Keeping a Journal During COVID-19
Journaling is good for your health. At least that’s what several researchers say. Dr. James Pennebaker from the University of Texas at Austin has measured the outcomes of expressive writing and determined that it can strengthen immune cells, improve sleep habits, improve mental health, and regulate blood pressure. Here are some ways that a covid journal can help your son or daughter better cope during the COVID-19 crisis.
Reducing anxiety
The nervous, almost manic, energy your child has been displaying over the past few months could possibly be a symptom of COVID-19 anxiety. Psychologist Barbara Markway indicates that journaling can help people identify the root cause of their anxiety.
The same is true for your child. Maybe your child’s anxiety had been triggered long before COVID-19 but was only exacerbated by the pandemic. Writing thoughts on paper provides your child with an opportunity to better express what may be causing his or her anxiety.
Improve writing skills
Journaling is a really personal and private experience. Therefore, your child should be free to write in a way that feels comfortable. Even though no one else may ever read their journal entries it is still a great way for your son or daughter to improve their writing skills and articulate their ideas in a way that will not be judged or graded. It gives them an opportunity to use descriptive language, organize their thoughts, and use new vocabulary to express their ideas. Also, most students only write because they have to in order to complete an assignment. By writing for personal reasons it teaches them how important writing is in one’s life and brings meaning to the writing process.
Improve written communication
A dialogue journal facilitates two-way communication between you and your child. Essentially, your child writes something then you respond and it keeps going back and forth that way. It allows you to see what your child is thinking and help improve his or her written communication.
You can make the process even more creative and fun by challenging your child to create this dialogue journal from recycled material.
Final thoughts
Journaling can be a great way for your child to better express how COVID-19 is affecting his or her psyche. A dialogue journal can help you track your child’s thoughts without being overly intrusive. It also allows you to better gauge your child’s written communication skills.
Think your child needs help with written communication? Schedule an online tutoring session with one of our English experts.