Journal prompts ‘loneliness’

The other night I was meeting with my women circle. These are some very close friends to me and with whom I can share anything on my mind. We meet up regularly to discuss a topic of life that we have explored ourselves already or would like to explore more, e.g. ‘inner child, gratitude, anger, connection…’ One of our most recent topics was loneliness. We all felt that this has become such a prevalent topic for many of us with the pandemic. And not only that, it is a part of everyone’s life, which people don’t seem to discuss much.

Our meeting brought up some eye-opening questions and thoughts that I wanted to share. Below are some journal prompts, which you can write about or simply ponder over. Maybe you have someone to discuss these questions. I hope they will bring you more clarity or insights.

1. Do you enjoy your own company?
2. If you don’t enjoy your own company, why is that? / Why does it happen in some moments? Do you feel more lonely then?
3. When do you feel the most connected?
4. Have you ever felt lonely in the presence of another person /other people? Why was that?
5. Do you lack close relationships or social interactions in general?
6. Do you feel a certain lack of something other than company when you feel lonely?
7. Do you feel low self-esteem when you are lonely, and if yes, why is that?
8. What sensation in your body or feeling do you have when you feel lonely? Can you locate it in your body? If yes, you can try and sit with the feeling (in meditation) and divert your breath to it. Let it pass through and see how that feels.
9. Have you developed any bad habits to cover up your loneliness or distract you from it?
10. What has loneliness taught you?
11. Can you think about the word loneliness with a positive connotation?
12. Can you find gratitude for loneliness?

I’m not a professional in this field, but I’ve spent a lot of time looking into this topic. Simply writing down your thoughts can feel healing and bring relief. These questions have personally helped me, and I hope they can add to your life in this ‘loneliness pandemic’.

Stay safe!