Destress with the Best: Bullet Journaling

I found that bullet journaling was a great way for me to relieve anxiety and stress while also becoming more organized. Research has proven that journaling has helped decrease stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. One huge benefit I received from journaling was recognizing my triggers. After, I was able to work through my emotions and understand myself better.

I used to get very overwhelmed with never-ending to-do lists or over-scheduling myself to the point I never had time to just chill. I actually was told by my therapist to stop making lists and stop obsessing with my planners. It was making me into a crazy perfectionist and it was becoming very unhealthy. Bullet journaling or journaling, in general, can only be helpful if you let it. It is not a job or anything you have to complete.

I learned that the most important rule of bullet journaling is THERE ARE NO RULES! and YOU CAN BE AS UNORGANIZED AND MESSY AS YOU WANT! That way there is absolutely no pressure in your journaling.

Once I started bullet journaling I actually found it very helpful for my ADHD. I went from never being able to journal or use a planner to becoming so reliant on my planners that it became obsessive. Then I found a healthy balance. That healthy balance came when I started bullet journaling. Bullet Journaling is basically adding extra artistic bits to a regular journal. I can be anything really. The more spontaneous the better.

Something about adding crafty bits to something so vague as a short list or agenda made it relaxing for me instead of overwhelming. Heavy structure does not sit well with me because that isn't how the natural flow of my thoughts happen. With ADHD, we have thoughts coming and going ALL OF THE TIME! To make a list of all those sporadic thoughts is the worst idea ever! It becomes a very stressful and overwhelming task to see our thoughts try to fit in a structured setting. This is why bullet journaling is so much more productive.

I found that I can only journal when I'm in the mood to journal. I also found that I can just let my brain do its thing and let my random thoughts come out as pieces of paper, tape, stickers, and scribbles here and there. Most of my bullet journals have no organizational method at all! It is just a sporadic mess, but that is how I feel organized, comfortable, and balanced. As long as in the end I am feeling benefited from my bullet journal... who cares if nobody else can make sense of it?

If you are having issues with your children developing organizational skills, have them try bullet journaling. Don't give them rules or guidelines. Just let them do what they want to and you'll see a huge difference in their organizational skill development.

" The Bullet Journal will help you declutter your packed mind so you can finally examine your thoughts from an objective distance." - Ryder Carroll

If you're interested in learning more about the mindfulness and benefits of bullet journaling check out the book, " The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future" By Ryder Carroll. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2RlPDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=bullet+journaling+for+adhd+research+articles&ots=yvr1sbl04M&sig=eaYPpdi8or8aRKCOhC5U5tJRahs#v=onepage&q&f=false

Bullet Journaling Tips

1) Don't go buying a bunch of stickers and pens just get started with things around your house. If you're reading a crafting blog, let's be honest you have lots of stuff around your house you can use. All the things I used in my most recent bullet journal is all listed below but were also things I purchased forever ago

2) Make it ugly, Make it pretty, who cares! I think the most fun thing about bullet journaling is you can literally do whatever you want. I think it's fun to incorporate tickets, or polaroid pictures if I'm writing about a day I had. If it's an organizational planner entry, then I just use a bunch of stickers that came with my planner.

3) Set the mood! I named this blog after my "crafting space" which is getting cozy in my pj's, making a nice warm coffee, and lighting a candle or two. I like to top it off with some classical music or instrumental music to help set my relaxation ambiance. I feel this actually really helps me get in a relaxed state to journal or to do any self-care activity, to be honest.

Let's Get Started!!!

First I grabbed my card stock packet (linked below) and started just cutting random shapes out. I really had no plan at all before starting this journal page. Then I glued some pieces down and started sticking washi tape and stickers wherever I thought looked cute. Once it became time to actually write: I tried a bit at first to make the letters look good but .... hey.... refer to rules numbers 1 and 2. I am terrible at writing nicely, every time I try to write nicely it looks terrible! Then on days. I don't care what my handwriting looks like... I'm like "wowwww okay so you can write nicely".....Then I was about done. Pretty easy!

To see my bullet journal in all its glory take a look at the video I made of my process down below.

Supplies Used:

Journal or planner: I used my Erin Condren Wedding Planner: https://www.erincondren.com/wedding-planners

Washi Tape

Pens

Glue stick

Scrapbook paper or Card Stock

I hope you enjoyed my version of a relaxing crafting video and I hope to hear and see how your bullet journals went this week!!!! :)