Typically, I share my journal spreads straight to my Instagram account and through a few magic tricks they appear through out my social media accounts and even here on the website. This spread was a bit more important because anger and mandala are two words rarely used together, so I decided to share here first.

MY BULLET JOURNAL – MANDALA JOURNAL

Here’s what you need to know about my journal. It’s mine. YES, I do things a little different. I started along the way with some pretty standard bullet journal techniques. I sat down each evening and made to do lists for the next day. I crossed them off as they were done the next day, I moved them onto the next days and the next and the next as they didn’t get done because my life is scattered and I have to go with the flow as a homeschool mom. Things happen. I plan lofty to do lists in my head every single day… Tomorrow I want to complete a mandala card, a stone, work on the mandala board, and the even larger piece I have going. But tomorrow, my girl might get tangled up with Prime Factorization and need help… art and my wants go out the window. The only things that get completed for sure on the to do lists is lessons, dinner, and Dr. appointments.

Somewhere along the way, I began writing my daily lists later and later each day. Before long, I was sitting down each evening and making a list of what I done each day. Instead of my journal serving as a stressful reminder of what I wasn’t getting done, it began to be a reminder of what I had accomplished so far. I don’t write every single thing down like I would a normal to do list. I stick to the highlights. I write down things that are important and things I need to remember. There are times that I have a few moments early in the day before I get started and I’ll jot down the things I am about to do. But the main idea is that it’s a record of what’s been done instead of what I need to do. Less anxiety for me that way.

For a while I kept a separate notebook for my mandala journal and then eventually merged that down into one as well. Now, I keep one notebook for the ‘weekly’ spread on the left page and a weekly mandala on the right page. The weekly mandala is just something I doodle on while helping K with lessons and/or sitting and watching TV at night.. it’s relaxing and not something for ‘show’ or for any purpose other than to calm and relax me.

THE SPIRAL OF ANGER MANDALA

This particular spread does not have your typical mandala… Because ‘It’s not all sunshine and roses…’ our lives are not all easy, we get angry.. I get angry all the time and ‘Sometimes I just need to get it out!’ There are just a lot of idiots out there and it gets so frustrating dealing with them so often.

I was sitting with the tip of the pen in the center of the page and I couldn’t go anywhere. I didn’t want to draw anything all pretty and flowery. I was angry. I wanted it out. So I started at the center and started drawing each thought out… I’d draw the thought line out and write it down… The more I wrote, the better I felt. I felt so much better, in fact, that I am still feeling better over a week later. It was an anger vomit session..

I think I will do this once a month, maybe more often if I feel it building up again. Just focus on what is making you angry, or who, with each line.. for me it was several things.. and push it out with each line.. Here’s what each line says in case you can’t read my angry writing..

Starting left to right: Just shut your trap! – Ugh! No! – Just leave me alone! – I am so tired of the struggle … – Sometimes I just can’t – Do Not Hug Me Uninvited Ever !!! – I really don’t care! – Sick cycle carousel over & over! – Really?!? – Out of time – It’s just not fair!

Starting right to left around the bottom : Really?!? – out of time – It’s just not fair!!! – Do people know how annoying they are? – OMG who taught them to drive??? – Why do they not believe me? – Who cares? – Just want to be alone most times – I really hate dishonesty! – Just shut your trap!

I think it was important for me to ‘say’ these things out loud. They bounce around in my head all the time… watching the news, reading social media, driving in traffic, trying to shop and getting ran over in the store by inconsiderate people.