Digital Journaling with OneNote

How do you journal these days? I do this with Microsoft OneNote, a cross-platform tool that allows me to write from my PC and through my phone. Read about how I do digital journaling with Microsoft OneNote.

What got me into digital journaling with OneNote?

If you don’t know me yet or this is your first time visiting my blog, I used to journal using paper and pens. After a while, I transitioned into digital journaling for convenience and to save paper also. It gave me quite a challenge since I needed to figure out which app or tool suits my need best. After exploring and trying out different apps and tools, I stuck with Microsoft OneNote.

Disclaimer: This is not sponsored by Microsoft. But, how I wish it was.

What I love about Microsoft OneNote, I use it with my PC and also on my phone. Everything seems easy since it syncs easily. So, when I journal on the PC, it is quickly saved when I update it on my phone. Plus, you easily use it on Windows/Mac, Android, or even iOS.

Though, do note that I use mine on Android and Windows PC. 😁

What do I love about digital journaling with OneNote?

• Cross-platform
• Easy to use
• Packed with organization tools for your needs (Sections, Pages, Sub-groups)
• Syncs to the cloud quickly
• Templates and stickers exist

3 favorite things about digital journaling with OneNote

Before a deep dive into my favorite things, let me share the primary reason why I like digital journaling so much. Aside from letting me save paper and trees eventually, I get to use my awesome keyboard which really feels so good. Every clack and every thock feels so comforting, especially to the ears. It feels like therapy especially since I did some mods to my keyboard to make it sound like this right now.

So now, let’s take a deep dive into my favorite things about OneNote.

The power to create templates to your own liking.

Wait, don’t hate me just yet. I know that other apps and other tools let you create templates just the way you like. But in my case, I tried different apps and tools but none of them worked with my needs. I need something that will allow me versatility and usability as I journal through my phone at times. Most of the digital journalists I see on the internet use iPad and Apple Pencil which I don’t have. Those cost a lot!

So, I made sure to use the tools available to me. It got me thinking to maximize my Microsoft subscription so I tried OneNote. At first, the shift gave me a few challenges but they soon faded when I got to journal more.

Officially, I started using OneNote as my journal last October 2021. Honestly, I got tired of manually doing it on my paper journal and I don’t want to purchase anymore every time I finished one. Hence, I created a notebook in OneNote that’s exclusively for my journal. Furthermore, I created sections to determine which year, month, and day I’m writing or journaling about.

The photo above shows my current journal template which I made from scratch. I made sure the important elements are there such as:

• 3 things that you’re grateful for
• 3 things that you hate today
• 3 highlights of your day
• Dreams/nightmare
• Mood for today
• Personal life entries
• Work-life entries

Easily insert images and stickers

Another thing that I like about OneNote, I easily insert images and stickers. With just a few clicks, your image gets inserted depending on the size of the textbox you allotted. However, if you did not put a specific textbox, the image you insert is shown or inserted in its normal size.

The image above is a part of one of my journal entries. I chose it because of that cute sticker!

Create trackers easily depending on your need

As someone who struggles with mental health issues, I tend to forget some things. I need to remind myself of things like medicines, monitoring my mood, and other notable things.

By using OneNote, I found it easy to track and monitor my medicine intake as well as my mood. From the template that my doctor sent last year, I made sure that I created something that I will habitually remember. I made a tracker template that suits my needs and is also easy to use.

So now, my journal and my trackers are included in my daily routine. When I wake up, I remind myself to take my meds because I feel the need to update my tracker. The same when I monitor my mood in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Plus, I get to summarize my mood easily through the scale I made.

I know these look simple at first glance. You’ll see more complex templates when you browse or lurk on the internet. What I’m after are functionality and usability.

Therefore, for someone like me who likes simplicity and neatness, I prefer using Microsoft OneNote. It’s the right tool for me, especially for journaling and creating trackers like those above.

Takeaway

Different tools lurk around the world. You get to choose what works for you and what does not. Remember, this is my take on digital journaling with Microsoft OneNote. It may or may not work for you. Some templates may look amazing and believe me, I admire all those planner creators out there for their patience and creativity. They inspired me to create my own template and make sure it works for me.

What’s important is you continue journaling and sticking to what you truly love. Don’t worry about what others think. Remember that your journal is your safe space.

So, how about you? Do you do digital journaling or any form of journaling at all?

Let me know in the comments!