As we get into January, many of us may be thinking about starting new journaling habits and the bullet journal is a great way to combine daily planning with more mindfulness-based journaling practices.
Starting Out:
Beginning to bullet journal for the first time can seem daunting and time consuming, however, the advantage of keeping this kind of planner is that it’s completely personal to you, so you can decide how much time and energy you want to put into creating your pages – allowing you to keep it minimal and simple or spend time being creative with your designs.
It can allow you to organise your thoughts, reflect on how you’re feeling and declutter your mind. This method of journaling can be especially helpful for tracking both short-term and long-term goals in one place.
The only tools you really need to begin with is a notebook with dot-spaced grids, a pen or pencil, and maybe some felt tips or crayons if you want to add a pop of colour.
Getting Inspiration:
If you don’t know where to start, or just want to get some creative inspiration, there are hundreds of bullet journal YouTube videos and Instagram pages and posts online.
One content creator who I think is particularly good to check out is @amandarachlee who posts tips and bullet journal spreads on her YouTube channel and Instagram account. Her videos are easy to follow along with and relaxing if you just want to sit back and watch her create her journals.
Journaling and Mental Health:
The analogue nature of bullet journaling means that by creating and filling in your journal you are getting beneficial time away from digital screens and can allow yourself to be as creative as you like. Listening to a podcast or relaxing music whilst journaling can also be a nice way to make sure you get a moment every week to unwind.
Creating pages like a gratitude journal or mood tracker can really help you pause and reflect on your current feelings as a way of checking in with yourself. Looking back through your journal can also be a good way of seeing how you have been feeling over a long period of time.
Remember that you don’t have to be an amazing artist or be great at calligraphy to make a bullet journal. It’s about creating a space for yourself on paper where you can stay organised, be creative, and practice mindfulness.
This article is part of our themed week on setting sustainable and healthy New Year’s resolutions and gearing up to face 2021. Happy new year to all of our readers, and here’s to a better 2021!