Gratitude

 

I’ve neglected the self-care category on the blog this year! I apologize. It’s a terrible time to skip such topics. Recently, I attended a mini-workshop about self-care and stress reduction. I would highly recommend taking such a class, even if you think you’re doing fine. Writers tend to work in a vacuum, and we don’t realize the damage we do to ourselves. Two years of isolation takes a toll. Treat yourself to some care.

Gratitude by Hapjoy is a guided journal app to focus and clarify your thinking. A fellow author in the Albany NaNoWriMo group recommended it to me. The program won’t magically fix your writing blocks, but it can help your sense of well-being.

Features on the app include a gratitude journal, positive affirmations, a daily Zen quote or thought, and creative vision boards. The app has a simple interface for creating journal entries and vision boards. In other words, it’s a self-help program that does not require a master’s degree in tech to operate.

The app is available for both Android and Apple devices. The Google play store lists the app as Gratitude Journal Affirmations. The icon above is the logo for the app. It is a mobile device-only app. It does not work in a browser.

Gratitude is a free app with an upgrade option. Premium costs $30 a year. You get a no-cost seven-day trial to test out the paid features. Features for upgrade include cloud-save on Google drive, exporting to a PDF, and additional photos for your journal. Note, the app will not transfer devices without the premium payments. If you start on your phone and want to keep it free, you need to stay on the same phone.