ADHD Bullet Journaling isn’t much different than a neurotypical person’s bullet journaling style. You may find that if you have ADHD that your “BUJO” journals will be super detailed for weeks, and then you won’t touch it again for months or even years. It will be something that you will always go back to because it is a mental health tool that truly works when you actually use it.
It was in 2016 that I first began my journal. For a couple of months prior, I watched countless YouTube videos, and my Instagram feed was filled with everyone’s cute layouts and artwork. I have this tendency to learn every single thing I can about a subject before I act on it. There is so much content on the internet about it because it can be so many different things for different people. It isn’t a planner, but it is. It isn’t a to-do list, but it is. It isn’t a diary, but it is.
Usually, my hyperfocus subjects tend to last only a week or two after gaining a certain amount of knowledge about it. It was like that for my baking phase, my sewing phase, and my jewelry-making phase. The bullet journal was different, though. It had structure, and yet it was creative. I could change and improve my style every week or even daily. That means the rush of dopamine was always there through the creativity of the process and the constant learning about different uses like collections.
The ADHD Bullet Journaling Supplies
A person with ADHD could call their Bullet Journal their Everything Book. It works as a to-do list, a diary, your working memory, a long-term memory holder, a brain dump, and any random things you want to add to those pages. The most fantastic thing about this system is that you make it be whatever you need it to be, and you can it adapt it as your needs change.
You do not need anything fancy. Honestly, for ADHD Bullet Journaling, you can use a regular spiral notebook and whatever pen or pencil you have lying around. Of course, me being me, I must buy all of the things. I have an overwhelming need to have all the pens, highlighters, markers, stickers, and rolls of washi tape. Many people go with a Moleskine for the actual notebook. That is what I believe the creator of the concept, Ryder Carroll, used. The Leuchtturm1917 is also very popular. For some reason, I went with the “ideas@work” journal I found at Michael’s, and it was great for a first-time journal.
Give me all the pens!
As a writer, I am somewhat of an office supply junkie. This is especially true when it comes to writing utensils. One of the first things I do is go to the back of the journal to do a Pen Check. It not only shows me the way each one writes, but it also shows what will bleed through. Each type of pen, marker, and highlighter has its own pros and cons, depending on whether or not you are writing or creating artistic elements for your layouts. By the way, drawing elements is completely unnecessary, so only do those if you find them fun and not stressful.
My favorites ended up being the ones from Staedtler and the Papermate Flairs. The Microns and the Faber Castells came in handy quite often. The Sakura Gelly Rolls are the most fun, but along with the Sharpies, they had the most bleed-through. Each notebook’s paper thickness is different, so do your own Pen “Collection” in the back of your book. Also, do not forget highlighters! The Zebra Midliners are best, in my opinion.
Seek progress and not perfection.
Seek progress and not perfection when you have ADHD, whether it is in your Bullet Journal or in any aspect of your life. In Part 2 of ADHD Bullet Journaling, I will share some of my daily and weekly layouts along with other page ideas. The most important thing to remember is that the beauty of an ADHD Bullet Journal is that there is no guilt when you put it down for a few weeks, months, or even years. It doesn’t judge you. It is there for you when it works for you.
P.S. You will notice that I linked to a lot of the supplies. Using these links does not cost you any extra, but it may earn me a little side of money to keep buying more pens and stuff.