Face How You Feel: A Self-Care Journal

Face How You Feel: A Self-Care Journal

Designed by Brianna Morano

About The Project

Face How You Feel: A Self-Care Journal is a graphic design thesis project created at SUNY New Paltz. This zine uses journaling prompts and meditation exercises as a form of self-care. Journaling has been proven as a beneficial self-care method for people to work through their emotions. Journaling can be an outlet for letting out your thoughts and emotions. This can help you understand and control negative feelings and improve your mood.

Within the journal you will also find walk-through meditation exercises that have been proven to improve mental health, especially as it pertains to those who deal with anxiety. Using illustration to create an engaging journaling experience, this is a space to write exactly how you’re feeling, free from judgment. I hope you will be able to use this zine and implement these exercises into your lives.

What is Self-Care?

Self-care can be defined as the practice of taking action to improve both your physical and mental health. When it comes to your mental health, self-care can help you manage stress, lower your risk of illness, and increase your energy. Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.

Self-care can be any activity that promotes well-being. It is essentially the things we do to take care of ourselves. Self-care can be taking care of your basic needs, such as sleeping and eating healthy. It can also be activities, such as listening to music or watching a movie. Self-care looks different for everyone. The important part is doing activities that benefit your mental and physical well-being.

Write about how you have been feeling lately. The Good The Bad

What are you worried about right now?

What is something you can do to relieve these worries?

What are your strengths?

What are you grateful for?

What new opportunities have come out of challenges you’ve faced?

Setting short or long term goals for yourself can help focus your intentions and decisions to have more control over your future.

Write down a list of things you want to improve about yourself in the next year.

What steps will you take to achieve these goals?

Box Breathing Method

Box breathing is a type of breathing that follows a rhythm, which is used as a stress reducing technique.

To start, get into a comfortable position and relax your body

Breathe

What makes you happy?

If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

Body Scan Meditation

Body scan is a form of meditation that draws your focus to various parts of your body. The focus this brings to your body allows you to notice tension and relax your body.

To listen to the audio use the link or scan the QR code: https://www.mindful.org/a-3-minute-body-scan-meditation-tocultivate-mindfulness/

To

begin, get into a comfortable position and bring your attention to your body.

You can notice your body seated wherever you’re seated, feeling the weight of your body on the chair, on the floor.

Take a few deep breaths.

And as you take a deep breath, bring in more oxygen, enlivening the body. And as you exhale, have a sense of relaxing more deeply.

Step 1

You can notice your feet on the floor, notice the sensations of your feet touching the floor. The weight and pressure, vibration, heat.

Step 4

Notice your hands. Are your hands tense or tight? See if you can allow them to soften. Notice your neck and throat. Let them be soft. Relax. Soften your jaw. Let your face and facial muscles be soft.

Step 2

You can notice your legs against the chair, pressure, pulsing, heaviness, lightness.

Step 5

Notice your whole body present. Take one more breath. Be aware of your whole body as best you can. Take a breath.

Step 3

Bring your attention into your stomach area. If your stomach is tense or tight, let it soften. Take a breath.

Reflect on how you are feeling after completing the body scan meditation.

Your feelings are valid and real. Do not let anybody denounce them just because they do not feel the same way. These feelings do not make you weak, or clingy, or overly emotional. They make you strong, brave, and beautiful. You are not merely made of stardust; you are the comet streaking through the sky on the way to do good and bright things.

— From Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell

From Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell:

Write

Mental Health Resources

Treatment Centers

Dutchess County Stabilization Unit

230 North Road

Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Text/Phone: (845) 485–9700

DutchessNY.gov/Stabilization

Mental Health & Substance Use Urgent Care

Two Locations: Union Street

Community Counseling Center

16–24 Union Street, Middletown, NY 10940

Kaplan Family Counseling Center

21–23 Grand Street, Newburgh, NY 12550

1–888–750-2266

https://accesssupports.org/mental-health-substance-use-urgent-care/

Ulster County Mobile Mental Health Team 844–277–4820

10AM–10PM daily

https://accesssupports.org/behavioral-health/

988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7 Service

Websites

Active Minds

https://www.activeminds.org/

Mental Health is Health

https://www.mentalhealthishealth.us/

National Alliance on Mental Illness

https://nami.org/Home

National Institute of Mental Health

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/

Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

Project Healthy Minds

https://www.projecthealthyminds.com/

SUNY Mental Health Resource Finder

https://www.suny.edu/mental-health/resources/

Apps

Clear Fear DiveThru

Finch

How We Feel Mindshift

Move Mood

Simple Habit

Face How You Feel: A Self-Care Journal is a graphic design senior thesis project at SUNY New Paltz. Designed by Brianna Morano in the spring of 2023. Printed and bound at SUNY New Paltz. The typefaces used are URW Form, Shrikhand, and MADE Sunflower.

Graphic Design Senior Thesis

Designed by Brianna Morano