Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay
Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Sadly, there is a stigma when it comes to mental health issues. People often have negative attitudes towards people with mental health issues. In addition, personal beliefs, and stereotypes surrounding mental illness can lead to discrimination and prejudice against others.
There is nothing wrong with someone experiencing and dealing with mental health issues. Some might just be situational and will resolve in time with or without therapy or counseling. Other mental health issues are chronic and people must deal with them for the rest of their lives such as clinical depression, anxiety or schizophrenia.
My husband gets overwhelmed and anxious in large crowds. I get anxious for unknow reasons (usually in response to stressful situations). So much so that I am often doing “stimming” behaviors such as swaying, rubbing my skin, or twirling my hair.
Currently I am dealing with a bout of depression due to the unexpected passing of my beloved father. I haven’t truly processed it yet and still feel like he’s alive, even though his ashes are currently located about 10′ feet from where I am sitting (I’m in charge of bringing his ashes to Wales).
I have friends with more serious mental health conditions. I even dated a man who was an alcoholic, manic-depressive who heard voices. Yikes! That was a difficult relationship (only because he didn’t manage his condition or give up drinking).
There is one way people can help when it comes to their own mental health and wellbeing and that is journaling (or keeping a diary). I know that might sound silly to some people, but experts believe that journaling can really help an individual.
Journaling can significantly benefit mental health by offering a space for emotional expression, self-reflection and stress reduction. It can help identify and process emotions, track triggers, and nurture positive self-talk, leading to improved self-awareness and emotional balance. Journaling also supports goal setting, creativity, and overall well-being.
Here’s a more detailed look at the benefits:
- Emotional Release and Processing: Journaling provides a safe and judgment-free space to express thoughts and feelings, allowing individuals to process emotions and gain clarity
- Increased Self-Awareness: By writing down thoughts and experiences, individuals can better understand their emotional landscapes and identify patterns in their thinking and behaviors.
- Stress Reduction: Journaling can help manage stress and anxiety by providing an outlet for pent-up emotions and promoting relaxation.
- Improved Mood: Journaling, especially gratitude journaling, can boost mood and overall well-being by focusing on positive aspects of life.
- Goal Setting and Tracking: Journaling can be a tool for identifying and tracking goals, promoting self-reflection and progress monitoring.
- Cognitive Benefits: Journaling can enhance mental clarity, improve memory, and support cognitive function.
- Support for Specific Mental Health Conditions: Journaling has been shown to be helpful in managing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
If you have ever thought about journaling, or are interested in doing it, let me introduce you to PAPERAGE.
PAPERAGE is on a mission to spread the joy of journaling to as many people as possible with their thoughtfully designed notebooks and journaling accessories! For Mental Health Awareness Month, PAPERAGE wants to highlight how journaling can be a pivotal tool for enhancing mental well-being.
PAPERAGE’s products make for auspicious gifts during this month, and there’s no better place to start than their Casebound Journal(starting at $9.99). With 160 pages of 100 GSM paper, you won’t have to worry at all about ink bleed.
PAPERAGE journals feature a gusseted back pocket, elastic closure, a built-in ribbon bookmark, and come in tons of styles and colors.
PAPERAGE also offers Spiral Bound Journals($13.99) and Recycled Casebound Journals($12.99).
I was sent some samples of PAPERAGE products, including the lovely hard cover journal pictured above.
The journals are available in a wide variety of colors. I’m impressed by all the different color options.
I love the size of this journal. It’s not too big, nor is it too small. It can easily fit in a purse, backpack, tote bag or luggage.
This is a quality made product.
I’ve been using this journal to write down my feelings about the loss of my father. Right not it’s just a hodgepodge of thoughts and feelings. None of it really makes sense. It’s just random thoughts and a “to do” list since there is a lot to do when someone you loves passes away. It’s way more complicated than I thought it would be.
If you are looking to jump right in to journaling, or you’d love to give someone a journaling kit, then check out the Creative Dot Journaling Kit ($21.99) from PAPERAGE.
The Creative Dot Journaling Kit offers a complete starter set for creative journaling, including a Casebound Dotted Journal, fine liner pens, stencil sheets, stickers, and washi tape—all at a super reasonable price.
WOW! This kit has EVERYTHING you need to create a beautiful journal. You are not limited to just writing stuff down. You can creative fun ways to display your thoughts and feelings – even your “to do” list – with stencils, stickers and colorful tape.
I received one of these kits too. It’s hard to tell in most of the photos (due to poor lighting) that the journal I received in this kit is a lovely shade of green.
I was a bit surprised by the paper having dots on it instead of lines. I guess it’s because the dots can help you line things up easier. I think that might be why.
These books are meant to be written in any which way. You are not limited to just writing left to right. You can write horizontally, vertically, create shapes… it’s totally up to you! The journal is personal to YOU so you can write in it any way you see fit.
Check out the stencils, stickers and other goodies that come with this kit.
I love the pens. They are fine tip pens which work perfectly with the stencils. I also love that PAPERAGE sends you a variety of colors to choose from.
I’m sorry that some of the photos are not that great. Take for example the wasabi tape (below)/ It’s colorful! My photo makes it look dull.
Some where I saw someone make what looked like a book shelf with books on it in a journal. For each book they read they write it on the spin or cover of one of the books in their journal’s book shelf and listed it below. Since I am trying to read more books this year I REALLY want to do that idea. So far I haven’t figured out the best way to do it using the stencils, but I will.
Admittedly I haven’t officially started to use this journal and goodies – yet. I’m still playing around with what came with this kit to figure out how I’d like to use this journal. So for the time being I am using the one that didn’t come in this amazing kit (the one with the lines, not the dots).
I know someone like my daughter would have so much fun with this kit. I have PAPERAGE bookmarked on my computer so I can order her one for Christmas (her birthday already passed). I know she would love something like this. She loves to write and she’s very creative.
Whether you have been journaling for a long time, or you are interested in starting, PAPERAGE has the products you need at budget friendly prices.
More than anything, PAPERAGE strives to provide people with the power to express their creativity and individuality through their high-quality and colorful journaling products.
To check out all that PAPERAGE has to offer, visit PAPERAGE.co (notice it’s .co and NOT .com). You can also find them on social media.
Are you someone who journals? Have you ever considered doing it? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
