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Life

I Tried Journaling to Help My Mental Health

Madeline McInnis
Emily Waitson
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

Hi! I’m Maddie and I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though I’m usually completely swamped with work, I’ve suddenly come into a bunch of free time, so I’m trying a different Pinterest mental health hack each week to see what works for me. This week, I tried the suggestion of journaling every day. 

I usually have a bunch of journals and notebooks on the go, but since January, I have only had two: my bullet journal and my five-year journal. In case you don’t know, the Sparknotes version of a bullet journal is a blank notebook that you completely customize for your own journaling needs. A five-year journal is exactly what it sounds like: a pre-printed book that you write one line in every day for five years. 

So it sounds like I’m already doing this hack, right? The problem is, I put more effort into the art in my bullet journal rather than actually using it, and I will fill in up to an entire week at a time in my five-year journal. Not so helpful after all! 

This week, I made time every day to fill in both of these journals. And honestly, I really enjoyed it. I had a couple of bad mental health days this week, and it felt good to just write them out in my five-year journal. Even though I know I’m saving negative things to look back on, I have hope that in four years time when I’m filling in those days, I can see how much my life has changed and how happy I am. 

I also decided that how I use my bullet journal — for art, rather than real planning most of the time — isn’t so bad after all. Taking the time just to do something that I want to do is very rewarding. I tried some new techniques with my brush pens, and I really liked how they turned out. Including things just for myself is also really nice. So, my current bullet journal is art and to-do lists, and I’m happy with that! 

I also started noticing little, everyday themes. Rather than choosing a hearts theme for my bullet journal this month like most of the YouTubers and Instagrammers I follow, I decided to go for a simple pink and blue watercolour theme. Now, I’m noticing pink and blue everywhere! The sky tonight on my walk to a meeting was those gorgeous colours, and even the ribbons holding the Olympic medals are those same colours. 

But seriously, look how pretty the sky was — and there’s no filter or Photoshop on this either. If this isn’t some kind of divine intervention on a bad day, I don’t know what is.  

So, how did this mental health hack work out for me?

Really well! It didn’t necessarily help get rid of the symptoms of my mental illness, but it did help distract me from them. It also gave me something to look forward to in the future. I’m determined to see through to the things that I want to do, so I can put them in my five-year journal and see how much I’ve accomplished by the end! 

If you’re looking for a hack for your mental illness, this may not be it, but I certainly recommend starting a journal and keeping up with it anyway. It can’t hurt to try, and hopefully, you’ll have a similar experience to mine!

Madeline McInnis

Wilfrid Laurier '19

Madeline graduated from the BA+MA program at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2020. In her undergraduate degree, she majored in Film Studies and History with a specialization in film theory. She later completed her Master's of English degree, where she wrote her thesis on the construction of historical memory and realism in war films. If you're looking for a recommendation for a fountain pen or dotted notebook, she should be your first line of contact.
Emily is a twenty-something fourth-year student majoring in English and History. She has a passion for writing, internet-famous cats, and sappy books.