10 Journal Prompts For Reflecting On How Your Life Will Be Different After COVID
Contemplate your new normal.
You may have embarked on this year with anticipation of great things happening. I did.
But then things took a definite turn after Friday, March 13th. Things, well, they got scary. Then, tragedy, racial injustice, and some other painful realities woke people up to changes that need to happen.
If you've been overwhelmed by it all, you're not alone. If you've felt loss or lost and struggled, you're not alone. If you've felt isolation or trepidation, you're not alone.
The world is at a turning point, and maybe you are, too.
And, as some regions are opening up, and you’re emerging from quarantine, it’s a good time to start thinking about how to live with Covid-19. It’s probably not going away anytime soon.
You might be asking yourself questions like "What matters now?" and "What is normal?"
Normal, everyday life doesn't really exist anymore. There is no going back; there is only going forward toward a new way of being.
And, if you are seeking to make sense of what's happened since this pandemic started, and to come out of this with strength and resilience -- and perhaps, a newly found sense of purpose, it’s time to write your thoughts down in a journal.
Journaling is a great tool to connect to and process your feelings. It’s also a brilliant way to solve problems, provoke learning, and establish future goals.
Here are 10 journal prompts to help you consider what’s important as you come out of quarantine and determine how the pandemic will change your life going forward.
1. What really matters to you?
List out your top values. Have these changed since the pandemic? Consider how you’ve been living in alignment with them.
2. What are you grateful for?
Start with small things, like you're grateful for your hands, your health, and watch how your list grows!
3. How do you feel?
Brainstorm your feelings in general, and then specifically about things like recent world events, and how you feel about getting back out into society. Make note of what you are struggling with now. Hint: You must name it to tame it!
4. What makes you jump out of your bed each morning?
This question gives you clues about your life purpose, as well as what gives you energy and joy. Isn’t it time that you did more of what you love?
5. What has positively surprised you during the pandemic so far?
Even in dark circumstances, you can find some light. Consider the insights you’ve gained or the positive outcomes.
6. What did you realize about yourself?
Have you figured out that you’re an introvert after all? Have you identified needs in your life that aren’t being met, or concluded that you’re much stronger than you originally thought? Often, spending a lot of time alone with your thoughts can help you develop your inner wisdom.
7. What's one example of how you showed your resilience?
Take stock of your wins – big or small -- throughout this pandemic so far, and then build on them.
8. What's the one thing you're most longing to do?
You might be yearning to hug your parents or go on a date. Think about all the things you’ve missed doing lately, and everything that’s new on your bucket list. Post this list prominently and make it all happen!
9. How will this pandemic impact how you spend your time going forward?
Did the pandemic shift your schedule and activities? Have you rooted out time wasters, to be replaced by doing more of what’s important to you?
10. What's the biggest lesson you've learned?
What has the pandemic and your experience of it taught you? More importantly, how do you intend to shift your life because of it?
Use these questions on your self-discovery journey and be ready to begin your post-quarantine life with more clarity and purpose.
Lisa Petsinis is a certified life and career coach who works with women to find their passion and purpose so they can embrace their future and live a fulfilling life. Contact Lisa on her website and jumpstart the changes you want starting today.