Journaling is a great way to keep your mind busy while self-quarantining. But what are you supposed to write about? Here are 33 journal prompt ideas!
During these uncertain times, it’s important to keep your mind busy.
Instead of spending your days scrolling through your Facebook feed or watching YouTube videos about what everyone else is doing right now, take a moment to look inward.
Journaling is a great way to take stock of yourself and be mindful of your own thoughts and feelings in the midst of this pandemic.
To help you out, we’ve put together 33 journal prompts to give you something to write about while you’re social distancing at home. It’s a great jumping-off point to fill those blank pages with your self-quarantine experience.
The Importance of Journaling
Wondering how journaling is going to do you any good? Why should you bother to start a journal when you’re at home with nothing good to write about?
Well, here are five really good reasons you should be journaling right now:
1. It Declutters Your Mind
You’re bound to have a ton of thoughts going through your mind on a daily basis. It’s easy to ignore things or put them off because you don’t feel like addressing them.
Journaling in the morning empties your mind so you can start your day with a clean slate. It keeps those thoughts organized so you can come back to them when you’re ready.
Writing your thoughts down keeps you from getting overwhelmed. And that’s very important right now when you can’t go anywhere to escape your thoughts and feelings.
2. It Improves Your Memory
By writing things down, you’re much more likely to remember them.
It’s easier for your mind to make a strong connection with information when you write it down. Journaling adds permanence to your memories that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Keeping a journal will help you remember how you were feeling and what you were thinking during your self-quarantine time.
3. It Reduces Stress
Journaling is a proven way to reduce stress.
Who doesn’t need a little less stress in their life in the middle of a pandemic?
Writing for just 15 minutes a day allows you to dump the things that are making you anxious or stressed onto a piece of paper. It’s a good technique for managing your thoughts in a productive way.
By journaling first thing in the morning and before you go to bed, you can keep the stresses of life from closing in on your days.
4. It Makes You Self-Aware
Keeping a journal puts you in touch with your emotions in a way that’s hard to achieve otherwise. It also helps you get a better understanding of what you’re feeling and why.
When you write these things down, you get the chance to reflect on them and learn about yourself on a deeper level.
It’s also a great way to keep track of how you’ve changed over this period of self-quarantine. You’ll have a log of how much you’ve grown through this whole thing.
5. It Records Your Experience of History
Journaling is so important during times like these when the world is going through such a big change. Not just for you, but for others in the future.
Every individual will have their own experience of this pandemic and quarantine. Each and every story is unique and equally important to what’s happening to us now.
By writing down your own experience, you give future generations (even if it’s just your own family members) a chance to get a first-hand glimpse at what it was like living through this historic event.
You should absolutely record your part in it all.
Journal Prompts
Looking for quarantine journal ideas? Here are a few things to write about during the pandemic:
- How are you feeling about being in quarantine and your reaction to the situation?
- How do you feel about the reactions of others during the pandemic?
- What are the things you are most grateful for in this moment?
- Write about your favorite thing that happened in the past week.
- What’s something positive you’ve noticed since you started self-quarantining?
- What were you taking for granted before self-quarantine?
- Write about the ways you practice self-care during this time.
- When you get anxious, where do you feel it in your body? Describe the sensation.
- How are you staying connected with loved ones at this time?
- How has the dynamic between the people in your home changed during quarantine?
- When was the last time you laughed? What caused it?
- When was the last time you cried? What caused it?
- What’s something you want to learn about and why?
- What’s the best advice you have received during all of this?
- What is something you’ve learned about yourself during quarantine?
- What changes do you want to make when quarantine is over?
- What things are you missing out on because of the quarantine?
- What are you the most excited to do when the quarantine is over?
- What’s something kind you can do for someone else while in quarantine?
- Write about someone that inspires you and why.
- What is the easiest thing about being in quarantine?
- What is the hardest thing about being in quarantine?
- Write a letter to your past self.
- Write a letter to your future self.
- How would you describe this time to your kids or grandkids?
- Write a short how-to guide on something you could teach someone else (a recipe, an easy drawing tutorial, etc.).
- What was a normal day like for you before the virus? What is it like now?
- What do you have in your pantry/fridge/cabinets?
- Write about your experience of going grocery shopping during the pandemic.
- Write about your go-to quarantine playlist.
- Write about the books you’ve read and the TV shows and movies you’ve watched during the quarantine.
- Keep track of the weather every day.
- Keep a log of your video chats and phone calls with family and friends during the quarantine.
In Conclusion
Journals are personal to each and every person. No two will be the same.
Whether you decide to write out your quarantine story in letters to your loved ones or by keeping a data log of how much cereal you eat over the course of lockdown, it’s your story to tell.
Hopefully, these 33 journal prompts will give you some food for thought and help keep you occupied while you’re sitting at home. Maybe you’ll even keep journaling long after it’s over!
Author Bio:
Angus Flynn is the Business Manager for Chatham on Main, a luxury apartment community in Chatham, NJ.