How Can a Sticker Chart Affect Your Mental Health?

 

Ciao lovelies! Today’s post is for those of you who may be having some mental health difficulties lately, like maybe you have a lack of motivation, or can’t be bothered to clean because you’re sad, or maybe you’re forgetful so you can’t recall whether you’ve eaten today. If any of these sound like you, this post may help out a lot!

Today, I’m talking about a technique that I use when things get hard- Sticker Charts.

I know what you may be thinking “no way would I ever use that, sticker charts are for kids!”

And if this is your mindset, I will refer you back to THIS post, where we established that there really aren’t “maximum age allowed limits” on fun things, and I will also remind you that sometimes harkening back to your childhood can be good for your mental state. (For more information on that see THIS post).

In truth, while the practice of making sticker charts was designed for kids, there’s really no difference between a sticker chart and those “habit trackers” you see in planners now.

Both are designed to ensure that the user follows certain habits, or does certain chores. Both provide a moment of satisfaction when you complete a task and can fill in a square of your habit tracker or add a sticker to your chart. Both are ways to develop good habits and help you when motivation is low.

Why do I prefer sticker charts to habit trackers?

Well for one if we’re being totally honest, I have a boatload of stickers, and they have to go somewhere, right? Why not use them on a chart designed to help me?

And for two, I enjoy the whimsy of a sticker chart, while I can’t remember if I ever had one as a kid, there’s just something about it that makes me happy.

And lastly, while I do journal, I find that having the chart on my wall where I can see it everyday; I am reminded to update it, and follow the “chores” listed.

So how can a Sticker Chart help your mental health?

Sticker charts have many uses for mental health. 

For those who have depression: Sticker charts can provide much needed motivation when times get hard and motivation gets low. Just the simple act of placing a sticker on the chart can help you feel accomplished and can sometimes help get you out of bed.

For those who have anxiety: I find that a sticker chart helps my anxiety because it gives me a small semblance of control over my life. I feel like I have some kind of control over what I do. 

For those who are forgetful: I find that having a sticker chart really helps me remember the little things, like “Did I eat today? When did I last clean my room? Have I taken my meds?” Because you can look at your chart, see the sticker, and know that you did it. You can also write dates under the stickers to help with this even more.

For those who take medication (for any reason): You can use the sticker chart to track and remember to take your meds. 

For those with low self-esteem: I found that including a section of my sticker chart dedicated to doing “one self-love journaling exercise daily” helped improve my self-esteem! Maybe you could include a section like this too?

To conclude, sticker charts are simply a fun, whimsical way to help out with your mental state a little bit. Much like a habit tracker in a journal, these charts can help you develop new healthy habits and make the whole process more fun.

Thank you so much for reading! I’ll see you on Wednesday for some Royal Style Tips!

If you like our stuff, please follow us elsewhere too, like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

If you want cool stuff with our logo on it and more, check out our Redbubble shop!

Stay amazing, remember to love yourself, and I'll see you in our next post!