How bullet journaling has helped me navigate motherhood

How bullet journaling has helped me navigate motherhood

motherhood stretches your heart in ways you didn’t know possible but it also fills your mind with a million tabs open all at once today I’m taking you along for a slow day at home keeping the house running spending time with my family and making a little library trip as we go I’ll share how using my bullet journal helps me stay grounded in it all and maybe encourage you to give it a try too thank you [Music] it’s Monday morning and we’re just easing into the day my husband is out of school for the summer so we get to enjoy this slower pace and spend more time together as a family which feels like such a gift i’m especially appreciative of him being home more now because there is a kind of mental noise that comes with motherhood i didn’t expect it how scattered my mind would feel how much information I’d carry around in my head at once and how often I’d forget simple things like switching over the laundry or replying to a text people call it mom brain this foggy overwhelmed and mentally scattered feeling and while it’s easy to laugh about it can feel heavy like you’re constantly behind or forgetting something important bullet journaling has become my quiet anchor in this busy season of life of being a mother to two young children it’s become this place where I can lay all of that down not in a perfect aesthetic kind of way just in a I need to write this down before I forget it kind of way just making our morning drinks nigel’s having a matcha and I’m having a coffee and that’s our daughter being a silly goose so those jars on the countertop there are our homemade kimchi we’ve been on a real fermenting food kick we’ve got sauerkraut kimchi and yogurt made not only are they delicious and so healthy for your gut but really inexpensive which is a win too good job Rex [Music] thank you thanks yogurt i used to journal more before kids but that was the kind of journaling with the long paragraphs big feelings and especially this important component lots and lots of time what I need now as a mom is different something quick to set up flexible and useful and bullet journaling has given me that it’s a simple space to keep track of thoughts tasks experiences and events with no hassle i didn’t start bullet journaling again because I had everything together i came back to it because I was overwhelmed and also because I was done i was tired of feeling like I was drowning i wanted to thrive as a mother and homemaker i wanted a place to dump my brain out a place to hold the chaos so it doesn’t continue to swirl in my head [Music] motherhood is full of seemingly invisible work grocery lists nap schedules texts I still haven’t responded to stray thoughts that come with trying to run a home bullet journaling has become that one place where I can unload it all without judgment or performance writing everything down does lighten the mental load i’m the kind of person who will lay awake at night thinking of all the things that I need to get done the next day but bullet journaling helps me get focused and to not spiral and even when I don’t get to everything on the list the act of writing it out helps me feel like I’m not carrying it all in my head instead of spinning in circles I can ask myself “What matters today what can wait and what is just noise?” Those tiny moments of clarity make all the difference in how I approach the day i may still be tired or stretched thin but I just feel a little more grounded sure you can see that there’s an app for that but for me nothing compares to using pen and paper there’s something about the analog system that just quiets the noise the kind of noise that comes with screens notifications and constant distraction no app is going to think for you or reorient your life for you i believe that’s something only you can do and I believe that bullet journaling is a great outlet for this kind of slow internal navigation especially in the middle of a full demanding season like motherhood taking my kids to the library is one of those things that just makes me really happy it brings back so many memories of going with my mom and brother when I was little we’d spend hours and hours picking out books i was obsessed with book series like Baronstein Bears Magic Treehouse Rainbow Magic and Geronimal Stilton it is so sweet getting to share that same experience with my own kids now [Music] one of my family’s favorite authors is Julia Donaldson we borrowed a whole bunch of her books this time around and I’m so excited to read them after getting back from the library Nigel’s upstairs preparing lunch whilst Max and I are switching over the laundry i have a pretty good system with laundry wash in the morning dry in the afternoon and if I can fold and put away in the evening [Music] i think one reason a lot of people and I’m sure many mothers are included in this hesitate to try bullet journaling is because of the idea that bullet journaling should be artistic intricate and beautiful and I get it if you Google bullet journal and you look through images chances are you’re going to see mostly really pretty aesthetically pleasing complex spreads but guess what mine isn’t like that not at all i use a black pen i don’t have great handwriting nor do I have the ability to draw straight lines even with a ruler i have halffinish spreads and notes in random places and it still works because the point isn’t to perform and impress it’s to function and when life is chaotic functional is more than enough but if you have the time to add a little artistic flare to your spreads then why not bullet journaling can be a great place to express your creativity for me though what I’ve learned is that when I make things simpler I actually use them when I give myself permission to just be I keep showing up i usually spend about 15 minutes total a day with my journal that is it and yet even those 15 minutes broken up throughout the day give me clarity help me prioritize and remind me that I do have some control over my time even if the day is unpredictable i like to think investing tiny amounts of time in my bullet journal gives me a big return the small ritual of taking a few minutes to journal is an anchor it can offer rhythm when the rest of life feels messy in motherhood especially where days can blur together in a cycle of needs and interruptions having a ritual gives shape to time it reminds us that we’re not just reacting to the day we are participating in it and what’s great is that this ritual doesn’t have to be long or elaborate to be meaningful i believe its power lies in its consistency and intention when I open up my bullet journal to write I’m saying to my family and to myself especially this matters i matter this moment counts so yes 15 minutes a day broken up into few minute chunks with pen and paper does not sound too impressive but in the long run these moments add up they build a presence they build confidence they remind us that we are not just surviving we are shaping the way we move through life what I love about the bullet journal method is that it isn’t about doing more it’s about doing what matters i think that’s what sets it apart from most productivity systems i think writer Carol the founder of the bullet journal method his intention for this was mindfulness and intentionality it’s not about chasing endless goals or squeezing more out of every minute it’s about becoming more aware of how you’re living what matters what you want to cultivate and what you want to let go of this mindset resonates with me so deeply as a mother especially when I find myself experiencing really demanding days and feeling overstimulated what’s also great is that this method respects seasons it works when you have the energy and when you don’t there are days when I don’t touch my bullet journal and I don’t have to feel guilty about it unlike missing a day in a planner for some reason that hurts another way bullet journaling has helped me manage my mom brain is noticing the good in a season of life that often feels reactive bullet journaling invites me to be reflective sometimes I write down something funny my toddler said sometimes I want to jot down a moment I don’t want to forget sometimes I want to scribble down the date my baby reached a new milestone this notebook will end up as a memory keeper one day no it’s not a curated scrapbook but it’s a raw honest way of chronicling how motherhood is unfolding for me i’m a novice in my vocation as a wife mother and homemaker and my bullet journal is an ongoing record of my progress and growth in my duties it’s a reflection of not a perfect life but of me trying trying to show up trying to serve trying to be the woman God has called me to be if you are in a similar season maybe this is your reminder you don’t need a fancy system you don’t need perfect pages you just need a place to write things down to hold your life gently and that is what bullet journaling is for me a soft landing in the middle of a full life if you’re in a time in your life where you’re so overwhelmed that you can’t pick up a pen and piece of paper do not feel pressured into trying this out i know when I was deep in the newborn stage with my son and trying to balance out the two under two dynamic I was not ready to bullet journal yet so I encourage you to know what your capacity is and know your season of life and if the analog method of jotting stuff down appeals to you then please give it a try i hope you enjoyed this chitchat with me this is definitely a different video compared to what I usually make thank you very much for watching and I will see you in the next one [Music]

A soft landing for the chaos of mom brain.

Inbox (1) 💌 Open to read ↓

Motherhood stretches you in every direction—heart, mind, and time. In today’s video, I’m inviting you into a slow day at home, where I’ll share how bullet journaling became a quiet, consistent anchor in the middle of the busy and sometimes overwhelming days. From library trips to laundry, little moments of clarity, and a few scribbled pages—this is a look at how I use my journal to gently manage the mental load of motherhood.

In this video, I’ll be talking about:
– The quiet rhythm of a slow summer Monday
– Why writing things down feels like exhaling
– What I don’t do with my bullet journal (and why that’s okay)
– The mental load you don’t see—and where I put it
– What “tiny time investment, big return” really looks like
– One analog ritual that keeps me grounded
– A few thoughts on memory-keeping and becoming

💬 Let me know in the comments: If you’re a mom, a homemaker, or someone feeling mentally scattered—I’d love to hear from you. What helps you stay grounded? Are you a fellow bullet journaler, or just starting out? Let’s chat below.

🕰️ Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:37 Dealing With Mom Brain
2:38 Why I Started Bullet Journaling Again
3:39 The Mental Weight of Motherhood
5:13 Family Library Trip
6:42 It Doesn’t Have to be Fancy
7:53 Tiny Time Investment, Big Emotional Return
9:19 The Ethos of the Bullet Journal Method
10:17 Noticing the Good
10:50 In a Season of Becoming

📋 Mentioned:
🇺🇸
Leuchtturm1917 Notebook: https://amzn.to/4mlm9r3
Mildliner Markers: https://amzn.to/4moLv7p
Stamps: https://amzn.to/44N8p1R
🇨🇦
Leuchtturm1917 Notebook: https://amzn.to/4jd8cIP
Stamps: https://amzn.to/4j5Fbi5
Mildliner Markers: https://amzn.to/4j5Fbi5

🔗 Links:
Amazon Storefront (US): https://www.amazon.com/shop/claudiaspaurel
Amazon Storefront (CA): https://www.amazon.ca/shop/claudiaspaurel

Buy me a virtual cup of coffee! https://ko-fi.com/claudiaspaurel

💻 Business Inquiries:
claudiaspaurel@gmail.com

🎧 Music:
Epidemic Sound

🙋🏻‍♀️ About Me:
Hi, I’m Claudia—a former actress and recovering “do-it-all” achiever, now embracing a slower, more intentional way of living. I share journaling, simple systems, and everyday rhythms to help you cultivate clarity, calm, and a life rooted in what truly matters.

—

Some links may be affiliate!
This video is not sponsored.

—

#BulletJournalForMoms #BujoMomLife #MomJournalRoutine #BrainDumpJournal #MentalLoadRelief #MomBrainStruggles #MomMentalLoad #RealMomLife #MomLifeBalance #MomLifeUnfiltered #MemoryKeepingMoments #MomLifeReflections #ChristianMomLife #FaithFilledMotherhood #MotherhoodInFaith #RaisingKidsWithFaith #IntentionalMoments #IntentionalLivingJourney #MindfulMotherhood #SimpleIntentions #LivingWithPurposeDaily #SlowDownAndBreathe #SlowLivingMoments #SlowAndSimpleLife #SimpleLivingMama #MinimalistMomLife #LessIsMoreLiving #SimplifyYourLifeToday #DeclutterYourMind #AnalogLifeBalance #JournalingToClarity #TinyTimeBigReturn #DailyJournalingRitual