As this pandemic continues to affect our lives in ways big and small, I thought I would share some journaling ideas we can use during these strange times.
Writing is a fantastic way to process what’s happening, capture a record of the current situation for the future, and buoy ourselves up on those days when everything feels hard. Journaling can be serious, but it also can be an excellent distraction when you need some light relief or something to look forward to.
Some of these techniques are easier with a digital journal. If you don’t already have one and are interested in trying it out, I highly recommend the Day One app. You can also use a free programme like Evernote or Notion. Even a word processing document will do fine. Just be mindful of privacy: if software is free, you’re usually paying for it with your data.
1. Stream-of-Consciousness Journaling / Expressive Writing
Stream of consciousness journaling can be useful for getting our thoughts and feelings out of our heads and onto paper. Not only does this free up mental bandwidth to think about other things, but it often provides new perspectives and epiphanies that we wouldn’t otherwise have.
To try stream-of-consciousness journaling, simply sit down for 10 minutes and write whatever comes into your mind. The key is to shelve your judgement of what you’re writing as much as possible during this time. No thought is too boring, controversial, weird, or nonsensical; if you think it, write it down. The whole point is to follow your thoughts and see where they take you. Once you allow them to flow without interrupting them, you might be surprised by what comes out.
Another long-form journaling technique to try is expressive writing. Research by James Pennebaker and follow-up studies have suggested that expressive writing helps people who have experienced traumatic events, improving both their physical and mental health. The difference between this and stream-of-consciousness journaling is that expressive writing involves writing about a specific event or situation, rather than whatever comes to mind.
2. Three Good Things
Although I know stream-of-consciousness journaling is helpful (and has helped me), most days during the last year or so, I haven’t felt like writing much about what’s happening. After spending much of the day thinking about COVID-19, the economy, restrictions, vaccines, and so on, the last thing I want to do is sit down and write about it all—especially as there is little I can do to change the situation.
Instead, something I’ve enjoyed doing is writing down three good things at the end of each day. Especially while in lockdown (of which we are now on our third in the UK), it’s easy to feel like the days all blend into one. Writing three good things helps me create meaningful memories, even if every day feels mostly the same. It’s helped me record touching moments with my kids, walks outside, and small things that have cast a ray of sunlight on an otherwise monotonous and slightly depressing time. As I mentioned above, I use Day One, so I also usually include a couple of photos or videos from the day along with my three things.
What we pay attention to matters, and amidst bad news and uncertainty, I’ve found it helpful to pay attention to the moments I treasure as well.
3. “Have Done” List
I’ve written about the “Have Done” list before, but I mention it again here. Instead of writing a to-do list, you make a note of all the things you’ve done that day. Like the three good things, it helps curb the feeling we’re living in a dystopian version of Groundhog Day. This technique is useful if you’re someone who loves to live out in the world and is missing going out, doing activities, and meeting with people. It’s also helpful if you had big plans and goals that you’ve put on the back-burner during the last year.
Keeping a “have done” list is a reminder that we are still living our lives. We’re still making progress (even in small ways) and can still do things that enrich our lives.
4. 1 Second Every day
This is another digital journaling suggestion, this time based on a specific app. 1SE (which stands for 1 second every day) allows you to choose a one-second video snippet from each day and creates a montage out of them. Like the suggestions above, it’s great for capturing daily life during this time, and also focusing on the meaningful moments amongst all the noise.
If you don’t want to use the app (or don’t have a device that’s compatible), I’m not sure there is a simple way to replicate the way it works. Nevertheless, I share it in case you like the idea and feel inspired to create your own version 🙂
5. A Meme Journal
This suggestion isn’t about ignoring or making light of the fact that this pandemic has had a serious and devastating impact on many people. Rather, it’s about allowing ourselves to laugh about the more mundane aspects of the last year and the strange changes it has brought to our lives.
I think I first saw this idea posted in the Day One Facebook group, and it’s been fun to replicate. No doubt you’ve seen some of the many coronavirus-related memes that have emerged since last spring. I created a specific journal in Day One to save memes that made me laugh or captured aspects of this crazy time; face masks, loo roll shortages, being at home 24/7, the explosion of Zoom calls. If you don’t have a digital journal, a desktop folder of images works just as well. While I appreciate not everyone finds humour cathartic, if you do, I recommend starting your own collection of silly memes. It helps!
6. 21 in ‘21
There are a lot of things we can’t do right now, but there are also many things we can. The last couple of years, I’ve made a list in my bullet journal of 19 things to do in 2019, 20 things to do in 2020, and now 21 things to do in 2021. My list this year looks quite different to previous years (zero travel, more tiny goals than big ones) and I still have some blank spaces that I’m looking to fill as the year progresses. Overall though, it’s helped me refocus on the things I can control and can do during a time when lots of things are restricted.
I hope you’ve found this list of journaling ideas helpful; I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments too!
If you’d like even more journaling ideas, I invite you to check out my books The Ultimate Guide to Journaling and The Year of You: 365 Journal Writing prompts for Creative Self-Discovery.
Further reading: Paper Versus Digital Journaling: Which One is Better? & How to Take Your Journaling Practice Deeper (& Free Video Class!)
