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Planners are an obsession of mine. I have one for literally everything. This blog has one, my LuLaRoe business has one, I even have one to record funny stories about my children (for blackmail later….). One planner that is really important is my mental health planner and journal.
Mental health is a very personal thing. Sure, you have close family or friends to talk to about any struggles or issues. Sometimes you want to work things out yourself. Or maybe those close friends and family are the cause of those issues. Using a planner/journal can help track anxiety, learn triggers, deal with intrusive thoughts and help calm fears.
Celebrate the Good!
A big part of mental health is to focus on the good things! Somedays it might just be that you got dressed. Other may be even bigger things to celebrate. The point in to write them down and acknowledge them. On bad days, the days that you can’t even remember the good, these lists will serve as reminders that
Thoughts Journaling
Having a journal for your thoughts is important. Write them down, then read back over them. Looking at them in black and white can help you see things from a different perspective and even help you face things that you have been pushing to the back of your mind. Putting things into writing make them real. It causes you to face them head on. Many people avoid writing their thoughts down for this very reason. Don’t be afraid to do it. If you don’t want any one else seeing them, throw them away after you are done. Writing can be very cathartic.
Post Therapy Notes
Ever have a therapy session, pour your heart out and later have no clue what you talked about or said? Maybe after a session things click and you want to remember to talk about those things next time. After a session, take a few minutes in your car to write down all the things. Throughout the next week, revisit those notes and see if these have been any changes, improvements or epiphanies. Make notes for your next visit. After some time you will be able to see how therapy is helping and where you may need additional focus. Track in your journal what things you talk about most, triggers, timelines, etc. This can be invaluable information to both you and your therapist.
Decatatrophizing
If you haven’t already, read my post about decatastrophizing your fears. You can use some journal paper in your planner to map these out. Hopefully by doing this, you will be able to write some good things as outcomes!
Planners and Journals
Now that you know what pages you need, what kind of planner do you want to use? You can read more about different planners/journals here in my other blog. Choosing a planner or journal is a personal thing. You have to find what works best for you. There are many choices, sizes and designs. Pick one that you will want to use. Choose something that reflects you and encourages you. Have fun with it!
I chose my mental health planner to be one of my Alice in Wonderland planners. (I have a slight obsession) I picked a size (personal size ringed binder) that is large enough to easily write in but doesn’t take up tons of room when I toss it in my bag for the day.
What kind of journal are you going to use? Comment below or post a picture in my Facebook group!
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