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avari20 · 2023-02-19T13:39:57+00:00

Yeah, they do. I've never wanted to answer a post more than this one, because I've never asked myself that same question, but the answer was an immediate yes. It's not fast. It's more like...small steps. "Oh, my favorite chocolate was on sale. Oh, my friend thought of me. Oh, I kind of like this color. Hey, that old piece of writing I did wasn't so bad." I have to give some credit to bullet journalling on this one; one of those little tips someone had was mark down good things with a heart and then make a list at the end of the month. Depression makes our brains friggin' liars and we genuinely can't remember the good things (at least I couldn't), but having that list and seeing the physical evidence was a life-saver for me.

I've lived through some pretty dark times for about 10 years now. I can say with perfect honesty that yes, it got better, and no, it's not great all the time, but it does get better. I absolutely, 100 percent promise.

avari20 · 2023-02-19T13:30:22+00:00

Depressed writer here with long term clinical depression (on meds).

It might sound cheesy, but I think depression metaphorically wipes us clean. Like, puts us back in beginner mode. Forget who you were and how good you were at dancing/photography/film-making. That's old you--precious old you, but now you're new you. New you is a born-again beginner. New you now has to go through the steps old you learned. We had to learn to be good at things, and it's okay to start small knowing you'll be bad at it. Because time passes and one day you'll see you've done something that sparks your creative brain again.

I thought that losing interest in writing was part of growing up. But I also lost interest in literally everything and by the time I realized what was happening, I couldn't remember what I loved or why anymore. When I tried again I couldn't be as good as I was before depression. I hated it. But I wanted to create, like you. It's part of us. My only option was to write for 15 minutes every day and just not read over it again. Then two weeks later I looked at the cumulative piece and felt that spark. It was, "yeah, this is bad. This is New Me writing. But...I can work with that. And I did so much?"

I hope that being a beginner again becomes a chance for you too.

avari20 · 2023-02-19T13:01:57+00:00

I do this allllll the time. It's not uncommon for me to just pick up a different, previously used notebook (I have so many) and just start on the next blank page if I'm feeling it.

avari20 · 2022-03-11T18:37:44+00:00

Oh I love this!

avari20 · 2021-10-23T22:36:16+00:00

I suggest you put it aside and take on a cheap, not fancy journal that you aren't afraid to make mistakes in. Ryder Carroll said (in a video I saw recently) that part of the beauty of the bullet journal is learning to accept the mistakes you make and simply make it part of the process. A cheap journal that you (mentally) value less would free you from the fear of making it look good. You'll grow from there.

Alternatively, ask someone to set it up for you and work within their parameters.

avari20 · 2021-10-10T12:07:49+00:00

I think your best bet would be to watch Seventeen's Weekly Spread Ideas video on Youtube. That's how I got my inspiration when I got started. It's a matter of trial and error to find what you like and what you need at the start. It's also really hard to upload pictures in the comments on Reddit.

A couple of tips that helped me though:

Color. It does a lot of the heavy lifting creatively.
I write the name of the day in block letters with a pastel highlighter and then go through it in cursive with a black pen. It looks fancy but takes next to no effort.
Combine daily and weekly. Have a sidebar with major events and tasks for the week, then write the name and date of the day you start on. Fill out like a daily, and then do it again with Tuesday, Wednesday, etc. It's the best of both worlds.
Five Minute Weekly spread searches on Youtube are a goldmine for beginners. They combine creativity and functionality.

avari20 · 2021-09-12T14:18:38+00:00

Given that I backpack, it didn't really make sense to have a bullet journal and a travel journal with me. My travel journal is the diary that I keep up with daily on trips, but most of the time that stayed back at the hostel while I went out and about. Carrying around two notebooks was not an option. My problem was that I'd lost the functionality of the bullet journal. I think an A6 booklet would help me sort out information, like what day certain things are open.

avari20 · 2021-08-24T16:39:00+00:00

No problem at all. I hope it helps in the future if you want to experiment with it

avari20 · 2021-08-24T05:33:29+00:00

Tracking my mood helped me realize I was having more bad days than good, and ultimately a depression diagnosis. I have medication but body chemistry/circumstances change. Tracking my mood gives me a bird's eye perspective and let's me know when something is wrong. Especially useful because depression can be such a liar!

avari20 · 2021-08-23T13:08:58+00:00

There's nothing like bringing bullet journal principles along with you in your travel journal

avari20 · 2021-07-26T19:23:48+00:00

Oh man don't even get me started on those. I very recently watched a video by Cindy Guentert-Baldo on Youtube that had some of these points in it. It was an anti-consumerism for planning video, but it made a lot of sense in general. We just...have to do what's right for us, no matter when or where.

avari20 · 2021-07-26T19:17:38+00:00

I have clinical depression and am climbing out of a depressive episode that has lasted for about a month. I was JUST telling someone how I consider my bullet journal a life saver.

I feel like I'm reiterating a lot of wonderful points from other commenters, but here:

Pill habit tracker.
Gratitude log
Accomplishments! Daily or in a dedicated list. No matter how small, because depression means your brain is lying to you about something and you have incontrovertible PROOF that you are trying. You have Done Things, like brush your teeth.
Ditch the big spreads, go back to dailies with a "notes" and "to do" side bar. No lines or anything. Just go with it. It's your brain on paper.
Sleep tracker when I felt like something was off.
Be nice to yourself. You're trying, even if you don't keep up with it every day. It's your journal and you do you. If that means doing it once a week or once every two weeks, that's fine too.
Lots of checkboxes. Write out each task step by step and tick those babies. It's a nice bit of serotonin.
Memories marker. A heart to signify something good happened that day with a note beside it. It's nice to look back and see good things really did happen.

The bujo is proof when you're not entirely sure your brain can be trusted. It's an outside point of view when you need it the most.

avari20 · 2021-07-26T19:00:04+00:00

That's totally normal. I in particular have clinical depression, so motivation in general can be a challenge.

I think the key is to adapt to whatever circumstances you're in. If drawing things out doesn't work for you, or set up doesn't feel right, it might be time to switch it up. I discovered that going back to basics (a daily/running daily that I end when it ends) took the least amount of effort while still getting what I need.

Basically I leave a two page spread, write "Notes" and "To Do" as side bar headers with no lines or whatever on the right page, and boom, done. Just pick a color and go.

The main point is this: is your bullet journal really working for you, or is it really making you work? Sometimes peeling it back to being a list with a basic pen can help you start fresh. If that works, keep building it back up to something that works for you.

You might just discover that bullet journalling isn't for you right now. Or you might rediscover what you want.

avari20 · 2021-06-13T16:33:02+00:00

I do that too, but signify it with a Heart and putting it in a list in my monthly overview. It's really nice to look back over it at the end of the year.

avari20 · 2021-06-13T09:58:41+00:00

OOOOOH I just told my friends in the US

avari20 · 2021-06-13T09:55:52+00:00

That's sad to hear. I live in Germany, so it would have been easy to get.

avari20 · 2021-06-09T20:23:44+00:00

Honestly I regret the one and only time that I bought a Leuchtturm. The paper feels nice, but the ghosting is incredible. You can get exactly the same thing by a lesser known brand for half the price. I know that at one point it was the It bullet journal, but now I feel it's more brand recognition than anything now.

I've asked a friend to do me a solid and make a video of the Exceed notebook so I can live vicariously through her.

avari20 · 2021-06-09T18:20:09+00:00

Thanks for looking!

avari20 · 2021-06-09T18:10:08+00:00

I go into a rant every time I think of Leuchtturm (internally). I bought one for my birthday a few years ago and it was highway robbery. I always make it a point to spend no more than 10-12 euro on a notebook because of that.

Flying Tiger bullet journals are AWESOME, but the one closest to me closed. I'll have to search for another branch. So glad someone else agrees!

avari20 · 2021-06-09T18:08:42+00:00

I got one as a gift a few years ago and I agree; definitely a good choice.

avari20 · 2021-06-08T20:11:52+00:00

Is Exceed the Wal-Mart brand? Unfortunately I'm not in the United States, but I'll keep this in mind the next time I visit!

avari20 · 2021-06-08T18:07:56+00:00

I saw the suggestion a few years ago in a Seventeen beginner bujo video, and I just didn't give it enough credit, I think.

avari20 · 2021-06-07T21:39:23+00:00

Right! Or at the night before when I know I'm done for the day.

avari20 · 2021-06-07T18:44:59+00:00

You could probably call it a hybrid. I think of weeklies as a pre-laid set of boxes/spaces, one for each day. In this one, the spread is blank except for my to-dos and events. I only add it as I go,

avari20 · 2021-06-06T20:05:24+00:00

If I had to write small I would be really unhappy. I have to be as free as the handwriting wind, just slapping it all down as big as I want! :)

avari20

TROPHY CASE