journal writing websites

Embark On Your Life Journey

Journey®, your trusted journaling companion.

Journey® is a journal and diary app that is available on multiple platforms; iOS, Mac OS, Web, Chrome OS, and Android. Join millions of Journey users, from all walks of life, to embark on your unique life journey towards a deeper gratitude for life, better health, and a calmer mind through journaling.

Capture beautiful memories.

Journey elegantly captures life's beautiful moments. It lets you upload photos, videos, and audio, creating a rich, multimedia chronicle of your unique experiences and treasured memories.

Create Stunning Journal Entries

Explore a variety of journaling tools in Journey's editor. Change the paragraph style, stylize your text with bold, italics and strikethrough, organize your writing with bullets, tables, and checklists, and play around with text color.

Your Life At A Glance

A wealth of memory can be stored within a single image. Look back on your fondest memories and experiences. Upload pictures, videos, gifs, and music into your journal entries with ease.

Throwback to Your Happiest Moments

Look back at your best memories and your journal entries from a week, a month, or even a year or two ago.

Tend To Your Emotions With Mood-Tracking

Take note of your feelings while journaling, and keep track of how your mood fluctuates across your journal entries. View how your mood shifts across 30 days in your stories.

Shared Journal

Collaborate and create cherished memories with your loved ones, family members, or even friends on an unforgettable journey together. †

Shared Web Links

Generate web links for selected entries in Journey Cloud Sync to share your journal with others.

I'm sharing my Tokyo trip with you through the Journey app!

Thanks for sharing your Tokyo trip with me! 🥳

Passcode-protect Shared Links

You can also add a passcode to share your journal entries with only selected individuals.

End-to-End Encryption

Enjoy unparalleled peace of mind with end-to-end encryption. Safeguard your personal moments & memories and ensure your privacy remains intact throughout its Journey to the cloud.

Private & Secure Space

Set up a passcode, Touch ID, Face ID and Android Biometric to keep your journal entries private and secure.

Power Up Your Journal With Plugins

Power up your journaling routine with an extensive range of plugins. Explore functions such as exporting to DOCX & PDF, adding images & media, and using Apple Health on Journey.

Coach Programs

Explore Journey’s guided journaling coach programs to facilitate your reflection. Choose from a wide variety of self-care topics, ranging from topics such as body positivity and self-love.

Coach Templates

Pick from Journey’s wide array of journaling templates to guide your thoughts. Get started with templates on self-improvement, healthy living, and planning and organization.

Chat With Your Journal Using Odyssey AI

When you pose a question to Odyssey AI GPT—be it about a feeling you’ve frequently mentioned, a recurring dream, or the clarity you’re seeking on a particular subject—it sifts through your past journal entries to provide a response that reflects your own recorded experiences and journey. †

Hello, I am Journey Odyssey AI, your AI journal assistant. Please ask me a question about your journal.

Can you share with me more about this person called Hazel?

Hazel appears to be a beloved person frequently mentioned in the journal entries. Here are some highlights: Hazel was excited to receive a ukulele from her aunt. She had her first field trip away from the city, which she loved.

You can view the mentioned entries below:

Self-Host Your Journal

Journey Cloud Sync, a secure, user-centric journal cloud sync solution, will be available as open-source for users who wish to self-host their data in first quarter of 2024.

Legacy Backup

Preserve your cherished thoughts and memories for your loved ones to connect with, even after your lifetime. †

Embark On Your Unique Journey

An all encompassing digital diary app that is fit to be a writing and journaling companion for people from all walks of life, or going through different life experiences.

Put gratitude into practice in your life by enrolling in a coach program that helps you stop and smell the roses. Count the blessings in your life with Journey's Gratitude Template.

People Love Journey

Download journey today.

Take your journal wherever you go with our apps for Linux, Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, and Android phones & tablets.

Download on desktop

If you need assistance with Journey, please contact us at our Help Desk or Forum .

The most-loved online journal app and community

Write private online journals securely and anonymously or public journals to share and get connected with other journal writers.

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Fast & easy to use on any device

Only journal app that works the same on all devices

Write secure private journals

Remain anonymous! Your private journal is secure

Meet & chat with others who write journals

The community to give and get comfort to each other

Stay motivated to write journals

Monthly journal challenge to get motivated

Turn your journals to a book

Organize your journals with books

Journal prompt / Guided journal

& more features to improve your mental health

A community for journal writers

Writing out your thoughts and feelings gets better with like-minded people around you. Goodnight Journal connects journal writers like you together so you can share your thoughts and your life stories with others.

Write private or public journals

Whether you want to share your thoughts with the world, or simply need a place to vent for yourself, Goodnight Journal is the perfect space to articulate your feelings.

Why Goodnight Journal?

I am personally thankful to you and your great app as I've always loved Journaling and it is great that I can either keep to myself or share with others. Thank you for keeping this a place where I can share my thoughts, pains and happiness. I'm sure many more are as thankful as I am and keep up the great work. 😀

~*SnowFairy*~

It is amazing to me that the creator of what I am finding to be an awesome app is an active user, and makes it a point to make others feel welcome. Makes me a lot happier to know a person like that is who I gave a membership fee to. Thank you for this. For this app, and for your caring. 👍

*StarrzChylde*

I do want to say that I am really impressed with this community here on Goodnight Journal, and I'm really happy that I found it. I miss those good old days of blogging before all these social media outlets became the craze 🥰

I'm happy I have somewhere to talk b throguh all of this shit, COVID19 being manic/depressive and chaos with the cops what the actual f*** I just need a place to vent. I'm so tired and high gooooodnight ily all 💖 xoxoxox

littleghostbby

• Write private journals
• Read public journals
• Like & share public journals
• Journal prompts
• Journal books(up to 3 / 30)
• Journal reminder
• Write public journals
• Comment on public journals
• Backup journals
• Change journal date & time
• Autosave journal while writing
• Support the community

Membership $39.99/year or $4.99/month

Start writing for free now,

and if you want additional features, consider becoming a member at anytime!

Take Goodnight Journal with you!

Download free for on iOS & Android phones and tablets.

The 5 Best Sites to Keep an Online Journal

Journaling can be really useful. So, if you're looking to keep an online journal, here's a round-up of the five best sites that you can use to do so.

There are many benefits to journaling, but trying to keep physical copies of your thoughts can become difficult and cumbersome. What happens if you forget your journal, or worse yet, lose it? What can you do if you don’t have a pen?

Online journaling suffers from none of these problems, and even has some benefits unique to its medium. The only concern left, then, is how to find the right place to write your thoughts online.

Hopefully, this list will help you do just that. Here are five of the best websites to keep an online journal.

The first entry on this list is Journey, a self-care journal and planner which is available across just about every platform you might think of. If you’re looking for something you can easily access, regardless of where you are, then Journey might be right for you.

Journey lets you record just about any aspect of your life. You can track photos from your day, or even make a travel journal out of locations you’ve visited.

You can also keep track of your fitness and mood levels to help recognize personal patterns over the course of days and even months.

Plus, if you’re new to journaling, Journey supports guided journaling coach programs. These programs will provide you with a variety of self-care topics in order to guide your journaling.

Related: Digital Journal Apps to Boost Mental Health With a Daily Diary

Composing your journal entries is quick and easy as well, and Journey even supports the ability to compose entries via email, which you can then later send to your unique Journey email address.

If you’re worried about your journal being accessed by others, then Journey has you covered there as well. You can set up a passcode to prevent anyone else from viewing your journal and to keep your innermost thoughts private.

You can access everything Journey has to offer online via their web app, or you can download it on just about any platform you might wish.

Next on the list comes Penzu. Penzu is a clean and easy-to-use service which makes journaling quicker and easier than it’s ever been.

You need to sign up before you can use this service, but once you have, you’ll be able to set your journal up in just the way that you want it. The colors of the cover, the title, fonts, and backgrounds are all adjustable to your liking.

Once you have your journal set up, all that’s left to do is to write. There are a variety of fonts that you can use, as well as a word counter and various tools such as the ability to insert images, tags, and more. There’s even the option to load a variety of prompts if you need inspiration on what to write about.

All of the above features are available for free, but Penzu also supports a series of premium plans. If you wanted to have more than one journal or a wider variety of options for backgrounds, covers, and pads, then these premium plans are probably what you’re looking for.

There are also additional options such as custom writing reminders which you can set up so that you don’t forget to write every day or as often as you like, as well as better recovery options and journal encryption.

3. Evernote

Evernote has been around for quite some time, and though it’s designed and known as a note-taking service, it functions impressively well as a journaling service as well.

If you already use Evernote, then setting up a journal is just as easy as creating a new notebook. You can even set up a series of tags to organize your posts and arrange any notes.

Related: Journal Apps and Printables to Build a Habit of Daily Journaling

If you know nothing about Evernote, don’t fret. Evernote is a web service that can be synchronized with several devices such as online, desktop, and mobile. Within it, you can easily take notes in a number of forms.

You can organize your home page into whatever arrangement works best for you, and easily tag and include PDFs, receipts, files, photos, images, and more. Annotating what you’ve written is easy as well, and you can even include sketches or calendar dates if you need as well.

4. Dabble Me

If you’re looking for something a little more straightforward, however, then why not give Dabble Me a shot? Dabble Me is an online journaling service which emails you every day asking you how your day went.

All you have to do is reply with whatever is on your mind. You can even attach a photo to remind you of your day if you so wish.

Dabble Me also includes a previous entry every time it sends you a reminder, which you can then use as inspiration for your journal entry.

The service is relatively limited if you’re not paying, however. Dabble Me will only send email prompts every other Sunday, and you’ll have no access to more advanced features such a rich text formatting or the ability to search through past entries.

5. 750 Words

Finally, we have 750 Words. 750 Words is a relatively simple web service which follows a simple principle. Every day you write 750 words. It doesn’t matter what about, as long as you write them out in full.

Related: How to Use Google Calendar as a Personal Journal

The website itself can be accessed from anywhere as long as you have access to the internet, and tracks an impressive amount of information about what you’ve written every day.

Stats such as just how many words you wrote, how quickly it took you to get there, how many breaks you took and more are all included.

If you’re looking for something introspective, then 750 Words might be able to help with that as well. The web service also analyzes your feelings, themes, and the mindset of what you’re saying to help you see what you’re thinking about as you write.

But Journaling Can Be Difficult

Hopefully, in this list, you’ve found something that you can use to finally replace that old journal and pen. If not, maybe you’ve managed to find a way in which you can supplement it.

Regardless of how you journal, being consistent with your journaling can be difficult even at the best of times.

The 8 Best Websites and Apps for Keeping a Journal or Diary

Last updated: June 14, 2018

DISCLAIMER: Techboomers independently reviews everything we recommend. When you buy something after clicking on a link to another website, we may earn a commission. Learn More

Table of Contents

There are many different reasons that people write down the things that they think, do, or experience in a diary or journal. Some of them are trying to watch what foods they eat . Some want to meditate on their faith in a Bible journal to become better people, or to get through tough times. Some like to count their blessings and focus on the good things that they have in life. And still others try to recall their dreams and figure out what they mean.

Regardless of why they do it, people have been writing diaries on paper since the second century C.E. Now, thanks to the advent of computers and the Internet, you can create your own digital-data journal online – no paper required! You’re also usually allowed to keep your diary private, but sometimes you’re given the option to share your reflections with anyone out there on the web who cares to listen.

There are some great journal websites out there for you to make use of, so we’ve got a list of 8 of the best apps and websites for keeping a digital diary or journal. Hopefully, it will help you decide on one that’s best for you.

Based in Canada but available worldwide, Penzu is one of the best online journal sites, having been featured in technology publications such as LifeHacker , GigaOm , The Next Web , Mashable , and ReadWrite . It allows you to create whatever kind of journal you want, and doesn’t put a limit on how many pages you can have in your journal – write as much as you want, for as long as you want! You can even write in your diary on-the-go with Penzu’s free journal app, available for devices running either Google Android or Apple iOS operating systems. In our opinion, it’s one of the best journal apps out there! And you don’t need to worry about other people reading your secrets and deep thoughts, because your journal is kept private with double password protection. Penzu is free to start, but its paid features allow you to keep more than one journal at once, tag and search entries by keyword, customize how your journals look, and more!

This diary-keeping app for Apple iOS devices has received a lot of praise from technology publications such as MacWorld , The Verge , The Sweet Setup , and Mashable ; it has even won a couple of awards! It has a bunch of cool features, including the ability to add pictures to your entries, automatic adding of metadata (such as date, place, time, weather, etc.), and customized reminders and prompts for writing. You can also create tags for entries and later search them by keyword, synchronize your entries across the Day One apps on all of your devices, and easily share entries to social media platforms.

Diaro is another of the most popular journal sites, and it also has a mobile app that can be used on Google Android devices or Apple iOS devices. Diaro lets you write and organize notes in various ways, and then find them later based on what words are in them, when you wrote them, where you were when you wrote them, or even custom tags that you attach to them! The paid version of Diaro removes advertisements, lets you synchronize your entries across Diaro on all of your devices, and even lets you convert your entries to “.PDF” files so you can print them out.

4. My Wonderful Days

Made by Haha Interactive, this diary app only works on Apple iOS devices. However, what makes it one of the best diary apps is that it has some really neat personalization features. Chief among them is that, for each entry, you get to rate how you’re feeling that day on a scale of 1 to 10. You can also add photos to your entries or star significant dates, and you can search and sort your entries by mood rating, number of views, and more. The free version allows you to write up to 10 entries per month, while the full version removes this limit.

Journey is a multi-platform piece of journaling software made by 2 App Studio in Singapore. It synchronizes with several other services from Google, such as Google Drive (to secure and back up your entries) and Google Maps (to add location metadata and even Street Views !. Plus, you can set daily reminders to write, attach up to four images to each entry, export your entries as printable file types, and even import entries from certain other journal apps. However, Journey requires a Google account to work, and it costs money to use (or at least use its premium features) on some platforms.

The brainchild of a British company called “d3i,” Momento bills itself as being the “smart” private journal app. What it means by this is that you can connect it to your social network accounts – such as Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , YouTube , and more – and it will automatically add to each entry what you did on social media that day! Of course, you can always manually add your own notes to your entries, including pictures or videos of what happened, people whom you were with, places you went, and other keywords to mark the occasion. And, of course, you can sort and filter your entries based on any or all of these pieces of information! Sadly, Momento is only available for Apple iOS devices, but if you have an iPhone or iPad, then this is one digital journal app that you’ll want to look into!

7. LiveJournal

LiveJournal is an online journal app has been around for quite a while, started in 1999 by Brad Fitzpatrick as a way to let himself and his friends update each other on their recent activities. In some respects, it was one of the precursors to many modern online social networks. It’s still around today, allowing you to create and customize a user profile and write journal entries. You can also connect with other people to see what they’re writing, and comment on it if you wish. You can keep your thoughts private, or allow them to be shared with your friends or anyone else.

8. Evernote

While Evernote isn’t specifically a diary app, it can be used as one; it’s pretty popular for other purposes, too. Basically, it’s an all-in-one cross-platform note-taking application that you can use on your BlackBerry , Google Android , or Apple iOS device. You can also simply use Evernote right on its website, or on the desktop of your Windows or MacOS computer. Use it to create and organize to-do lists, checklists, quick reminders of important appointments and events – anything you need to remember, really. Plus, there are several ways that you can create notes: write them manually, snap a picture, link to a website, make a voice recording, and more!

If you want to learn more about how Evernote works, visit our Evernote course !

Other apps and websites for specific types of journals/diaries

People keep journals and diaries for all sorts of reasons. So hopefully, one of the websites or apps that we’ve listed here ­– whether it’s one of our top 8 or a specialized one – will fit your needs. Whether you’re preserving fond memories, analyzing your inner psyche, or just trying to stick to a diet, journaling can be a therapeutic, stimulating, and fun exercise for you to try. Give it a go – you might be surprised by the results!

The 7 best journal apps

The trouble is, keeping a journal isn't easy. It takes dedication to this new habit and a willingness to open up when writing on a blank page. What have you done today? Who are you, really? Journaling apps can help you figure this out and help you establish a daily writing routine.

After testing nearly two dozen options, these are the top journaling apps to record your memories this year and in years to come. Click on any app to learn more about why I chose it, or keep reading for more context on journal apps.

The best journaling apps

Day One for Mac and iOS users

Diarium for Windows users

Penzu for secure journaling

Grid Diary for templated journaling

Five Minute Journal for journaling beginners

Dabble Me for journaling over email

Daylio for non-writers

If you don't want a completely new app, you can always use your current note-taking app as your journal. Or, do one better and build your own journal app without any code—just a quick automation.

What makes a great online journal app?

How we evaluate and test apps.

Our best apps roundups are written by humans who've spent much of their careers using, testing, and writing about software. Unless explicitly stated, we spend dozens of hours researching and testing apps, using each app as it's intended to be used and evaluating it against the criteria we set for the category. We're never paid for placement in our articles from any app or for links to any site—we value the trust readers put in us to offer authentic evaluations of the categories and apps we review. For more details on our process, read the full rundown of how we select apps to feature on the Zapier blog .

A paper notebook and pen are fine for journaling, but apps offer more. They give you more context on what you've accomplished and where you might want to go. They also let you include photos from your phone or posts from your social media feeds to make the journaling experience more rewarding. Add in reminders and the ability to search your journal entries, and digital journaling is almost a no-brainer.

I've been testing and writing about software professionally for over a decade. I've also journaled every day for the past four years. It's an important ritual for me, personally, and it's also where a lot of the best ideas in my writing originate. In my experience, the best apps for keeping a journal have a few things in common:

Easy entry: If it takes more than a couple of clicks or taps to add a journal entry, chances are you're not going to do it.

Pleasant interface: A minimalist, uncluttered interface helps you focus on your thoughts and makes journaling a pleasant experience.

Reminders: Perhaps the biggest challenge to online journaling is remembering to do it. Automatic reminders help you keep up the habit.

Exporting: In case the app stops being developed or you want to move to a different journaling platform, you'll want to be able to export your entries in a format other programs can read, such as PDF or RTF.

Syncing: Syncing will make sure your journal's up to date no matter what device you're using.

Affordability: I eliminated some apps because of the high price. Journaling shouldn't be expensive. If you're looking for a free journal app, some of the options on this list will do the trick, just with fewer features than the premium plans.

Other features for a digital journal that might be important to you include password protection, Markdown support, the ability to add more than one photo, location and weather tags, and journaling prompts.

For each diary app, I started by creating a handful of new entries, complete with images. I then spent some time exploring the settings, testing the daily reminders, and ensuring that syncing and exporting worked as described.

Best journal app for Mac and iOS users

Day One (Mac, iOS, watchOS, Android)

Since its release in 2011, Day One has been one of the most highly recommended journaling apps, landing a spot as Apple's Editors Choice in the App Store numerous times.

It's not hard to see why. The app offers a wide array of features—just about everything you might want or need in a digital journal. You can create journal entries in one click on the Mac from the menu bar, use templates to make journaling easier, and automatically add metadata, such as location, weather, motion activity, currently-playing music, and step count. There are optional prompts, if you're not sure what to write about. You can also tag entries with hashtags, insert photos and videos, password-protect your journal, and format entries in Markdown. And all of this is within an elegant, unobtrusive design. There are no gaudy, cluttered toolbars in sight: everything on the screen is useful for journaling.

Perhaps Day One's best feature is the ability to customize multiple reminders. Most other journal apps only send you one reminder during the day. But with Day One, you can get prompted to write, say, when you start the day, at lunchtime, and then at the end of your workday to keep track of your activities and thoughts throughout the day.

The free app offers pretty much all of the core journaling features, but for syncing, unlimited photos, handwritten and audio entries, and multiple journals, you'll need to subscribe to the Day One Premium service.

Day One pricing : Free version available; $2.92/month for premium features when billed annually

Best cross-platform journal app

Diarium (Windows, Android, macOS, iOS)

Diarium offers beautiful native apps for every platform. The Windows application, in particular, is nicer than any other I could find. But there's so much more to recommend here. You can add multiple media types to your journal entries. If you'd rather speak than type, you can dictate your thoughts with accurate speech recognition. You can attach an audio file, inked drawing, or any other type of file to your entries, as well as multiple photos. Heck, you can even rate your journal entries (perhaps most useful as a way to track how happy you are each day).

Diarium works without any sign-in, or you can sync using your choice of cloud apps—OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or WebDAV. You can also export your entries to DOCX, HTML, RTF, or TXT formats—with separate files for media attachments—so you can rest assured that your data will always be accessible. 

To make journaling even easier, Diarium can automatically pull in feeds from Facebook, Untappd, Trakt, or Instagram; or fitness apps, including Google Fit, Fitbit, and Strava, among others. It can also pull in your calendar appointments and even the day's weather. Combine this with daily reminders and beautiful native apps for every platform, and you've got the best cross-platform journal app on the market.

Diarium pricing : Free version available on Android ($4.99 for Pro), iOS ($4.99 for Pro), and macOS ($8.99 for Pro). Windows version for $9.99.

Best journal app for secure journaling

Penzu (Web, iOS, Android)

Writing a journal entry in Penzu is much like writing a blog post in WordPress, with a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interface, complete with a text formatting toolbar. So why not just use Word, WordPress, or a note-taking app like OneNote? For one thing, Penzu keeps your entries together in one journal online, as opposed to several different files. Custom email reminders help you remember to record your journal entry. And Penzu can send you reminders of what you've written in the past so that you can reminisce about the good old days.

More importantly, Penzu will keep your entries 100% private. You can lock your journal with a special password (which is different from your account password), secure your content with 128-bit encryption, and choose to auto-lock your journal at all times. If you're on the Pro plan, Penzu can safeguard your entries with military-strength 256-bit encryption.

If you want to keep a journal the same way you might a personal blog but keep it private, Penzu is an excellent option. You'll need to spring for the paid Pro plan, though, to get core digital journaling features such as tagging.

Penzu pricing : Free version available; paid version from $19.99/year for advanced encryption, reminders, and PDF export.

Best journal app for templated journaling

Grid Diary (macOS, Android, iOS)

Grid Diary bills itself as "the simplest way to get started with keeping a diary." Instead of a blank slate, this diary app gives you a grid of boxes you can give custom headers to. The defaults are things like "Today's wins," "Heath and Fitness," and "Personal growth," though you can customize these to say whatever you want. 

This gives you a detailed and bird's-eye view of what's happening in your life, one day at a time. You can review entries using the built-in calendar, or you can use the Titles view to review all entries for a particular grid. There's also support for attachments, encrypted private journals, and syncing between multiple devices if you're using the paid version. Instead of wondering what you should write about each day, use Grid Diary to write down simple responses that help you reflect on your days. 

Grid Diary pricing : Free version available; paid version from $2.99/month for syncing, encryption, unlimited journals, and exporting to PDF.

Best journal app for beginners

Five Minute Journal (iOS, Android)

If you're new to journaling, writing down your thoughts and feelings each day can feel daunting. It might also be challenging to find time to devote to it. Five Minute Journal makes journaling easy and approachable with timed prompts throughout the day. In the morning, the app asks you three questions designed to instill gratitude and set a purpose for your day. In the evening, two questions ask you to reflect on the positive things that happened and how you could improve for tomorrow.

This is supplemented by daily quotes and meditations, presented in a format similar to Instagram or Snapchat stories. It sounds odd, but ultimately, it's a way to prompt your thinking and take some time to reflect before journaling.

Based on positive psychology research, Five Minute Journal helps support a gratitude habit and self-reflection, and if you pay for a subscription, you can also turn it into a free-form journal after the prompts—or you can add your own prompts.

Five Minute Journal pricing: Free version available; paid version for $4.99/month for customizable questions, home screen widgets, and the ability to add photos and videos to entries.

Best journal app for journaling over email 

Dabble Me (Web)

The main problem with journal apps: you have to remember to open them. Dabble Me doesn't have this problem because it works entirely over email. The paid version ($3/month) will email you once a day, reminding you it's time to journal—respond to that email, and you've journaled. The free version doesn't give you the daily prompts, but journaling is still as easy as writing an email—you can find a custom email address to send entries to in the settings.

You also can see the complete archive of your journals on the website, which also offers search, a calendar view, and even a page for reviewing and listening to any Spotify links you've included in your entries. There's also support for exporting your entries to TXT or JSON files, so you can take your entries with you should you decide to shut down your account. 

One way to journal is to pretend that you're writing letters to a friend. Dabble Me is great for this because it lives where you're already writing emails.

Dabble Me pricing: Pro starts at $3/month. 

Best online journal for non-writers

Daylio (iOS, Android)

Journaling has traditionally focused on longer-form writing, but not everyone has a way with words. If you prefer to communicate in visuals, Daylio is the best journaling app for you.

A journal entry in Daylio captures your mood and activities for each day. Best of all, there is absolutely no typing (unless you really want to add supplementary notes). Pick your mood by selecting one of five smiley face icons. After that, there are a variety of questions about what you did today, depending on which things you ask the app to track. There are options for sleep quality, eating habits, and even activities you participated in. Both the mood options and activities can be customized. While it only takes a few seconds to complete each entry, the details add up to form a well-rounded picture of what your days, weeks, months, and years were like.

Daylio also includes standard journaling features, like reminders, exporting entries, and setting goals. As a bonus, it offers a detailed dashboard that aggregates a monthly mood chart, your mood and activity counts, and average daily mood. It can also surface patterns in the Often together section, showing you how you usually feel when you do certain activities (for example, when your mood is "good," you usually read and spend time with family).

Daylio doesn't offer a traditional journaling experience, but the free plan is an impressive way to track how you feel in only a few seconds each day.

Daylio pricing : Free version available; Premium starts at $2.99/month and offers additional icons, reminders, and color themes. 

Should you use a journaling app?

You don't necessarily need a dedicated diary app for journaling—lots of people, after all, use a simple notebook for the job. Some other categories of apps can also work perfectly well.

The best note-taking apps all work really well for journal entries. Just make a new notebook and create a new entry every day.

You can make your own digital bullet journal using a tool like Trello or Airtable.

If you really want something custom, you can build your own journal app with no code using Zapier.

Zapier is a no-code automation tool that lets you connect your apps into automated workflows, so that every person and every business can move forward at growth speed. Learn more about how it works .

As always, the best tool for the job is the one that works best for you. If something helps you start a journaling habit and stick to it, use that.

This article was originally published in January 2019 by Melanie Pinola and has previously had contributions from Emily Esposito. It was most recently updated in April 2023.

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Justin Pot is a writer and journalist based in Hillsboro, Oregon. He loves technology, people, and nature, not necessarily in that order. Learn more: justinpot.com

• Personal productivity

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Your Guided Journal for Growth

Express yourself in your new writing oasis.

A guide for every journey., let go of your triggers.

Let go of your triggers and find inner peace.

Journaling for the New Year

Exploring Your Past, Present, and Future Self

Clarify Your Intentions And Goals

Reverse-Engineer Your Goals & Get Clear On How You Want to Feel

The Ultimate Annual Review

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Better than the best journaling app. The interface keeps it distraction-free and makes me look forward to entering my journal entry. The prompts are thought-provoking and helps me reflect deeply. I use the prompts as conversation starters too.

As a mental health therapist I’m always looking for new tools to help clients process their experience. I try each tool myself before recommending to anyone and this is by far my favorite so far. I like that it is web based as well. It’s easy to use and has fantastic prompts to help folks begin the writing process. I highly recommend this app for anyone looking to use writing as a tool to reflect or process their thoughts and experiences. Truly well done.

Just want to say this app is so refreshingly Simple but effective and behind the scenes, has the most amazing, giant-hearted people who care more about helping people And not fixated on profiting every chance possible. I am beyond impressed and blessed. Thx guys!

I find myself being able to journal almost every day now with the app. I am 50 years old I am set in my ways I love the smell of paper and I love the way the pen flows and I love to see the ink marks on my hand. But in this busy world that we are in I don’t get time to fully write what I want to write whereas this way I’m actually not even writing when I’m journaling I get to talk and express my thoughts through words with the app. The guides that they offer wonderful for when you just wanna journal about something the insides are amazing the membership is invaluable and the community of people are just amazing people get the app become a part of the community you will not regret it.

I use this and recommend it to my clients. In combination with voice dictation it’s the most effective way to get my thoughts down.

Spent the last couple of days checking out a lot of journaling aps. Yours is the first that works easily across interfaces- Iphone, chrome book, and work computer. I am so pleased. I have wanted to journal for a while but it seems like my paper journal is always in the wrong place. Now I will always have my journal within reach. ❤️❤️

I rarely leave reviews, mainly because not all applications are life-changing, but this one definitely is life-changing and worthy of one. The app's mechanism allows you type out all of your thoughts and feelings in a very clean, blank screen that is quite peaceful, conducive for reflection, and not hurtful to the eyes (as it is in, well, plain back). The default font style is not heavy on the eyes to read, and it seems rather fancy when I first encountered and used this app (great job on this by the way). This usually prompts me to leave more comprehensive details on my experiences, which are essential for more effective personal reflections. Furthermore, after having typed down your reflection for a certain day, a monthly review will be made available to you after, well, a month. This allows you to have a greater view of what had happened in the past, and how you may have changed your attitude or tune about your past experience. In short: it is a FANTASTIC reflection application. I fell in love with this application the first time I used this, and will continue to do so until the end of my journey in medical school. Kudos to all behind this application!

Incredible app. They helped me get started on my journaling journey, taking it as a habit. It has guides and daily prompts which can be food for thought to write about when the day ends. I love the app

Reflection app is astonishing. 

I absolutely love it.  I can't explain the benefits it has to really opening a person up their inner existence.

I’m a believer.  I was not great at journaling, but this app has made it so simple and actually enjoyable.

The minimalist experience I was looking for!  …the Reflection.app mobile app and desktop app are well designed and get out of your way so that can quickly reflect on your day.

This is a powerful tool to help you truly connect with yourself,  and decide what you want and need out of your life!

I like the guided programs a lot, they are a good way to jump in to journaling if you don't know where to start…this app has made it easier to make journaling an enjoyable habit!

I look forward to journaling everyday.  This takes personal reflection and gives it contextual meaning. Love it!!!

I started using Reflection recently, thinking journaling would help me to cope with a divorce. I have been surprised at how much it has helped. I do know things about myself, but the knowledge is stored in the junk drawer of my mind, making it hard to find useful insight in the chaos and disorganization. Writing it out is sort of like Marie Kondo-ing my brain, not so much to discard the parts that don’t bring joy, but to order it in such a way that it is comprehensible. There actually are insights in there for the finding, but also insights that present themselves in the process of creating a narrative. Thanks for your help with my journey.

I have been journaling for years but needed to find a new app, i came across this and it was perfect! The design interface is beautiful and seamless, I feel at peace even i go into this app. Amazing features for free, like tags for your entry, a prompted monthly review summary. It has light and dark mode and you can book mark entries. Highly recommend!!

Wonderful opportunity to focus on the good. I love the thoughtful prompts that illicit deep reflection. This app offers a wide variety of topics and provides guides as well. Notifications are available to support consistent practice. Highly recommend.

Used the application for awhile and the experience is overall very pleasant. Simple and easy to use ui, great template settings. Very ideal for some shadow work and as the name suggested, reflection.

I am relatively new to journaling and never know what to write. It’s one of the reasons I’ve never journaled before this or never stuck to it. I like that this app has prompts to give you ideas of what to write about and asks questions. I also like the guides. A topic or theme over several days that gives you a question/prompt to answer every day of the guide. Great way to inspire you to journal and keep up with it daily.

I’ve been using this app for 7 days now and I’m still going strong, enjoying journaling everyday. I tried other journaling apps before they had all the bells and whistle’s but did not make me stick to it. I like the minimalist look and feel of the app, and I specially like the guides, these inspired me and motivated me to keep journaling everyday.

Great journaling app. I've been using it for years, and it really helps me track my mood and recall how I think and feel in different situations. I often read important entries to my psychiatrist that I wouldn't have otherwise remembered. The guided courses are cool too, and I love that there's a different thought-provoking quote every day. Really just a great tool.

After a lot of apps, tries and methods I think I found exactly what I need. 🙌🏻 Not too much stuff everywhere, just clean and simple. Perhaps a french translation could be nice. Bravo !

I love this journal because they provide daily motivational quotes and prompts when I'm not sure what to write about….Their customer service is also really nice and accommodating. they helped me with my Reflection app premium subscription without any hassle. It's overall a great app that I love using on my desktop or mobile. I can get my thoughts out and reduce my use of Twitter…

...and I've tried many. Reflection is a simple tool with all the features I need, but without the extra clutter. If you are looking for a solution that has all the essentials in a beautiful design, look no further. I've been using it daily to jot down my thoughts during the day, and when I feel like it, I dive deeper with the Guides or Journal Prompts. I especially like the intiutive design and insights. I'm very picky about which apps I use - thanks you for creating such a good tool for mindful journaling. 💛

A wonderful app and gentle prompts to motivate you to incorporate quiet reflection and thought each day. Making this action a part of our increasingly over busy days is a healthy step to creating and maintaining a calm, disciplined balance to the overtly noisy demands and pollutants of modern life. A brilliant little practice and app!

This is a wonderful app. It’s helped me enjoy daily and twice daily journaling that is focussed around an idea, an inspirational sentence or something else. I felt an increased closeness to and appreciation for myself as a result. I recommend it.

Love this app! It is really helping me to learn who I am find my way because I'm a lost soul helping me deal with my childhood abuse because I basically ran from it now I'm dealing with it. It helps to teach you to understand a lot of things so I highly recommend the premiums in this app

No bs, no too much add-ons, and the premium is very fairly priced. Good privacy. Thanks a lot. You help my mental health a lot.

What I needed was to be prompted to discuss gratefulness. Sometimes you don't realize how vast the topic is, so you write nothing! This tool overcomes that challenge and compiles your thoughts for reflection

I love this app. Journaling is really important to my mental heath, and using Reflection has really helped me to be more mindful and consistent. It has changed the game for me.

truly the best app for journaling, it's simple, effective, and well-organised. aesthetically pleasing. truly helpful for someone who likes journaling.

I need this app to remind me where I have been and hope to get where I need to be! Truly thankful.

Journaling apps are a little congested these days. Reflection is different. It has a beautiful UI that makes me WANT to open it up. The layout and the themes are awesome, and clean. I’m personally making it my manifestation journal, and writing down all that is to be. I just downloaded this app today and am very pleased. I plan to purchase the premium to get the full experience, however there is more than enough for free to keep you going. There’s also a section of workspaces and articles to help with personal development. I recommend downloading it and seeing for yourself.

It’s great to have a daily nudge to not only take a minute to reflect, but to reflect on JOY!  Even a seemingly small thing - a neighbor’s wave, a child’s giggle, the perfect piece of pie, or that holiday update letter someone took the time to write- makes the day better.   

I don’t utilize the app nearly enough, but it’s always been a positive result when I have used it.

Next best thing to a physical Journal and therapist

I love how clutter-free this app is. It's pushy enough to make me want to do the work, but gentle enough that I feel like I'm in control.

Exactly what I was looking for in a journaling app! I use the journal prompts daily. Love that I can use it for my gratitude journaling but also can use the guides for deeper reflection. Generous free offering, and the premium is a great value. Bonus: The support team is quick and friendly!

I’ve always struggled with maintaining a journaling habit until I discovered Reflection.app. The seamless integration of journal prompts and gratitude exercises has made journaling a joy rather than a chore. It’s like having a personal diary and life coach rolled into one convenient app. Kudos to the team behind this phenomenal tool!

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Penzu - Free Online Diary and Personal Journal

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Dear Diary...

Penzu is the ideal place to keep your online diary or personal journal., your diary is priceless. keep it safe with penzu..

If your diary does look like this, how do you:

• Find an entry from years ago? • Keep it safe from being lost or damaged? • Add your digital photos? • Stop others from reading your personal thoughts and writings? • Keep writing when the pages run out? • Organize entries? 

While we acknowledge the artistic aspect of offline diaries, there is no question that Penzu is the best online alternative. And for those die-hard diary writers, keeping a diary online allows for benefits far beyond writing on paper.

The New Way To Keep A Diary

If you are still keeping an offline, paper-bound, old school diary, it’s time for a change. And if you are keeping your diary with a blog service or dated online diary site, Penzu is the way to go.

BETTER THAN A PAPER-BOUND DIARY

Penzu combines privacy, ease of use, and the latest technologies to make for a seamless and unique diary writing experience. There is no long sign-up process, no waiting to write your thoughts down. It is the next best thing to writing on paper with all the benefits of the web.

The aim of Penzu is to create an online diary experience that is as similar to writing in a paper-bound journal or diary as possible. While Penzu doesn't offer free-form drawing, it is ideal for writing. And since it is online, there are many benefits to using Penzu rather than paper.

Ultimate Privacy

Your thoughts are yours, and keeping them in a paper-bound diary isn't safe! Anyone who finds your diary can read it. Your entries are only accessible through your password protected Penzu account. You can go even further and add another password to specific entries and 'lock' them. Sign up for a Penzu Pro account, and get the ultimate security of encryption locking where each locked entry is encrypted using an 256-bit AES algorithm, the same protection used by the United Sates Government. Your entries are so safe, that if you forget the password, they are gone forever! Read more about privacy here .

Never Lost or Stolen

Keeping your diary with Penzu means it can never be stolen or lost. You don't have to worry about leaving your diary behind, or someone stealing it from your hiding place. With Penzu your most precious memories are safe!

Access Your Journal from Anywhere in the World

Have you been away from your diary and wanted to record something at that moment? Penzu is accessible from any computer in the world - take your diary with you wherever you go!

Sharing is Easy

Have you every wanted to share just one page of your diary with someone? Now you can. Share your entries via email to family and friends. If you want, you can remain anonymous and the recipient will not know it was you sending the message!

Saving is a Thing of The Past

Similar to writing on paper, as you type an entry, it saves automatically! Your thoughts are saved as you go. Have a thought that you need to get out right away? You can start writing on the pad even without being logged in! And once you log in, your entry will be saved to your account.

Filtered Search

If you find yourself constantly leafing through your diary to find a specific entry, your troubles end here. Penzu allows you to easily search your entries and then sort them by Name, Date Created, Size, Locked, or Shared. You can find past entries in seconds and even edit them if need be!

What Should I Write In My Diary?

If you are having trouble getting started, here are some ideas to get the juices flowing:

Anything will do! The act of writing is extremely therapeutic, especially when writing about thoughts you don't share with others. Read more about the health benefits of keeping a diary here .

Is There Only One Type Of Diary?

A diary can be anything you want it to be. You can write whatever comes to your mind whenever you want. For those that don't know what to write in their diary or how, below are some common diary types to get you started.

DAILY DIARY

A daily diary usually consists of your day-to-day events and your feelings or thoughts surrounding them. While it may include expressive writing, a daily diary mentions happenings on an ongoing basis. With Penzu your diary is secret by default. But if you want to share entries with friends, go for it!

Keeping a diary is a great way to archive your life. You can easily look back on your life and read what you were thinking at a specific moment in time. Famous diarists such as Anne Frank and Che Guevara would not be known if they didn't keep a diary. here .-->

EXPRESSIVE DIARY

An expressive diary is one where you write about your deepest thoughts and release your emotions. It can be written whenever and however you want. An expressive diary is usually extremely personal and kept private, but it can be shared at will. Penzu allows you to share your entries anonymously - so if you do want to share your thoughts with someone, but don't want them to know it was you, simply click "share as anonymous" in the share drop-down menu.

Writing expressively can have a tremendously positive effect on your life. Read more about the health benefits of keeping a diary here . here .-->

TRAVEL DIARY

Have you ever thought about a previous trip you took and wished you had kept a travel diary? Similar to a daily journal or diary, a travel diary records the day-to-day of your trip or vacation. We often have heightened experiences when traveling abroad, and keeping a diary is a great way to cherish those memories.

Insert pictures and share your travels with your friends! here .-->

If you have been searching for a place to keep your ideas online and in a secure and private place, your search is over. Penzu is great for notes and ideas about anything at all. Keep your ideas all to yourself, or share them with friends. here .-->

DREAM DIARY

If you have ever woken up and scrambled to find a pen and paper to write down a vivid dream, a dream journal is a great way to record your dreams. Looking back on your dreams is easy when they are searchable and in one place!

Keeping a record of what you eat throughout the day is a great way to track your eating habits. It also has been proven to help decrease weight-loss when coupled with a diet and exercise regime. Learn more here .

OTHER TYPES OF DIARIES:

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Be inspired.

• Kurt Cobain Legendary Nirvana front-man, who kept a personal diary from 1980 until his suicide in 1994.
• Anne Frank Kept her now famous diary while hiding during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands.
• Andy Warhol American pop-art icon religiously kept a diary about his life and conversations with friends.

Getting Started

Don't know where or how to start? Having trouble writing? Visit our Getting Started guide to get some tips on journal writing.

• What to Write About Worrying about something? Have thoughts that won't get out of your head? Write them down!
• When and How to Write Finding the right time and place for you to write in your diary is an important part of the process.
• Guiding Questions Need some more ideas to get started? View some questions that might help you write.

Terms of Use   |   Privacy Policy   |   Contact Us © 2024 Penzu Inc.

Start an Online Journal With These 6 Best Websites and Apps

Important for your mental wellbeing

According to research, journaling is a great way to manage stress , boost your health, and increase creativity and productivity. The problem is, it takes dedication. Finding an excellent journaling app or website can help you establish a routine and fully commit to journaling. 

If you’ve been wondering how to start online journaling, we’ve got you covered. We’ve taken a look at twenty options and chosen the six best journal apps and websites that you can use to get started on your journal journey. 

Day One was first released in 2011 and has been on the Apple Editor’s Choice list multiple times. Day One is available on the Play Store, Apple Store, and Mac App Store and has a great, minimalistic UI design. 

Features : 

• Multiple templates for different journaling styles. 
• Add metadata like location and time automatically. 
• Insert photos and videos into your journal. 
• Set multiple reminders to start journaling. 
• Biometric security measures and end-to-end encryption to keep your information private. 
• Automatic backups and easy exports. 

Paid Features:

• Cloud sync. 
• Unlimited photos and journals. 
• Voice-to-text transcription. 

There aren’t many downsides. First, Day One doesn’t offer prompts, so you will have to come up with topics on your own for those who prefer that style of journaling. Another negative is that to have your entries automatically backed up to another device, you need to purchase the premium version of the app. 

Overall, Day One is one of the best journal apps out there. 

Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Cost : Free version available with most necessary features. Premium version at $2.92 per month. 

2. Grid Diary

Grid Diary is available on the Play Store, Apple Store, and Mac App Store. Grid Diary is a very beginner-friendly journaling app that packs plenty of great features. It provides you with a grid of prompts, including things like “What am I grateful for?” and “How can I make tomorrow better?”. The prompts are entirely customizable and can provide a nice overview of your daily life. 

Features:  

• Multiple customizable journals with many prompts and templates.
• Grid layout with easy-to-use functionality. 
• Add tags and attachments, including photos. 
• PDF export options. 
• Password lock for privacy. 
• Sync across devices. 
• Customizable reminders. 

The free version of Grid Diary comes with almost everything you could ever need in a journaling service, except for syncing across devices and a password lock. One downside is that it doesn’t provide a separate, freeform journaling section. But, it’s relatively easy to add a new custom prompt along those lines and simply use that grid as your freeform entry.

Overall, we highly recommend Grid Diary.

Our Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. 

Cost: Free version available or premium at $2.99 billed monthly or $25.99 annually. 

Penzu is another popular journaling app with over 2 million users. It’s freeform design is similar to Day One. Penzu is available on the Play Store, App Store, and as a browser-based journal. 

• Entries are kept as one file stored online. 
• Custom email reminders.
• Lock your journal for total privacy. 
• 128-bit encryption.
• Similar UI to a WordPress blog. 
• PDF export.
• Customizable reminders. 
• 256-bit military-grade encryption .

One of the significant downsides of Penzu is that if you want some of the essential features necessary for digital journaling, you will have to purchase the paid version. This includes changing the date of journal entries. Also, if you want to import journal entries from another app, you cannot pre-date the entries. 

Penzu is an excellent choice if you like to write your journal as a private blog. It has a simple, easy-to-use design and is overall a great choice. 

Our Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. 

Cost: Free version available. Paid version from $4.99 per month or $19.99 per year. 

4. Five Minute Journal

Five Minute Journal provides prompts to make the journaling experience much easier. The app will send you reminders at the start and end of the day and then prompt you with questions like “What will I do to make today great?” and “3 amazing things that happened today were…”. The app uses positive psychology to help the user feel gratitude and a sense of purpose. 

• Prompts based on positive psychology to instill gratefulness and positive mental health. 
• With the paid version, add photos to your post and receive a daily quote. 
• PDF export options. 
• Cloud sync your journal . 
• Customize your prompts and goals.
• Mood tracking and memory features. 
• Add images and videos to your prompts. 
• Free-writing section. 

Five Minute Journal is designed as more of a mood improvement journal than as a traditional journal. The paid version includes a free-writing section, but with the unpaid version, there’s no way to simply add journal entries. 

The Five Minute Journal app is perfect for journaling beginners or those who appreciate the minimalist, positive psychology approach. However, if you want a traditional journal service, look elsewhere. 

Cost: $2.92 per month billed annually at $34.99. 

Available on the Play Store and Apple Store, Daylio is an interesting take on journaling. Unlike the other choices on this list, you cannot write in Daylio unless you want to add supplementary notes. Instead, Daylio displays prompts like how you’re feeling and what you did during the day. You simply select options from a list, and Daylio gives you an overall picture of your day. 

• PDF export. 
• Set custom goals for your journaling experience. 
• A detailed monthly mood and activity chart. 
• Calendar view of entries. 
• Remove the ads. 
• Automatic backups. 
• Unlimited, customizable goals. 
• Advanced statistics to track your mood and activities. 

For a different take on journaling, Daylio performs its job excellently and has received fantastic reviews. But, if you’re looking for a traditional journal, Daylio probably isn’t the best choice. It can be fascinating to view your mood and activities over a few days or a month, but as you cannot add text entries beyond short notes, it doesn’t offer the whole journaling experience. 

Cost: Free version available. The premium plan is $2.99 per month billed annually, or $4.49 per month billed monthly.  

6. Dabble.me

Dabble.me is an email-based journaling service. They will send you regular emails, and your reply will become the journal entry. Because of this, it’s technically available on any device that you can email from. 

• Simply reply to an email to write your journal entry. 
• Receive past journal entries at random. 
• Tagging. 
• Attach photos and embed songs from Spotify . 
• Set custom email reminders.
• Import entries from other services. 
• More text formatting options. 
• Calendar view and “Year in Review” functionality. 

With the free version, an email prompt is only sent out every second Sunday. Writing a journal entry once every fourteen days almost voids the entire point of a journal. Having to purchase the paid version to write journal entries whenever you like feels ingenuous. 

Dabble is a great, low-commitment choice for those who don’t have time to journal daily. But, the paid version is required to make Dabble worth it. For the price, it doesn’t match up with some of the features provided by other apps on this list. 

Our Rating : 3 out of 5 stars. 

Cost : Free version available. The PRO version is $3.00 per month or $30.00 per year. 

Time to Get Started! 

Journaling is an excellent pastime that can boost your mood and help you connect more with your day-to-day life. But, everyone likes to journal differently. Some people prefer a freeform writing service, while others prefer to follow prompts. We hope this list has provided an option for everyone to start journaling their preferred way! 

Jake Harfield is an Australian freelance writer whose passion is finding out how different technologies work. He has written for several online publications, focusing on explaining what he has learned to help others with their tech problems. He’s an avid hiker and birder, and in his spare time you’ll find him in the Aussie bush listening to the birdsong. Read Jake's Full Bio

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"This website is everything I've wanted in an online journal. Super cute and easy-to-use layout, an aesthetic that keeps me coming back.. it's the whole package. 100/10. I adore kindmind!"

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Discover the therapeutic benefits of putting thoughts into words., delightfully simple, six gorgeous themes..

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We encrypt journal entries on-disk with aes-256, the industry standard for data encryption..

If you are looking for a no fuss, simple yet intuitive online tool for journaling, look no further. I can't believe this is free.

I literally love this site so so dearly. I used to love journaling as a kid but now writing takes too long and my hands cramp up. I love being able to type my feelings away.

KindMind is the only journal site you'll need. Its simple and well organized. It's worth the membership as well.

Lindsay from USA

Journaling has been instrumental in enhancing my mental well-being, and KindMind has made the process incredibly straightforward and enjoyable.

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KindMind has been a game-changer for me. As someone with ADHD, journaling by hand was much too slow to keep up with my brain. KindMind has made journaling less of a chore and more of a gift I can give myself.

Levi from Romania

Kind mind helps me get through the days.

I'm obsessed with KindMind. As someone with anxiety and depression, having a clean and uncluttered journaling space is very important to me (and the dark mode is a massive plus). Out of all the journaling websites and software I've used, this has been my favorite by far!

Danial from CT

I got into journaling last year and went through many different sites looking for something clean and simple that allowed me to journal without all the unnecessary add-ons. Kindmind has created a true journal site, allowing people to write in peace.

KindMind has been my ultimate retreat from the world, and a place to reorganize. I come here so that my thoughts can tell me what they are thinking. Thank you for the polished platform!

HB from the US

KindMind rocks.

KindMind is my only online journal that I use. The UI and creator are great, everything is laid out perfect and honestly it keeps me sane throughout the day! I recommend upgrading to the paid subscription its well worth the cost!

Haylee from Texas

KindMind has given me a safe haven to express myself and heal. I'll forever be thankful for this site.

I've found KindMind from a reddit post the creator commented on. Since then, I've been able to write my deep and most inner thoughts, securely online for free! Simple, easy to use, what more could you need?

TJ, former addict

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Is writemore free, can anyone see what i write, who owns the intellectual property, how can i format my pages, how do i enable writing prompts, i still have questions..

Welcome to the free online diary

This is an online diary service, providing personal diaries and journals - it's free at my-diary.org! Our focus is on security and privacy, and all diaries are private by default. Go ahead and register your own public or private diary today.

Create your diary!

Writing a daily record of your life is a good way to make sure your memories and experiences stay alive. It lets you keep track and reflect on your past and learn from your mistakes. It can also be tremendously therapeutic. Not only to record fun and adventurous moments, but also sad and scary times. It can be helpful to be able to document changes in your life in an online journal.

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The 6 Best Journal Apps for 2024

These apps help gather your moods and thoughts into one place

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With the right journal app, you can make a journal or diary entry truly yours by adding images, tagging locations, setting reminders to write, password protecting folders , and so much more.

Here are the best journal and diary apps you can use both online and offline, either from a web browser or on a mobile device.

The Most Secure Journal App to Protect Your Information: Penzu

An incredibly secure journal for ultimate protection and privacy.

Fully customizable journal features for personalized journal covers, backgrounds, and font faces.

You can easily insert images between text in entries.

You'll have to upgrade to a $4.99 a month plan or a $19.99 a year plan if you want access to its full offering of customization features.

Some users report issues with saving entries and the app crashing.

Last updated in 2017.

Many journal apps offer security and privacy features, but Penzu is one that excels at it. This great journal app keeps your entries 100% safe with double password protection and military-grade 256-bit AES encryption.

Download For:

Most Intuitive Interface and Best Looking Layout: Journey

The ability to attach multiple images and videos to journal entries.

You can protect your journal with Touch ID, Face ID, or PIN-protected journals.

Automatic backups in Google Drive .

You'll have to upgrade to a recurring $3.99 monthly or $29.99 annual fee if you want access to more features.

You'll have to pay a separate fee for each different platform version if you plan to use the app on different platforms.

Whether you're keeping a dream journal, a gratitude journal, a work journal, or any other type of journal, Journey is simply one of the best apps out there. Its crisp, clean layout is a pleasure to use for crafting your journal entries so they suit your personal journaling style.

Simple and Beautiful Design With All the Right Features: Day One

You can create multiple journals if you upgrade to a premium account for $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year.

There's a nifty dark mode for writing in lower light.

You can take advantage of  IFTTT integration for creating automatic journal entries.

It's available for Android. Previously, it was only available for iOS devices.

It's inaccessible from a web browser.

There's a Mac app, but no options for PC users.

Similar to Journey, Day One features an interface that's clean, minimal and very pleasing to the eye. Despite its simple look, it packs all the features you'd want in a powerful journal app–including search, tags, maps, photos, and so much more.

Great Diary App for Quick, Short Journal or Diary Entries: Diary

Fully customizable background colors, text, and fonts.

The ability to share diary/journal entries with friends via email and other platforms.

You can insert popular emojis directly into your entries.

Only available on Android and via the web. No iOS app.

Occasional pop-up ads with no premium version to upgrade to if you want to get rid of them.

If you're looking for an app that makes it as quick, easy, and effortless as possible to start and keep a diary or journal, Diary has you covered. It's a simple, yet powerful journal app that combines an easy-to-use interface with more advanced features like password protection,  cloud storage , reminders, and more.

Use Grid-Style Templates to Encourage Yourself to Write: Grid Diary

Inspirational questions and prompts to help give you ideas for what to journal about.

The freedom to pick what you want to write about and personalize journal entries with images, etc.

Only available on iOS. No access via the web or from an Android device.

Features like password protection and cloud storage syncing are only available to Pro users for either a $1.99 monthly subscription or a $4.99 one-time purchase.

Grid Diary puts a unique spin on journaling by displaying a series of different questions in a grid-style layout, essentially making it easier for you to keep a diary or journal. It has a built-in library of suggested prompts so you never get stuck with writer's block.

Capture Your Exeriences Without Having to Write Anything: Daylio

Ideal for people who want to journal without having to write anything.

A smart interface and beautiful icons.

If you do want to write more, you can always add notes to your entries.

No traditional diary/journal writing options for wordier entries.

Not so much into writing, but want to find a super quick and easy way to record the things you experience in a day? Daylio is a micro-diary app that lets you simply pick your mood state and activities so you can spend more time doing things and less time writing.

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Keep a private and free online diary

You want to keep your thoughts in a place where no one can find them? Or capture great ideas so they do not get lost? The online diary monkkee offers you a safe place for your very personal topics.

Secret and private

Secure and encrypted, access via internet, monkkee’s features - no bells and whistles, plain functionality.

• Create your own categories using tags
• Search within entries
• Export feature
• Convenient editor
• Insert images
• Automatic saving
• Automatic logout in case of inactivity

Secure end-to-end encryption

The free online diary monkkee offers you the safest place for your thoughts. A comprehensive security concept protects your content against unauthorized access. And this is how it works:

As soon as content created by you is saved, it is directly encrypted on your computer, i.e. even before its leaves your device and is transferred to the server via the Internet. With this end-to-end encryption approach monkkee set themselves apart from other competitors who do not encrypt user data at all or only provide server-side encryption.

The decryption key for monkkee is your password, which you must enter each time you log on. The encryption method used is AES-256. Initially developed for military purposes, this highly secure encoding technology is nowadays used by governments, institutions and banks to encrypt top-secret information.

The encrypted data is transferred directly between your device and the server. For this purpose, monkkee uses an additional SSL-based encryption technology. That way, no one can eavesdrop on the transfer.

Only you can decrypt your entries now, since you are the only one to know the password. This means that even the system administrators of monkkee cannot read your data. It also means that it is not possible to hand data over to government authorities, as is currently being discussed in the media. As a side effect, it is not possible to restore your password in case you forget it. So always remember your password – there is no spare key!

If you have any further questions regarding security, check out our FAQs .

Our business model = your donations

Maybe you’ve already noticed that we don’t take advertising or membership fees here. Neither will we ever touch or monetize your personal data, as the protection of your privacy is our top priority.

In fact, monkkee is funded exclusively through donations from its users and through the ongoing support of the monkkee founders. monkkee was born out of passion for the cause and the desire to create great software. It is the work of a few passionate individuals, not one of large internet companies. With its client-side encryption, we’re convinced that monkkee is a unique product and we want to make the software accessible to any person wishing to use it.

Our long-term goal is for monkkee to be fully community-driven and pay for itself. To make this work, we depend on regular donations. The more donations we receive, the more secure monkkee’s future. Donations are used to run and maintain the software, develop new features and, last but not least, pay the bills for our server hosting costs, which have increased considerably since our start in 2013 due to the growing user base and increased storage needs.

We want to shape monkkee’s future together with you. As a crowd, we are strong and can compete with commercial providers. If you have never made a donation before, please consider helping us with a small contribution. We are grateful for every single donation we receive, no matter how small or big!

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How to Journal

Your complete guide to getting started with journaling.

Do you want to learn how to journal, but are unsure where to start?  Or you want to know what to write in a journal?  Maybe you’ve heard of creative journaling and are curious what it is? Perhaps you’re a writer and want to journal to deepen your craft?

This comprehensive “How to Journal” article will answer all of your questions about journal writing. For example, what journal writing is, how you can use it, and what benefits you can experience from this type of writing.  It also includes many journal writing prompts to help you get started. Lastly, while journal writing is typically a solitary act, you don’t have to journal alone or in isolation.  This article will tell you where you can get some help and support for your journal writing, including being part of a journal writing community or group.

This Article Covers:

What is Journal Writing?

What can i use journaling for.

• How to Journal – What are the Benefits?
• Getting Started with Journaling
• Creating a Journal Writing Ritual
• How to Journal – What To Write?
• How Often Should I Write in my Journal?

Do You Need to Write Regularly in a Journal?

• How To Journal Consistently –  Creating the Journaling Habit
• How to Journal – What Help and Support Can I Get?
• In Conclusion

Before we talk about how to journal, let’s look at what journaling is.

Journal Writing is the practice of taking time for yourself to write and reflect on your thoughts, feelings and life experiences.  There are many suggestions for how to journal and what to write about. However, the beauty of journal writing is you can do it in your own way. This means you can really make it your own creative and life enhancing practice.

There are lots of people who write in a journal.  I recently heard that 16% of the world’s population regularly writes in a journal. You could loosely test this claim yourself by asking a group of friends or family if they write in a journal and see what percentage say yes.

Each person will give a slightly different answer when asked, “What is journaling?” But in essence, journaling is the simple and profound act of capturing and understanding our lives through expressive writing and story. Expressive writing includes writing about our thoughts and feelings while gaining self-awareness and new discoveries along the way. Journaling is all about exploring and enriching life through narrative, words and creative self-expression through writing.

Journaling is…

• a powerful tool for personal growth, self-discovery, improved health and creative self-expression
• a fun and creative life enhancing practice
• used by many successful people, including Oprah and Jack Canfield (author of Chicken Soup for the Soul books), to achieve success in life and work

“Journal writing is one of the rare forms of writing in which freedom of form and content support each other magically.”   –  Stephanie Dowrick

You can use journal writing to get to know yourself better, solve problems, make life decisions, improve your health and increase feelings of gratitude and joy.  Journaling can also help you heal from stressful life circumstances, deal with grief and loss, or other life transitions. Or just journal for the pure love it!

Journaling is a fun, nourishing and creative practice that simply requires something to write with and write on. Whether it’s a pen and notebook, loose paper, cue cards, you get to choose your journaling tools!

People use journal writing in different ways for a variety of reasons. One person might journal to heal a broken heart writing an unsent letter sharing what they wish they’d said to that person.  Someone else might journal to celebrate their accomplishments and make a list of their recent successes in their journal.

There are also a wide variety of journaling methods and techniques to get the most out of your journaling. You can use it for whatever matters most to you at this time in your life.

How to Journal – What are the Benefits?

There are many evidence-based benefits of journal writing from over 30 years of research in the expressive writing field.  Yes, journal writing is a field of work!

People use the journaling process for many reasons, including to:

• stimulate a healthier mind and body
• vent and express thoughts and feelings in a healthy, constructive manner
• increase self-awareness
• create clarity for decision-making
• track progress and personal growth
• celebrate successes
• heal emotional pain and trauma
• increase self-care
• manage stress and prevent burnout
• gain broader and multiple perspectives
• practice writing in a non-judgmental setting
• improve creative thinking
• preserve memories
• get closer to God or a divine energy source

Today, journaling is widely accepted as a means for cultivating wellness as part of a whole person health approach. This includes the emotional, physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions of well-being. Journaling is also being used across various disciplines, such as education, psychology, leadership, business, health, creative writing, coaching and counselling fields, as a powerful tool for learning and growth.

How to Journal – Getting Started

Get organized.

One of the first things to do when you start a journal is get your journaling tools organized.

It can be fun to pick out your favourite pen and an inspiring journal. Look online or go into any book, stationary or office supply store and you’ll find all kinds of journals, pens, markers and other things you might like to use in your journal such as stickers or other creative touches.

So over time, you can experiment with your journaling tools. Do you like blank pages or lined? Would you prefer a small journal or a large sketchbook style journal?  Would you use the same style journal or mix it up and try something new each time you begin a new one?

Sometimes people use loose leaf paper and put their journaling pages in a binder, or write small entries on cue cards. And some people even use big 18 x 24 pages of paper for larger visual journaling entries. You can create a mixed media art journal and much more.

Just Write!

The key is to pick some simple journaling tools to start with – a pen and notebook – and just start writing.

Your writing will teach you what you need. For example, I used to write in a small lined journal and over the years, my writing longed for larger, open, clear spaces to fill. Now I use an 8 ½ by 11 blank page sketchbook, spiral bound and I keep my pilot pen in the spine of the journal.

Find your own tools and make your own way as you write. The only way to journal, is to write. And then write some more.

Whether you’re an avid journal writer, someone who journaled in the past, or have never written in a journal before:

“There is a Spanish proverb which says: there is no road, we make the road as we walk. I would say the same thing about journal writing: we make the path as we write.” Christina Baldwin

How to Journal – Creating Writing Rituals

What is a journaling writing ritual.

Dr. James Pennebaker, author of Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma & Emotional Upheaval , suggests some conditions that help enhance the expressive writing process.  His research shows that creating a journal writing ritual is very beneficial.

Being focused, non-judgmental, and connected to your interior world fosters deeper writing. But, it’s not a frame of mind that everyone can simply switch on and off.

The idea behind creating a ritual is to create a unique environment and/or behavior which helps you sink into the best journal writing mindset possible. The purpose of the ritual is to take you away from everyday life. Your ritual contains the cues you create for yourself which help you become relaxed, alert, and reflective.

How do you Create a Journal Writing Ritual?

Here are some suggestions, but remember, the ritual you create to transition into deeper journal writing is uniquely yours.

• Select some music that creates a sense of serenity. Play it for five minutes, focusing on simply listening to the music. Consider closing your eyes. Do not read your mail or straighten out your desk! You may want to have just one piece of music you use each time as your centering pre-writing ritual. Or choose three or four pieces you love for some variety.
• Begin with several minutes of a meditation or a prayer. You can write just for the occasion or create something spontaneously each time.
• Brew a cup of tea or coffee, or pour yourself some fresh juice. Perhaps a glass of wine? Spend a few minutes holding the cup, feeling the warmth, smelling the aromas of your drink and deeply enjoy those sensations.

Write in an environment that’s inspiring for your journal writing

• This could be by a bright and sunny window or a softly lit corner nestled in a cozy chair.
• Light a candle and while lighting the candle say an affirmation, your intention or make a wish.

Journal at approximately the same time each day

• This doesn’t have to be at the same hour each day, but it’s helpful if it’s at the same time in your daily routine. For example half an hour before bed, which will work whether you go to bed at 10pm or at midnight.

The trick, of course, is to find the cues that help you settle in quickly. Initially, experiment with different rituals to see which feels best and then stick with the practice once you’ve found one you like. Remember to use as many of your senses (smell, sight, touch, hearing and taste) as you can when creating your centering ritual.

How to Journal – What To Write

You can write about anything you want to write about. For example write about your day including your thoughts, feelings, problems, challenges, upsets, joys, successes and dreams. Here are some journaling prompts to help you get started:

• Right now, I am feeling…
• In the moment, I notice…
• Currently, I am thinking about…
• So far, the best part about my week is…

You can also write about what you don’t want to write about—and explore your resistance!

Resistance offers you information about where you’re feeling stuck, perhaps procrastinating, or simply not quite sure how to proceed. Here are some journaling prompts to play with around resistance:

• At the moment, I don’t really want to write about (and then write about it anyways)…
• I am feeling resistant because…
• If I wasn’t feeling resistant, what might be different in my life right now…

You can free write (simply go to the page and start writing) or you can do more structured journal writing activities such as using prompts.

There are many other journal writing techniques and methods such as mind maps, cluster drawings, dialogue writing, captured moments, poetic writing and more that you can learn about and use to keep your journal writing fresh and interesting.

Access our free 7 Servings of Journal Juice for new ideas on what to write about in your journal. And you’ll also receive journal writing prompts, exercises, tips and our inspiring Journaling Museletter .

How To Journal – How Often Should I Write

There are no rules about how often you should write in your journal. Like anything, the more often you do something that’s good for you, the more benefits you get from it. I doubt you would go for one walk around the block and expect to experience significant health benefits from it.

The same is true for journaling. While that one walk would have offered you ‘in the moment’ benefits like time to relax, feeling good from moving your body, fresh air and more, the same is true for journaling.

You could gain a sense of relief, renewal and replenishment from just 10 minutes of writing about your thoughts, feelings and life observations.

Journal Regularly

Much like any other activity that’s good for you like brushing your teeth, meditating or eating a healthy diet, journaling can also be done regularly. Journaling makes a great healthy daily habit.

Set a Timer

I often facilitate timed journal writing exercises in workshops and retreats that I offer. It’s a core part of my Transformational Writing for Wellness Salon , a 6 week group coaching program that takes people into the heart and art of transformational journaling.

So often people say, “I can’t believe how much I wrote in just 5 minutes” or “I can’t believe I gained new insights when I just wrote for 7 minutes!”

Journaling to Cope

Many people only write in their journals when they are going through difficult times. Then once things are going better, they stop writing. This is also a valuable way to use your journal as a life companion to help you cope during stressful or troubled times.

The key is not to get too caught up in “shoulds”: I should journal today, I should journal more often. That’s because ‘shoulds’ can open the door for negative self-talk and feelings of inadequacy and shame. Instead, your journaling practice is best treated like a kind friend. You journal because you want to, and because it’s an enjoyable, or at least helpful, relaxing experience.

It’s a question that most journal writers face at some point. Does it matter if you write often in your journal? Well, whether you write regularly depends on your purpose for writing. Is it to preserve memories? To sort out issues? To track physical or emotional, spiritual, or intellectual progress? Track health symptoms?

If journal writing is pleasurable, then writing is its own reward. If journal writing becomes a task you “should” do, rather than something you enjoy, then you’ll write less consistently.

So part of the issue can be reframed by asking, ”How do I make journal writing pleasurable?” The answer to this question will help you find your own way to make journaling a consistent and enjoyable habit.

How To Journal Consistently –  Creating the Journaling Habit

Think of writing a journal entry as the lowest cost and highest benefit way of taking care of your health. Remember that writing about meaningful events or activities in your life has been proven to positively impact your overall health without major cost of time or money and without having to leave your home!

If you do want to write in your journal on a regular basis and truly create the journaling habit, here are a few ideas to help you keep writing consistently:

Make your journal writing more upbeat

• Review the good things that have happened in your day—your attitude, your progress toward a goal, a minor victory, even a two-minute interaction with someone that went well.
• Remind yourself about the good stuff in your life and your good qualities.

Write when you have difficult issues in your life that need to be resolved

• Who doesn’t experience difficult times? Consider the time that you write in your journal as an oasis of self-nurturing in your day. It’s a time to vent, rant, reflect, and process just for you.

If possible, write at the same time every day

• Incorporate your writing practice into a daily routine.

Make it short and fun!

• Write a one-word journal entry that captures your day.
• It’s a challenge to come up with that one word. You can think about it while you are doing some mindless life maintenance activity—like flossing your teeth, taking out the garbage, or folding clothes.
• Then once you’ve determined that word, writing your journal entry takes almost no time.

Back to the question: Does it really matter that you write consistently?

Writing consistently helps you maintain your journaling practice. It means that when you re-read your journal, there are enough entries to have meaning and flow.

Your ability to write consistently in your journal will be determined by how you feel and doing what’s right for you. So, while you’re writing and when you finish, notice how you feel.

• Did you like the process?
• Were you feeling relaxed and soothed during or after writing?
• Did you feel at times frustrated, angry, confused, despairing?

This whole spectrum of emotions is simply part of the process of journal writing. I know that I feel better most of the time after I write – like I’ve released a burden or relived a pleasurable part of my day.

How to Journal – What Help and Support Can I Get?

One of the best ways to learn more about how to journal is with the support of a like minded community. When we join with fellow journal writers there are regular opportunities to connect, learn and be inspired about journaling. People who like yoga connect in yoga communities, and the same is true for meditation, scrapbooking, running and more. There is a human instinct to find supportive communities who share our passion or interest, so we can learn and grow together.

At the IAJW, our journal writing community is for extroverts and introverts alike. Perhaps you want the inspiration and support of a community, but would rather sit back quietly and take it all in. Or maybe you want to chat with fellow journal writers live on our monthly Zoom Chats with guest experts. You can gain regular  help and support for your unique approach to journal writing.

Join our Online Journal Writing Community

We know there is power in community. So come join fellow journal writers in the International Association for Journal Writing ! We offer a learning and inspirational community for journal writers worldwide. Access monthly online writing circles, interviews with guest experts in the field of journaling and expressive writing, courses, journaling tools, e-books and much more.

We also have our Journal Writing Facebook group . Connect with fellow journal writers, receive journal writing tips and prompts to support you on your unique journal writing journey. Everyone is welcome!

Treat Yourself to a Journal Writing Retreat

Lastly, you might want to join one of our virtual Renew You Writing Retreats . Take 3 hours for yourself to journal in a guided and nourishing way. Whether you want to kick-start or reinvigorate your journaling practice, this retreat gives you time for creative self-care and renewal!

“Wow! What an awesome experience! I must admit I was a tad bit skeptical about an online retreat. But woah! Was I wrong! The Renew You Writing Retreat was so invigorating, uplifting, therapeutic, inspirational….just plain awesomesauce. Have you ever had an experience like that? You go in a little skeptical and come out blown away? Have you had the experience of being deeply inspired through writing and sharing with others? If not, you’re missing out! Thank you, Lynda, for creating such a wonderful space and experience.” Airial W. Dandridge, Certified Life Coach

How to Journal – In Conclusion

If you’ve read this far, I know you’re passionate (or at least curious about) the many benefits of  journal writing. Journaling is an empowering experience because you’re always the expert of your own life. Journaling helps you explore both your inner and outer worlds and make sense of your life experience.

As a Registered Social Worker and Certified Co-Active Life Coach, I have been immersed in human transformation, growth, change and wellness for the past 30 years. I’ve learned many different tools and techniques for self-care, healing and growth through my studies and first-hand experience. Journaling is my go to practice that helps me live an intentional, healthy and happy life. And it has helped many people to do the same! Including you, perhaps?

There is only one way to experience the many benefits of journal writing—pick up your pen and write!

“Writing was the healing place where I could collect bits and pieces, where I could put them together again…written words change us all and make us more than we could ever be without them.” bell hooks

May your journaling support you to live an incredible life!

Authors :  Lynda Monk, Director of IAJW and Ruth Folit, Founder of IAJW , partnered to write this How to Journal article, attempting to answer some of the most common questions that new and, in some cases, even seasoned journal writers have.

23 Comments

Such a wonderful article. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks, Diana!

I went to write lots bits to remember and copied it almost word for word in my common place book,but I love to write and am trying to get back into it,I’m writing for recovery from am 8yr relationship with a covert gaslighting narcissist,and I couldn’t write,let alone relax,I have been out for almost 2yrs,and when I start to feel joy or something didn’t work out and I’m hard on myself,I swear I can feel his presence in my house,he doesn’t know where I am,I left him and moved 2hr away in a different state,the feeling is almost overwhelming

Hi Dixie, personal writing can help heal from painful relationships. It’s great you are getting back into it!

Thank you both Lynda and Ruth for this wonderfully informative resource. Never too old to learn something new! Thank you both for bringing this to us.

Thanks, Lyn. Glad it offered some new ideas!

Great article Lynda! You’ve covered so many bases – lots of work, and very informative and knowledgeable as always :) Emma-Louise

Hi Emma, thanks for your kind feedback!

You two put together a beautiful and accessible piece here. It’s filled with all the vast experience and love you have for journaling. Thanks, Beth

Thanks so much, Beth! Your feedback means a lot to us.

Lynda, a beautiful gift to receive, words combing thoughts, insightful expressions and creative suggestions. Thank you for sharing a writing world held in heart, pen or typing starts journaling what is seen, felt or sensed from a human inner essence. Whole ❤️ Namaste.

Thank you, Denise! Namaste.

My name is Jacki Smallwood. I have been watching your sight on Facebook, and all the various gifts you have given while on the sight. I have been in a nursing home for 3 years and in quarantine for the past 11 months, not leaving my room, no guests, no funerals or graduation s. To keep my sanity u journal, I share my journaling with other residents through Messenger to help others cope. I don’t have access to copy machine nor anyone to take it out to staples. I am asking if anyone of your organization would donate material that would help me so much and then share with others. I get 45.00 a month from SS and need every penny for my needs. Anything you can do would be so helpful.

Seniors are a special group often ignored through this Covid.

Thank you for anything you could for me.

Jacky Smallwood

Hi Jacky, thank you for your note and request. I removed your mailing address from your original comment before publishing it for your privacy. I will reach out to you by email. I am glad journaling is helping you during this difficult time. More to follow, Lynda

Lynda, I’m very grateful to have ran across this article. I used to journal a lot when I was younger and I write poetry and music pretty consistently for the last few years. I have been told journaling could be amazing for me to get over some of my past pains and nasty relationships and getting to know myself, growing into a stronger (as well as better person), and just for my general mental health. So, as I begin to journal this very day, I was writing down many things that I want to include and accomplish with this journal inside the front pages of my book and I happened to run across your article! Now I just want to give you a big thank you BECAUSE I attained a lot of information, ideas, and format to include in my new journaling experience! I’m very excited to embark and I just wanted to let you know again I’m grateful for running across your words.

Chelsea Venice, Florida

Hi Chelsea, thanks for your note and for sharing some of your journaling hopes! I love the serendipity that you found our journaling website. We have lots of free journaling resources, including journaling prompts, that might be helpful along the way. You can find them here if you are interested: https://iajw.org/free-journaling-resources/ Happy journaling!

Thanks for your article esp the prompts to change the language and freshen up what I usually write.

wonderful article

Thank you so much for this article! When I was in my deepest months I would always journal but then once I got better I stopped journaling. I really want to get back into it but instead of writing about the bad in my life, I am going to focus on the good.

thank you for this article!

You’re welcome, Gwen. Thanks for reading.

I love the ideas for making journaling more appealing in order to journal more consistently. Sometimes I get so caught up in the “should do’s” that I forget that there really are no rules!

Very informative article on journaling! I’ve found journaling to be a wonderful practice for self-discovery and personal growth.

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Top 7 Free Websites to Keep Diary Online

Online diary is the great way to express yourself and share your thoughts with twin souls. Besides, by keeping a personal online journal you train writing skills a lot. Learn what are the best online services to run a diary and express your thoughts and ideas.

SEE ALSO: 5 Best Diary Apps to Keep a Personal Journal on iPhone

Livejournal.com

Livejournal.com is a widely known online community for writing amateurs. Every journal seems to be like a private apartment of the owner: personalized style, custom background , feed, layouts, buttons. It’s like you create your own little website targeted at writing your thoughts. Besides, Livejournal gives you a profile page where you are free to set all the necessary information about you and your online diary.

Here you can write public entries, entries for only friends and personal ones. Add photos, music and videos to your posts to make them more interesting. Don’t forget to mark your articles with tags for a simple search in future.

There are a lot of communities in LJ where all the members can write and interact with each other. If you can’t find the community you like, create your own one and meet cool new people with the same interests and ideas.

Actually, this diary website is free, but some layouts and domen names are available for a definite yearly payment.

Penzu.com resembles a real notebook and so it is very stylish and modern. Here you can keep a private diary and no one will have an access to your entries or, at the same time, you can share your thoughts with friends via email. If you like sharing your thoughts 24/7, download Penzu app on your Android phone or iPhone for a more comfortable writing.

The site offers the Pentagon like security. Not only it can hide your posts from other people’s eyes, but it can encrypt them. So, if you are mad about privacy, Penzu is what you need.

Penzu offers a lot of design themes to choose from. Thus, you’ll easily customize your online journal and make it look unique.

One of the coolest thing of this site is that you can import here the entries from your old diaries. However, they should be in an XML file, RSS feed, or from Livejournal to work correctly.

All your notes are easily printable and you are welcome to keep them as a real diary as well. Alternatively, you may save your entries in PDF, TXT, RSS, or ATOM XML format on your PC.

Diary.com is one more widely recognized website for personal online entries. It provides you with a lot of occasional diaries to explore. When you enter the site, you may see recent or most popular post of other users. Don’t miss them to learn something new. The interface of the source is much more of a newspaper than of a feed line.

It’s really great as a public diary for sharing thoughts with others. On the other hand, you’ll get a personal journal for writing secret thoughts in.

So if you have different types of notes (personal and public), register on this website.

SEE ALSO: 10 Laughable Tumblr Blogs You Need to Follow SEE ALSO: Get free DVD burning software to Keep Videos Safe on Discs

Tumblr is an extremely popular micro-blogging platform. It’s mostly used for short entries, pic and video sharing. Just make sure that your videos in the right web format, e.g. you will need to convert MKV to MP4 . Thus, this platform is for those who want to share cool news, GIF pictures , music and so on. Of course, you are free to make your blog private or available only for your friends.

As for the customization, Tumblr lets you choose a theme you like and make simple changes like font style or color, or background.

Like Twitter, Tumblr is based on hashtags. Add most popular hashtags to your entries to collect more re-posts and likes.

Journalate is a simple online diary where you can keep your thoughts. It’s most suitable for those who want to have a personal online journal with private entries. Like Penzu, it offers high security level. Thus, you may be sure no one will see your posts.

The platform has a plain design, yet it looks good on all mobile devices. So, you can easily add entries from your iPhone, iPad or other portable device.

There are two types of account: a free and a premium one. The latter will give you an option to import your posts from Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

Monkkee is one more platform where you can write down your ideas and keep them safely from other people’s eyes. The service is free with a convenient text editor and all the necessary options for post writing. It lets you add images to your posts and mark them with hashtags.

If you wish, you can export your entries to your PC or portable device.

Fitday.com will become your best diary pall if your life is based a lot on healthy way. When you spend a lot of time exercising or follow various diets, you can write everything in this online journal. Set your goals if you want and organize your priorities. Check the success and training methods of other users to get additional information.

Both free and premium account types are available.

All in all, keeping your notes & memories written, you may not be afraid to lose them one day. In case you want to save your DVDs collection from disc scratches and other troubles, try our DVD Ripper software to turn years-old DVD movies into lightweight digital copies.

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Posted on Nov 19, 2018

15 of the Best Online Writing Communities for Aspiring Authors

As enjoyable and fulfilling as writing can be, the truth is that it’s often a solitary endeavor. While we might romanticize the focused artist typing away while imaginary worlds and narratives swirl inside their minds — authors know the truth: writing can get lonely. And moreover, when you’re working on a one-person project, it can be hard to remain motivated and accountable. That’s where writing communities come in.

Writing communities are the perfect place to find answers to your writing questions and to discuss the ins and outs of the writing life with people who actually understand what you’re talking about.

So, if you are tired of listening only to the voices in your head, take a look at our list of top online writing communities. (And if you're hungry for more, check out our more exhaustive list of the very best writing websites !)

Top online writing communities

1. absolute write water cooler.

With over 68,000 members, this is a large and highly active community. Here you can find threads on every genre imaginable, as well as discussions about freelance writing , the publishing industry, pop culture, writing prompts and exercises, and much more.

Perfect for: writers who are looking for a large and active community.

2. AgentQuery Connect

While this forum will come in handy for any writer, it’s especially helpful for authors who have already completed their manuscript and are wondering what to do next. The site boasts a wealth of information on publishing topics such as querying agents, self-publishing tips, and book promotion advice.

Perfect for: writers who are looking to connect with agents and learn more about the publishing industry.

3. Camp NaNoWriMo

If you’ve ever wanted to go to a writer’s retreat but can’t afford it just yet, then this site might help scratch your itch. Holding online “camp sessions” in April and July, Camp NaNoWriMo offers a digital space to encourage and empower writers at any point of their career. Here you can work on drafts, revisions, short stories, or any other writing project that involves word-count goals.

Perfect for: writers who can’t wait until November to crack their writing goals .

4. Critique Circle

Feedback should be a vital part of any writer’s process, and this is exactly what Critique Circle offers. This members-only site allows authors to post stories in exchange for feedback on other people’s writing. You can also find storyboarding tools , writing prompts , workshops, name generators , games like hangman, and much more.

Perfect for: writers who want honest feedback on their writing.

5. Chronicles

As the world’s largest Science Fiction and Fantasy online community, Chronicles offers writers the opportunity to get together and discuss the latest books, news, and pop culture in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy world. This is an active community with thousands of threads that include genre-specific challenges, workshops, critiques, and even publishing and industry information.

Perfect for: writers interested in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing.

6. Facebook Groups

If social media is more your style, don't miss the chance to interact with your fellow writers by joining Facebook groups in your own niche. Look for groups with a strict "no self-promotion" rules so that it remains supportive and useful to your writing goals.

There are a lot of groups out there in a variety of topics that range from genre-specific writing tips to traditional and self-publishing industry news. Here are just a few of them:

The Street Team — Reedsy's own book marketing group for self-publishing authors. 10 Minute Novelists — a group for the time-crunched writer. Calls for Submissions  — for writers looking for publication opportunities. Fiction Writers Global — a great resource for information about traditional and self-publishing. Writers Unite! — an active group with plenty of support and motivation for novice and experienced writers alike.

Perfect for: writers who prefer using social media.

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7. Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Whether you are a debut or seasoned author, there’s no doubt that writing a book can be intimidating and rife with bouts of self-doubt. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group aims to help you overcome those insecurities by hosting a community of like-minded authors.

Perfect for: writers who have doubts about their writing and are in need of encouragement.

8. The Next Big Writer

This is an international forum where writers can receive feedback on their writing and support on every other part of the creative process from drafting to publishing and marketing. The critiques are often thorough and many come from published authors. Keep in mind that there is a monthly cost associated with the membership, but it might be worth it to be able to bend the ear of published authors.

Perfect for: writers seeking in-depth critiques from an international audience.

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More than just a single writing community, Reddit has countless ‘subreddits’ where writers of all genres, interests, and levels of experience flock. While it may not offer workshops or tools, members can find niche threads that relate to their interests, critique other people’s work, and discover helpful sources of information.

There are so many different subreddits that you can get lost browsing them, but here are a few of the most popular ones:

r/writing — for general writing purposes. r/writingprompts — for user-submitted writing prompts. r/destructivereaders — beware, if you don’t like harsh criticism this may not be the best fit. But if you are willing to endure it, you will come out a better writer at the end. r/worldbuilding — user submitted fiction worlds. r/fantasywriters — for anybody interested in the fantasy genre. r/characterforge — the place to be for character building. r/writerchat — for those interested in talking with fellow writers. r/selfpublish — for anybody interested in self-publishing. r/logophilia — “the love of words and word games,” and that’s exactly what you’ll find here. r/freelanceWriters — for anybody interested in a career in freelance writing . r/books — because reading is just as important as writing if you want to be a successful author.

Perfect for: writers who want niche threads based on a particular interest or need.

10. Scribophile

One of the largest communities in the world, Scribophile offers workshops, tutorials, and critiques for authors in just about any genre imaginable. While it is free to join, only users who pay for a membership get access to all their features.

Perfect for: authors whowant to take part in writing workshops alongside writers of all experience levels.

11. She Writes

With over 30,000 members, this is the largest writing community exclusively for women. Here you can find articles on writing, editing, and marketing for every genre. There are forums tailored to specific needs, like travel writers, writing about trauma, NaNoWriMo, and many other topics.

Perfect for: women writers who want a place to connect and learn from fellow writers.

12. Talentville

If your passion lies in screenwriting, then you’ll want to book a one-way ticket to Talentville. Here you can get feedback on your writing and learn the skills necessary to perfect your screencraft. Plus, you can work on and build your network of contacts: the site is also a frequent stop for industry professionals (like agents, managers, and producers) on the lookout for new talent.

Perfect for: writers whoare interested in screenwriting and networking.

13. Underlined

A writing community by Penguin Random House. While any author can find helpful information on this website, it’s geared more towards younger writers. It has a well-designed platform, quizzes, genre-specific information, the latest news on book releases, Q&As with authors, and even some giveaways and excerpts as perks.

Perfect for: younger writers who are looking for genre-specific information and bookish perks.

14. Writers Helping Writers

This is a free-to-register community where you can find resources for writers, teachers, and editors alike. They offer a vast array of tools to perfect your craft, no matter your level. Their extensive creative library includes webinars, free writing and marketing tools, a thesaurus collection, story maps, idea generators, and more.

Perfect for: writers, editors, and teachers who are looking to build up their writing toolbox.

15. #WritingCommunity

Sometimes, all you need is a hashtag. And indeed, Twitter's own #WritingCommunity is one of the most robust writing collectives on the web. Ask a question, and it'll almost certainly get answered (without a lot of Twitter's trademark snark). The key here is to keep your questions concise, reply often to others, and don't go crazy with other hashtags. The community can tell if you're just thirsty for RTs. Perfect for: writers who are finally ready to use Twitter for good — and not just for procrastinating.

Do you belong to a writing community? Which one is your favorite one? Add yours in the comments below!

13 responses

27/11/2018 – 22:42

Very useful post. Thanks for this. I will be linking to it on my blog.

Dr Jack Edward Effron says:

18/02/2019 – 16:40

You left out taylz.com. It’s truly free. They are not going to give you a rubbish service to make you join their pay site because they have no pay site. Your story can be 8,000 words. They are not going to force you into flash fiction of 3,000 words. One critique out, one critique in: no mucking about with “karma” or critiquing 5+ stories to get one critique. The great new idea whose time has come! And it’s British, not American.

marieseltenrych says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Reedsy, thank God you are here! I want to ask a question to other authors or self publishers here: I have been approached by OmniScriptum to publish my books (research) with them. I cannot find much about this company online, so wondered if anyone has published with them recently? Thanks Reedsy in anticipation. Marie

↪️ Reedsy replied:

08/05/2019 – 12:29

Hi Marie! Sounds potentially very shady to me. If you haven't already, check out our post on predatory companies in publishing. One of the rules of thumb is that if a publisher contacts you first, be very wary. I just did 20 seconds worth of Googling and found some people who had a bad experience.

Eunice Brownlee says:

I am a member of illuminate, which is a group designed around supporting women who want to share their stories but don't know how. The majority of us write non-fiction essays and memoirs, but we have a few poets and fiction writers in the mix as well. The overall goal is to support each other, especially through those harder moments of not wanting to write, or not knowing where to start. There are monthly themes and prompts, a weekly exercise inside the Facebook group, and cross-sharing of what we're working on. My favorite feature is the expert review, where you can submit any piece you're working on each month and you'll get quality feedback from one of the editors that manage the group. This group is perfect for anyone who is just getting started writing.

↪️ Brittani B replied:

11/02/2020 – 19:27

I tried the link multiple times both from this page and separately searched and was unable to access the site.

Harry says:

05/06/2019 – 07:51

Personally I think you missed out the best writing community: https://community.jerichowriters.com/ Jericho Writers is a free writing community that writers can safely share thought, make friends, swap work and get advice

Christian says:

08/08/2019 – 12:21

I only recommend Scribophile if you enjoy being coerced into groupthink. If you hope to get meaningful critique that will help you, look elsewhere. The critiques here are mostly SPAG, and it's forbidden to discuss your work on the main forums, except in the broadest, vaguest way.

Randy says:

18/08/2019 – 06:11

I have all my dads writing research and copyrights to 18 different books....all this was before the digital world .... many negatives photos ....every major story from all over the world with his .copyright . These are huge stores and his books are really well written ....what should I do with them .....incredible spy work as well

Ratih says:

27/08/2019 – 03:50

As a new writer this article is really useful for me. Thank you reedsy

Jennifer says:

02/09/2019 – 14:15

Hi guys! Great blog! Just wanted to let you know that we linked to you in a blog on the Peaceful Living Wellness Online Magazine :) It will be published on Friday, September 6th, 2019

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

17/09/2019 – 09:04

Thanks! We appreciate that!

Kaylee Downey says:

14/02/2020 – 19:09

Um...what about Wattpad?

Comments are currently closed.

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Journaling For Mental Health: How To Do It Effectively To Improve Mood And Well-Being

Here's what the science says.

“Journaling can be a powerful way to organize your thoughts, feelings, and ideas, leading to increased self-awareness, self-discovery, and growth,” says Jaci Witmer Lopez, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist based in New York City. “In my practice, I've seen firsthand how regular journaling can transform lives.”

Maybe you've kept a fitness journal in the past to help you stay on track toward your wellness goals, or you currently have a gratitude journal to stay grounded. There are travel journals to help you document your adventures, and if you’re less artistically inclined, there are even journaling apps to help you stay mindful on the go. Below, experts share the benefits of journaling for mental health, how to start one yourself, and specific writing prompts for inspiration.

Meet the experts: Jaci Witmer Lopez, PsyD , is a clinical psychologist based in New York City. Marc Campbell, LMHC , is a licensed therapist based in Orlando, Florida, and the author of I Love My Queer Kid .

Common Benefits Of Journaling

Apart from having a dedicated place for juicy diary entries, there are several general benefits of journaling. The practice has been shown to help people process stressful events, according to a study published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine . In another study about college students, researchers found that journaling may improve self-efficacy —in other words, it can help you believe in yourself. Writing has even been studied as a behavioral intervention for children—so if you have kiddos at home, encouraging them to write may not be such a bad idea.

Common benefits of journaling include:

• Finding inspiration
• Creative expression
• Tracking your goals
• Fun freewriting
• General reflection
• Brainstorming ideas

5 Mental Health Benefits Of Journaling

Apart from its general benefits, here's how journaling can impact your mental health, specifically, according to experts.

1. It can help you process (and learn from) your emotions.

“Remembering the events from your day—both the ups and the downs—can help your brain practice processing and regulating your emotions,” says Marc Campbell, LMHC, a licensed therapist based in Orlando, Florida. For instance, if you’re feeling rejected from a recent breakup or you're burned out at work, writing about how you feel and reading it back to yourself can help you process the difficult emotions. Journaling can also help you recognize certain patterns, practice more acceptance, and have more empathy for yourself, Campbell says.

2. It can help you heal from traumatic events.

Journaling can significantly impact your ability to process and heal from trauma, Lopez says. “ Research has shown that writing can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” she says. “When you write things down as opposed to just thinking about them, you hold yourself accountable to reframing or changing your narrative.” Although the mental health effects of trauma won’t disappear by simply writing down how you feel, journaling can be a helpful practice in addition to seeking therapy and trauma treatment .

3. It may help you manage anxiety and depression.

Anxiety and depression are among the most commonly cited mental health struggles in America, per the American Psychological Association (APA). And although having a writing practice won't cure these conditions overnight, journaling may have the potential to decrease depression and anxiety and improve resilience over time, according to a recent study . Plus, if you’re struggling to find meaning in everyday life or you feel generally disengaged—both of which are common experiences when facing mental health challenges— some studies suggest that journaling may help.

4. It can help you track your therapy progress.

If you're seeing a therapist right now, journaling can help you check in with yourself daily or weekly about how it’s going—or even help you hold yourself accountable for certain behaviors you’d like to change, Campbell says. “Through the process of journaling, you can reflect on past entries and potentially learn about any patterns you have,” he says.

You can also use a journal to reflect on what, exactly you speak about during your therapy sessions and begin to process how you’re feeling about it, Lopez adds. An added benefit? One day, you can look back at your journal and celebrate how far you've come.

5. It can help you practice self-compassion.

Whether you're dealing with a specific mental health issue or you're simply feeling overwhelmed, negative self-talk, shame, and embarrassment are common. It can be difficult to be kind to yourself, however, practicing self-compassion can go a long way, experts say. A recent study in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology found that daily journaling as a mindfulness practice led to increased levels of self-compassion, and another study on registered nurses found that journaling can boost compassion and help manage burnout.

How To Start Journaling For Mental Health

If you aren't someone who spilled your heart out in a childhood diary, don't worry—journaling can be as simple as jotting things down on your phone, in a notebook, or responding to a specific prompt to get inspiration (more on that soon).

There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to journal, but it should be a personal process, Campbell says. “I recommend starting journaling in the way that feels most authentic to you. If you prefer pen and paper, start with that. If you prefer typing things out in your notes app, that works, too. If you aren’t sure, try both and more—a laptop or even typewriter if you’re feeling adventurous,” he says. Also, writing for mental health is personal, but you shouldn't feel pressured to document your whole life story all at once (unless you want to).

Whether you incorporate journaling into your morning routine or you attempt five minutes before bedtime to free-write, experts recommend starting slow. “If you're new to journaling, my advice is to start small and be patient with yourself. Set aside just a few minutes a day to begin with, and gradually increase the time as you build the habit. It’s important to find a method that you'll stick with consistently," Lopez says. Try to pace yourself and make the practice as manageable as possible so that it becomes a habit formed over time, she adds.

10 Journal Prompts For Mental Health

• What was the highlight of my day?
• What was a lot moment of my day?
• What's a challenge I'm facing right now?
• What people, places, or things am I grateful for and why?
• Who is someone that's inspired me lately and why?
• What are three things I'm proud of myself for, and why?
• What is a small act of kindness I can do for myself this week?
• What is one limiting belief I have about myself? (And is there a way I can begin to reframe it)?
• Describe something you are struggling with. Then, read it from the perspective of someone you care about. What would they have to say about it?
• If I could change an aspect of my mental health and well-being right now, what would it be and why?

When it comes to journaling for mental health, consistency is key. Whatever method, prompt, or format you choose, your mental health will thank you.

Best Journals For Mental Health

The Five Minute Journal

Looking for a simple, sleek journal that will help you practice more mindfulness and gratitude? This popular option might be a good fit for you. It encourages you to cultivate a sense of calm for just five minutes a day, but there are plenty of helpful tools packed into the journal itself—like prompts, daily highlights, weekly challenges, affirmations, and more. If you're brand new to journaling for mental health, this one provides clear cues and outlines to help you self-reflect and feel more confident. Plus, it's aesthetically pleasing. What could be better?

The Big Feelings Survival Guide

This colorful, activity-filled workbook by licensed art therapist Alyse Ruriani, LPC, is a great option if you're ready to dive into mental health in a fun, accessible, yet meaningful way. The workbook includes practical and creative activities that are all rooted in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), which, ICYMI, is a revolutionary treatment that helps people move through emotions. Not only will you gain major insight about your mental health journey, but the workbook itself is super bright and engaging—the helpful illustrations and eye-opening exercises are sure to help you reflect and gain inspiration.

Self-Love Workbook for Women

This self-love workbook by therapist Megan Logan, LCSW, is uniquely designed to help you release self-doubt and have more self-compassion. The journal includes quizzes, writing prompts, and fun activities to help you cultivate more self-love, like writing a message to your younger self and making a "happy playlist." You'll also find empowering affirmations for those days when your mental health isn't so good—plus, the journal provides helpful resources for goal-tracking, identifying emotions, and embracing who you are.

90-Day Mental Health Journal

This easy-to-follow journal encourages you to care for your mental health in a holistic way. If you're dealing with stress, anxiety, or uncertainty about the future, the journal claims to help you self-reflect and gain self-awareness while focusing on the power of the present moment. This journal is ideal for anyone who wants to breathe, reconnect with themselves, and cultivate more mindfulness. It comes with grounding activities and daily check-ins to help you keep track of your emotions—and understand their roots.

Lexi Inks (she/her) is a lifestyle journalist based in Jacksonville, Florida. She has reported on countless topics, including sexual wellness, astrology, relationship issues, non-monogamy, mental health, pop culture, and more. In addition to Women’s Health, her work has been published on Bustle, Cosmopolitan, Well + Good, Byrdie, Popsugar, and others. As a queer and plus-size woman with living with mental illness, Lexi strives for intersectionality and representation in all of her writing. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Jacksonville University, which she has chosen to make everyone’s problem.

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More From Forbes

Keep a daily “wins journal” to increase stamina and motivation.

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starting a wins journal

When pursuing an important long-term goal, it’s helpful to notice and appreciate the small accomplishments along the way. Acknowledging little victories boosts energy and motivation, increasing stamina for the long haul. Of course, small successes may also bring benefits themselves. Meeting a quarterly sales goal not only makes you more likely to hit your annual sales objective but also increases customers and revenue now .

Good managers help teams track successes and acknowledge small wins, but not everyone has a good manager. Some people, such as freelancers and solopreneurs, have no manager at all. If you don’t have anyone tracking your daily or weekly accomplishments—or even if you do, but still find yourself focusing on what you haven’t done while brushing off what you have—it may be time to make a practice of noticing little victories yourself. Last week, the New York Times ran an article related to spring cleaning, not careers, but the title expresses the same theme- In Praise of Tiny Triumphs .

One good way to track triumphs: keep a “wins journal.”

Write Your Way Forward

We’ve all read by now about the power of writing a gratitude journal (and maybe even seen articles on how to start one, such as this post on the Greater Good Science Center ). As studies show, shifting our focus from what we lack to what we’re grateful for can increase happiness and decrease depression. A “wins journal” is similar to a gratitude diary in that it has a specific focus—but with a different goal: helping you notice and record your victories; no success is too small.

Expressive and reflective writing in general have been shown to help release anxiety and stress, increase clarity and focus, and even improve your sleep. A study of a six-week journaling intervention for people who had experienced upheaval concluded that the practice “increases resilience, and decreases depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and rumination.” All of these benefits make personal writing a good habit to develop when it comes to supporting your career success. As this recent article in Forbes notes, “Journaling has emerged as a potent instrument for enhancing productivity, self-awareness, and success in the professional realm.”

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Recording wins can be a particularly powerful career-enhancement tool because it puts you in a progress mindset. As an article in Harvard Business Review puts it, “The more frequently people experience a feeling of progress, the more likely they are to be creatively productive in the long run. Whether they are trying to solve a major scientific mystery or simply produce a high-quality product or service, everyday progress—even a small win—can make all the difference in how they feel and perform.”

Helping Employees Harness the Power of Journaling

If you’re a manager, you can help employees track wins by giving them a journal expressly for this purpose—such as this Wins Journal by Jacqueline Kademian, or one from this selection of wins journals in different colors and patterns. Or, you could work writing into their weekly routine. Laura Hume, an Austin-based HR and human capital consultant, previously at Ernst and Young and IBM, instituted a weekly journaling practice for her direct reports at IBM. She instructed them to record three “big rocks” from each week by end-of-day Friday. (An idea borrowed from Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , a “big rock” is anything someone considers important, including wins). She then referred to each person’s journal in weekly one-on-ones.

Hume initially wasn’t focused on tracking small wins to motivate employees, but rather to make meetings more efficient. “On the other hand”, she noted, “I would say that the documenting helps. We were looking at it as a team and we were having the accountability of a leader looking at it too.” The journal created a record of effort. “Looking back over it, I think I noticed - and they noticed - what we hadn’t done. That motivated us.”

Hume has been journaling since she was 11. “I love journals. I have all kinds of journal books.” Her employees didn’t share her love of writing, at least, not at first. But, “A couple of them came back afterward, during their annual reviews, and said it was incredibly helpful.”

Put Perfectionism In Its Place

Tracking small victories provides a daily boost of positive reinforcement, even from projects not yet finished or goals partially met. Acknowledging incremental progress can be a particularly helpful habit for people who hold themselves to extremely, or excessively, high standards. “We can get into a rut where we focus on what we want and don’t see what we have ,” says Ruth Klein, an author and executive coach who specializes in communications, productivity and mindset. “We don’t see the wins unless it’s like a million dollars. To achieve at a high degree is excellent, but to focus on perfection is being hard on oneself and not nurturing,”

Klein began encouraging clients to record small wins after trying it herself. “I’m a recovering perfectionist. There was a time when I felt that everything could be better. I’d get accolades, and it just wasn’t enough.” Klein started recording small victories, even bringing a notebook with her when she went out. “I began to see wins all over the place.”

Klein now uses wins journaling in “momentum groups” she leads, six-month-long accountability groups focusing on a range of topics from time management to courageousness. She has seen the practice pay off in increased confidence, momentum, and drive. “The way to be productive is to look for our wins, not dismiss them.” Making more calls? Getting one product feature right? Finding a coding bug? Resolving client issues? Each one is a win. “Catching the wins is in the center of everything.”

Notice How Work Victories Enhance Your Non-Career Life

While a wins journal can be helpful at work, it also can enhance your appreciation for successes outside of your career. Making a point to stop and record the roses—the small, pleasurable successes—can enhance your overall sense of contentment and joy. A personal small win might be a connection you made for someone else, a daily fitness goal achieved, or even an organizational task begun.

Or, in the case of a freelance writer in LA, tracking daily wins highlighted new ways in which her career contributed to her non-work life. “I used my writing and interviewing skills to help a dying family member start a legacy journal about her life, and then I shared some of her words at a memorial service, which turned out to be a powerful way to bring her spirit there. In another case, I tapped my professional network to get a top-notch editor for a musician friend working on a book. She said no one had ever done anything quite so supportive for her before. When writing down these wins, I realized how the years I’ve devoted to my career let me support others outside the competitive world of writing. It really gave me a new appreciation for the value of work, outside of work.”

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