Therapy With Pen and Paper: The Art of Bullet Journaling
At some point in our lives, we all will experience stressful and uncomfortable situations, whether it be from work, relationships, school, etc. The way in which people cope with these stressful situations varies from talking to friends or a therapist, listening to music, working out, and even journaling.
Journaling can help channel strong emotions like anxiety, depression, anger, grief, loneliness, etc. onto paper, which not only helps to decompress your mind but it also helps to organize your thoughts, which can help you learn to deal with emotions better!
According to the Center for Journal Therapy, it is the “the purposeful and intentional use of reflective writing to further mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness.”
You may be asking yourself, what exactly can I journal about and how do I go about doing it? You can journal anything you want, whether it be a to-do list of goals you wish to accomplish for the day or week, to your specific feelings during a certain time. You can also journal any way you want, such as letter writing, photographic journaling, a list of 100, written dialogue, and bullet journaling.
What is bullet journaling? In recent years, bullet journaling has taken the internet and the hearts of millennials in particular by storm. A bullet journal is your own personal space to release what is stuck in your head onto paper in the most creative, most you way. If you love planners, have a desire to get more organized, want to control your emotions in a positive way, or even just want to set simple goals for yourself, bullet journaling is for you!
Some people are more artistic with their layout and focus more on design, font, and coloring while others stick to the content and have a more minimalist format — the best part of bullet journaling? It is all customizable to you and your preferences and tastes! If you are interested in being adventurous and starting your own bullet journal, check out my few tips on how to get started!
1. Get a blank journal. For bullet journaling purposes, smaller journals are best. Many use Moleskine journals, but any blank journal you could find would work! Places like Walmart and Target always have a great notebook/journal section so explore which one stands out to you!
2. Get colorful gel pens, markers, colored pencils, etc. to help customize your journal. You can add anything you want, like stickers and post-it notes!
3. Don’t think too much into it! Don’t worry about the layout not looking picture perfect or something accidentally going differently than you expected; bullet journaling is all about you showing your creative side and coping with strong emotions that can weigh you down, so let go and start writing!