It is time to try a multimedia digital journal

Remembering, recalling events buried in memory and small everyday moments, making plans for the future, imagining what tomorrow will be like or what would have happened if we had made different choices, reliving hugs, kisses, tears, and joys are almost primary needs that make life more bearable and help us understand ourselves. We all do it, each in our own way. Some talk to themselves. For some, it is enough to close their eyes to relive the entire day. Others have a longer and more tangible ritual, carefully selecting a planner, notebook, or journal, buying a pen that glides smoothly on paper, the brightest highlighters, the most fun post-its and stickers. Only then do they start putting their thoughts down on paper. Another option, thanks to its practicality and creative possibilities, rivals the classic paper journal: the multimedia digital journal.

What is a multimedia digital journal, and what are its advantages?

As one might easily guess, a multimedia digital journal is simply a digital version of a paper diary or notebook, sharing many of the same benefits. Many believe that keeping a journal is much more than a simple summary of the day. They see it as an act of self-care. Several studies show its benefits for mental health and its usefulness in managing stress and anxiety. While physical journals are unlikely to ever go out of style, the online version is just as effective and introduces additional advantages. Here are the main ones:

• Convenience: Smartphones, tablets, and laptops are constant companions in our lives. Digital journals offer a level of accessibility that physical diaries cannot. Just take them out of your pocket or bag, click an icon to record a thought, a note, or anything that strikes you in the moment. Moreover, they can be accessed from multiple devices.
• Multimedia: With online journaling, you can include various media. Adding photos, videos, audio clips, and hyperlinks makes thoughts and memories more vivid, while also unleashing creativity.
• Personalization and sharing: Various journaling apps offer endless creative possibilities. You can customize layouts, colors, and fonts as desired, add online content, and easily share parts of the journal with friends, family, or anyone else you wish.
• Organization: Using tags and layouts to organize notes by date, topic, and category makes it easier to find and reread memories and past events.
• Privacy: A paper journal, even with a lock, can easily be read by anyone who finds it, whereas a digital one can be encrypted and password-protected, offering a safe space where personal reflections remain private and out of prying eyes.
• Backup and cloud storage: Thanks to these features, a digital journal ensures that what you write is not lost or damaged.
• Integration with other tools and apps: Being online, a digital journal can be enriched with imported content with just a click, such as emails, social media posts, or even fitness tracker data, providing a comprehensive account of the writer’s life.

How to create a digital journal

Once you’ve decided to abandon the paper format and try a digital journal, there are some basic steps to take before diving into writing. The first steps are to take some time, arm yourself with patience, and then proceed with the following:

1. Choose an app: From Google Keep to Evernote, various apps allow you to create online journals. Which one to use depends on individual needs and the type of content you want. Do you prefer a scrapbook, a bullet journal, or morning pages—three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing done first thing in the morning? Deciding this will help in the selection process.
2. Import a template: You can use a template provided by the app or create your own digital journal template.
3. Personalize: It takes some time and effort, but personalizing your journal by choosing themes, fonts, and organizing entries by date, tags, or categories can make it more visually appealing and encourage regular use.

What to look for in a digital journaling app

Regardless of the style you want to give your journal, there are some features that the chosen app should have. From security to offline access, here’s what to look for in a digital journaling app to make the experience better:

• Ease of use: Keeping a journal shouldn’t be complicated but rather a relaxing habit. So, opt for a clean, simple interface that’s easy to navigate and use.
• Customization and multimedia support: As mentioned earlier, to make the journal as personal as possible and align it with your style, the app should provide cross-platform access, customizable themes, fonts, and layouts, as well as the ability to add photos, audio, and video.
• Search and tagging features: Tags, categories, and search functionality simplify journal organization and the retrieval of specific moments and phrases.
• Export options: Useful to export journal pages in various formats, such as PDF.
• Reminders and offline access: Automatic reminders help maintain a daily journaling routine, as does being able to access and edit what you’ve written without an Internet connection.
• Cloud backup, synchronization, and integration with Google Calendar are other features that make journaling more convenient and always accessible.
• Privacy and security: To keep your data private, the app should have password protection, encryption, and two-factor authentication.

The best online journaling platforms

We’ve explored the tools and various features a journaling app should have, but which one should you choose among the many free and paid options available? The choice ultimately depends on personal taste, the type of journal you want and the device you use. Each app offers unique functionalities designed to enhance the journaling experience. Some focus on privacy or multimedia, while others prioritize simplicity, making them perfect for beginners or users with limited time. Let’s look at some of them and their features:

• Klokbox: Ideal for capturing memories and daily notes.
• Day One: Offers advanced encryption for privacy and security.
• GoodNotes: Feels like writing on a real notebook, but better. It’s perfect for taking notes and organizing content. Perhaps the most popular journaling app, though it’s available only on Apple devices.
• Evernote: Useful for notes and documents, with a powerful search feature to easily retrieve past entries.
• Samsung Notes: Designed for Samsung Galaxy users, it allows journaling anywhere.
• Apple Journal: Launched in 2023 for iPhone, it’s designed for documenting life’s big and small moments, enriched with photos, videos, audio recordings, locations, and more. Its machine learning feature also provides personalized suggestions.
• Momento: Available only on iOS, it allows users to create daily journal entries while automatically gathering content from social media apps, turning social activity into an organized digital diary.
• Notion: Perfect for those who want a digital planner, thanks to its ability to create calendars, tables, gallery boards, lists, and more. It’s often used as a dashboard and digital notebook by university students.
• Day One: Describes itself as “the #1 journaling app” for iOS and Android, praised for its intuitive interface.
• Reflectly: This app for iOS and Android uses artificial intelligence, organizing the journal by moods and key moments. Each day, it prompts you to record how your day went and the emotions you felt.
• Diaro: A straightforward digital journaling app appreciated for its focus on privacy and security.
• Google Keep: While not a new app, it does its job well, organizing notes, audio clips, web pages, photos, and drawings. To use it, you’ll need a Google account and the Keep app.