With all this time on our hands in self-isolation, it can feel like we need to be super productive every minute of the day. That pressure can feel a little overwhelming!
Here at Busy B, we like to think our stationery brings a little joy to your day – so instead of using a simple notebook for writing your to do lists, taking notes whilst in a Zoom call or furiously planning out your working day, we’ve compiled a list of 10 different ways you can use one of our notebooks! So if you need a little bit of me-time, time out to journal or write, don’t panic – we’ve got some ideas to keep you going.
1. Quotes Book
In times like these, we need some positivity! Why not use your notebook to write down your favourite inspirational quotes? Something you can keep at your desk to flick through when the day gets a little tough. It’s also something you can share with your friends or colleagues – why not start a ‘quote of the day/week’ to lift everyone’s spirits?
2. Entertainment Log
It can actually feel overwhelming over the amount of box sets, books, magazines, blogs, vlogs and podcasts that are out there to consume! It’s always the talk of the office about amazing new podcasts to check out, or must reads to get through.
Our Busy Life notebooks have high quality lined paper, so they’re ideal for writing out a list per page for everything you want to check out over the next few months. Why not plan out your lists by category on each page, and check them off as you go? You’ll get through the lockdown in no time. Plus, you can use some of our foiled stickers that come with all notebooks to keep those lists looking pretty!
3. Dream Tracker
Okay – so spending all this time indoors can feel like a bit of a nightmare (pun intended), but our dreams can be absolutely fascinating. Jotting down your dreams just as you wake up is the ideal way to keep track of not just your dreams, but your sleep too. Try keeping a notebook at your bedside for the next month, and write down dreams just as you remember them. Who knows what patterns you might notice!
4. Journalling
Writing can certainly be therapeutic – it’s been proven to reduce stress, improve focus, productivity and even help you work through tougher times. Keeping a simple daily journal can be a fun and still productive way to deal with all your inner thoughts to log memories to look back on. Why not use a day a page for the next few months to write down what you got up to, what your successes were, wonderful memories from family life and just the general highs and lows of self-isolation! It’s something you can even keep going for say 6 months to see how far you’ve come.
5. Bullet Journalling
The most creative way to note down, well, anything! Our Bullet Journal gives you the perfect blank canvas to draw, plan, visualise, reflect and track everything from long term goals to keeping tabs on your mood. Lots of bullet points are used (of course) as well as nicely drawn tables, illustrations, doodles and colourful tabs to make planning anything fun and exciting. Why not find new creative ways to journal and see where it takes you?
6. Spending Log
As well as our Busy B bestseller, The Budget Book, you can also make use of any notebook to keep track of your spending. This could be as simple as a page for money coming in, and the opposite page for money coming out. Or why not draw out a table for the week, and see where you might need to control (or let loose!) your finances? A smaller A6 notebook might be ideal for this – easy to manage and pop in your bag once we get on the go again!
7. Social Media Planner
For those working in digital from home, there are so many digital tools we can use to plan and track all digital content. Tools like Trello, Asana and Monday.com are commonplace, amazing tools you can use to plan everything online. It can also be really beneficial to have a place where you can plan social media content on paper. Why not use a notebook to keep track of what content needs to be executed and when? Use a separate page for each channel, and check off your lists as you go.
8. Self Care Tracker
It can seem like we have so much to accomplish for work and our family/friends, that we often put ourselves second. Here at Busy B, we think it’s so important to make sure you’re also checking in with yourself and your own wellbeing.
Using a simple notebook can help you track little ‘me-time’ lists each day or week, so you’re making sure you’re on top of things like skincare, nutrition, exercise, meditation and general healthy routines. Why not set aside at least 15 minutes a day to check in with yourself? It could be the best 15 minutes you’ll spend planning all day!
9. Important Dates
As well as products like our Birthday Card Book, and of course our range of diaries, a notebook could also be used to keep track of important dates. Things like birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and events are still important to keep on top of.
Why not look ahead to brighter days and use our lined paper notebooks to plot in dream holidays, important birthdays to remember over the next few months, close friends wedding anniversaries and of course, lists of things you want to do for your own birthday!
10. Life Admin Tracker
During the downtime from work, or just to pass some time while at home, creating a list of all those life admin tasks can help you get back in control. Why not take some time to jot down things that might need to be looked at like car insurance, entertainment subscriptions, energy bills and gym memberships?
It’ll help you keep tabs of when insurances expire so you can research new deals, see what entertainment companies are running promotions on subscriptions, what good energy deals are going around or making sure you press pause on that gym membership to save some money!