The Healing Power of Using Stickers
I am 48 years old and I love stickers.If, like me, you grew up in the 80s, there’s a really good chance that you love stickers, too. Or, at the very least, feel nostalgic about them. I still have my favorite sticker book from when I was 10 years old. On weekends, we would go to the mall and stop by the store that was full of stickers. Sheets and rolls and displays of the latest pop culture, scratch and sniff, puffy, holographic, and more! Lisa Frank and Hello Kitty and Garfield. If we were lucky enough to have a few bucks in our pockets, my friends and I would buy our favorites and, later at home, trade from our sticker stockpile. By 13 years old or so, I was done with stickers, but I’m happy to say that they have made a resurgence in my life, both personally and professionally.
Stickers for Trauma Recovery and Mental Health
I reconnected with my love of stickers during the pandemic. While the world stopped, my hormones took a nosedive and my antidepressants needed a boost. I found myself in a swirl of deep depression and suicidal thoughts. I got professional help right away, in the forms of individual and group therapy. During one meeting, a group member shared their experience with Bullet Journaling. That was all it took. I was hooked. The great thing about Bullet Journaling - also known as BuJo - is that each person makes it whatever they want. There are hundreds of articles and videos about different ways to make a Bullet Journal your own. For some people (like me), this is a place to keep track of my mental health and help heal from trauma. One part of my journal/sticker book is all about depression: my typical symptoms, a plan for when symptoms pop up, my toolbox of skills, affirmations, self-compassion, depression tracking, and more. Oh, and stickers. Dozens of stickers.
Connect to Your Inner Child
In addition to keeping track of my mental health, I use my BuJo as a diary and sticker book. I separated out pages, tabbed them, and made a table of contents, which includes sticker sections for Places I’ve Been, Places To Go, Food, Poop (emoji), Funny, Random, Adventure, and more. This process continues to make my inner child very happy. While I used to mock the idea of an “inner child,” I have come to embrace that we all have one and encourage others to connect with their inner children. It’s as if trauma and grief freezes us at certain ages, and our work is to integrate our child selves with our adult selves. A great example is that I’m a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, and most of those abuse events happened between the ages of 9 and 12. The same ages of discovering and playing with stickers. Looking at my trauma in this way, it’s no surprise that stickers have come back into my life, and that I now use them as a way to heal.
How I’ve Seen Stickers Heal
Now as a trauma and grief recovery coach, I see my clients use stickers and bullet journaling in fun, creative, and meaningful ways. Sometimes it’s difficult to journal; to dig into painful feelings, keep track of symptoms, and face difficult truths.Plus, trauma is a disconnector. Our traumatic experiences disconnect the brain and body, our voices, our power, and our choice. It can be difficult to express ourselves when even writing about our emotions, feelings, and thoughts feels like a threat.Stickers can bridge that gap. I have seen others use stickers as part of their journaling process. One example is the person who used a sticker set with a series of F-words and phrases (you know which F-word I mean) to help express feelings and indicate emotional pain levels. I’ve also seen people use stickers as affirmations and reminders of what they want to remember, such as they are worthy of love.
Taking Time to Play
As a childhood abuse survivor, I can tell you that I missed out on a carefree childhood full of fun, snacks, and playing. In fact, I didn’t really know how to play, even as a kid. I was forced to grow up too fast and parent my own parents and be the “perfect child” in a dysfunctional family. Now I have a lot of play time to make up for, and it is valuable as adults to re-learn how to play for the sake of playing. Incorporating play helps adults cope with stress, be in the present moment, and build a sense of hope, among other benefits.For me, it’s all about the stickers. It is poetic to rediscover what gave me joy in a turbulent childhood and use that for my healing process as an adult.