If You Want Better Mental Health, You Should Use Your Journal In This Way

Most experts and psychologists recommend keeping a journal because journaling is a great stress reliever and by being this, it's helpful for anyone under emotional or mental stress. But a new kind of journaling is in town – that of the bullet journal, and it is more helpful than ever in improving emotional balance and mental health of those who decide to do it.

Many of us might have started writing a journal some time or the other, only to let it slide whenever times becomes harder. But with a bullet journal – all it takes is 10 minutes to let out those emotions, keep a track of physical fitness and plan your days, weeks and months in advance!

What is a Bullet Journal?

It may sound a bit complicated and tough – but a bullet journal is simply a bulleted version of a Dear Diary, with the added benefit of it also being a planner and a to-do list. You can use any journal, any pen, be as creative as you want and still have the mental health benefits of lowering your stress, keeping a tab on your feelings, have a cathartic outlet and be organized in your daily life as well as overall life goals. Here are five tips for you to best use that bullet journal for emotional and mental health.

1. KISS the Layout

By this, we don’t mean you pucker one up for the journal. Rather, keep your layout simple, and something that you can remember. The idea is for you to be able to organize your life and goals a little better, and have an outlet for your emotions – thereby keeping you in the pink of mental health. Start your bullet journal with an index – like a book, marking important topics to page numbers. The next few pages could be a yearly future log and for other important things. You can then move from month to month.

2. Use different keys

To make things more organized, use different bullets for different things – to-do, done, postponed, notes, events, achievements, important and so on. Keep a key at the end of the diary for you to remember what the bullets mean.

3. Make a monthly habit tracker

Keep two pages free at the beginning of each month to keep a log of all that happened – on top, jot down the dates of that month, and on the left you can write down your goals, whatever they may be. For example, mine would read – did not get angry, Yoga, ate fruit, unplugged by 10, completed all articles due…

Draw a grid like structure (think Excel) and then color each square on the date you did achieve your goals. At the end of the month, you’ll be able to see where you scored and where you lag. This can help you be more organized in achieving your goals – and in turn, your achievements will help you be in a better state of mind, ergo, better mental health.

4. Keep a monthly gratitude log

The last page of each month should be your gratitude log, one thing that you were thankful for each day of the month. Think of it as counting your blessings – it's sure to put you in a cheerful spirit and give you better mental health.

5. Remember, it’s all for you

Lastly, remember that your diary is meant only for you. You don’t have to beautify it for others, or hide the truth from yourself in it – it’s meant to be a tool for you to help you be better at all that you want to be better at, to give you happiness and better mental health. Be painfully honest, and keep it as messy or as organised as you like.

Keep the journal as real as it can be – this will help you assess and pinpoint your weak points – use it to turn over a new leaf on an everyday basis.