Blog
Notes on keeping a journal
How to start, how to keep going without pressure, and what we learned building a journal that keeps your words to yourself.
· 8 min read
Does journaling help with anxiety? What the studies show and what they do not
Forty years of experiments with writing about hard things: what was measured, how big the effect is, three mechanisms with evidence, what does not work, and eight journaling ideas for anxiety.
· 8 min read
Apple Journal: what it does well, what it lacks, and when you want an alternative
Apple's Journal app is free and already on your iPhone, and since fall 2025 on iPad and Mac too. What it does well, where it hits a wall, and how to pick a replacement, by Apple's own documentation.
· 8 min read
A private journal app: 7 questions to ask before you trust it with your entries
Where the entries live, whether you need an account, who can read them and how to get everything back out. Seven questions for any journal app, each with a way to check the answer yourself.
· 7 min read
A mood journal without scores: two axes instead of a number from 1 to 10
Why a 1-to-10 scale describes your state badly, how the pleasantness-and-energy model does better, why anxious and sad sit on different rulers, and how to read a mood journal in words, not a chart.
· 7 min read
How to start a journal and keep going without pressure
Why most journals end on page three, and how to start one that survives a busy week: one-line entries, a question instead of a blank page, rhythm instead of a counter, and what to do after a break.
· 6 min read
Gratitude journal: 40 prompts that don't feel forced
How to keep a gratitude journal without the syrupy lines about every new day: three rules for staying specific, what to write on a bad day, and 40 prompts grouped by theme.
· 8 min read
How to keep a dream journal so the dream survives breakfast
A no-mysticism guide to dream journaling: record right after waking, speak with your eyes closed, capture fragments instead of a plot, tag recurring images, and reread a month later.
· 6 min read
Looking for a Day One alternative? What to compare, honestly
Day One is a good journal, and people still look for a replacement. Five criteria for comparing any alternative: where the data lives, what is free, where the companion runs, export, and moving.
