Boost creativity, reduce stress and enhance critical thinking skills – these are just a few of the many scientifically proven benefits of journalling. The habit has become increasingly popular in recent years with celebrities like Emma Watson, Oprah Winfrey and Matthew McConaughey sharing that the journal and the hashtag ‘journaling’ on TikTok now with over 1.1 million posts.
While there’s something to be said for the act of physically writing down memories, thoughts and actions, many are finding it easier to use journal apps. With push notifications, they can remind you to use them. Their prompts can help you better express yourself. And they’re organised, so you can easily find and read through old entries.
So, what are some of the current best journal apps available? Ahead, we’re rounding up some of the best.
Day One
Day One is easily one of the most popular journal apps with over 15 million downloads on iOS devices. It lets users have different journals for various aspects of their lives, with unlimited text, photos and videos allowed in each entry. You can also turn on a unique daily prompt and program your reminder notifications.
Apple Journal
Apple launched Journal in December 2023, an app that helps users reflect and practice gratitude. The app uses on-device machine learning to offer personalised prompt suggestions, including photos and videos you’ve recently taken. Notifications can also be customised depending on how you want to write.
Grid Diary
Grid Diary calls itself a ‘personal development system’. It’s the only journal app to feature a grid layout format that fosters a holistic personal development system. The app also has custom prompts and, to help you organise your thoughts, tags and categories.
The Bullet Journal Companion
The Bullet Journal Companion app was designed to be used alongside the paper notebook The Bullet Journal Method calls for. The app lets you back up your notebook entries in the cloud, as well as help you to track your reflections so you can form a daily habit of being introspective.
Five Minute Journal
As its name suggests, the Five Minute Journal app aims to make you happier by just dedicating five minutes a day to focusing on your self-care, mental health and motivation. The journal incorporates a section for noting what you’re grateful for, reading positive affirmations and noting your mood.
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