Shadow work is taking a look at the parts of yourself that you keep hidden and bringing them to light so you can become aware of them and understand how they affect your life.
It can be tough because it bring up uncomfortable thoughts & feelings. It can also be healing because it helps you process things, that you might not be aware of, that could be affecting your life.
One of the best ways to do shadow work is through journaling. I recommend starting with just one prompt day if this is your first time doing shadow work.
Shadow Work Prompts To Help You Uncover Your Hidden Self.
- What do I appreciate about myself, and what am I learning?
- Which interests feel special to me, even if quietly enjoyed?
- What loving thoughts help me feel supported inside?
- How can I offer myself the same kindness I offer others?
- What past choices helped shape who I am today?
- How have my experiences helped me grow wiser?
- What qualities do I value in meaningful connections?
- Who inspires me, and what qualities do I admire?
- What kind of connections feel most nourishing to me?
- Which stories or characters reflect qualities I admire?
- What unfinished dream still feels meaningful to explore?
- What kind of work would feel fulfilling and aligned?
- What qualities do I appreciate in supportive work relationships?
- Which habits support the life I want to create?
- What activities uplift my energy and focus?
- What empowering beliefs help me move forward?
- What childhood experiences shaped my strengths today?
- What helps me feel grounded and capable right now?
- If life felt steady, what would I joyfully explore?
- What personal qualities am I gently improving?
- How could my environment feel more comforting and inspiring?
- What helps me feel more open and free?
- Which activities no longer serve my best self?
- What helps me feel most alive and engaged?
- What loving message would I share with my younger self?
- What kind words do I enjoy hearing and believing?
- What does success feel like to me personally?
- What part of me deserves to be expressed more?
- What brings meaning, joy, and curiosity into my life?
- What small steps can I take toward something new?
Grab my free 30-Day shadow work journaling prompts or fill out the form below for a deeper dive into shadow work.
I only recommend things I’ve tried & loved. I may make a commission if you complete a purchase. Read privacy.
Shadow Work Journaling.
The reason I picked journaling as a tool to help with shadow work is that I love to write longhand and there are even studies that show the benefits of writing this way versus typing up on your computer or smartphone.
Also, I think it’s more effective than just practicing meditation, self-awareness, or mindfulness alone because you can see, process, & understand your thoughts, emotions, & behavioral patterns better on paper.
My Top Tips To Succeed With Shadow Work Journaling.
Journaling can feel tedious at first. Which is why I’ll share my top tips to help you succeed with it.
- Buy a beautiful and sturdy journal.
- This is not a criteria for journaling, but a beautiful journal makes it feel more fun and enjoyable. Having something aesthetically pleasing to look at will not only bring a smile to your face but reinforce it in a positive way.
- I love the Rettacy journals because they’re very affordable, come in different types & colors, and feel luxurious.
- Find a quiet space.
- Find somewhere to journal that’s quiet or a time of day where there’s as little interruption as possible so your can hear yourself think and the answers with come to mind easier.
- Take your time.
- Remember to give yourself some space with shadow work because it can get uneasy at times. If you need to pause or take a break, go ahead and give yourself that time out.
- Be honest with yourself.
- If you want to be successful with your shadow work journaling, you need to be open and honest with yourself. Even if no one will see your journal, you might start editing your own writing and possibly filter the truth of your shadow sides.
- I find that the best way to be honest with journaling is to write the first things that come to mind. Don’t judge or criticize your writing until you’re done. You can check out Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” to help you overcome creative blocks through writing.
- Be consistent.
- Be consistent with your journaling so it becomes a habit that you happily return to each day. It helps to have a designated day & time to journal where you won’t be disturbed.
“One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” – Carl Jung
What Is Shadow Work?
According to Wikipedia, your shadow side is:
“…either an unconscious aspect of the personality that the conscious ego does not identify in itself, or the entirety of the unconscious.”
In other words, your shadow is the side of yourself that is unseen, or the part you’re unaware of, or the side that you have kept hidden from yourself and others.
The concept of the shadow self began with psychologist Psychologist Carl Jung. He developed the notion of the shadow, or the unconscious, in his book, “Psychology of the Unconscious” in 1912.
Sigmund Freud alluded to the idea of a shadow side when he published his work, “The Ego and the Id” in 1923. His version of the shadow self is the unconscious, or the part of ourselves that we are not aware of.
Shadow work was reintroduced, popularized, and co-authored by Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Debbie Ford in the New York Times bestselling book “The Shadow Effect: Illuminating the Hidden Power of Your True Self” in 2010.
The Origin Of Shadow Work.
“Unless you learn to face your own shadows, you will continue to see them in others, because the world outside you is only a reflection of the world inside us.” – Carl Jung
Shadow work began with the psychotherapist, Carl Jung. According to him, each person has each of the following 4 main archetypes within them.
- The persona: how you represent yourself to the world.
- The shadow: the unconscious such as repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings.
- The anima: your true self.
- The self: the unified unconscious and conscious self.
Carl Jung’s Shadow Archetypes.
According to Jung, each archetype has a shadow archetype that is supposed to exist across most, if not all, cultures, beliefs, & human behavior.
You can take a look at the table below at the ego & shadow archetypes for quick reference.
| Ego | Shadow |
| Sacred Progenitor | Tyrannical Progenitor |
| Old Wise Man | Trickster |
| Animus | Anima |
| Meaning | Absurdity |
| Centrality | Diffusion |
| Order | Chaos |
| Opposition | Conjunction |
| Time | Eternity |
| Sacred | Profane |
| Light | Darkness |
| Transformation | Fixity |
The Purpose Of Shadow Work.
The purpose of shadow work is to dive deep into our subconscious to find any hidden emotions, thoughts, & behavioral patterns that may be preventing us from realizing our full potential. We all have shadow parts, positive or negative, that we’d rather not share with others.
It can be easy to sweep these parts of ourselves under the rug and pretend they are not there. The problem is, they stay stuck there, like a drain that is clogged and gets backed up.
When we get backed up with intense, unwanted, or unpleasant emotions, we can develop bigger problems that will be harder to fix.
Shadow work is a tool that can help us uncover what we are feeling by getting in touch with our shadow self and healing it so that it does not control us anymore.
It is a tool that can help you find solutions to issues or problems that might be plaguing you in your life.
What To Expect With Shadow Work.
When I first began my shadow work journey with a therapist, it was rough. A lot of emotions, thoughts, and past behavior surfaced that I had buried throughout the years.
I haven’t completely healed all of my shadow parts, and I don’t know when the work will be done, but I do know that I am in a much better place than when I first started.
Through all of my years of shadow work, I learned that the best way to process all the difficult emotions, thoughts, & behavior patterns is to love myself exactly where I am.
Not looking to the future or the past, but embracing all of me, good and bad, no matter what my circumstances are and where I am at in life. Shadow work can sometimes feel like you’re taking a step forward and 2 steps back.
Which is why it’s important to be kind and compassionate with yourself because the ebb & flow of the nature of this work can sometimes feel unbearable.
I’m not even sure how they make you a stronger person exactly, but I do know that whatever I allowed myself to think, feel, & do has made me a more compassionate & empathetic person toward myself and others.
What I Felt After Shadow Work.
- I felt more confident in myself.
- I gained more confidence in myself after I was able to see how my shadow parts were holding me back and keeping me from doing what I wanted to in life.
- My anxiety lessened.
- I used to have anxiety every day and I didn’t know where it was coming from. Uncovering the parts of myself that I was trying to avoid helped to lessen the anxiety and it continues to improve over time.
- I felt safer, in general.
- I was afraid to face the shadow sides of myself, especially the ones that made me feel scared and helpless. I got help for this type of intense shadow work and it helped me transform those feelings into that of safety and security.
- I was able to enjoy the little things in my life.
- Bringing those shadow sides of myself into the light was like cleaning up a room and putting things away where they should be. I was able to enjoy the little things in life that I was overlooking.
- I had more gratitude.
- Shadow work helped me to become more appreciative of the people and the things in my life that I had taken for granted. I even started a gratitude challenge for 30 days, which forever changed my perspective in life.
- I have more compassion toward myself.
- By becoming aware of my shadow selves, I eventually learned how to embrace them and became more compassionate toward myself. I still practice acts of kindness toward myself because the shadow parts of myself show up from time to time.
- I have equanimity.
- I am able to be at peace, for the most part, with things in my life that used to upset me or make me feel out of control. It doesn’t mean that I am zen all the time, but at least when I’m aware of what is going in my body & mind, I can bring myself back to harmony.
How Shadow Work Can Help You.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.” – Carl Jung
Shadow work is a powerful way to help you uncover hidden aspects of yourself, so you can live a life that feels more loving and authentic.
It is necessary to bring to light the parts of yourself that you haven’t yet processed and healed from. With that being said, don’t force yourself to do it unless you’re ready.
You will know when you are ready to face your shadow parts, so give yourself plenty of time & compassion.
The Benefits of Shadow Work.
There are not many studies about the benefits of shadow work, other than this article that I found in Healthline. Here is the list of 4 main benefits of shadow work as defined in the Healthline article:
- Feeling whole or integrated as a person.
- Improved interactions with others.
- Healing from generational trauma.
- Learn healthy ways to meet your needs.
Feeling more whole or integrated as a person.
I’m not an expert on the unconscious or the subconscious, but I do know the feeling of reconnecting to parts of yourself that have remained hidden in the shadows.
You are better able to embrace, rather than turn away from, the shadow parts that oftentimes are attached to unpleasant, uncomfortable, or even painful feelings.
You can let go of these feelings, emotions, sensations, and thoughts much easier and gain more connection to yourself as a whole.
Improving interactions with others.
I became more aware of how my actions affected others, whether negatively or positively, by bringing those parts of myself out of the shadows and into the light.
Improving relationships with others might not result in reconciliation right away and may be upsetting at first. But you’ll recognize the ways you have been overstretching yourself or holding yourself back.
This, in turn, can help you to improve your interactions and relationships with others and subsequently help you heal your life.
Healing generational trauma.
According to the American Psychological Association, or APA, trauma is:
an emotional response to a terrible event like an accident or natural disaster.
To summarize the article, shadow work can help you unearth wounds that go back to your childhood and help break the cycle of generational trauma.
Learn healthier ways to meet your needs.
You may not be aware of the ways you think and behave that are causing you harm. For example, you grew up taking care of your younger siblings and made sacrifices for your family.
This care-giving & self-sacrificing mindset stuck with you into your adulthood and the way you interact with others. To you it is how you are used to doing things, but, you feel a disconnect from deep within and you’re not sure why.
This is where shadow work can be helpful. Exploring any feelings, thoughts, & behaviors that are causing you internal pain & discomfort can help you get to the root cause of them.
In time it can help you process and understand the patterns that keep popping up in your life that no longer serve you and find healthier ways to cope with them that feel supportive and healing.
“The shadow is needed now more than ever. We heal the world when we heal ourselves, and hope shines brightest when it illuminates the dark.” – Sasha Graham
Other Ways To Do Shadow Work.
Though my favorite way to do shadow work is journaling, there are different methods out there. I wanted to mention them because each person responds to it differently and if this is your first exposure to it & it’s not your cup of tea, Here are 3 other ways that I’ve tried to do shadow work that are very effective.
- Self-Awareness
- Mindfulness
- Getting help
Self-Awareness.
Everything begins with awareness. Awareness allows you to fully feel and experience the present moment.
It’s only when you’re aware of what’s going on inside of you and around you that you can start to change your life.
Awareness takes time and effort. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be better able to process your feelings & thoughts and start your shadow work.
You’ll have more compassion toward your shadow sides and will learn to embrace them.
Mindfulness.
Mindfulness takes time, but it’s worth the effort once you get the hang of it. Contrary to what some might think, mindfulness is not about clearing your mind or trying to get to a state of calm.
It’s about awareness of what’s going on inside & around you so you see your thoughts & feelings for what they really are.
Getting Help.
If you’re thinking of starting a shadow work journey, then you might want to consider getting help from someone with experience or a licensed therapist.
The reason for this is to receive professional or experienced guidance in the event that you feel overwhelming or intense emotions & thoughts.
Bottom Line On Shadow Work Prompts.
Shadow work prompts can be immensely helpful as a tool to become aware of emotional, mental, and behavioral patterns that are hidden from your consciousness.
It opens the door to healing, growing, and transformation by allowing you to process, understand, and ultimately accept all of your shadow parts.
I hope that you found my shadow work prompts helpful! Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments below!
If you want to learn more about shadow work is, be sure to read: The meaning of shadow work.
