Bullet journaling is my way of staying sane during school. The warmly welcomed chaos of life at college keeps you busy. We ran from class to class, made time to go to the gym, attended weekly club meetings, went to office hours, and hung out with friends. There’s a lot on our plates and a lot to manage. That’s where bullet journaling kept me on task and focused. And then came the COVID-19 pandemic, and with it came online learning. There are no more meetings or gym to attend. We just switch from Zoom class to Zoom class.
The first couple weeks of quarantine I found myself at a loss. I found it incredibly difficult to manage my time with no concrete meetings or places for me to be. I am a big procrastinator already so online learning just amplified this bad habit. I needed to figure out how to utilize my bullet journal for the at-home quarantine life. After some trial and error, I found the best way to use my bullet journal during quarantine.
Set Little Tasks For Yourself
While there are no more meetings or office hours to pencil into my bullet journal, I still have plenty of tasks to do, they just shifted focus. Every night, I plan out what small tasks I want to get complete for the next day. These include baking, playing games with my family, and working out. Recently, I have been doing Chloe Ting’s 2 Week Shred program which I mark off every day. While school was in session, I kept track of when finals were and when all my assignments were due.
Setting these small tasks and laying everything that I had to do out helped me get out my rut. The endless cycle of Netflix, lying in bed, and procrastination was eased.
Journaling
One of my favorite ways of using my bullet journal right now is journaling. I mean, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, so what better time to be documenting your life in quarantine. I write down how I am feeling, what I am doing, and how COVID-19 has so deeply affected me and the entire world. Documenting our time in quarantine is something that I believe will be extremely interesting to look back on 20 years from now. This is a historical tragedy and something that will be studied for years to come.
Asides from documenting history, I find journaling to be calming. I have never been one for writing about my feelings or documenting my whole life, but these are extenuating times full of anxiety and uncertainty. Writing about how you feel can do wonders for your mental health!
Get Creative
A bullet journal can be a creative way to keep your life organized. With less space dedicated to work and other tasks, it leaves more room to explore your artistic skills. This can include sketching, practicing calligraphy, and watercolors. While the monotony of quarantine can become bleak, try finding inspiration in the little things. The newly blooming trees outside, the intricate architecture of your living room, or a puppy strolling past your home.
Life has been turned upside down for most of us, it is hard to adjust and find a whole new routine. It just takes a little bit of patience and some trial and error. Think outside the box and find what works best for you!