In modern society, trends spread like wildfire. Healthy lifestyle tips are more “in” than they have ever been, and one of these trends is called “bullet journaling.”

Bullet journals are often described as diaries, planners, and to-do lists all in one place. They are trackers that documents subjects in one’s day to day life. The craze has spread with full force on platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, and even after nearly a whole year of popularity, it’s still a huge deal.

One of the aspects of bullet journaling that draws people in is its focus on healthy lifestyles. It’s no secret that today’s society is obsessed with maintaining one’s health- mental and physical.  People may use trackers to organize a more healthy lifestyle by scheduling nutritious meals, medication and more.

Another attractor to the bullet journaling trend is its artistic element. Bullet journals are often blank notebooks in which people draw in their own creative goals. This means that not only can one put in however much or little they want, but they can also use it to practice drawing or calligraphy, which has shown to have healthy effects on the brain itself. According to Harvard University, doodling while performing activities such as note taking and tracking can relieve stress and even have a positive impact on one’s happiness in general.

“I really enjoy being organized,” said freshman Grace Mare, who tried bullet journaling for a few months. “I really liked how it was combining art and design with organization.”

Many bullet journal-focused bloggers issue certain artistic challenges in their journals. For example: having a page dedicated to drawing different doodles every day for a month, or practicing writing in different fonts every day.

However, bullet journaling is not for everyone, as it can be a lot of work to keep up with. Everything is organized by the writer, as opposed to buying a planner where everything is already laid out. Some people don’t consider themselves very artsy, and because it’s so art focused, that can make the task difficult. Many just prefer the simplicity of a planner or even just reminders on their phone.

Bullet journaling is really just one of many ways to live a healthy lifestyle and keep track of things. Planners are always just as good of an option, and there are thousands of reminder and planner apps for phones. However, it isn’t completely necessary for most people to keep track of every little thing. Just like anything else, what works for one person might not work for another; just because something is popular doesn’t mean you need to do it.

5 Bullet Journal Ideas to get you Started:

1. Mood Tracker: Keep track of how you’re feeling. Notice patterns in your bad days. You might look back and realize your good days are more frequent than the bad. Draw it, make a chart, etc.
2. Dream Log: Keep track of your dreams. Some of them might be funny, some of them might be vivid. It’s always interesting to think about your dreams afterward.
3. Books to Read/ Shows or Movies to Watch: Did your friend tell you about a good show they binged last weekend? Did your mom recommend a cool book? Write down all the books you want to read and the shows and movies you want to watch; that way when you’re bored, you’ve got a whole list.
4. Birthday: If you’re like me, you forget everything. With so many people around us, it’s hard to keep up with the birthdays of friends and family. Having one place where it’s all listed is super handy.
5. Bucket List: Keep a list of all the cool things you want to do and places you want to visit.