The other day, I did something I hardly ever do… in the middle of the day, I took time for me. I’ve actually been experiencing an influx in my workload over the last two weeks which I’m so grateful for, but burnout and exhaustion don’t really give a shit whether the Coronavirus is happening or not. So I made it a point to take two hours from my day and do something that was just for me. Turns out, it wasn’t only the right decision, it was something I desperately needed (and didn’t know I needed until after).

Last week, an email landed in my inbox from Christie Zimmer. She’s the creator of hundreds of amazing guided and reflective journaling prompts. Y’all know I love me some journaling, right? But Christie does what so many people haven’t been able to do for me: create prompts that legitimately make you think, process and become more self-aware. As she says in her bio,

“I create colourful, curious, forward-looking printable guided journal pages designed to help you journal your way to a life you love.”

Anyway, that email was an invitation to one of her free mini-journaling sessions. The last time she did this, I missed it and was so disappointed. I was not going to miss the opportunity this time around.

So we hop on the video meetup software, introduce ourselves (there was another wonderful journaler there with us) and we begin to dig into the journaling worksheet. What transpired though was more than I expected.

My actual filled out journal page. Page created by Christie Zimmer. — My actual filled out journal page. Page created by Christie Zimmer.

All three of us had chosen words that felt pretty somber… but it was reflective of what we as individuals and a collective whole have been going through during this time in our lives. The more we shared what we’d written and how we were using the process to work through our thoughts, the more it became a form of catharsis (at least for me).

Here’s the thing — journaling is so often an intimate and private thing. As it should be! Your journal should be the safest place in the world for you to turn to. But when we choose to be vulnerable and connect to other people in a safe and judgment-free space — we open up other avenues for healing, thinking, loving. I didn’t know Christie, personally, before this session. I didn’t know the other woman who was on the call. But when I closed the window to the session as we said goodbye, I felt like I had a sense of who these amazing women were. We’d connected. Laughed together. Got teary-eyed together. Felt safe together. Felt scared with each other.

As someone who has worked from home for most of her adult life and self-identifies as an “extreme introvert” (aka, social distancing before it was cool), I still forget that I need a reminder of humanity. That other people are there to hold space and walk through the shitty times, even if we don’t know each other that well.

The love and power of writing brought us together, but the connection is what made the session so remarkable. The connection is what made me stay up late that night wondering what they were doing and how they were feeling. The connection is what made me feel a little less alone at a time where it’s so easy to fall into loneliness and despair.

I shouldn’t have been surprised about any of this and yet… I was. I guess, if I were a bit woo-woo, I would say that the Universe is trying to remind me of the things that will keep us moving when this is all over.

But it also reminded me, yet again, how powerful and important writing and community (connection) is when it comes to healing. Healing doesn’t often look like those massive “a-ha moments” you see in the movies or read about in books. Usually, healing looks a lot more like lots and lots of tiny “wins” and forward-moving momentum. Prompt pages like the ones Christie has created are a great way to utilize those small wins and move forward in your healing progress… all in a matter of a couple of minutes a day at minimum.

You can find Christie and all of her journaling prompt pages here: www.christiezimmer.com

Connecting with yourself

Right after my fantastic journaling session, an email landed in my inbox from an Instagrammer I follow, Elizabeth Bienas. It was a set of COVID-19 specific journaling prompts. I’d already started a COVID-19 specific journal to document this time in history to reflect on later, but her prompts really hit home for me because it felt good to dive into the reality of what I’m feeling and thinking surrounding the virus.

Journal cover by Jade Eby, graphics by @luxbookplanners — Journal cover by Jade Eby, graphics by @luxbookplanners

Having a separate journal for this has helped “contain” my thoughts if you will. It has given me the power to connect with that scared but sacred part of me. Yes, I’ve been documenting this time, but before these prompts, I think I skirted around the edges of the truth. Of really letting it out on the page. That’s not possible with these prompts. They forced me to acknowledge all of the triggers COVID-19 has brought out for me. The uncertainty, the chaos. The fear of what’s yet to come. Putting words to the fears helped me step back and acknowledge it all. Even though there’s so much that’s out of my control and so little we can do to “fix” things, acknowledging the fear, pain, and uncertainty has done something that nothing else has: taken the edge off a bit. Word-vomiting my deepest truths to the page took away some of the power it’s had on me. I know, it sounds too simple to be true, but it’s one of the only things that has worked for me. Maybe you’ll find it useful, too.

You can find the prompts by going to Elizabeth’s website: https://elizbienas.com/blog/2020/4/1/coronavirus-journaling-prompts but you should also sign up for her newsletter because she sends really great stuff. I look forward to reading it every time it arrives in my inbox. Maybe it’ll bring you that sense of joy, too.

And if you are looking for COVID-19 digital stickers, LuxBook Planners is giving them away for free — check out her account for more information.

I wish I could say that finding use in writing and connection is easy, but it’s not. The power comes from the raw and honest truth you give to the page. I know that for me, it hurts sometimes, but the reward of knowing who I really am is worth the risk. So I’m going to keep going to that page, day after day.

• • •

Looking for a community that cultivates connection and creativity just like this? Check out my Write Minded Community to see if it’s a good fit for you!