Still Think That Journaling Isn’t For You? Try These 7 Best Journaling Apps for Mental Health

Journaling is one of the most common pieces of advice to improve mental well-being. And no matter how much you don’t want to try it, it has a lot of potential to improve mental health. And it’s proven by years of research and personal experience of thousands of people.

Even if people realize the potential of journaling for mental health, they can still struggle with consistency and fear of a blank page. That’s why we have thousands of journaling apps.

But which ones are actually work? It depends on your needs. We’ll give you the 7 best journaling apps out of thousands that exist currently. These ones can actually make an impact on your mental wellbeing.

7 Best Journaling Apps to Improve Mental Health

For this review, the focus is on accessibility and diversity of features to suit every need. The apps below were chosen based on how easy they are to use during difficult moments, how well they balance structure with freedom, and whether they support mental health without pushing users to “fix” themselves.

Overview of the seven best journaling apps and their best application from our review:

1. Journal by Apple for a simple structure and experimenting with formatting.
2. Breeze Wellbeing for holistic self-discovery and those who need prompts initially.
3. Stoic for focusing on the present moment instead of rumination on the past.
4. Penjo for those who miss handwriting, but cannot carry a notebook with them.
5. Obisidian by Microsoft for creating a complex personalized journaling space.
6. Folsom for sharing journaling prompts with like-minded individuals.
7. Pen and paper for reducing that screen time.

Read about these journaling apps in detail.

1. Journal by Apple

Apple’s built-in Journal app is one of the most accessible ways to start journaling, especially for people who feel overwhelmed by complex tools. It’s minimalist, private by default, and already integrated into the iPhone ecosystem, which removes excuses like “I need to download something first.”

The biggest strength is the app’s simplicity. Just after opening it, you immediately are in the space for writing. Here are some extra features of this journaling app:

• Adding photos and multimedia.
• Leaving voicenotes.
• Opportunity to paint.
• Various formatting choices for text.
• Synchronization with Apple Health, trainings, etc.
• AI-powered reflection prompts based on recent events in your life.

That said, Journal by Apple offers little guidance. A lack of structure may feel limiting for beginners in journaling.

2. Breeze Self-Discovery

Breeze Self-Discovery is designed specifically for people who want to try journaling as part of a larger self-discovery project. Unlike generic journaling apps, it combines guided writing with a mood tracker, here https://breeze-wellbeing.com/, offering a more holistic approach to journaling for mental health.

Journaling feature of Breeze Wellbeing consists of these parts:

• Track your mood: Choose daily mood, feelings, activities of that day, and photos

Tip: Breeze’s mood tracker can replace traditional writing journaling in low-energy days.

• Foster gratitude: Answer 4 questions daily about the positive things to keep positive events in perspective.
• Calm anxiety: A few prompts to understand what triggers worries on a daily basis and learn how to objectively prepare for your triggers.
• Release worry: Note what was the most distressing about the day, but not to the extent of rumination. Focuses on how you handled the situation and brings you back to your strengths.
• Creative writing: Write whatever is on your mind, without needing to stick to the structure.

Breeze Self-Discovery has even more features to extend the effects of journaling: quizzes, evaluations, breathing exercises, to-do lists, therapy discounts, personal achievements, and community chats.

It’s important to note that Breeze isn’t a replacement for therapy. Still, as a mental health journaling app, it can offer relief from certain symptoms like stress. Be aware that the best way to feel these effects is to create a consistent, compassionate journaling habit.

3. Stoic

Stoic is a popular journaling app rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles. It encourages users to examine their thoughts, identify where their thoughts stop being objective, and replace these thoughts with more balanced thinking.

CBT is an approach that focuses on the present moment and teaches that our decisions are primarily influenced by our thoughts. For people who like structured reflection and logical analysis, this approach can be very effective. From a mental health standpoint, Stoic works well for anxiety, stress, and overthinking.

However, this strength can also be a limitation. Human emotions are raw and sometimes inconsistent. Stoic uses a consequential approach that can feel too intellectual. Especially for people who are already good at that and need to learn how to accept and live through their feelings.

4. Penjo

Penjo is a lightweight journaling app designed for simplicity and ease. There are no complex systems or heavy psychological frameworks as in the previous example. You open the app, write what you want, and close it.

Penjo’s hallmark is handwriting. Not everybody can carry notebooks everywhere they go, and Penjo helps with this. Of course, there is a standard typing style, but there is something soul-warming about old-fashioned, grounded handwriting.

Penjo is available on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and even VisionOS. Notes are synced across devices.

5. Obsidian (by Microsoft)

Obsidian is not a traditional journaling app. It’s designed by Microsoft for corporate use, but many people found it amazing for journaling, with benefits for mental health. It allows users to create interconnected notes, linking thoughts, themes, and ideas.

Raw, unpersonalized Obsidian can look hostile. But it is also the app’s main benefit. It has thousands of plugins available, which you can use to optimize the app for journaling.

Personalization is Obsidian’s biggest advantage and weakness. Setting up vaults, links, and systems requires cognitive effort, which can be counterproductive during distressing times.

6. Folsom: Connect Soulularly

Folsom positions itself as a community-oriented journaling app. As far as we are concerned, it’s the only app with such an approach. It encourages users to explore feelings and share their reflections if they want to. Perfect for those who feel isolated or lonely in their experiences.

From a mental health perspective, Folsom can help users feel seen and less alone in their emotional experiences. Writing with the awareness that others may relate can reduce shame and normalize difficult feelings.

However, shared or semi-public emotional spaces also come with risks. Some experiences require privacy.

7. Pen and Paper

Consider it’s cheating because pen and paper aren’t journaling apps, they still are one of the best ways to externalize thoughts. Writing by hand slows thinking in such a quickly paced world.

Sometimes the reason for stress and burnout is digital exposure. Even if you use devices with good intentions, they are still signs that backfire. Pen and paper are the most effective in preventing such outcomes.

One thing not so great about paper journals is that consistency can be harder. Some people can also misplace journals and worry about privacy. It’s also not so comfortable to carry a paperback notebook everywhere.

How Journaling Improves Mental Health

Journaling isn’t a recommendation from social media. Years of research show journaling changes how the brain exchanges signals. For example, one study examined how putting feelings into words affects the brain.

It found that naming your emotions increases activity in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain area responsible for emotions and memories. It also reduces amygdala activity, which is primarily responsible for stress. When translated into human language, naming emotions increases self-control and cognition, while reducing stress.

From a psychological perspective, revisiting and structuring the memory in writing reinforces cognitive reappraisal. It means that emotions are enriched with new contextual information, which can decrease their threat value. So, more understanding of the situation and a better assessment of current anxieties.In the 2022 meta-analysis, journaling was assessed to decrease symptoms of anxiety by about 10%. Consistent journaling can reduce stress and improve mood regulation, which prevents the development of many mental health conditions.

Can Journaling Heal Me?

Journaling certainly won’t harm you. But it’s not a cure on its own. Be aware of potential drawbacks. For example, replaying the same thoughts without resolution or getting stuck in negative thinking.

Ultimately, journaling puts responsibility back in your hands. It’s a practice that you can use or misuse. It can help you feel more connected to yourself and more aware of what you need. When emotions feel too heavy, journaling is most effective alongside rest and professional care.