Bro Journal: A Journal Worth Taking Note
Do you even Journal, Bro?
New Years Resolution to “explore yourself more”, or “Feel my feelings more”…get outta here with the resolution talk- and get into the taking each day at a time approach. Gratitude and mindfulness kinda go hand in hand, no? Saying thanks for the little things and living in the moment, can improve any duuudes’ mental health while also developing as a man or bro- resolutions or not. The team at The Bro Journal understands this and has whipped up a gratitude and mindfulness journal that will guide you to improve every aspect of your life- no matter what day, week, or year.
Unlike other journals that may seem too abstract or mentally pretentious, the Bro Journal uses scientifically-proven exercises to ensure you’re able to grow and develop as the man you want to be - with a dash of humor on the side all mixed in for a one-two punch of a journal. Imagine if Chuck Norris and the Dalai Lama had a love child who was raised by Keanu Reeves- you’d get the Bro Journal. And maybe now that image gives you a need for some therapy. Either way, the Bro Journal was one worth crackin’ open.
INITIAL IMPRESSION
When we first got the Bro Journal, we were happily shocked that it came in a lovely gift box with a shiny silver logo, making it perfect for a gift to your closest bro or for yourself if this past X-mas gift giving didn’t cut the mustard. Once we opened the box, the simple, linen-cover journal was enticing and called us to put pen to paper. The bare-bones, minimalist design is surprisingly inviting and legit. So many exteriors of journals scream for attention while this one seems like something you’d toss in the car, leave on the desk at work, heck maybe even have on a nightstand so you could write in it. Yeah call us crazy.
Opening the journal, we found a full instructional set of the different sections to explore. Instead of a typical daily journal with the same mundane activities, day-in and day-out, the Bro Journal has constructed 66 unique days - all centering around specific topics that will help you be a better “you.” For example, there are self-improvement topics like Empathy, Commitment, Consciousness, and Productivity. There are also more nuanced and forgotten aspects of personal development, like Emotional IQ, nature, Impermanence, Minimalism, and even “Brotherhood.”
With the packaging including a “Gift Box”, the Bro Journal could be the next best gift for yourself or the Perfect for Any Bro in your life- even that creepy uncle.
Initial duuude impression: This journal may just be the thing you’ve been missing.
TESTING IT OUT
Cracking open the journal and seeing where we wanted to explore, we gravitated towards two main sections that we rarely see out of other journals: The Daily Activity and “Just The Tip” section. The daily activity for each topic ranges from writing exercises to surveys and fill-in-the-blanks, creative drawings, word searches, Rorschach test, and much much more. Straight up- you’ll never get bored with your daily pages since there is always something new and exciting to tackle each next day.
The vibe of the Bro Journal seems to be more whimsical and unserious than other gratitude journals we have tried. There is just a clear sense of relatability within the writing and the layout. Every aspect of the activities and tips are useful and not preachy like we’ve seen in the journal you can find at the store. On top of the daily-themed activity, the Bro Journal team has researched and provided you with plenty of bro advice in the section called “Just The Tip.” They suggest you insert the tip into your life, just for a bit to see how it feels.
It’s not just abstract be-yourself or reach-for-the-stars type of advice. No, this is a concrete, always-squat-below-90-degrees type of advice. Apart from the unique activities, tips, and quotes, there are non-unique daily pages that focus on growth, gratitude, and mindfulness. It’s clear from all the knowledge, information, and overall layout of The Bro Journal that their dedicated focus is helping men become in-tune with themselves and encouraging them to strive for continual development. Cool story, right Bro? (that too is a section in the journal).
STANDOUT FEATURES
The thing we love most about the Bro Journal is that it’s purely guided, helpful content. They stress being mindful and showing gratitude with an identifiable tone. Some of our favorite features include:
There are copious amounts of useful information. It’s more of an activity book than a journal.
The sheer variety in the topics and activities kept us engaged and helped to instill a journaling habit.
The writing prompts were fun and straightforward yet shockingly thought-provoking.
The illustrations and activities are well-thought-out and applicable to daily life.
Nothing is perfect - except maybe that insta-chick that keeps eyeing you in the mirror - and we’ve found one area that the Bro Journal could improve upon: writing space. Although there are plenty of lines to write in the back of the journal, we sometimes hit the end of the page before our thoughts were finished. Still, we can’t blame them for leaving less space in some sections with all the necessary information on each page. None the less, this Journal is worth taking note of in our book (is that a double pun?… cause we nailed that line).
Bro Journal Overall duuude Factor: A journal any Bro could find useful in their life!
Price: $19.99 on Amazon or BroJournal
BRAND INFO
Dan Castellano and Jay Spring had a vision to stomp out male mental health stigma. Instead of using masculinity as an excuse, they go full throttle into it to break the societal barrier that plagues men’s well-being. The reason the Bro Journal began was that Dan and Jay were searching for a gratitude journal, but all they could find were pink, flower-clad notebooks filled with abstrusities and hypotheticals. Can you imagine the sh*t you would get from your friends if you were to break out a journal that looked like it belonged on display in shadowbox in a freshman girl’s dorm next to a Live-Laugh-Love poster? You would be brutalized.
The essence of the Bro Journal is that they are combining the scientific benefits of journaling, gratitude, and mindfulness, which they call the “Power of Three.” According to their free gratitude journaling guide and seven-day free pdf:
“By utilizing the powers of journaling, gratitude, and mindfulness, we’ve created a special guide to help you become the best you. We give you the tools, techniques, and insight to propel your personal growth. Although, only you can find your own path… we just provide you with some brotherly advice.”
You can grab a Bro Journal on Amazon or by visiting their website.
