As we enter into a second week of lockdown, you may find yourself with some time for reflection. If you are wondering how best to channel your thoughts and feelings into a safe space, it might be wise to start journaling. Here’s why it could be of benefit to you:
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Habit forming: Journaling can become very addictive once you begin the process, however even if it feels unnatural at first, it’s something to focus on at the end of every day that takes a bit of time to complete. If you are trying to fill in your evenings with productive activities, this is one that will help you not only to pass the time but also to mentally unpack the day.
To record these extraordinary events: If you want to look back on this time in a few years and find out how you felt, what was happening day to day and how it was affecting you mentally and physically, you will be able to return to your journal and compare it with your new normal. It might be empowering to see how strong you were during this time given the restrictions in place. Or maybe you will learn some lessons during this period of your life that you can look back on in the future and see them as having contributed to you in a meaningful way.
A release: If you are letting anger, resentment and fear build up inside you, which is perfectly normal given the circumstances, this is a way to release all of this onto the page without taking it out on the people you live with. Better to direct any negativity towards a piece of paper than the people you care most about as this will only make lockdown harder.
Gratitude: Journaling is a means of practising gratitude when you may not be feeling very thankful at all. You could write down the things you are grateful for each day to stay positive. Things such as a roof over your head, food in the cupboards, your family’s good health and an outdoor space are all reasons to be pleased and to feel blessed.
Things to do: Journals don’t have to be used solely for thoughts and feelings but to-do items too. If you have a few things you’d like to tick off before we all return to normality, this is a good place to write them all down. It not only gives you focus but a place to keep them safe so you don’t forget about them and a constant reminder to get started!
Creative endeavours: If one of the things on your list is to write or sketch more, you may wish to use your journal for jotting down any poems, lyrics, stories or drawings in order to work through your feelings creatively. You never know, this could form the basis of something you can pursue further once the restrictions are lifted.
Gadget free: All you need is your journal and a pen. While many of us are relying heavily on streaming services, Kindles, games and our phones to get by, this is a way of unplugging from all of the electrical noise and going back to basics. It’s important that we all take time away from the constant stream of information in our home and journaling is the perfect excuse to do so.
Happy journaling!
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