How to Refresh Your Planner and Mental Health

A newly refreshed planner means a clean slate, ripe for opportunity and growth. Why not refresh your mental health as well? We’re diving into tips for refreshing your planner and your mental health at the same time so that you’re set up for success – let’s get prepared for every new era around the bend!

To refresh your mental health is to start with healthy habits, set intentions, and declutter the mind. Sound familiar with your planning goals? We’ll focus on a few areas of the planner and mind that can be refreshed: organization, wellness, and intentionality.

Organization

The easiest way to declutter – organization! Ensure that everything in your planner space has a “spot”. Use a folder system such as the CEO Folder Set to keep extra documents from cluttering your desk and planner. Add in a handy Sticky Note Holder along with a place for your pens, like the Essentials Pouch | Large.

When it comes to pens, if you need to declutter, keep just three as essentials: a reliable pen, multi use pen, and specialized pen. For example, the Zebra Sarasa Dry Airfit Grip is a great reliable option, as it provides a comfortable grip and quick-drying ink for all writing styles. The Uni Pin Marking Pen is oil-based so it works on transparent material, and is great for creating lines or other designs. Finally, the Uni Posca Paint Marker: ideal for dark paper, dry erase boards, and textured material.

Now that your planning accessories have their place, items in your planner should too. Take the stress out of needing to mentally recall where your grocery list has been written by adding in dividers or tabs. The Essentials Side Tab Planner Dividers provide a simplistic, flexible organization system.

Try adding a dashboard that provides a function to maximize your planner's organizational use - but don’t overwhelm yourself. Great options include the Kanban Planner Dashboard and Morning Mindset Half Page Planner Dashboard. Even better, the Intentional Planning Planner Dashboard can be used to create a basic planner section and as a simplified planning guide.

Alright, you’ve refreshed your planning space and are ready to do the same for your mental health! Guess what? You’ve already started! By creating these organizational flows, you’ve started a healthy habit. When you realize a paper is out of place, your brain will be relieved of extra stress because you already have created a space to put the item, taking off some mental-load.

Wellness

The better your body feels, the better your mind will, and vice versa. If your planner calls for a refresh, there’ll be no better time to start a wellness section than now! The easiest way to start is by picking up a Daily Wellness Planner Insert Bundle and dedicate a section of your planner to wellness (thank you, Wellness Section Dashboard!).

However, creating an entire section may be too overwhelming, especially if you’re looking to simplify your planner. If this is the case, instead opt for just one insert that supports wellness, such as Daily Gratitude Log Planner Inserts, Mental Wellness Inserts, or Journaling Planner Inserts. 

You may be wondering: how can you make your wellness goals also reflect within your planner? Align your wellness planning with your intentions.

Intentionality

Setting intentions also frees mental load while also making your planning routine feel fresh. Make your planning choices count: they should simplify your life, make you feel good, and bring you closer to your goals. 

Some people feel they should use a new planner each time they refresh their planning routine, as it symbolically washes away bad habits or and opens new doors. Opting for a discbound planner saves space, resources, and money, as you can easily switch your dashboards and discs (what “makes” a discbound planner a planner) without actually purchasing an entirely new planner. Whether you’re someone who likes to change their planner or keep the same one, the Heirloom Collection is a great option as planner covers. They’ll last a lifetime, so you’ll always have a protective cover for your discbound planner while still having the flexibility of customization!

To refresh your planner and keep a clear mind, start very simple. Let’s start with your choice of calendar inserts from the 2024 Dated Insert Collection. After choosing a calendar, you’ve created a brand new planner in its simplest form, ready for personal touches! Remember all of those helpful wellness recommendations? Choose the one that you think you’d use and benefit from most. Add that, and don’t forget dividers to organize – even if you only have two sections: calendar and wellness.

If you’re unsure of which inserts to add, start by making a list of planning methods that have worked best for you. Take a look at the insert options and choose one that aligns best with your planning goals. Another idea is research: Take a look at other posts in the Cloth & Paper Planning Blog and YouTube Channel. Engage with whatever interests you most and work from there. All of the interesting ideas and products can be overwhelming, so don’t forget to keep it simple! Which item will simplify your life and relieve your mental load? Make a list, and choose just one or two.

Alignment: Bringing it All Together

Surprisingly, something that can be easily missed when refreshing a planner and focusing on mental health is happiness. Take a step back and engage with yourself. How often do you make decisions based on the lens of others? How often do you make decisions based on expectation, and not how you want to? Here’s some great news: it’s possible to manifest a fresh future while still aligning with yourself.

The Kondo method took storm almost a decade ago, and it’s still relevant! It may feel silly, but focus on each of your planner items one at a time. Which items make you feel joy? Open, free, inspired? Refreshed? Which items make you feel excited to open your planner? Engage with that feeling! Not every planning item you use needs to be dedicated to function. This may feel oppositional to what’s been previously discussed. That’s the magic of planning and mental wellness: it’s a journey. It’ll look different for everyone, and you may need to test a few different ideas before you find your flow.

If you've refreshed your planner with organization, wellness, and intentionality in mind, your mental health will likely also feel refreshed! To cultivate this feeling, engage with yourself every so often to ensure your routine and goals are aligned with you.

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