25 Daily Reflection Questions for the End of the Day (Not About Work)

Search for daily reflection questions and you'll mostly find work questions. What did I accomplish? What could I have done better? What are my top three priorities for tomorrow?

Those have their place. But at night, after a long day, a performance review is often the last thing you need. If every evening ends with a scorecard, the day can only ever be a pass or a fail.

The questions below are about something else: what you noticed, how you felt, who you were with, and how to let the day be over. There's nothing to optimize. You just answer one, honestly, and go to sleep.

Why reflect on anything but output?

Most reflection advice is about work: what went well, what to improve, what's next. That has its place.

But not every reflection has to be about your job. A day is more than its to-do list. The walk to the car, the text from your sister, the moment you were annoyed and the moment it passed: those are part of your day too, and they're usually the parts that go unwritten.

Asking gentler questions also changes what you pay attention to. If you know you'll be asked "what did you notice today?", you might start noticing a little more.

How to use these questions

• Pick one or two. You don't need to answer all 25, or even five.
• Think it or write it. Reflection can happen in your head while you brush your teeth. Writing a short entry helps you be specific, but it's optional.
• Answer the small version. If a question feels big, shrink it to the last hour, or one moment.
• No fixing. You're describing the day, not grading it. If a plan shows up, write it on a separate note and come back to the question.

Noticing the day

These help you see the parts of the day you rushed past.

1. 1What did you see today that you'd normally walk past?
2. 2When did you feel most awake today?
3. 3What was the quietest moment of your day?
4. 4What's one thing that was exactly the same as yesterday, and did you mind?
5. 5What did you touch, hold or carry today?

How today felt

Feelings change over a day. These questions let you follow them without judging them.

6. 6How did you feel when you woke up, and how do you feel now?
7. 7When did your mood shift today, and what shifted it?
8. 8What feeling took up the most space today?
9. 9Was there a moment you felt at ease? Where were you?
10. 10What feeling are you going to bed with, and is it yours to keep?

The people in your day

Most days are shaped by other people, even in small ways.

11. 11Who did you spend the most time with today?
12. 12Whose message or call did you enjoy most?
13. 13Did anyone surprise you today?
14. 14Who could use a kind word from you tomorrow?
15. 15Who were you glad to be around, and did you tell them?

Being kind to yourself

These are the questions most people skip, and the ones that can make a night feel softer.

16. 16What did you handle today that was harder than it looked?
17. 17Where did you go easy on yourself today?
18. 18What would you say to a friend who had your exact day?
19. 19What's one thing you did today just because you wanted to?
20. 20What part of today are you ready to stop thinking about?

Letting the day end

A few questions to close the day, so it doesn't follow you into bed.

21. 21If today were a chapter, what would it be called?
22. 22What's one unfinished thing that's allowed to stay unfinished tonight?
23. 23What would make tomorrow morning feel a little kinder?
24. 24What are you looking forward to, even slightly?
25. 25What do you want to say goodnight to?

A three-question version

If you'd like a short set to keep, these three cover most days:

1. 1What did I notice?
2. 2How did it feel?
3. 3What can I set down tonight?

Three answers, a sentence each. That's a full reflection.

If your head is busy

Some nights a gentle question won't land because your mind is still running through tomorrow. In that case, try writing a short list of what needs doing, then come back to one question here. One small sleep-lab study found that people who wrote a specific to-do list at bedtime fell asleep a little faster than people who wrote about what they'd already done (Scullin et al., 2018). It's one study, not a cure, but it's a reasonable reason to empty your head first.

For mood-specific questions on wired, heavy or flat nights, see our 40 night journal prompts sorted by mood. If you want to write but aren't sure how to start, our guide to what to write in a journal before bed has sample entries and fill-in templates. And for a simple list to keep by the bed, here are 30 bedtime journal prompts.

Reflection without a scorecard

There's no right answer to any of these. Some nights you'll write something that surprises you. Other nights you'll write "fine" and turn off the light. Both count.

If you'd like one gentle question waiting for you each night, that's what we're building with Asterie, a tiny night journal. Every night it asks, "Tell the stars about today." You write a short entry, and the night becomes a star in your sky.

Sources

• Scullin, M. K., Krueger, M. L., Ballard, H. K., Pruett, N., & Bliwise, D. L. (2018). The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 139–146. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5758411/