review: papier wellness journal
One of my favorite skills that I acquired in therapy was mindfulness. With it, I was able to help reduce my anxiety, help improve my depression (especially here in gloomy Seattle), and learn how to practice gratitude. I use the skill to practice stillness, set intentions, and reflect on all facets of life.
But, once I started leaning into the digital apps for help in this area, I began to lose focus and interest. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Headspace, and it is incredibly effective, but the journaling apps I tried started to feel more like a check-the-box task and less about my practice. Not to mention, it was yet another app that was sending me notifications and another reason I was picking up my phone. Something I already know I need to do less of…
Enter, the Papier Wellness Journal
I don’t know about you, but I am a paper princess. I LOVE paper lists, notebooks, and snail mail. I obsess over our holiday cards every year, use different Moleskines for different areas of my life, and have every color Post-It imaginable. I’m sure it drives Billy nuts. 😅
I think because SO much happens in my working life, I HAVE to write things down to remember them. OneNote? We’re frienemies. The only thing that holds a close second to paper is a whiteboard. I love a whiteboard moment — but I think that’s mostly because my handwriting is exceptional in Expo marker.
ANYWAY — I have known about the Papier brand for a while, but it was a 2024 calendar with beautifully illustrated pages with scenes of travel destinations that drew me back in. (Likely from an Instagram ad) I started to peruse the rest of the website and quickly found the journal section.
This brand has a LOT of different types of journals, each with its specialty. I quickly gravitated to both the wellness and gratitude journals for what I felt I needed. I clicked between both tabs, consumed by the product photos and detailed features as if I were picking a college to go to until I made my decision: wellness.
Why did I pick the Wellness Journal?
Great question. I liked that the pages on the gratitude journal were simple, but it was the two-page spread in the wellness journal that sold me. As shown in the photos above, the pages are broken up into sections with headers for:
The date (more on why I love this later)
Intention for the day
Sleep (including a moon graphic for total hours)
Activity
Meals
Self care
Water consumption (with water drop graphics for a helpful reminder)
Mood (with happy face graphics for guidance)
What went well today
An open grid for Thoughts & feels
and Today I’m thankful for
This view encompasses more than just intention setting and gratitude and gives me a reflection point for my whole health. I love that the fields provide a lot of open space without many bullets or sub-sections that would make me feel caged in. This allows me to create what I want to, depending on the day. For example, some days I have one singular intention (i.e. survive the day lol), whereas on others I may have multiple. This format gives me the flexibility to decide without pre-determined expectations.
This message was also a selling factor:
“When we think about practising (sic) mindfulness, wellness, whatever it may be… it’s exactly that — practice.
This book isn’t about perfection. It’s about starting each day with a fresh mind (and a fresh page). A simple way to set intentions and take note of the things that make us feel good.”
Additionally, I really enjoy the ‘Thoughts & feels’ grid. Sometimes I use this space for a word cloud, other times I write responses, or even doodle in the space. Again, the space allows me to decide what’s needed that day.
The only thing I wasn't initially keen on was the meals section. As someone who’s struggled with disordered eating habits in the past, I initially saw it as a threat. A gateway drug to once again meticulously track my food intake. But, knowing that’s a slippery slope based on my past, I use the space to log meals at a VERY high level.
Rather than obsessing over what I ate (or how good/bad) it was, I’m more focused on the relationship between what I consumed and how I felt overall for the day. It’s kind of like when I was trying to see if a particular food was triggering migraines. If I have X amount of meh days, I can use this section, along with the sleep, activity, and water sections to see if there’s any correlation.
I haven’t been using the journal for too long (as it was one of the early Christmas presents I purchased for myself), but I have really enjoyed it so far. So much so that I have ordered two more for friends that I think would love it, too.
What else do I love about it?
There are a TON of different designs to choose from on the Papier website. I chose a cream on navy floral motif with pops of gold foil. It felt vibrant, happy, and easy to spot (for the visual reminder to journal). Papier gives you the option to customize the products you purchase from them, which I — naturally — took advantage of, and had my name added to the cover of the hardcover book.
The book itself has plenty of pages to get you through a healthy chunk of time, and the pages aren’t pre-dated. So if you skip a day or week, you don’t waste any space. The creators of the journal included a bunch of pages upfront to help you capture things like your wellness map, larger intentions, feel-good goals, wish lists, and more free space to list the wonderful things you want to do, see, and experience.
Once you’ve finished all of your daily pages, there’s space to reflect: what are you proud of, what changes have you experienced, and what have you learned? There’s a full page for words to remember and a large handful of the dotted grid pages for whatever else your heart desires.
Overall, I’d rate this journal VERY high. I don’t think there are many things I would change if I were to create my own wellness journal from scratch! If journaling or mindfulness are on your resolutions list for 2024, I would HIGHLY encourage you to consider getting this journal.
Join me, and the other 13,000 people that have rated these products highly, and pick up your own. You can use this link to save $10 off your first order (over $30) from Papier.
Looking to give Headspace a try? Use this link for a free 30-day pass. (Pro tip: The Cabin Downpour sleep cast will lull you to sleep in no time.)
*AD is not sponsored by either of these companies. I paid/pay for the products and services. Using the links provided will save you $10 on orders over $30 (and give me a $10 store credit) at Papier; and/or will give you a 30-day guest pass for Headspace with no change or monetary benefit to my account on Headspace.