In a matter of weeks, social distancing has become a fact of life in the United States as more and more governors establish measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Even the Japanese government has instated the first state of emergency in its nation’s history. Keeping up with all the dire headlines and trying to fill all the hours in your day with indoor distractions can begin to wear on your mental health. After three weeks of social distancing, I’ve found that the most effective coping method for my pandemic-induced dread and anxiety has been journaling. I want to share what I do in my “quarantine journal” and how putting pen to paper can help ease your anxieties too.
- Give Your Day Structure
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When it comes to journaling, most people think of diary entries detailing the goings-on in a person’s life, but the part of quarantine journaling that I’ve found to be most useful is the daily to-do list. As students, we’re used to the routine and structure provided to us by class. While online classes do provide a syllabus for us to follow, the rigidity of our schedules is not quite the same as they are with in-person lectures.
For the first few days of quarantine, I felt as though I was losing my mind because of this loss of structure. I’d end each day feeling tremendous guilt for wasting each day away spending entirely too much time scrolling through the same three apps. By writing a short to-do list of three to five daily tasks, I’m able to give myself structure by allocating time to accomplish my goals for the day.
- Maintain Variety in Your Day-to-Day
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While having a daily routine is a valuable part of being productive when working or studying from home, I’ve found that maintaining a sense of variety in my day-to-day is essential to having a happy and healthy quarantine. During the phases in my life where I’d hit a mental low, it felt like endless identical days would slip by to the point that I would lose track of the day of the week or time of day. Surviving on your bare minimum daily routine can turn your brain into mush. I try to mix things up by changing out the tasks in my to-do lists each day and writing diary entries that focus on how today was different from yesterday. This “variety” can be as simple as FaceTiming a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while or trying out a new recipe.
- Reflect On What’s Worrying You
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COVID-19 is easily one of the most devastating events the global community will have to face in our lifetime, and it’s only natural that these rapid changes and restrictions in our daily lives would cause us distress. There are a lot of reasons writing down the things that are causing you stress during this time can be helpful. First, you can’t write as fast as you think or speak. This is certainly an annoying fact of life when it comes to taking notes during a lecture, but when it comes to journaling, having your hand slow your train of thought is essential. I’ve also found that writing down my worries has allowed me to come to terms with the reality of what’s going on in the world and to recognize the validity of my fears. This kind of reflection can be extremely freeing for those who are prone to overthinking.
- Remember What’s Good
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After you’ve allowed yourself to reflect on all of the bad stuff that’s going on, take some time to note the things you’re grateful for. You can express gratitude for just about anything, from the cup of coffee you had this morning to the healthcare workers saving lives each day on the frontline of the pandemic. What’s most important about this practice is to have your gratitude list match or exceed the list of things that worry you. It can be hard to keep your head above water when the waves of bad news keep crashing, but actively keeping the good things in mind can help to keep you afloat.
This guide to quarantine journaling isn’t a cure-all for mental illness, and if you find that your struggles persist, I highly encourage you to seek out the help you need. The Center for Disease Control has excellent tips on dealing with stress and anxiety during an outbreak and the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide answers common questions asked by those in need of support.
I hope that some of the tips provided in this article can help to ease your anxiety during this pandemic. What matters above all else in a journaling practice is to write with compassion for yourself, especially on the days that are hardest.