Inside: Easy bullet journal self care ideas.
Self care has been a bit of a buzz word over the last few years. We are being told that we need to look after ourselves more – that by popping on a face mask and running a bath we will feel a whole lot better. But is that what self care is? For me, it is about more than that.
Bullet journaling is such a useful tool for so many reasons but it is a great way to manage your life and help you create a self-care routine that is personal to you. Bullet journals shouldn’t feel like a burden, they should facilitate your daily practice of staying organised.
In this post I want to share with you what self care really is and how a bullet journal can help you to organise your life so that you can make time for more self-care activities.
What is self care?
For years, we have been told that things like having a bubble bath or drinking enough water are great self care ideas. But are they?
Self care shouldn’t be something that happens when you’ve neglected yourself for so long that things like drinking water feel like a treat. Drinking enough water is something that should happen every day, not just on self care days. Right?
Self care means doing things that help you work towards a life where you don’t neglect yourself. That you build a life that you love living. And that may well include bubble baths and gallons of water – but done regularly and not just at the point where you might otherwise fall apart.
The benefits of self care
Whenever self care is mentioned, women automatically feel like if they admit they need more time to themselves or that they feel like they are overwhelmed that they will be seen as selfish or ungrateful for their lives. Even things that don’t take a lot of time, like drinking water, just get pushed aside and it just shouldn’t be that way.
And if you are sitting there thinking that you aren’t one of those women, be honest with yourself and think about the last time you actually took the time to do something just for you. I’ll put money on the fact that the reason you are reading this is because you haven’t taken the time and that is most likely because you prioritise everyone else. Putting yourself first just doesn’t sit right.
Well, enough of that. If you don’t look after yourself then you will eventually burn out and that will be of no use to anyone around you. So taking the time to do things for yourself actually benefits your family. So even if you feel bad doing it for you, do it for them. Put yourself first so you are a better partner, a better mother, a better friend.
If that helps you feel less guilt, so be it.
There are so many good things that come from self care too:
Improved physical health. When you start looking after yourself, by drinking more, eating foods that nourish you, going to bed earlier, your physical health will improve. You’ll feel better because you’ll be sleeping better, have improved digestion and your immune system will be stronger.
Improved emotional health. When you fail to look after yourself your mental health suffers. So if you make time to do things that fill your cup back up, your mental health will improve. With strong mental health comes the ability to cope better with stressful situations and a greater resilience to negative external factors.
Increased motivation and productivity. The more you put everything and everyone else ahead of your own needs, the more you chance you’ll start feeling resentment towards those things. But if you start to make time for yourself away from those other responsibilities, the more you’ll be able to return to them with renewed motivation. This in turn will increase your productivity as you will know that you won’t end up feeling overwhelmed and overworked.
Increased confidence. Do you make time to put together a nice outfit each day? Do you buy clothes that make you feel good? Do you make time to do your hobbies or increase your knowledge or skills? If not, you should. If you make time to do the things that make you feel good then your confidence will soar.
Bullet Journaling for self care
So where does bullet journaling come in? Well, a bullet journal is essentially a way of planning out your life, with lists, diary pages, trackers and everything else you could ever think of. And that includes planning out self care activities.
The lovely thing about a bullet journal is that you are in charge of what it contains, what it looks like and how you use it. And the very act of journaling has amazing benefits too.
- Reduced stress
- Improved memory
- Boosted mood
- Improved sleep
- Boosted creativity
- Increased gratitude
and so much more!
So as well as being a tool to help you increase self care practices, it is in itself a form of self-care!
Bullet Journal self care ideas
Using your own journal as part of a daily routine is a fun way to keep track of any habits you want to keep up, keep lists of things you need to get done and even as a creative outlet in the way that you can doodle and decorate. Lots of people add fun embellishments such as washi tape to make it into a living scrapbook.
The great thing about bullet journaling is it is completely personalised to you. You can create weekly layouts to suit different needs and mix and match depending on what you fancy at the time. Some months I am really creative and others I just use it for basic list keeping – you get to choose!
Bullet journal page ideas
Self-care bullet journal spread. Sometimes you just need to have a idea-storming session to list out all of the different types of self-care you would like to add to your routine. Grab coloured pens and make a mind map to inspire more self-care ideas.
Mood tracker. Do your moods follow a pattern? It is worth tracking to see if they do. You could then plan in extra self-care time for the times of the month when bad days seem to be more frequent in the occurence.
Habit trackers. These are a great idea for when you want to get started with a new habit. Seeing a visual representation of the days you have or haven’t done the habit is a great way to motivate you to get it done.
Brain dump. Sometimes you just need to get allm of the thoughts out of your head and onto paper, right? You could make a list of everything on your mind or even write everything out like a diary entry. Better out than in!
Happy list. Need a mood boost? Make a list of all the fun things you enjoy. See if you can then plan to do some of the things that make you happy in the coming week.
Gratitude list. This is such a powerful tool and something I recommend everyone does daily. The more you can appreciate what you have, the happier you become.
Self-care bingo. Such a fun way to promote more self care in your life. Take some of the items from your happy list, plus some extra things like drinking enough water and going to bed early and see if you can make a bingo sheet for yourself to tick off as you do the tasks!
Sleep log. Are you aware of how many hours you get each night? Do you need more or less? Keep track and also make a note of how you feel each morning and evening to see if you can notice patterns.
Water intake. Definitely something I struggle with on a daily basis so having a visual guide to show me how many glasses I’ve had really helps me!
Using a bullet journal and creating self-care pages can have such a positive impact on your wellbeing. Not only can you inspire yourself to get started with pretty layouts to motivate you, but you can really track the changes and differences felt as you move through the weeks. The more you track, the more you notice and the more likely you will be to carry on.