~Writing Well Wednesday Tip~
There are a number of health benefits to keeping a journal.
Studies have found that a regular journaling practice can help reduce stress and anxiety, clarify your thoughts and feelings, improve mood and emotional well-being, and help increase healing from both physical and mental traumas.
Many writers also swear by their journals, stating they help them keep track of ideas, work out plot problems, and keep themselves motivated and on track.
Some studies show that journaling by hand creates more benefits han using a computer or tablet, but not everyone has the time or the inclination to pick up pen and paper. If you prefer working online, there are several apps available that provide you with an online journaling option. Many can also help keep you committed to a regular schedule.
- Day One: Elegant and pretty, this one was made originally for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, but has recently been adapted for Android (check GooglePlay). It offers a range of templates for entries, and offers an easy way to quickly enter your thoughts and memories and have them synced and backed up in the cloud. The basic version is free, or you can opt for extra features on the premium version for $3.99/month.
- Five Minute Journal: If you have trouble sticking to your journaling habit, this may be the app for you. It gives you timed prompts in the morning and evening, and asks you to simply list a few things, such as what made your day great. This is best for quick, on-the-go reflections. Cost is $4.99/month.
- Universum: Made for Android users only, this one has a crowded appearance because it offers more features. You can add more things like photos, drawings, and calendar events, and back up your entries to Google Drive and Dropbox. The free version contains advertisements that may get irritating. You can pay $4/month for premium, which removes the ads. Premium also gives you the ability to export your journal entries to PDF form.
- Journey: This works on most every platform, so it will work across your various devices. You can get the free versions on the web and Android devices, but other platforms will cost you. It will also sync to Google Drive and export to multiple formats, and offers password protection.
- Diarium: Despite the awful-sounding name, this app is top-rated for seamless integration with Windows. It supports multiple media types, allowing you to speak your entries if you like, and attach audio and drawing files, as well as photos. You can enjoy a free option or pay $2.99/month premium for Android, $19.99 on Windows.
- Penzu: This works for both iOS and Android, and provides more of a blog-like format. It also offers custom email reminders to keep you on track. You can enjoy the free option or pay $19.99/month for premium features, which include military-strength encryption and customized journal covers, backgrounds, and fonts.
- Dabble.me: This one offers you a way to journal via email. It comes to you in your inbox every day, at whatever time you choose. You can then reply, and the app will record your entry on a private web page. There’s a free version, but it gives you email reminders only once every other week. The premium one for $3/month offers you the ability to customize the frequency and times of the notifications.
Do you have a journaling app you’d recommend?
Source
Ketler, A. (2017, January 23). Scientific Studies Show How Writing In A Journal Can Actually Benefit Your Emotional & Physical Well-Being. Retrieved from http://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/01/23/scientific-studies-show-how-writing-in-a-journal-can-actually-benefit-your-emotional-physical-well-being/
I don’t keep a journal, but I like the idea and have had many false starts. Just tonight I was reading this article https://medium.com/@helpfuldad/heres-how-i-m-using-the-daylio-app-to-ensure-my-life-is-in-balance-i-m-on-372-days-and-counting-336b960a34ee so I’m going to give Daylio a try. I’m not worried about mood, but I like the idea of being able to track work-life balance as I suspect there will be some useful takeaways in that for me. And perhaps given that it doesn’t use words, I might manage to stick at it.
Wow, great article, Sandy, and interesting app! Definitely looks like a neat way to track work/life balance. Would love to hear what you think after you’ve used it.