48 Self-Care Bullet Journal Spread Ideas
Taking care of ourselves is such an important part of living everyday life. When we fail to care for ourselves effectively, we easily fall into ruts and end up feeling burned out. Failing to focus on self-care is not only detrimental for our health and our bodies in the short term, but can also lead to long term health issues.
I believe there is nothing more important than your health, and so I’ve decided to compile a collection of self help journal spreads to include in your bullet journal.
If you’re looking for advice on how to be happier, other ways you can use your bullet journal, or why you should start one, make sure to check out these posts as well!
How to Engage in Self-Care
There are a lot of different ways we can engage in self-care. It’s highly likely you already do in some form or another.
Self-care doesn’t really need to be anything overly complicated or out of the ordinary. In fact, it should be a regular part of your routine and something you make time for each day.
If you’re not used to focusing on self-care, or don’t have a routine in place already, it can help to first ask yourself a few questions.
What makes me happy?
For me personally, I find that activities involving other people, being creative, being active, or being out in nature are some of the biggest things that make me happy.
Activities like these can include taking a walk outside or hiking with friends and family, as well as going on a picnic. I also like gardening outside, or doing something crafty like drawing, painting, or writing.
What do I need for a fulfilling life?
Everyone has specific needs that need to be met in order to truly feel fulfilled and happy. For me, this looks like having enough balance in my life. Getting to spend time with others, as well as have time for myself, be outside in nature, be able to work and be productive, but also have time where I relax. I also make it a priority to eat healthy, get enough sleep, as well as exercise.
What holds me back from my self-care?
Are there any obstacles in your way that are preventing you from properly taking care of your needs? Do you have a demanding job, or home environment that stresses you out?
It’s important to identify the things that are creating problems in your day to day life and make sure you resolve the issues that harm your health.
Your health is always NUMBER ONE.
Nothing is ever worth sacrificing your health. Even if it means inconveniencing yourself, or putting in extra effort and energy to get out of an unhealthy situation, you must always do what is needed to be able to put your health first.
For me, I needed to get out a toxic relationship that was really eating away at my happiness for almost two years. I knew it was time to walk away when I saw how much it was affecting my health in a negative way.
I’m now out of that period and am so much happier, three years later. Never be afraid to take a big step in the right direction, and do what is needed to be done in order to move towards what you need.
What activities do I already do for self-care?
It’s likely that you already do a lot to take care of your needs. It can be as simple as taking care of your hygiene by showering, and washing your bedsheets regularly.
Make a list of everything that you already do, as well as a list of the things you don’t do, but would like to incorporate into your routine. This will make it easy to see what you’re already doing well and what you still need to work on.
I personally like to make green smoothies at least several times a week, and I try to cook healthy meals at home or eat healthy whenever I go out.
I also currently do gymnastics three days a week, for three hours at a time, and try to get a good eight hours of sleep every night. I’m making it a goal of mine to get outside every day as well, for at least 20 minutes, even when it’s below freezing and very cold outside. In the summer, my goal is at least an hour per day.
Types of Spreads
There are lots of different types of bullet journal spreads that can aid you in your self-care routine, which can include:
Mood trackers
Habit trackers
Fitness spreads
Sleep trackers
Meal planning spreads
Gratitude logs
Journal prompt pages
Quote pages
Self-care lists
A happy list
Water log
Brain dump spread
Bad day checklist
Meditation diary
Entertainment list
Things to love about yourself
Doodles or art pages
Mood Trackers
Mood trackers are a great way to keep track of how your mood changes day to day. This allows you to be able to look back and see whether you’re moving in a good direction or not mentally. It can help you see which habits or activities may be contributing to you having a better or worse day, or how certain events affect your mood.
I recommend mood trackers for anyone looking to focus more on self-care and keep track of how they’re feeling each day.
Natalie Linda
Habit Trackers
I personally have a few habit trackers that I use in my own journal, specifically to track meditation. I’ve found it’s helped me feel more inclined to want to meditate when I can physically see the daily streak each day.
You can create trackers for just about any type of habit, or fit them all into one. Some good ideas include stretching, working out, meditating, journaling, going for a walk, waking up by a certain time or going to bed by a specific hour, taking vitamins, reading, etc.
Habit trackers are also just fun to fill in and create, so making one in your journal is a great way to get creative and spend time making something fun.
Forever Free by Any Means
Fitness Spreads
Another great type of spread for keeping track of your self-care is tracking your fitness progress. You can include a list of exercises, a tracker of all the days you did your workout, as well as measurements for weight loss, BMI, etc.
Sleep Trackers
Sleep trackers are another similar type of spread, that track one part of your health. I personally have used these a few times in the past, especially when creating a new routine and schedule to see if it works for me.
This can be a great way to monitor how your sleep affects other areas of your life, your mood, day to day energy levels, etc. Enough time spent using a sleep tracker combined with other similar spreads like a mood tracker will tell you a lot about your health and any correlating issues.
This type of spread can be a very good idea to try, especially if you know you deal with a lack of energy and other issues you may not know the cause of.
It’s also a good idea for simply trying to improve your sleep schedule or habits if you already know you’re not going to bed at a reasonable time, or would like to make some changes in your routine. Seeing it all on paper can be a great motivator to get your habits under control.
@katienam
Meal Planning Spreads
I love planning out my meals! I have found I’m so much more likely to cook consistently when I have a list of meals I’m planning on making for the week. I personally incorporate this into my weekly spread layout, that way I can see it each week upon opening up my bullet journal.
Another method though is to create a separate spread entirely, which can be helpful if you’re planning out meals for the whole month in advance or need to create a grocery shopping list that you can access right in your journal.
For myself, I like to write out my meals for the week (if I know it’s a week where I’ll be in charge of the cooking), and then I write a grocery shopping list on my phone, which I take with me to the store, since I don’t typically carry my bullet journal around with me.
studyspiration.tumblr.com
Gratitude Logs
Gratitude logs are some of my absolute favorite bullet journal spreads. If there’s any spreads that have made a big difference in my mental health, it’s been gratitude logs.
I’ve used ones where I write down three things that I’m grateful for at the end of each day, and then at the end of the month, I’m able to look back and read through all the amazing things that have happened that month.
Currently, I incorporate a little gratitude section in my weekly spread, where I’ll just take a few minutes to write down the highlights of my week and all the good things that happened that I was most grateful for.
I find this to be a great way to end my week, and to see the good things that have happened each week that made it so special.
Journal Prompt Pages
Another favorite of mine is answering specific journal prompt questions and writing them out in detail. Because I like to keep my answers a bit private, I prefer to use a separate journal for this.
For thoughts that are more personal, I also sometimes like to use a private Google doc to journal anything that’s in my mind and brain dump whatever is going through my head.
I find this helps a lot when I’m feeling anxious or worried about something, and I can freely write as I please without needing to worry about anyone reading my writing.
Answering specific prompts is a great way to explore and discover more about yourself and who you truly are. I believe one of the biggest things that holds people back in life is their lack of knowledge on who they are and their personal identity.
If you don’t know who you are, it’ll be very hard to figure out where you want to go in life or what you want to do, so getting clear on that is very important.
I find journaling is one of the best ways to do this. Take the time to really ask yourself each question and think about the answer, however long it takes. Let the answer come to you naturally, instead of trying to force one on the spot.
Related post: How Journaling Changed My Life
Quote Pages
Quotes can be a wonderful way to spice up empty pages, or fill up extra space in a boring old spread. I personally love dedicating entire pages to writing out specific quotes that resonate with me.
I have an entire list of quotes in my notes app that I want to live by, that are all very meaningful to me. When I have extra time, I like to go through my bullet journal, and fill out any empty blank pages or ones in the upcoming months with hand-written quotes.
While not all of them are overly aesthetic, for some, I like to take the time to really write a few out in a pretty lettering style, so I can flip through it years later and still reflect on it.
Also, taking the time to get creative and try my hand at making my journal pretty is another great way to engage in self-care, so it’s a win-win.
Bullet Journal Addict
Self-Care Lists
Sometimes, just having a simple list in your bullet journal on self-care ideas can be a great way to inspire action and get you to start engaging in self-care activities. You can also include a list of habits, or checklists for each month, where you can check off each activity after it’s been completed.
Page Flutter
A Happy List
This is a bit similar to a self-care list. Write a list of everything that makes you happy, and whenever you’re in a rut or having a bad day, do some of the activities on the list. Just doing a few of the things can be enough to turn your day around and lift your mood.
This is something I definitely need to incorporate in my own bullet journal, since I know it would be a great way to get myself back into a more productive state when I’m not in a good mood.
Water Log
Drinking enough water every day and staying hydrated is very important for good health, so make it a part of your self-care habits you keep track of. Create a separate tracker or integrate it as a part of your weekly spread to ensure you drink enough every day.
I personally love drinking tea and coffee, as well as coconut water, but I also like to keep a water bottle or two at my desk when I’m working, so I don’t have to get up throughout the day to go and grab it.
Find what works for you, and make sure to stick with it!
Brain Dump Spread
Remembering all the tasks you need to do in a day can get overwhelming, and having a spot to dump it all out of your brain and write it down can do wonders for your stress and mental health.
Writing it all down in one spot can make it easy to see everything you have going on, and allow you to then go through and organize the tasks that need to get done now, and see what you can schedule or plan for later.
Bad Day Checklist
We all have bad days. It’s not always possible to enjoy every day of your life, but it is possible to make the most of whatever each day brings.
Making a bad day checklist can make it easier to make the most of it, by providing you with a list of easy activities and chores to do that don’t take more than a few minutes each.
I think this is a great idea if you’re someone that’s struggling through a hard period of your life, or working through something difficult, and just need to do what you can to power through it. Sometimes, it’s better to take it easy.
Meditation Diary
Meditation has been a life-changing part of my life that has helped me overcome a lot of anxiety, become more calm, increase my memory, as well as my ability to focus, and has even improved my happiness too.
It is a habit I can’t recommend enough, and a great way to track each day of practice is by writing down your experience in a journal. I do this in a separate spot as well, but sometimes I like to make spreads within my regular bullet journal where I’ll write about various moments or milestones I’ve reached.
Entertainment List
Having a list of things to do for fun can be another great way to focus on self-care. Sometimes you just need a bit of a break from all the work, and being productive every hour of every day just isn’t realistic, or necessary.
Devote some time every day towards working on a hobby, or even just doing something easy and fun, like watching a movie. Having a list of options to choose from will make you more likely to make time for those activities, and eliminate the guesswork when you’re tired and just want to do something fun to relax.
Things to Love About Yourself
A big part of self-care is self-esteem and self-confidence. Learning to love yourself is such an important aspect of life. Self-love is different from being self-centered or conceited, it’s simply having the confidence to fully be yourself and take care of your needs effectively.
Write a list about all the different things you love about yourself, and next time you’re feeling down, go through and read everything you wrote down. You can even include compliments that other people have given you, things that other people have said about you, etc.
Doodles or Art Pages
Get creative and fill any empty spaces in your journal with doodles and drawings. Not only will they brighten up your journal and make it more colorful and fun, but the process will also be relaxing and a nice activity to engage in as a part of your self-care routine.
I personally love sitting down with my journal and flipping through any spreads or pages that have some empty space. I fill them out with doodles and little designs.
