At the risk of getting too personal, I have suffered from more than one mental health problem throughout my life. Yet, for some reason, anxiety was never on my radar. So when I began my freshman year of college and started experiencing frequent anxiety attacks, I had no idea what to do about it. I am now about to begin my senior year, and in the past few years have tried anything from therapy to meditation, but the one thing I’ve found that really helps me is writing in a bullet journal.
If you’re not familiar, a bullet journal is essentially a brain-dump. It combines classic journaling with schedule tracking, list making, doodling, and everything in between. If you look around Instagram, you can find whole accounts dedicated to the phenomenon, showing off beautiful handwriting and illustrations. The beauty of bullet journals is that they’re open to interpretation; there is no wrong way to journal, and any level of artistry is acceptable!
For me, that freedom to do it how I want is what makes journaling so therapeutic. Some days, I relax by mindlessly drawing pictures. If I feel myself getting anxious about things I need to get done, I sit down and make lists or block things out on a calendar and my mind is instantly more at ease. When my mind is at its worst, I sometimes feel better after I just write about everything that is getting to me in that moment.
Since I started journaling a few months ago, I have found myself looking forward to it, not as a chore. I know that after letting go of everything swimming around in my head, I can relieve myself of some of my anxiety and just focus on fewer things at once. While I know something as simple as journaling isn’t enough to cure the world of anxiety, I would absolutely recommend the practice to anyone who feels overwhelmed or anxious.
Have you tried bullet journaling? Has it helped you in your daily life? Let us know in the comments!
