Why You Should Start a Pandemic Journal Today, Even as the Country Reopens

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- We may be able to get out again, but life is still far from normal. The COVID-19 virus has left crashing waves of stress and anxiety in its wake. Health-care workers, essential, furloughed, and laid-off employees and others are battling to overcome the recent trauma. Is journaling a possible solution?

Jean Alfieri, the author of the new guided journal, Blessed to be Me, makes the case for why free-form writing should be in most people's self-care toolboxes and is prepared to take on any skeptics who question how writing could improve their overall health. She would tell them, "When you are tense and feeling jumbled, writing about it helps clarify your thoughts and puts things in better perspective. It allows you to reconnect to your true self and what's important. For those who are angry or frustrated with recent events, writing is an argument-free way of expressing yourself. So, get out the pen and paper and get going!"

Alfieri is a former human resource and organizational development executive turned author and speaker, and a veteran of local television and news programs. In an interview, she can talk about five ways to begin your writing journey:

1. Start small. Begin with the date and time that you're writing. Include your location: where you are sitting in the room or the place that you're in. 
2. Make it easy. Set a timer for 10 or 15 minutes, and just let it flow. When the timer goes off, you're done for the day.
3. Answer a question. What are you most thankful for today? What is something you need or want? How do you feel physically, emotionally, or spiritually?
4. Check the weather. It may sound odd, but describing the day's weather can ground us in our moods. It sets the tone for our writing.
5. Keep it interesting. It shouldn't feel like a chore. Pull up a recent picture and write about how it makes you feel. 

About Jean Alfieri

Jean Alfieri created Blessed to be Me: Celebrate the Stories of Your Life. The self-guided journal offers over a dozen major and minor prompts, inspiring quotes, and coloring pages that make storytelling fun and easy. She is also the author of Zuggy the Rescue Pug children's books. Alfieri resides in Colorado Springs, Colo., with her husband and vintage puppies. She loves volunteering at her local Humane Society and is an avid proponent of dog adoption. 'Rescued' is her favorite breed.

Contact: Jean Alfieri, (602) 397-1344; [email protected]; BlessedtobeMe.com; https://jeanalfieri.com/in-the-news

SOURCE Jean Alfieri