Journaling in Uncertainty
I always scroll through ideas and inspirations for journals on my Instagram and Pinterest feeds, however, I used to justify why I did not keep a journal by telling myself that I did not have enough time. Since we have been holed up in quarantine, I committed myself and have finally found my stride when it comes to journaling. I have found it to be very motivational as well as beneficial for my mental health. It has been found that it takes 21 days to form a new habit so I challenge you to try some version of journaling out and try to stick with it for three weeks. Who knows? Maybe you can make it part of your every day routine. Here are some ways that I have been journaling in quarantine:
Gratitude
In times like these, it is very easy to see all of the bad in the world: things we wish we could be doing but cannot, people we wish we could see but cannot, places we wish to go but cannot, you name it, the list could go on and on. However, I have realized that (cliche but) there is still so much good to come out of every day and so much we have to be grateful for. One simple, tangible way to practice gratitude is through journaling. I have been trying to write down 3–5 things I am grateful for every day. My lists vary from simple things like coffee, good weather, and my dog to bigger things that may be on my mind like loved ones’ health and my home. Finding just a few minutes every day to sit down, reflect, and acknowledge what you are grateful for can have immense impacts on your health, both mental and physical.
In a class called “The Science of Well-Being” that I took online through Yale University, the professor, Laurie Santos gave a lecture on the benefits of gratitude. She defines gratitude as “a positive emotional state in which one recognizes and appreciates what one has received in life.” What surprised me the most in this lecture were the reasons why gratitude is important and the benefits it can have on a person. Santos said that practicing gratitude can increase your mood, lower your stress levels, strengthen your immune system, lower your blood pressure, and make you feel stronger social connections. These are all extremely important benefits that can come super easily if we just take a few minutes each day to practice being grateful.
Recounting my day
This is more of a “typical” journal entry, one where I simply write down some things I did that day. I see this as more for the benefit of my future self to look back upon. We are currently living in a crazy time that will most definitely be an enormous part of our world history one day. This pandemic is the type of things that children in generations to come will learn about in class– similar to events like 9/11 for our parents. Because we are all currently living in the midst of the pandemic, it is easy to lose sight of this and carry on with your new everyday life. It could be very beneficial to keep track of things you are doing, how you are feeling, and what has changed in this new normal while we are still living through it. You could find these journal entries in 20 years and have countless tangible memories to read back on and share with loved ones. We may never (hopefully) live through something so widespread like this pandemic and your future self will thank you for writing down some memories, however small they may seem in the moment.
Workouts and Meditation
The last current thing I include in my journal is my workouts and meditations. I find this particularly helpful as motivation for myself. Going from competing in a college sport to having no athletic obligations whatsoever in a matter of an hour, it would be an understatement to say my body and mind were in shock. However, I slowly have found things that work for me in order to stay fit and healthy, both mentally and physically. As quarantine trudges along, I have found that my personal motivation to workout is like a rollercoaster – some days all I want to do is work out and it is the only thing that makes me feel good, other days, all I want to do is stay in bed and scroll through TikTok. While both of these are good and fine in moderation, it is important to find a healthy balance and routine of daily exercise.
Currently, my days usually consist of lifting, some type of running, and/or yoga. I find satisfaction in being able to sit down afterwards and recount my workouts in my journal. I record what I did, how it felt, and any other notes that come to mind. Both the physical sensation rewarded after exercise, as well as the acknowledgement of your efforts, can keep you motivated in a time without gyms or workout buddies.
While there are countless possibilities when it comes to journaling, these are the three main ones I have been doing consistently in quarantine. Before I started my journal, I thought about what was most important to me now, as well as in the future, and I chose these small entries as a starting point for this new habit. These could so easily vary person to person but what is important is that you find joy in doing it. Whether it’s doodling, writing recipes or eating habits, letters to loved ones, quotes you find, or planning and listing, the options are truly endless and there is no right answer. My advice is to try some out, see what you enjoy the most, then stick with it. Making things like journaling into habits can have so many more benefits than you may think.