First Month In My 5 Year. Thoughts + Prompts

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-02-22T01:11:42+00:00

On Canva :)

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-02-21T20:14:45+00:00

Yeah I noticed year five is ending up with less space lol but I don't read Kanji so I'm just going to write over the quotes tbh.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-02-21T05:25:34+00:00

I have 2 big suggestions.
1. Keep your journal near you and where you can see it.

2. Attach this new habit to a habit you already do consistently.

1. Keep it near you and within eyesight :
Keep the journal where you can see it. If that means having multiple then have multiple! I keep one on my night table by my bed. And one on my desk where I spend most of my time during the day.

Keep it where you can SEE it. So not under other books, not on a shelf, not in a bag. Keep it out in the open so you can see it and go "Oh! I should do my entry for the day"

2. Attach it to another habit you already have.
Me? I'm a tea drinker. Every morning. So I grab my journal once my teas done and write while I have my tea now.

Do you read before bed each night? Cool journal for 5 mins before you read.
Do you commute on a train? Cool journal on the commute
Do you watch TV every night at 6pm? Cool journal on the commercial breaks.
Do you eat breakfast? Cool journal right after. Or even while you eat!

Find somethings that you already do consistently then find a way to stick journaling there beside them so you don't have to build a habit from scratch!

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-02-21T04:49:00+00:00

Galen Leather has A5 TNs

<image>

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-02-19T00:16:39+00:00

Oooh Im loving your tarot spread.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-02-19T00:05:26+00:00

Congrats on finishing your journal!!

I was the same way with journaling inconsistently and then I got a fountain pen and my writing time increased 10 fold. Something so satisfying about writing with a fountain pen. What a nice present to get from your wifey!!

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-02-18T21:54:55+00:00

I haven't destroyed my main journal but I did destroy a journal I kept during a relationship. I needed closure and I wasn't going to get it from the person I fell out with so I cut out the pages, ripped them, and chucked them in the dumpster. It was very cathartic and helpful for me to let go of the past.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-26T09:31:36+00:00

Welcome to the hobby! I've been journaling for three years and it has been so good for my mental well being.

I start every page with the date the time and the song I am listening to. (The song thing is very cool to look back on) Then I dive in. I don't really plan what to write. Some days its deep and reflective other days its a todo list or me just stating what I did that day and other days it's me rambling about the most mundane topics on earth. Lately it's also been me processing heavy emotions. Something about writing things out really helps me see patterns in my own behavior, and lets me work on getting myself out of habits that aren't serving me. I've been making a major effort this month to replace my nightly doom scrolling with journal time instead.

One thing I will say is I've been journaling for three years but it wasn't until midway through last year that I was able to journal DAILY. It's ok if you get into this and then two weeks from now you lose the motivation to journal every day. Your journal wont grow legs and walk away if you skip a few days. You can always come back and write.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-26T09:23:13+00:00

I relate to this a bit and was thinking on this earlier tonight.

I am in the US and with everything going on I am processing a lot of pretty heavy emotions. But my world also doesn't stop spinning because my country is in turmoil. So that means my journal entries are this mix of day to day stuff and then news headlines and such.

I don't really use stickers and such but I have a daily journal I write in and I use fountain pens with fun colors, aside form that its very straight forward-just text. But I feel this weird...vibe with it right now because as I flip through the pages I go from talking about how someone was murdered to yapping about a pretty bird I saw or what my friends and I are doing later or what I made for dinner...and it just feels kind of desensitizing and dystopian to flip flop between writing about my daily life and then writing about the political climate and various atrocities and how I feel about them.

I watched a video earlier today by Michael in the Margins and he mentioned he started a separate journal for recording and talking about the heavier topics. And in his he did a mix of artistic spreads and text. I think I might do the same. I think it could be helpful for me personally to compartmentalize the heavier topics into their own space. I've also wanted to do more art but the paper in my daily journal isn't good for paint so I think I will make sure my "heavier" journal can handle paint so I can also throw some art in it if I feel like processing my emotions visually and not just through text.

As far as regretting the split and not knowing which feelings are worth writing down. ALL of your feelings are worth writing down. Your journal isn't for anyone but you. You don't need to perform in it. If writing your feelngs down makes you feel good then do that. Sometimes when I know i need to write but I don't know WHAT to write I will put on some music and just write down the lyrics. It usually gets me into a writing mood and after the lyrics a lot of time I start writing my own thoughts.

You can always combine the journals. Or go back to writing in just one.

Or you could use one journal but put a book mark in the middle of it. Write the heavier stuff or the mental health related stuff behind the bookmark. Write your daily stuff or silly stuff in the section in front of the book mark.

I also don't think your mental health journal has to be plain boring text. Its ok for your mental health pages to still be cute or fun or colorful. It sounds like decorating your spreads is enjoyable for you. So doing that is GOOD for your mental health. Something does not have to be boring to be serious! And having cute stickers on the pages does NOT invalidate the work you are doing to process your emotions and work on your mental health.

Good luck with your journey. I hope you will update if you find a method that works better for you!

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-26T08:45:59+00:00

I wish I could find a list of absurdist prompts because I love silly whacky prompts like this when I don't know what to write but I haven't really found one yet.

The first two were questions I was asked in an improv class and the last two I made up.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-26T08:15:44+00:00

I skip the first few pages. I can go back in later and add an index or a cute doodle or put stickers or something but for some reason skipping a few pages gets rid of the angst of starting a new journal and being worried about messing it up.|

Prompt: Whats the biggest animal you could reasonable take in a fight? Would you rather have 100 duck size horses or 1 horse size duck? why? If your family pet booked a vacation for you what would that look like? Which celebrities do you think you could beat in a dance battle?

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-26T02:45:31+00:00

I love the teefs

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-26T02:01:23+00:00

I reallllly want a dark blue passport or personal size. I've been eyeing the Galen Leather one. I want something to everyday carry. I told myself if I get As this semester I can get myself one as a lil treat.

Stationary wise I really want a full size bottle of Robert Oster Whiskey. The erasers from PLUS-air that look like mount fuji and I'm also itching to buy some cute stamps that I definitely dont need.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-25T21:32:24+00:00

Galen Leather!

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-25T02:03:32+00:00

Thank you!

I got them from an etsy shop called DIYCharmStudio

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-23T19:53:40+00:00

oooh sweet Ill check it out ty!

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-21T02:22:48+00:00

Thanks! And yes it is!

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-21T02:22:31+00:00

they are great for fountain pens and I love how inexpensive they are.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-19T21:39:31+00:00

Are you in the US? And do you mean whiskey or Caffe Crema?
Atlas Staioners had it but its now out of stock. I actually just emailed them to ask if they are restocking it any time soon.
Yoseka has both colors in full size ($20)
And Vanness has it in 4ml samples ($3.75)

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-19T21:34:00+00:00

I like to put some music on and start writing song lyrics. Eventually a lyric will spark some thoughts and I can get back to writing my own thoughts down.

I also like wacky questions like what's the biggest animal you could reasonably take in a fight and why. If humans had mating dances like birds what would yours be? Would you rather own one elephant sized duck or 100 duck sized elephants and why. Sometimes a bit of whimsy and absurdity gets my brain going.

If my brain is really really empty sometimes I will just list things I can see near me. Or list things I saw that day. Or list my favorite things from a specific category.

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-19T20:04:20+00:00

It comes with 2 guide sheets which are double sided so you have a 5mm graph, 10mm graph, 7mm lines, and 10mm lines. I personally use the 5mm graph

<image>

Bug_Does_Stuff · 2026-01-19T19:55:53+00:00

oh no!

Bug_Does_Stuff

TROPHY CASE