Utilizing Your Planner to Support Your Mental Health - 5 Tips

If there is something people in my personal know about me, it’s that I love planners. There is a magical-ness to be able to check things off my to-do list. To doodle. To put pictures in. To be able to look back on it and take in the memories.

This post is for my planner peeps and you’ll appreciate it because we know about planners.

And heads up, I will be referencing the Passion Planner as that is my preference, but any planner will work.

Planners are such a great way of organizing time, projects, and appointments as well as a form of creating art. And yet, with all the competition and inspiration of social media, there is this pressure to make your planner a piece of art every day or every week. That’s unattainable and can actually lead to more stress in your life.

You already have a lot on your plate, why would we need to add more.

So, what are ways that you can use your planner to fill your cup? To manage your mental health?

A SPACE TO JOURNAL

Write down your thoughts and feelings for the day or the week. This can be a good place to process experiences that are going on or decisions that need to be made. This allows you to be introspective and see what you’re needing to do to take care of yourself.

And there are so many different types of ways to journal.

  • Gratitude

  • Highlights and lowlights of the day/week

  • Dreams/Aspirations

  • Events that occurred

  • Free association

A SPACE FOR ART

It doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, there are no mistakes in art. It can give you this opportunity to be creative, to get outside of your head.

  • Insert a coloring page and use crayons, markers, and color pencils

  • Find out how thick your paper is and have fun with pens and inks and paints

  • Or just doodle with pencils

There are tons of prompts to follow for those who are not comfortable with thinking on the spot. Here is a link with some ideas: https://artfulhaven.com/art-journal-prompts/

KEEPING TRACK OF MOOD

Sometimes there are patterns to our moods that we aren’t aware of and keeping track of our overall mood can give insight into what is going on in your life. Maybe you aren’t aware that you’ve been irritable for a month. In the Passion Planner (the one I use), they have a print out for a YEAR IN PIXELS that give space for you to track your mood throughout the year.

KEEPING TRACK OF YOUR SELF-CARE

Passion Planner also has inserts for keeping track of habits. Are you someone who gets so busy you forget to eat? Maybe put it in your planner to check in with your body cues so you can nourish yourself. In a job that has you sitting all day? Maybe put it in to make sure you’re getting the movement you’re needing and craving. How hydrated are you? This can help you slow down so you can meet your needs and not lead to burn out.

INSPIRATIONAL/SELF-COMPASSIONATE SAYINGS/QUOTES

It is easy enough to say you’re going to be kind to yourself, but when things get rough, it’s so hard to stick with that. So let’s plan for it. Write down sayings to remind yourself that you’re not a piece of crap, that you are allowed to feel as uncomfortable as you need, but that does not give you permission to berate yourself.

Alison Gomez