7 Journaling Prompts for a Pandemic
It’s September of 2020 when I’m writing this, which means that we have collectively been going through a pandemic for SIX months. When I read that, it honestly barely even phases me. But if I really sit back and think about it, it’s kind of insane, right? I mean, if you had told me last year that in just a few months, the world would be turned upside down by a pandemic, a lockdown, and mass unemployment (not to mention everything else that has gone on this year), I would have been either highly worried or highly skeptical.
But here we are. This is the world we currently live in, and for the most part we have adjusted and adapted relatively well. I think that’s a testament to the human spirit: we are highly adaptable to change and able to survive in nearly any environment. This reminds me of a story that the writer Elizabeth Gilbert told on her IGTV this year about a 90-year-old woman named Winifred who had lived a vivacious life filled with various interests, hobbies, and friends of all ages. Gilbert asked her to share the most interesting lesson she had learned in life, and this is what Winifred answered:
“Human beings can adapt to anything. We are so quick to adjust to new realities. If Martians landed on earth tomorrow, it would be off the front page of the newspaper by next Tuesday.” (@elizabeth_gilbert_writer CHANGE & ADAPTAPTION on IGTV, March 27, 2020).
Isn’t that true? We adjust to change to so quickly, probably more than we give ourselves credit for. So I’d like to take some time to reflect on how this pandemic has affected us, how we have adapted to the changes in our world, and where we are at now.
Here are a few journaling prompts to help you reflect on these unprecedented times. Work through them at your own pace; you could do one each day for a week or sit down one evening and work through them all. As always, please feel free to share your responses and reflections with me in the comments!
If I could go back to February or March 2020 and give myself some advice at the beginning of this pandemic, what would I say?
How have the events of the past several months affected the way I view the world now?
What positive things have come out of this time, both for me personally and for society as a whole?
What am I learning about myself through all this?
How has my media consumption (news, social media, tv) affected the way I think about current events, society, the world around me? How has it affected my mental state? Do I want to change anything about my media intake habits?
What was something I learned recently? A skill or hobby I picked up during this time? If there isn’t anything new I’ve learned, is there something I’d like to dedicate time to learning or getting better at?
Is there anyone I have lost touch with during this time that I’d like to reconnect with? What are some ways I can safely do so?
