Journaling and creative writing are self care heroes that can help you manage anxiety and depression, improve self esteem, and create a deeper intimacy with yourself. With so much change and uncertainty marking our lives during the COVID-19 outbreak, it is especially important to find the time to tend to your mental health.
To help you get started, we have gathered a smattering of creative writing prompts to help foster resilience, identify strengths, and honor losses during the mandatory lockdown and spread of Coronavirus. Write to them all, or pick the one that speaks to you most:
What is your family heritage of sacrifice for the greater good? Maybe your great grandparents gave up everything to come to America. Maybe your grandparents lived through World War II, or your parents big made sacrifices for your education. Write about your family’s shared experience of hardship and perseverance during difficult times. What are the traits you share that allow you to overcome and thrive?
Make a list or write a narrative about your partner’s best qualities. What initially drew you to them? What do love most about them? What are the big and small ways that they help you? This is an especially helpful prompt if you're experiencing extra conflict with your partner while being cooped up together in quarantine.
Write letters or emails to friends about your daily life, and your experience during the Coronovirus shutdown. Sometimes it’s nice to have a break from video chatting and bring back the old school tradition of pen pals!
Make a list or write a narrative about your personal strengths. What are the qualities you possess that help you manage change and challenges?
Write a list or a narrative about the things that bring you true pleasure. From that list, identify what pleasures you can still access during social distancing and stay at home orders. Read more about why pleasure is so important during this time.Â
When we are stripped of many of our daily activities, we have a unique opportunity to consider what we truly care about. Write about your deepest, core values. What qualities, people, activities, and goals are most important to you? Are you living your day to day life based on your value system?
Identify ways that you feel less supported or connected during the COVID-19 era. Many of us are experiencing less support and connection than we used to. Why do you think support from your co-workers and/or loved ones has changed? Has the way that you offer support change? Can you find missing support or connection in a different way?
With many of our daily activities and objects out of reach for now, we are learning a lot about what is a necessity and what we can live without. In your life, what are true necessities? What are the absolute basics you need to live? What do you now consider a luxury, that you used to consider a daily staple?
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