The way you view the circumstances of your work and home life matters for both your personal and professional well-being. But when deadlines loom, inboxes get cluttered or relationships turn stressful, it can be hard to find the peace and quiet needed to actually sit with your thoughts and reflect on what you’re going through.
That’s where the Perspective daily journaling app comes in. One of the best features of the free app is the “Life Calendar,” which lets you zoom out on the entries you’ve made over a given month. It’s a visual way to get perspective on current problems and remind yourself that situations that feel impossible in the moment look very different in hindsight. For example, if you’re stressed about an upcoming deadline, you could look back to see how you handled a similar project a few weeks ago. In addition to learning from your past experiences, it’s a good way to reframe your present stress. No job worth doing is stress-free, but reminding yourself that you’ve gone through similar situations in the past can be just the motivation you need to keep going.
The app can also help you keep track of your mood and schedule and allows you to add in keywords and photos so you can find specific entries more easily. You can write lengthy explanations of how you’re feeling or just jot down a few important takeaways from a situation.
Journaling for reframing and reflection has been around much longer than the Perspective phone app, of course, but the digital version is a convenient way to note how you’re feeling right now—whether it’s on your commute, at your desk or over lunch. Science supports how journaling can help calm anxious minds, and writing down your thoughts is an effective way to help yourself better understand any problems you’re going through.