Journaling Apps: De-Stress On Your Smartphone
Journaling is a great way to get in touch with your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and creativity. It can help you figure out what’s stressing you and work through problems you didn’t know you had. If, like many people, you struggle to write your thoughts and feelings down on paper, journaling apps are a convenient alternative.
Journey
Journey is a top-rated journaling app. Its most impressive feature is a coaching program that can help motivate and guide your journal entries. You can use the app to keep a basic diary and activity log, or you can use the coaching programs to increase self-awareness, improve creativity, and set long and short-term goals. Enhance your entries by adding images, attachments, and location info. Journey even pairs with Google Fit to link your activity logs to your journal entries.
You can protect your journal with a passcode or fingerprint. All journal entries get backed up on Google Drive, so there’s no need to worry about losing your entries if you change devices. If you quit journaling, but want to keep your entries, you can print or export them in multiple formats.
The app is free to download and use, but you can also buy add-ons, like additional coaching programs, different themes, and editing tools.
Daylio
Daylio is a quick and easy diary and mood tracker that lets you use icons to keep track of how you're feeling. If you struggle to find the right words, Daylio can help you express yourself without too much time or effort. The app tracks your activities and moods, and converts the data into charts that can be private, shared with family or friends, or even shared with a therapist. You can add text notes, set goals, earn rewards, and set reminders to encourage regular journaling.
You can lock your Daylio app with a PIN code. All data is backed up on Google Drive, and you can export individual entries or the whole journal as a PDF. Daylio is free, because it’s paid for by advertisers, but if you don’t like the ads, you can remove them by opting for a paid subscription.
Daybook
Daybook is a free diary and note-taking app that boasts a range of uses, like journaling, record keeping, mood tracking, and list-making. It's one of the most user-friendly and journaling apps, as it combines a simple design with an intuitive and clean user interface. Daybook is completely free, but there are in-app purchase options for extra features.
The Daybook app is passcode protected, and you can sync your journal across multiple devices. It’s available on different platforms, and there’s even a web-based version that allows in-browser journaling on a computer. A feature that really sets the app apart is Daybook's voice-activated mobile app that’s compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
Journaling is a stress buster. It increases self-awareness and can help you manage challenging emotions. Digital alternatives, like those outlined above, can be more convenient than paper journals. They offer an extra layer of security to protect your privacy, allowing you to let go and fully express yourself. If you're passing time on your phone, tablet, or computer anyway, why not make the most of your time by engaging in some stress-relieving journaling?