Quarantine Diaries

Abstract

The following six diary entries and journaling pieces were written in the months after the 2019 Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) hit Canada. They express my attempts to pinpoint causes of my personal unhappiness and how overwhelming expectations of productivity affected my mental health and relationships during quarantine. My diary entries are in chronological order, containing reflections on my birthday in quarantine, notes about racial injustice, and reminders of self love. I delve into how isolation and social distancing shifted my perspective, creating unexpected goals, and new hobbies. These reflections reveal thoughts of uncertainty about my career and concerns about my friendships. As the entries continue, themes of self-acceptance and confidence emerge. I encourage readers to empathize with these conflicting feelings of what is “normal” or “expected” during adulthood; challenge destructive behaviour, including excessive self doubt and self-sabotage; and form uplifting habits for a better sense of self. My words have been taken directly from my personal journal and left as they are, no editing, no revising, no polishing. This composition creates an open space that acknowledges how emotions of guilt, anxiety, low self-image, sadness, and hope defined so much of our post-COVID-19 reality.