Boost Your Well-being: 4 Bullet Journal Spreads to Cultivate Self-care

Spread by @itserrypayne

It’s easy to neglect our own well-being amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. I know its difficult to prioritize it over deadlines and schedules. But taking care of ourselves is crucial for our overall happiness and productivity. One of the most effective and creative ways to incorporate self-care into your routine is through your Bullet Journal (BuJo) – a simple yet effective tool to boost your well-being.

September is National Self-care Awareness Month, so whether you're new to bullet journaling or a seasoned pro, these 4 self-care spreads are a must-try this month. These will help to nurture your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. From mindful gratitude practices to mood trackers and habit builders, each spread is designed to help you prioritize self-care and foster a deeper sense of well-being in your life.

With these spreads in your bullet journal, you'll be able to track your progress, set realistic goals, and celebrate your achievements along the way. By incorporating self-care into your daily routine, you'll find yourself more present, energized, and ready to tackle whatever life throws your way.

So grab your favorite journal and let's dive into these powerful self-care BUJO spreads. It's time to prioritize your well-being and embark on a journey of self-care and personal growth.

What is a Bullet Journal (BUJO)?

Lets take a step back… What is self-care? Well, its anything you do deliberately do to take care of yourself. Notice the word deliberately! It requires you to actually chose self-care. To chose the things that fill our cup and make you feel good mentally, physically and emotionally. We each have different needs and that is what makes a BUJO so special. It truly allows you to customize exactly what you need to improve yourself through self-care.

Bullet journaling, or BUJO for short, is a versatile and customizable system for organizing your thoughts, tasks, and overall lifestyle. The bullet journal method combines the power of a to-do list, a planner, and a personal journal into one cohesive system. At its core, a bullet journal is a blank notebook or journal where you can create your own unique pages and layouts to suit your specific needs and preferences.

The beauty of a bullet journal lies in its flexibility. Unlike traditional planners or calendars, a BUJO allows you to design your pages from scratch, incorporating elements that are meaningful and helpful to you. This personalized approach empowers you to take control of your time, prioritize your tasks, and cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness and mindfulness. Whether you're a list-maker, a doodle enthusiast, or a goal-oriented individual, the bullet journal can be tailored to your unique style and needs.

As you'll soon discover, the bullet journal is not just a tool for organization; it can also be a powerful ally in your self-care journey. By incorporating self-care practices and reflections into your BUJO, you can create a holistic system that supports your overall well-being, from mental and emotional health to physical and spiritual growth. In the following sections, we'll explore how you can leverage the versatility of a bullet journal to boost your self-care and unlock your full potential.

Benefits of using a Bullet Journal for self-care

Incorporating self-care practices into your bullet journal can have a profound impact on your overall well-being. One of the primary benefits of using a BUJO for self-care is the increased sense of mindfulness and self-awareness it can foster. By taking the time to thoughtfully create and reflect on your self-care spreads, you'll become more attuned to your emotions, needs, and personal growth.

Another significant advantage of using a bullet journal for self-care is the ability to track your progress and celebrate your achievements. Whether it's monitoring your mood, building healthy habits, or setting and achieving personal goals, the BUJO provides a tangible way to measure your growth and stay motivated on your self-care journey. The act of physically recording your thoughts, feelings, and accomplishments can be incredibly empowering and help you stay accountable to yourself.

Furthermore, the bullet journal's customizable nature allows you to create self-care spreads that are tailored to your unique preferences and needs. By designing pages that resonate with you, you'll be more likely to engage with and benefit from the self-care practices you incorporate into your BUJO. This personalization can foster a deeper sense of ownership and investment in your self-care journey, leading to more sustainable and impactful results.

Setting up your Bullet Journal for self-care

Before you dive into creating self-care spreads in your bullet journal, it's essential to set up your BUJO in a way that supports your overall well-being. Begin by dedicating a section or a few pages in each Month’s spreads specifically for your self-care practices and reflections. This designated space will serve as a sanctuary within your journal, where you can focus on nurturing your mind, body, and spirit.

As you set up your self-care BUJO, don't forget to incorporate elements that spark joy and inspiration. This could include decorative borders, doodles, or even inspirational quotes that resonate with you. By making your self-care pages visually appealing and enjoyable to interact with, you'll be more likely to engage with them regularly and derive lasting benefits from your self-care practices. Now we have four unique style spreads to help you begin adding Self-care into your journal or planner.

01 The Happy List or Self Care Menu

A Happy List

A happy list is exactly what it sounds like—a collection of things that make you feel good. We are obsessed with to-do lists in our culture, why not have a to-do list of items you need to accomplish that that make you happy? It’s a simple, yet powerful spread that reminds you of all the little (and big) things in life that bring you joy. Whether it’s a cozy cup of tea, a favorite book, or a sunset stroll, listing them out gives you a source of happiness to tap into whenever you’re feeling down.

Why It’s Important:

When life feels overwhelming, turning to your happy list can provide an instant boost of positivity. It serves as a reminder of the simple pleasures that brighten your day, grounding you in gratitude and joy.

A Happy List from @Supermassiveblackink

A Happy list by @mashaplans

Happy List from @lookbullet

Self care menu

A self-care menu is a list of self-care activities that you can choose from when you need some extra TLC. Think of it as your personal go-to guide for nurturing yourself. Whether you need quick 10-minute self-care ideas or a full-on pampering session, your self-care menu has you covered.

Create a page or section in your BUJO where you can jot down self-care activities, resources, and inspirations. This can serve as a go-to reference when you're in need of a self-care boost.

Now, you can divide this into sections based on mood, or how much time it takes. For example, you can create a "10-Minute Self-Care" section, a "30-Minute Self-Care" section, and an "Indulgent Day" section. Fill each section with activities you enjoy, like reading, taking a bath, going for a walk, or meditating.

Why It’s Important:

Having a self-care menu removes the guesswork when you’re feeling drained. It provides you with quick and easy options for self-care, even when your energy is low. You’ll never have to wonder, “What should I do for self-care today?”

This is a self-care menu in doodles from @the.petite.planner that you can color in as you complete.

Self-care menu divided by how the task helps you from @craftyenginerd

Self-Care on the Cheap Spread from @RainbowbulletJournal

 

Self Care Ideas Spread from @bujotastic

02 Mental Health, Mood or Self-care Trackers

Habit trackers sre my ALL TIME FAVORITE spreads. I love habit trackers and all the benefits that come with them. Now I will not go into too much detail on the benefits of Trackers (there are plenty).

[Click this article to learn all about habit trackers and here for all our favorite habit tracker tools]

But it is worth noting monitoring your mood and emotional well-being is a crucial aspect of self-care, and a tracker spreads in your bullet journal can be an invaluable tool. This spread allows you to track your daily or weekly mood, providing valuable insights into patterns, triggers, and areas for improvement.

As you consistently record your moods, you'll begin to notice trends and identify factors that contribute to your emotional well-being. This self-awareness can empower you to make informed decisions about your self-care practices, whether it's adjusting your daily routine, seeking support, or implementing stress-management techniques. By keeping a close eye on your mood, you'll be better. These three types of trackers really will improve your ability to monitor and incorporate self-care into your routine in a very manageable way.

Mental Health Tracker

A mental health tracker helps you keep tabs on your emotional well-being over time. By tracking your mental health on a daily or weekly basis, you can identify patterns, triggers, and how different situations affect your mood.

You can design a simple grid for marking or calendar format, but this is best when you include a notes section to jot down any factors that influenced your mental health (e.g., a stressful day at work or a positive interaction with a friend). Use colors or symbols to represent different mental states (e.g., calm, anxious, stressed, happy). 

Why It’s Important:

Being able to look back at what triggers the negative emotions  and tracking your mental health can give you a better understanding of how your emotions fluctuate and what impacts them. This awareness can help you make adjustments in your life to maintain emotional balance.

Mental health spread from @astudyblah

 

This tracker is used for mood & self-care from @bulletjournal.by.lena

wellness tracker from @miloe.joanne

Writing out the things that make you anxious in a worry tree can help like this one from @bulletjournal

Stress tracker from @metro_boulot_bujo

Anxiety Tracker from @creativemindcoffeegrinds

 Mood Tracker

A mood tracker is similar to a mental health tracker but focuses specifically on recording your daily moods. By tracking your mood over time, you can gain insight into your emotional trends and what might be contributing to them.

This works best as a tracker grid - consider using a simple rating system, such as a scale from 1 to 5 or a color-coded system (e.g., blue for sadness, yellow for happiness, green for calmness). You can also incorporate visual elements, such as emoji or mood-themed icons, to make the tracking process more engaging and enjoyable.. Mark in each day with the assigned icon/color according to your overall mood.

Why It’s Important:

A mood tracker is a visual representation of your emotional journey. Seeing your moods on paper can help you spot patterns, like days when you’re more stressed or weeks when you feel particularly positive. This can guide you in making changes or practicing more self-care on difficult days.

Floral Mood Tracker from @experimental_bujo

You can make the mood tracker work with your theme like this from @marthasjournal

This coffee theme mood tracker is too cute from @voir.planners

Artistic sunburst mood tracker from @forthejoyofjournaling 

Self Care Tracker

A self-care tracker allows you to log the self-care activities you’ve done each day. It’s a simple way to hold yourself accountable for taking care of your mind and body, making sure self-care becomes a regular part of your life. Whether it's a daily meditation practice, regular exercise, or a consistent sleep schedule, the habit tracker will help you stay accountable, ensuring you're making time for the practices that nourish your mind, body, and spirit AND celebrate your progress.

Create a habit tracker-style grid where you list self-care activities down the side and days of the month across the top. Track the self-care activities you engage in, such as reading, journaling, or spending time in nature. Mark off each activity you complete on its corresponding day.

Also, consider that you can track individual self-care habits, begin by identifying the habits you want to cultivate. These can be as simple as drinking enough water, taking regular breaks, or practicing gratitude. Once you have your list of habits, dedicate a page or a two-page spread in your BUJO to track each self-care habit individually.

Consider using a grid or calendar-style layout to visually represent your daily or weekly habits. You can use checkmarks, stickers, or even color-coding to indicate when you've successfully completed a habit. This visual representation can be incredibly motivating, as you'll be able to see your progress over time and feel a sense of accomplishment as you build these self-care routines.

Why It’s Important:

Seeing your self-care practices written down ensures that you’re consistently making time for yourself. It encourages you to be intentional about your self-care routine and helps you track which activities make the most difference in your well-being.

Tracker you individual self-care habits like this spread from @curiouslycandace

Self care calendar and spread from @tritopus_

Self-care weekly check-in from @lilian.letters

03 Self-love or Self-Awareness spread

Another powerful self-care BUJO spread is a gratitude log. We know that cultivating a regular gratitude practice has been shown to have numerous benefits, including improved mental

Self-Love Spread

A self-love spread is a dedicated space in your BuJo where you celebrate yourself. It’s a powerful way to practice self-compassion, boost your confidence, and remind yourself of your worth.

Dedicate a page to affirmations, positive things about yourself, and accomplishments you’re proud of. Use vibrant colors, quotes, and doodles to decorate the page. You can also include a section for “small wins,” where you write down little victories, like finishing a project or cooking a healthy meal.

Why It’s Important:

Self-love spreads promote positive self-talk and help combat negative thoughts. It’s a space that’s all about building yourself up, which is essential for maintaining self-confidence and emotional health.

Fall back in love with yourself spread from @kelsey.doodles

Create a self-love bucket list like this one from @lyrajournals

 

Self-Love Spread using a challenge - this is from @craftyenginerd who used our self-love challenge to create this spread

(Click here to download for free the Self-love prompts she used)

Self-Awareness Spread

A self-awareness spread is all about reflecting on your feelings, thoughts, and actions. It helps you understand your emotions better and identify areas of your life that need improvement or extra care.

Include prompts like "What am I feeling today?", "What triggered my emotions?", or "How can I respond better next time?" Use a bullet point format to jot down your reflections or make it more structured with specific journaling prompts.

Why It’s Important:

Self-awareness is key to personal growth. By reflecting on your emotions and actions regularly, you can gain valuable insights and make adjustments to align with your goals and values.

Listing items in each area from @elizabethturn

Make a list of things you love about yourself like this one from @mashaplans

This is a perfect example with one page for triumphs and the other for refinement from @bulletjournal brands blog

04 Gratitude log or Meditation Diary

Another powerful tool for self-care is gratitude. We know that cultivating a regular gratitude practice has been shown to have numerous benefits, including improved mental health, increased happiness, and enhanced resilience. By incorporating a gratitude log into your bullet journal, you'll be able to consistently reflect on the positive moments, people, and experiences in your life. When we are thankful for what we have and appreciate life, this brings inner peace.

Within your gratitude log, you can jot down a few things you're thankful for each day, week, or month. Encourage yourself to get specific and focus on the small, often overlooked moments in your life that truly are the things that fill our cup. This practice of mindful gratitude can help shift your perspective, cultivate a positive mindset, and foster a deeper sense of appreciation and contentment.

Gratitude Log

A gratitude log is a simple but effective spread where you write down things you're grateful for. Practicing gratitude has been proven to improve mental health and overall well-being.

Dedicate a weekly space to write down at least three things you’re grateful for. Leave room for more if you want to add more details or dive deeper into why you’re grateful for those things. You can also do 30 days of gratitude and leave one line for each day to write one thing you are thankful for.

Why It’s Important:

Gratitude helps shift your focus from what’s lacking in your life to what’s abundant. Keeping a gratitude log can foster a positive mindset and increase your overall happiness.

 

Black and white gratitude spread from @quirky.k_

Use doodles to create your gratitude list like @llamaletters

Simple Gratitude list from @journalwithpurpose

Create a premade daily layout like this from @creativemindscoffeegrinds to leave space to write one thing each day.

Example of a weekly gratitude spread from @withlovemissj

Meditation Diary

A meditation diary is a space for you to record your meditation sessions, including how long you meditated and what thoughts or feelings arose during the practice. Meditation practice is one of the hardest to cultivate (at least it was for me). I started in 20 second intervals, and still a daily struggle to increase that time each day, but I have, slowly but surely. Seeing a visual reminder of that growth has been so valuable to me.

Create a simple chart or page to log the date, duration, and any reflections from your meditation practice. You can also include a section to note how you felt before and after meditation

Why It’s Important:

Meditation helps you center yourself and manage stress. A meditation diary allows you to track your progress, notice how your practice is evolving, and see how meditation impacts your daily mood and focus.

This is a perfect example of a meditation tracker of time spent by @pacificnotations

Use a Meditation challenge to do your Meditation spread like this from @bujo.freya

This is a simple Spread to note how you feel and mark if you did it daily from @journalingwithnadia

Additional self-care BUJO spread ideas

Now I have covered the four self-care spread categories, there are many ways to personalize them. Again, that is the best part of a BuJo. Here are a few additional ideas to consider:

1. Self-care activity log: Track the self-care activities you engage in, such as reading, journaling, or spending time in nature. This can help you identify patterns and ensure you're making time for the practices that nourish your mind, body, and spirit.
2. Self-care reflection page: Dedicate a page or spread to reflect on your self-care journey, the lessons you've learned, and the areas you'd like to focus on in the future. This can be a powerful tool for personal growth and self-awareness.
3. Self-care routine planner: Design a spread that helps you map out your daily or weekly self-care routines, ensuring that you're consistently making time for the practices that nourish your well-being.
4. Self-care affirmations: Incorporate positive affirmations or mantras into your BUJO, either as part of a dedicated spread or sprinkled throughout your journal. These can serve as powerful reminders and sources of encouragement on your self-care journey.
5. Self-care Quotes: You can put in inspiring self-care quotes to remind you as you flip through the pages of your BUJO.

You can add quotes just like this one from @erinflotodesigns

Also, it is worth stating that you need to decide what you need for your self-care routine Here are a few questions to ask yourself to identify your self care needs in the first place: 

The biggest one is What fills my cup? (Here is a video on my journaling practice for self-reflection if you want a practice to help you discover this.) Remember, you can not pour into others if your cup is empty. You can not be there for your family, friends and loved ones, if you can not truly be there for yourself.

So ask yourself:

1. What makes you happy and relaxed?
2. What do I need to feel complete?
3. What are the things that consume most of my time and energy?
4. What are things I am already doing for self-care?

Now take those answers, and then decide which of the four spreads you need to

Improve your practice for self-care. Maybe you need trackers to identify what is making you happy or stressed. Maybe you need the self-love and gratitude to help you focus on feeling complete? Or you are already doing some things you want to include more of, by journaling or assigning those practice to a calendar you need to track. Answering the simple questions will not only help you identify the needed self-care activities but will boost your self-awareness.

Ready to improve your life with Self-care?

Incorporating self-care into your bullet journal is a powerful way to prioritize your well-being and unlock your full potential. By creating personalized spreads that address your unique needs and preferences, you'll be empowered to cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, maintain healthy habits, and celebrate your progress along the way.

Whether you're new to bullet journaling or a seasoned pro, these self-care BUJO spreads can really elevate that journey in your quest for holistic well-being. From habit trackers and gratitude logs to mood trackers and goal-setting pages, each spread offers a unique opportunity to nurture your mind, body, and spirit.

As you embark on this self-care journey, remember to be patient, compassionate, and adaptable. Your BUJO is a living, breathing tool that can evolve alongside you, so don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your individual needs. With dedication and a willingness to explore, you'll unlock the transformative power of self-care and experience the countless benefits it can bring to your life.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your journal, unleash your creativity, and start building a self-care BUJO that will support your well-being and help you thrive. Embrace this opportunity to prioritize yourself, cultivate a deeper sense of inner peace, and live your best life. Your future self will thank you for taking this important step towards self-care and personal growth.