April: BETAH

Hello, journaling friends! In 2025, our monthly Cafe Analog’s friendly journaling challenge #caprojectme25 will take its prompts from beautiful words/phrases from various languages around the world! We think it will be a fun way to start the year while also allowing you to design a spread based on the essence of a word/phrase, making it very personal to you! We will also have three journaling prompts for you to choose from as a way for you to connect more with the month’s word/phrase selection!

The phrase for April is an Indonesian word, “BETAH”.

It translates roughly to a sense of comfort or the feeling of being at ease in a particular place or situation. It often encompasses emotions of contentment, satisfaction, and a sense of belonging. When someone feels “betah,” they experience a feeling of peace and a grounding state of stability that allows them to fully engage in their surroundings without the anxiety of wanting to escape or change their circumstances. It feels like they want to stay there and never want to leave!

Have you ever imagined entering a place and suddenly feeling the rush of calming emotions, thinking that this is your place, a place where you can breathe more calmly and your mind and body fall into a relaxed state immediately? That’s the feeling evoked by this word.

In our everyday lives and journaling practice, recognizing and reflecting on the concept of “betah” can be instrumental in understanding what truly brings us a sense of safety, comfort, and contentment. More often than not, they are not the fancy things—but they are something familiar, something that reminds us of the time when we feel relaxed and protected, a moment where we can feel our shoulders, neck, and jaw relaxed… when our body and heart softened, and our mind goes quiet. It’s like all tension unravels at the time, and we feel like if things have to stay like this forever, it’s actually not that bad!

Since April brings springtime to our homes, and some of you may be doing your spring cleaning routine, think of “betah” when doing this. Which items make you feel comforted, safe, and content that you want to keep close to you? You can also think of this when doing “spring cleaning” for your mind, relationships, digital apps, and many more!

This month, create a spread with your stationery supplies or other materials to capture the essence of the phrase BETAH for you. If the word is a journal spread, what would it look like?

Here are some creative journaling prompts for you to choose from:

1.

Visualizing Your Safe Space

Write about a place where you feel completely at ease. It can be a real place you’ve been or an imaginary place where you’ll feel that way. Describe this space in detail. What elements contribute to your comfort? Are there other people there with you? What are you doing there? How can you incorporate more of this feeling or even some of the vision of that space into your everyday life?

2.

Comfort Zone

Reflect on the activities, relationships, or routines that make you feel comfortable. If you can have a magic bag full of things and people that will bring you comfort, how are you going to fill up your bag? Why do you think these things or people bring you a sense of comfort, safety, and contentment?

3.

Sense of Belonging

Where, when, or with whom do you feel you truly belong? Why? In your kitchen, where do you feel like you can be free to cook and experiment? With your dog because you feel so accepted and loved? Between the pages of the book when you’re reading? How can you be present in the world to help others feel like they “belong” somewhere? How can you help others feel safe, accepted, and welcomed?

We hope these prompts can provide valuable insights into your emotional landscape and guide you in creating a life that nurtures comfort, satisfaction, and fulfillment—not only for yourself but also for the people in your life!

Feel free to share your pages and spreads with the hashtag #caprojectme25 if you’d like others who join the project to find yours—and you can also see how others translate BETAH into their journal pages!

Have fun, and we hope that this April, you will notice more tiny moments and small interactions that make you feel the sensation of “betah” in your life!

love, H.