We all have at least one awesomely embarrassing guilty pleasure. Maybe you have a hidden passion for reality television or cheese that comes in a can. Maybe you have a secret penchant for romance novels or science-fiction computer games.
What are yours? Even if you can’t admit them to your closest friends, you can tell your journal all about your guilty pleasures without embarrassment. (Go on now. No one else is listening.)
Judgment-Free Journal Prompts
1. Start by making a list of all of the activities or indulgences you truly enjoy but would be reluctant to share with others for fear of what they would think of your tastes. For example:
My Guilty Pleasures:
• Current catchy overplayed pop songs
• Super sized fast food French fries
• British period romances over and over again
• An entire bar of organic dark chocolate eaten in one sitting
• Supermarket tabloids and gossip magazines
2. Read your list and choose your favorite to write about in your journal. When did you first start developing your love for this guilty pleasure? How does it make you feel? Does it have a positive association from a certain period in your life? Why do you classify it as something to be embarrassed about? Do you talk about it outside of journal prompts? For example:
I really love any catchy pop song that comes out, no matter how terrible, even though I am nowhere near a teenager anymore. When I’m driving (by myself), I crank up the radio and sing along at the top of my lungs and I feel happy and full of life. My friends tease me, but I’m not too embarrassed about it (but I won’t let them look at my iPod playlists!).
3. How often do you indulge your guilty pleasure? Is it something you think you should give up, or do you see it as a harmless and enjoyable part of your life? Describe your reasons in your journal entry. For example:
I have no plans to give up my silly pop songs. They make me happy, and they aren’t actually harmful to my health or well-being like many other indulgences.
What guilty pleasure did you write about? Share yours in the comments!