sure what to write about in your journal or in your scrapbook albums, I hope these prompts help jumpstart your journaling!

Count your Blessings…they say the best way out of depression is to start a gratitude list. Have you tried that? The bible says “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7)

Gratitude changes things. It changes our perspective, our attitude, our spirit, and our countenance. Writing down your gratitude list and keeping it in your journal or scrapbook is a great way to feed your spirit.
Three Things That Cheer Me Up on a Rough Day…we all have those days and sometimes it’s important to grieve or just be sad and feel your feelings. But what cheers you up? Make a list of things that bring a smile to your face. Maybe the next time you have a friend who is going through a rough time, you could be that light who brings them a little surprise or will take the time to go on a walk or just send an old fashioned card in the mail.
People I Am Grateful For…one of the 5 love languages is Words of Affirmation. Make a list of the people you are grateful for. Our family and close friends are the obvious choice for this exercise but I want to encourage you to look at the supporting characters in your real life story. This could be anyone from the mail carrier who faithfully brings your mail, to the Amazon delivery person (Ohhh soo grateful!!) to your local barista. How about writing a little story about the person who is always there but you don’t know anything about them. Let your imagination take off and write…there are many supporting characters in your life if you really stop and think about them. Where do they go after they finish their shift at the local grocery store? How are they holding up during the pandemonium? aka 2020, 2021, 2022….
Activities that Bring me Joy…one of the things I love about scrapbooks and journals is when you go back in time and read what you wrote years ago. Remember to add little details of your everyday life! It may seem mundane today but all of us know how much the world has changed in the last 50 years. And how much it has changed in just the last 5 years. Ali Edwards recommends “A Day in the Life” where one week she will take photos and journal about the everyday routines and life currently. Make a list or add a scrapbook page layout in your album of all the activities that bring you joy. How has this changed over the years? Have you had to delete some activities you once loved? Have you added any new activities? How has your life slowed down or sped up? Which activities do you enjoy doing alone and which do you enjoy doing with others?
What are you Thankful for This Year?…one of our traditions at Thanksgiving is to go around the table and have everyone share what they are most thankful for from the year. Our family is pretty candid and I have found my teenagers will often surprise me by what has stood out to them. I write this all down and add it to our family album on our Thanksgiving page. Encourage your family to go beyond the pat answer “family, friends, health” and be more specific. My friend has a tablecloth she uses just for Thanksgiving and she has her family write directly on the tablecloth what they are thankful for! She brings this out year after year and they can be surrounded by their thankful memories. Another friend has a gratitude jar and fills it with notes whenever the urge strikes her to record something she is grateful for. When she feels discouraged, she opens that jar and is reminded of God’s faithfulness and provision.
30 Days of Gratitude…you can do this any month – it doesn’t have to just be November. Each day make a post or journal of something you are grateful for. At the end of the month you will have 30 items. You may be surprised what comes up. When November comes around again next year, check out the hashtags #30daysofgratitude #gratitudechallenge #gratitudejournal and join in some of the challenges.

I hope these journal prompts and ideas are helpful to you as you write in your scrapbooks, planners and journals. (For October journal prompts, check out October Journal Prompts). If you would like weekly encouragement with your writing, join my Wednesday Writers Club on Instagram or Facebook!

Thank you for being part of a Dash of Story community. I appreciate you and it’s so nice to be on this memory keeping journey together. DL