De-stressing with Bente (#12)

Learning to relax again: how do you manage to do that? Bente (23) is a freelance journalist and works as an online editor at Flow. Having experienced a near-burn-out, she’s finding her way to a life with less stress. And every Friday, she takes us with her on her journey to get there.

A few months ago, I met up with a friend for lunch, and during our conversation, she told me, “You really should keep a bullet journal. It makes your life a lot easier.” She then showed me her notebook. There were double-page spreads with monthly goals, as well as pages listing weekly and even daily appointments and to dos. As she thumbed through her journal, she continued. “It’s like an agenda and to-do list in one. Very handy.”

I could use more overview in my sometimes-chaotic life, and so I decided to purchase a journal like that for myself too. The purpose of it is that you fill the pages in yourself. This can be very practical, but after looking on Pinterest, I soon saw that many people turn it into a true work of art: from scribbles in the margin to complete portrait drawings and full-page collages. I wanted that too.