Journaling apps promise an easier way to keep track of your thoughts. But for some people, writing on paper is infinitely better—and less distracting—than using these tools.
1
Don’t Use Your Phone First Thing in the Morning
Picking up your phone before doing anything else is often a recipe for disaster. While you might want to journal in an app, the risk of checking your notifications, hopping onto a social media app, or browsing the internet is very high.
When you use your phone as soon as you wake up, you’re often in a reactive state for the rest of the day. It becomes significantly more difficult to complete your daily tasks and be present.
Journaling on paper means that you can focus fully on your notes and feel like you have a clear mind after doing so. You’ll therefore be more likely to excel throughout the day. If you must use a journaling app, you should at least download an app that limits screen time.
2
You Can be More Creative
When journaling on paper, you can be much more creative with your notes. In addition to writing normal sentences, you can add mind maps and diagrams where extra illustrations are needed.
Since journaling on paper is freer than an app, it can also improve general creativity. For example, your brain might generate new ideas for existing projects or a fun new business idea. When you write things down, you often get new ideas that form as a result of those.
3
You’ll Feel Like You’re Getting Your Thoughts Out
Writing in journaling apps can sometimes feel like something you must do instead of a free-willed choice. This, combined with the fact you’re looking at a screen, can make you feel like you haven’t done anything at the end of the session. If you feel like this, forming a habit will become more difficult.
While you won’t feel like journaling on paper all the time, you will feel like you’ve got your thoughts out of your head. You might notice less brain fog, in the same way that you would when switching from digital to paper to-do lists.
4
You’ll be More Likely to Revisit Your Notes
If you’re serious about self-improvement, revisiting your notes is a good idea. While you can do this in a journaling app, it’s easier to ignore them. Moreover, you might not digest all the required information when staring at your old notes from a screen.
With a paper journal, you can easily flick through your pages to see how you felt at a certain time. Besides being easier to find specific information, it’s nice to spontaneously look back and see how much progress you’ve made. So, in addition to improving yourself, you’ll also have more gratitude for where you currently are.
5
You Can Become a Better Writer
Writing with a pen and paper forces you to think about what you’re saying and how you structure your sentences. Unlike with a journaling app, you can’t hit backspace and delete what you’ve said. Even with a pencil and eraser, you have more friction involved.
Over time, you’ll develop more coherent sentences and expand your vocabulary. Expressing your thoughts will also become easier everyday, and your skills will transfer to digital communication methods like email.
6
You’ll Become More Patient
Writing on paper typically takes longer than doing so on a phone or computer, and staying focused for the first few sessions will be challenging. But over time, you’ll become more patient (without needing to use tools to help you stay focused).
By becoming more patient with your journaling, you’ll naturally practice this trait in other areas of your life. Being present will be simpler, and you won’t get as stressed about small delays.
Journaling on paper is an excellent way to become more creative and learn more about your thoughts. You can use them for any area of life, whether you wish to improve professionally or have better personal relationships. Journaling apps are useful if you’re on the go, but they’re no real competition for paper.
