How to use OneNote to create a personal journal

Organizing your daily thoughts with OneNote

You may know the benefits of daily journaling already: Writing down your thoughts can improve mental health and strengthen your memory. On top of that, you might already use Microsoft OneNote to take meeting notes at work, follow along with classroom lectures, or create to-do lists for your daily life. You can combine these tools into one.

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Like any daily routine, journaling takes practice and repetition. You can either take notes periodically through the day or dedicate a set amount of time at the end of each day to gather your thoughts—the key is to make it as easy as possible to begin writing until it feels like second nature.

Fortunately, OneNote makes it easy to begin journaling. Its pages, sections, and notebooks offer near-endless versatility. Create sections by year or month and organize your pages by day—which is handy if you find days where there’s a lot on your mind. You can also categorize your pages by years and seasons, and tag sections based on important events or holidays. Unlike an actual journal, your OneNote notebook will grow with enough room for a lifetime’s worth of writing.

Embrace multimedia versatility

No two people’s journals are the same: there is no structure or set rules for what you can put into your journal. And you don’t have to just write in OneNote: rather, your self-expression can take on all forms.

Upload a video from your mobile device if you see something noteworthy, for example. Insert an audio recording whenever an idea strikes you—if you’re driving and you think of something worth noting, you don’t have to wait to pull over to insert a clever thought. Sketch directly in OneNote and embrace the creative and cognitive benefits of doodling. If you are using OneNote from a Surface tablet and its built-in Slim Pen 2, it’s even easier.

Use OneNote as a traveling diary

The travel diary is a centuries-old tradition, and some of the great travelogues have remained staples of classical literature. OneNote’s ability to capture photos, videos and scribbles are ideal for sharing your travel experiences. Send your daily updates to your friends via Teams or Outlook and introduce them to new destinations, street food, locals and fellow travelers alike, and your greatest memories. Use OneNote pages to serve as a catch-all for your spontaneous recordings, then filter and edit select photos, videos and captions to post to social media.

And with Microsoft Cloud compatibility, you can back up your notebook from anywhere in the world with a strong Internet connection.

Journaling templates can make it easy

OneNote comes with built-in templates that can further organize your daily journaling. Under the Insert menu, click on Page Templates to open a panel that shows templates based on category. Add decorative flourishes to your pages, or structure your thoughts with multiple lists and structures. It’s easy to create and save your own journaling templates, too.

With its versatility and near-endless ability for expansion, OneNote makes an ideal platform for journaling. What’s more: these habits may just last you a lifetime.