A Journal App That Lets You Tag Emotions
Journaling has benefits such as "self-reflection," "organizing thoughts," and "setting the focus for the day." I have tried trial and error with paper notebooks and various apps myself, and the one I finally settled on is muute.
1. The appeal of muute
A major feature of "muute" is its unique mechanism of "reflecting on emotions using options after writing a journal entry." Until then, I would just write a few lines of thoughts in my head and be done with it. However, with "muute," you can select the emotions behind those thoughts after you finish writing. There is also a free-text field, so it is possible to express more nuanced emotions.
Point:
・You can verbalize and record not just thoughts, but also emotions
・There are "free-text" fields in addition to emotion "options"
・It serves as a trigger to reflect again on "What were my emotions just now?"
2. You can visualize the waves of your emotions
By recording your emotions daily, you become able to view your state objectively.
"Was I leaning toward the positive on this day?"
"Was I prone to being negative on this day?"
When you look back later, you realize there are more ups and downs than you thought. Even if you think, "I'm generally stable most of the time," there might actually be small waves.
Point:
・You can visualize the ups and downs of your emotions
・You can objectively grasp your condition, making it easier to recover
・If you feel "I've been feeling down lately," you can take measures early
3. The peace of mind of being able to use the Web version
Since I am not good at typing long sentences on a smartphone, I needed a feature that would allow me to type carefully on a Windows PC. "muute" has a mechanism that allows you to use it from a web browser, although it is a feature for paid members (5,000 yen per year as of August 2024).
Point:
・It can also be used from a PC, so it's great for those who aren't good at typing on smartphones
・It helps when you want to think through your writing calmly and thoroughly
・For those who like to write long entries, the benefits of the paid version are significant
4. Thoughts and emotions are a set
There may be various opinions depending on the person, but I personally believe that "thoughts" and "emotions" cannot be separated. In fact, a state of feeling nothing is the rare case.
By recording your journal including your emotions, it becomes easier to gain new insights, such as "Oh, there was that positive way of looking at it," or "This is why I was thinking too negatively."
Point:
・Deeper self-reflection is possible when you treat thoughts and emotions as a set
・It is easier to explore the true nature of your negativity or positivity
・You can detect the "bottoming out" of your emotions early, so you can recover smoothly
5. What should I write?
The content of a journal is different for everyone.
Jotting down a quick note about the day's events
Following a single theme for several days
Using a prompt book as a reference to write down a set of answers, reasons, and emotions
The beauty of journaling is that you can continue it freely in ways like these. I make use of a "book that asks me questions" and write down my answers to the day's prompts, my thoughts, and the feelings I had at the time as a set.
Point:
・It is okay to write simply like a diary
・Using themes or question collections can broaden your thinking
・Not having rules for how to write makes it easier to continue flexibly
6. It is important to "continue with enjoyment"
Journaling is an activity that takes about 5 to 10 minutes every day. Ideally, you should find a way to continue it that you enjoy.
"Oh, so that's how I was thinking!"
"I have a slightly different perspective than I did a week ago"
The real thrill of journaling is encountering these small discoveries and surprises when you look back on it later.
Point:
・A little bit of time each day is fine. It is easy to make a habit
・Looking back at your past self leads to many discoveries
・Accumulating small "realizations" and "surprises" boosts motivation
7. Summary
When you put what you are thinking and feeling into words through journaling, thoughts and ideas that you might otherwise overlook tend to surface.
Why not try continuing in your own unique style while utilizing tools like "muute"? Small, consistent efforts might lead to big changes later on.
muute is an app that makes it easy to deepen self-understanding by adding "emotions" to journaling
Input from a PC is possible with the paid membership feature, which costs 5,000 yen per year (as of August 2024)
Thinking of "thoughts" and "emotions" as a set leads to more new discoveries
What you write is up to you. Incorporating prompts or themes is effective
By continuing while having fun, discoveries and realizations will accumulate steadily
*The author is not an operator or affiliate of muute. As service details may change in the future, please check the official website or the link at the beginning of this article for the latest information.
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