How to Respond to a Daily Coping Prompt

Colleen, a 52-year-old nurse practitioner, opens Grief Companion some mornings and isn't sure what she wants to say. She doesn't always know where to start. The daily coping prompt on her dashboard gives her a way in — a single question that asks just enough, without asking too much.

Every day, Grief Companion surfaces a new prompt on your dashboard. These prompts are tailored to your grief type and where you are in your journey. You can respond, skip without judgment, or save it for later.

Steps

1. Open the app and find today's prompt

When you open Grief Companion, your dashboard shows today's coping prompt as a card near the top of the screen — below the crisis resource banner and above your check-in summary. The prompt is a short question or invitation, written in plain, warm language.

Example: "What do you wish someone had said to you this week?"

2. Tap the prompt to respond

Tap anywhere on the prompt card to open it in full. You'll see the complete prompt text, a text field below it, and a soft note explaining that this is just for you — no one else sees it unless you choose to share.

3. Write your response

Write as much or as little as you need. There's no minimum length, no word count, and no timer. You can write a single sentence or three full paragraphs. The response field scrolls as you type.

If you find yourself writing something unexpected — thoughts that weren't on your mind before you started — that's normal. The prompt is a door. You decide how far you walk in.

4. Save your response

Tap Save when you're done. Your response is stored as a journal entry, automatically linked to that prompt. It will appear in your Journal tab with the prompt question preserved at the top, so future-you can always see what you were responding to.

5. Mark it as done — or tap "Not today"

After saving, your dashboard marks the prompt as answered. A subtle checkmark appears on the prompt card.

If today isn't the right day for this particular prompt, tap Not today below the prompt. This is not tracked, not counted, and not mentioned again. There are no notifications about skipping. The next day, a new prompt appears.

6. Browse past prompts and responses

To revisit previous prompts and your responses, scroll to the bottom of your Journal tab and tap Prompt Archive. You'll see a chronological list of every prompt you've been offered, with an indicator showing whether you responded. Tap any entry to read your response or add to it.

What to Expect

After saving, your response becomes a full journal entry. It shows up in your journal timeline with the date, your emotion tags (which you can add at any time), and the original prompt question above your words. You can filter your journal by "Prompted entries" to see only these.

The prompts are not random. They're weighted toward your grief type — so if you've indicated you're experiencing bereavement after a loss, you won't get prompts written for someone processing a career transition. Over time, they also shift as you add new assessments or update your profile.

You can always skip. "Not today" is a first-class option, not a hidden one. Grief Companion will never send you a follow-up notification saying you missed a prompt or asking why you didn't respond. Some days the prompt just isn't it — that's allowed.