#functional bullet journal

[bulletcup]

11.08.2022 // Today was okay. I took my Logic class and did all my required assignments for it, which bent my freaking brain. I also had to film my first two TikToks today for my Nursing major, because my professor is a strange woman and likes to make TikToks school assignments 😔. She's the kind of person to do that and also complain about students making TikToks all day instead of studying 🤷‍♀️. Like I said, strange woman.

I'm currently cramming two anatomy lectures into my brain for a quiz tomorrow at 7 in the freaking morning. Wish me luck 🥹.

BONUS: Look how pretty the blood moon eclipse turned out to be! I looked at it for so long my eyes started to hurt HAHA

[lottiestudying]

26.07.2024—planning for the upcoming week in my hobonichi cousin

[lumiolivier]

In case you were curious about why acrylic ink is the devil and why I love my India ink. And what I was using it for. I needed it for my glass pen! I just finished my bullet journal layout.

[mediocrefruitlover]

why is every reading journal video on YouTube the exact same thing why do they all use the same brand notebook and make the same spreads with the same themes. you're all different people surely your needs and tastes have to be at least a little different

[thedisabledfaery]

Added some trackers to my bullet journal

[rabbitindisguise]

Oh hm. I was doing a lot of photography stuff because I thought it was helping my mental health but I think it might have been making it worse?

I think the whole topic has become a ball of stress because I'm like, stressed over the idea that I won't have an income if this SSI thing doesn't work out and it's like . . . I dunno funneling into the idea I have to get good at something or else. It's not actually because I'm having fun at this point.

[parasolpaper]

Pandy's Studio Weekly Kit

[ohdeerymeee]

A few days ago, I decided, fuck it, I'm going to do a bullet journal

This is one of the notebooks I had on hand (my brother gave it to me ages ago and I hadn't used it for anything yet), and it's been helpful so far! I'm hoping it'll help me shoot my problems.

It's pretty small though, only 60 pages, so it might not last the whole year.

However. Once I've gotten used to it, the first journal's full, and if it works for me, I have THIS monster of a journal for next time. It's not really portable, but it's very pretty and would probably last me several years.

I won't be showing the interior tho, it's mostly functional and not pretty. Might make it look prettier in the future, but I'm going the bare bones route for now.

[muggysstickies]

MuggysStickies

[bulletcup]

11.07.2022 // Honestly, today and the past few days have been terrible motivation-wise. I haven't been working as efficiently as I would like, and I know I have the capability for it, I just haven't found the strength.

I know I'll literally die tomorrow from how much backlog I really, really need to sort through. No choice but to keep going forward, though. I know I can do it, so from here on out I'll just try my best to look at things positively and have fun learning tomorrow. (Wow why did that declaration help 😭)

[cameratosee]

Her trick was to add a tiny passion project —say, 15 minutes of lettering by hand—to every Daily Log, and do it first thing every day. She always had 15 free minutes if she took them before checking her phone. It was like time had expanded.

-Ryder Carroll

[catnippackets]

remember when I made a post a while ago complaining about how I couldn't find a notebook that was both cute AND had ruled pages and how all the lined paged notebooks were boring and all the pretty notebooks had dotgrid paper...I caved and chose pretty over function and got a bullet journal and I am fully eating my words because bullet journals fucking rule

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

hey can you share how your bullet journaling is going? i have wanted to get into it as well, it looks so pretty and handy and i feel like it might help with my adhd but it also seems like so much work and not sth that will work well with my adhd so just wanted to see if it actually helps or not

Sure!

So I'm about eight days in. I decided to keep it mega simple - I followed the instructions here as far as the daily log, and then it started talking about a bunch of other stuff people do with theirs and I got immediately overwhelmed and consumed with the urge to fling the journal into the sea, so I bravely and heroically scrolled back up and stuck to just index - future log - monthly log - daily log.

In any case, I started it because I was very lost in my Field Time phase, and I reached a point where my line manager sent me a message saying 'I am asking this as a friend. Are you ok? You seem incredibly overwhelmed.' which I wasn't, exactly, but the point when you're receiving those messages is the point when you probably need to try something even if it doesn't work, so I thought fuck it. As I say, I'm only eight days in, so time will tell if it's a sustainable endeavour. But as a tool to get me out of Field Time, it's been fantastic.

I haven't bothered using it on a weekend yet; so far, it's been a work thing (although I've started adding social events too). But I've felt my productivity and achievement levels go up massively since using it, and more importantly I feel a lot more in control. I think that was ultimately the biggest issue I was having - I felt out of control, and helpless. There's still stuff I'm finding and going 'Shit, yeah, I put that off, didn't I?', but that's okay - they go in the journal when I find them, and I incorporate them. I'm more functional again.

Ticking things off is a nice brain clicky, too.

I think it's worth a try, for what it's worth. All it costs is one notebook. If it doesn't work, ah well. If it does, great! And even if it just works for a bit - still great. And now you know what you can do next time you're in Field Time.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

think there definitely is criticism (edit: VALID criticism. left out important word) about how bullet journal system formally invented by someone w… think adhd & specific learning disability? that geared towards function n then got turned into “must make it very fancy full of fancy highlighter stickers washi tape stationery colorful pretty” & making neurodivergent ppl feel peer pressure of make their bullet journal like that n thus inaccessible… not saying there isn’t.

but also like… can we be less… US centric? “big western country English language social media” centric? about it because. bullet journal not end all be all of journaling, it not first style of journaling, & won’t be last. plenty of east asian people (have seen specifically japanese & chinese, 手帐) journaled & is still journaling, at varying level of minimalistic practical vs highly decorative scale, with washi tape & stickers & different colored pens maybe & fancy n “fancy” stationery (…gotta remember that while there definitely expensive stationery there but. even most affordable most common stationery in these countries, way more options & colors than in like say US UK). some of them act more like diary some them do contain to do list, even before bullet journal became popular. what happened probably is some english speaking people on social media saw these east asian small creators doing their journaling that way n then wanted to integrate their aesthetic & decoration into their bullet journal.

n then evolved to nowadays.

like valid criticism for current situation of bullet journal trend but can we like. remember creator of bullet journal didn’t invent journaling as whole & there more journaling types n circles than bullet journaling n people (including lots non white people / east asian people!!!) formed communities for journaling before bullet journaling became thing or because you got introduced to journaling community via bullet journaling. okay?

[thedisabledfaery]

I made a bullet journal! It’s already completely done! I’m so proud of myself :3 Lately I’ve been having more voices and the meds don’t seem to help against them! I hate that. I desperately need therapy but the waiting lists are soo long! Been also having flashbacks (due to my PTSD) and seizures. On New Year’s Eve I had one when I was at my aunt and after I fell asleep and missed the fireworks (which I would’ve anyways only been able to see them with my noise cancelling headphones and music at full volume). But good thing: I’ve been going on walks with my dad a lot, we’re only walking one block tho but it’s a start! I’ve also lost 7 kilos since November! I’m now down at 90 kilograms. The doctors at my last clinic suggested trauma therapy but I’m hesitant. It would be far away from where I live and I’d be also away from my support network. I don’t know yet but I need therapy that is clear!

[pastel-charm-14]

dealing with academic burnout

hey lovelies! if you're feeling burnt out with school right now, you're not alone. here are some tips to help you push through and finish strong!! (long post incoming :))

BREAK IT DOWN -

big assignments can feel overwhelming, so break them into smaller, more manageable tasks. instead of "write a 10-page paper," think "write an outline," "research for 1 hour," "write the introduction," and so on. this makes the workload less daunting and helps you make consistent progress. it's also helpful to keep track of those smaller tasks in a list.

BE REALISTIC -

prioritize your tasks and set achievable daily or weekly goals. don't try to do everything at once. make a to-do list every day, and highlight your most important tasks. this helps you stay organized but also it feels really good to check things off your list :) for example, aim to complete two math problems instead of the entire set, or read one chapter instead of the whole book, and see where it goes from there.

TAKE BREAKS -

in order to be productive, you need to rest your mind!! try the pomodoro technique: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. after four cycles, take a longer break (15-30 minutes). during your breaks, do something completely different from your study activity. get up, stretch, grab a snack, or go for a quick walk outside. it's refreshing for your mind and body.

STAY ACTIVE -

physical activity helps reduce stress and improve your mood. so you should aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. this could be a workout, a yoga session, or even just a really fast walk. if you don't have much time, try putting short bursts of activity in throughout your day. for example, do some stretches or a few jumping jacks between pomodoro cycles.

GET SUPPORT -

talk to friends, family, or a counselor if you're feeling overwhelmed. sometimes, just having someone listen can make a huge difference!! if you’re struggling with a particular subject or area, try forming/joining a study group or seeking help from a tutor. working with others can give you new perspectives and helps with loneliness.

HAVE A HEALTHY DIET -

your brain needs proper fuel to function at its best. try to eat balanced meals with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. avoid too much caffeine and sugary snacks, because those can lead to energy crashes. keep a water bottle with you and make sure you're drinking enough throughout the day to keep your energy levels stable.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP -

pulling all-nighters is going to affect your concentration and memory. go for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. get a bedtime routine in place to help signal to your body that it's time to wind down. this could include stuff like reading a book, listening to calming music, or doing some mindfulness exercises. avoid screens at least an hour before bed, because the blue light can interfere with your sleep.

REWARD YOURSELF -

give yourself something to look forward to after completing a task. a favorite snack, watching an episode of your favorite show, or spending some time on social media, really anything that makes you happy. rewards reinforce your positive behavior and make studying feel more manageable. for example, tell yourself, "after I finish this chapter, I'll take a break to watch a funny youtube video."

STAY ORGANIZED -

keep track of deadlines and dates!! it will save you so much stress!! use a planner, calendar app, or bullet journal to log all your assignments and exam dates. you can also color code by subject/priority to make it easier to see what needs attention. review your schedule often and adjust it when you need to.

GIVE YOURSELF SOME LOVE -

it's okay to feel tired and stressed!! be kind to yourself and remember that you're doing your best. if you need to take a break, don't feel guilty about it. self-care is just as important as academic achievement. try some mindfulness or meditation and just take a moment to ground yourself.

hang in there, you've got this! just a little bit more to go and it'll be all worth it in the end. 🫶