Bullet Journals seem to be all the rage at the moment. Or at least in my news feed. I looked into them because I am a lover of lists. Plus any excuse to buy a new notebook is good in my opinion. However Bullet Journals didn’t seem to be my style. 
One of the things that I have learned over the last few years is that recovery is about creating and filling a toolbox. There isn’t just one way to get well. Sometimes it is about taking bits and pieces from different therapies to fill your toolbox. Sometimes it is about creating your own techniques that work with your life. That is where Ta-Da Journalling comes in!
We’re all familiar with the traditional to-do list, well this one is a little different. Instead of writing all of the things that I plan to do in a day (which when you are in a depressive slump feels a mile long) I sit down at the end of the day and write the things that I have already achieved.
I realised that when I was feeling down or anxious that my first response was to lament about all of the things that I was failing at. I was quick to point out the things that I hadn’t achieved, while forgetting about the things that I had actually gotten done that day.
The best part about a Ta-Da Journal? Everything you do in a day is an achievement. Got out of bed this morning? Write it down. Showered for the first time in 3 days? Write it down. It doesn’t matter how small you think the achievement is. Write it down.
There’s no special way to create a Ta-Da Journal. All you need is an empty notebook and a writing utensil. You can make it as plain or colourful as your heart desires. I have written an index at the start of my journal with the page numbers for each month.
On days that I feel like I haven’t achieved a single thing, it’s helpful to be reminded that I have achieved so much more. It’s also helpful to read back through the entries and see the progress of my achievements. Plus, like I said, I love lists!
So if you are feeling like everything is getting on top of you and nothing is getting done, I really recommend a Ta-Da Journal. Our brains are pretty good at lying to us when we have a mental illness, so facing it head on (pardon the pun!) with cold hard facts is often the best way forward.
Have you tried Bullet Journalling?
Do you add things you’ve already done to your to-do list?
Ta-Da lists are my very favourite part of my bullet journal (although I probably should be doing them more often!) I’ve been bullet journalling for four years now, it’s my favourite way to keep track of my head!