Seven Reasons To Start A Lockdown Journal Today

It’s raining. Again. I’ve lost count of what day of the lockdown it is (where I live it began on March 14th). In my what has now been renamed lockdown journal I am remembering to put the dates. For some reason, I don’t want to, but I know that it is important to remember how I felt and how I processed my emotions during this period.

The rain doesn’t stop our short walk. My dogs are lapping up every moment. They are used to four long walks a day. These walks, along with my journal, keep me sane. Right now I am having a few moments of it’s ok to not be ok.

Once again, journaling is saving my life.

This journal – my lockdown journal – feels more meaningful. I’m recording a momentous time in humanities evolution and an incredible time in my life.

A few days ago I noticed I was clenching my jaw and I swear this is not something I have done in many years. Doing a daily body scan enables you to notice tensions easily and then usually you can move the energy on. Right now I am finding this a tad harder, and that’s ok.

I have allowed the emotions to flow. There’s been a range, which started with anger at being bullied – or at least the person attempted to intimidate me. I decided to let it all flow, to become a witness and to enjoy sorting these pieces of the me jigsaw out.

Then I decided to play the appreciation game and to look at how I could count my blessings. Despite said rain when I was out with my three dogs, I did just that.

We live in a beautiful place with loads of space for them to run and explore. For me, every day is different on our walks. The air temperature, smells, sounds, new plants, the sky, cloud formations and simply life. There is a peace that always transcends me when I am in nature which also excites the pants off me.

I’ve also introduced Terrace Time, where I just stop and look around at the beauty of the world, to feel the energy, to say thank you and to do my morning energy routine. I’ve become quite addicted.

This morning as I stopped to wonder at the glory of Mother Nature, a song crept unbidden into my head. ‘What’s the story morning glory?’ the 1995 Oasis album and song of the same title. And then in a thrice, my mind tumbled backwards in time to that era.

1995 and life was very different. I was back in Wales after living in Reading for a few hectic years, working for an IT company, had a motorbike licence (exciting and scary) and a bike mad boyfriend. We used to head out on what I call ‘holidays from hell.’ (It always rains when you go on motorbike holidays. It does I promise you.) However, these are holidays that I will never forget; cold, wet, miserable weather, soaked leathers; yet full of excitement and mystery wondering where we would end up after a day’s ride.

My mind tripped to ten years later, and I was, heading through France to Spain in my motorhome, where again, I was reminded of so many other crazy holidays. On this journey, I remember being whisked back in time as the names of towns whizzed by. I love how my memory does a great job of delving inwards and resurfacing happy times.

There I was dancing in the streets of Cahors. We had happened upon a festival quite by accident. Impromptu, silly, drunken good-natured fun. From there back in time to Bayonne and a camping holiday when I was in my early 20’s. I think it was the world surfing championships. I had my first go on a surfboard – a never to be repeated event. I lost my bikini in the surf and a restaurant flooded in a deluge of rain as we ate one evening.

My walk became a time travelers convention, except, my feet were now very firmly on the ground, and I was in the country with the three dogateers doing their thing during what is currently the strangest period of my life.

Life is no longer as fast or mad, but life is full of adventure, despite being locked down. 

I wonder if you stopped for a moment where your memory will take you?

Fast forward post lockdown

Naturally, I have no idea when this will be over. However, imagine being able to not only process your emotions and thoughts through this but to be able to look back and remember how it was for you.

Your stories could inspire a generation of people looking for meaning in their lives. Your story could provide hope for someone so that they know that around the corner is a rainbow or a pot of gold. Your story can be happy or sad, born of tragedy or joy, about business or life’s adventures, inspired by revolution or evolution. Or maybe it’s a story that just needs to be told.

Start your lockdown journal today

The morning is a perfect time to put pen to paper. What if each morning you let your mind wander? Could you capture the story that you want (or need) to tell? What if you captured your story? How might it inspire others? How might it inspire you?

No one knows what is around the corner, there is no crystal ball. You do have a choice about how you move through this period. I choose to write, to express my deepest emotions and to record what is going on for me.

Reasons to start a lockdown journal

Process your thoughts, feelings and emotions. This is a strange and curious experience for us all. Journaling is a brilliant way to get it out, process and let it go.

Record of your life. You know when someone says, oh you should write a book, well you are now – the book of your life. Just imagine if you are minded to do so, how what you learn about you during this period could strengthen what you have to teach the world.

Learning and growth. Yeah and phew, what an opportunity to listen to your spirit (intuition, inner guide, magical muse) and do the personal growth stuff that your soul has been screaming at you to do.

Clarity and vision. Right now, you need to make sense of your life and the world around you. Writing in your journal will give you clarity, and you can use this to start envisioning how you want to be when this is all over.

Inner peace. I find that once I have splurged it all out, I feel so much more peaceful.

Appreciation. I’ve made gratitude journaling a big part of my life. I write three things, three times a week, along with an affirmation, what did I learn and wouldn’t it be nice. These really do help me to maintain perspective.

Ideas for a book. I love to write and to write books. Journaling is great way to find inspiration for that book you have always promised to write and never did. Want some help with how to do that – check out this course.

If you don’t know how to journal read this blog – How to start journaling when you don’t know how.

Also, take a look at are you ready to spin the wheel of fortune and ask where am I, followed by what do I want to create?

Daily prompts for your lockdown journal

In the evening

• How did the day begin?
• What happened as the day progressed?
• What is today’s story?
• What is the best thing that happened?
• What am I grateful for today?
• What did I learn today?
• How did the day end?

In the morning

• How do I feel today, and how would I like to feel?
• What can I create today?
• How can I be kind to myself and others today?
• What am I looking forward to?

What about starting the 101 days of being me journaling adventure?

When I left the horrid husband and started a new life in a new country just six short weeks after discovering his double life, I started 101 days of being me.

Every day I put the camera in my face and talked about how I felt and then later, once in bed, I wrote my heart out. I created these prompts for others to follow and to explore the inner them.

You sign up here and these will be delivered to your inbox daily. All you have to do to take action. Read, muse and write.

I’m journaling daily, will you join me?

And finally, we are all in this together, and together we heal and rise. It’s ok to not be ok, and please whatever you do, please do not be alone.

This was first published on www.daledarley.com on 31/3/2020