Reduce Stress and Boost Happiness: Meet the Helm Planner
UPDATE: We’ve changed the binding from a “metal wire-o” binding to a “perfect bound” binding, like a traditional paperback or hardcover book. Also, the Helm Planner is now available on AMAZON!
Mental health matters. And in the midst of a global pandemic, lessening stress plays an important role in boosting our moods and our overall wellbeing.
The Helm Planner was created as a self-help tool for those seeking a planner that focuses on enjoying your day…
As opposed to the usual planner vibe of “hustle more, do more, repeat”… which can make you feel like your worth is wrapped up in your to-do lists.
But that's not true. You deserve better.
You deserve to be happy.
Learning to pivot during the pandemic
At one point in 2020, I had over 600 unread emails in my inbox. Over. Six. Hundred. Homeschooling kids, zero childcare, a struggling *nonessential* design business and a partner working overtime at his *essential* job. On top of that, the whole world was on fire. Overwhelmed wasn’t even the half of it.
My goal-oriented planner mocked me as I debated getting out of bed again. I love planners, but I had come to resent my pushy planner. Why wasn’t there a planner for people who were just trying to make it through another hard day, never mind aspiring for world domination?
There should exist a planner that focuses more on your well being than on your to-do list, for all of us craving less hustle and more peace. A planner that focused on slowing down, feeling calm and lessening anxiety.
Why I created the Helm Planner
Let’s face it, The pandemic has taken a huge toll on our mental health.
According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older… Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 36.9% of those suffering receive treatment.”
With weddings mostly canceled or postponed, I thought about other ways to put my design skills to use during the pandemic. Something I could do in the spare moments between spelling tests and Zoom meetings. Something that could help the frontline workers - the nurses, the delivery drivers, the grocery store clerks and the volunteers - but that could be just as helpful for rest of else - the parents navigating homeschool, the laid off restaurant workers, and the millions of people in quarantine. You see where I’m going here. Something that had the power to make people feel less alone in the isolation and less overwhelmed with living during a global pandemic.
I sketched out concepts and layout ideas, on a mission to create a tool for improving mental health. A spare hour here, an over night design session there; it took me a year to complete the project. There were so many hurdles in making this planner. Lessons I learned only by doing and failing. Oh the setbacks and manufacturing headaches! Twice I came within an inch of quitting. But then someone would gently remind me of the reason why I started the project in the first place. Eventually, after countless iterations, prototypes, product testing and brainstorming sessions with some VERY patient people, the Helm Planner was created.
How this planner is different.
In addition to self-testing the planner and getting feedback from family and friends, I reached out to therapists in the Raleigh area to get their thoughts on the layouts and exercises. The planner was tested by therapists, and this became the most invaluable step in creating the final product. Here’s a highlight list of the praise-worthy elements that made it to print:
Monthly anxiety check-ins, money tracker to help you feel in control, happiness-oriented habit tracker, and vertical weekly layout.
6 month undated format… Start. Stop. Resume. Pause. Restart next month… next year… whenever you’re ready. January 1st is just 1 of 365 fresh starts.
6 pages of self care, wellness and anxiety check-ins, one at the start of each month.
16 pages of mindset exercises to help you delve into your personal values, learn to give yourself praise and respect, shut out negative self talk and explore your vision for your life.
20 pages of relaxation activities to help you hone in to the present moment with activities on observing nature, a guided breathing exercise, coloring pages and beginner yoga poses.
Plus 6 list pages, 3 contact pages and 25 lined pages for all your thoughts and notes.
Don’t worry. There is still space in the planner for lists and life planning. But that’s not the main focus. Not by a long shot. The focus of the planner is shifted away from tasks and placed on slowing down and finding joy in each day. There is space to write your tasks at the bottom of the weekly layout so you’re not constantly moving undone tasks from one day to the next. You’re prompted to write down your happiness goal and gratitude focus for the week. This is an important distinction in reducing stress and boosting happiness, which is a stark difference from traditional goal planners.
You can look inside the Helm Planner here. If you feel you could benefit from less stress and more joy (who couldn’t?), I hope you’ll consider ordering a planner for yourself. Because you deserve to be happy. End of story.
PSST!
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