The best wellness journals aren't just about weekly to-do lists and noting how many steps you've hit a day - far from it. They're an organisational tool, a simple way to ease anxiety, and a great way to boost productivity (take it from Team MC UK, who swear by the planners for improving both organisation and mood).
For many, they're also a great self-care idea - an easy way to jot down your thoughts and plan out your week ahead. There's a reason Grace Beverley's wellness journals sold out in a day when she released them last year - we're all here for that extra boost of self love.
Look at it this way - it's a great way to show your brain some TLC, alongside meditation and mindful movement. Not just that, but it'll boost your productivity - one 2021 study found that humans see stronger brain activity after simply writing things down, while another highlighted career highlights and reduced stress levels for individuals who plan rather than procrastinate.
Sound good? We thought so. Keep scrolling for our top picks of the best wellness journals to buy now, plus an explainer on why exactly journals can not only your mental health, but also boost your productivity, too.
Why should you buy a wellness journal?
You all know staying on track with your goals can sometimes seem tricky, which is one reason investing in a wellness journal is money well spent.
According to clinical psychologist Barbara Markway PhD, using a daily planner allows for effective time management, improved productivity in your personal and professional life, and a multitude of health benefits, from reducing anxiety and stress.
As with everything in life, wellness journals aren't for everyone: while for some, they can be immensely helpful for tracking habits and making goals a reality, for others, they can be triggering. If that's you, they might not be your cup of tea, and that's ok. Perhaps our round-up of the best diaries might be more up your street.
6 best wellness journals to buy now
With such a wide range of journals and planners available out there, it can be hard to know which one to go for. Lucky for you, we've rounded up our top picks.
From personalised wellness planners to weekly healthy habit trackers, we've included everything you could possibly need to help stay on track with your self-care routine.
Personal development and self-care, here we come...
1. Papier Wellness Journal
Team Marie Claire UK love the layout of this planner, with Health Editor Ally Head using it daily. It comes with daily overview pages where you can fill in everything from intentions, sleep, water intake and more. It also comes with a wellness map and pages to track your goals, what more could you want? The cover can be personalised to make it even more special.
2. The Positive Planner Journal
One thing we really love about this wellness journal is the fact that it comes with positive affirmations, to help start your day the right way. The 12-week journal also includes pages to list intentions, reflections, track your mood, plan your meals, write shopping lists and more. So, not only will it keep you organised, but it will help lift your mood as well.
3. ESPA Wellness Journal
This is definitely one of the most stylish planners out there, and we wouldn't expect anything less from ESPA. The brand's wellness journal allows you to track how you're feeling, your priorities for the day, things you are grateful for and even what self-care activities you plan on doing. It also comes with useful tips and tricks, to help you on your wellness journey.
4. Moleskine Wellness Passion Journal
Moleskine have eight different themed Passion Journals, with this one being focused around wellness. It will help you to track your health and fitness journey, with a weekly overview and tabbed sections throughout.
5. The Little Calm and Happy Planner
This planner has everything you need to stay on track with your self-care routine. You can plan out your week, including what you want to achieve, your priorities and your self-care intentions. It also comes with a really handy habit tracker to track things such as your sleep or water intake.
6. The Productivity Method Wellness Planner
If you've been Googling wellness planners, you've probably seen entrepreneur Grace Beverley's latest launch, her new productivity planners. Your need-to-knows: the planners, which come in lots of colourways, include self-reflective prompts, dedicated double pages for plans, yearly and monthly mind map pages and more. It also allows you to time block your day, which is something that team Marie Claire UK finds very helpful. The planner is undated, meaning you can use it as and when you need to. They are currently sold out, but you can sign up to get notified as soon as they are back in stock.
What is a wellness planner?
Simply, a journal with prompts to help you track both mood and productivity. While they'll vary from model to model, many will include habit trackers, weekly and monthly to-do lists, and easy ways to jot down your thoughts, dreams and plans.
They're a simple yet effective way of staying on top of not only your to-do's but also your mental health, shares clinical psychologist Barbara Markway PhD.
Are planners good for mental health?
This will depend on your personality and working style. If you love a list, thrive when pre-planning, and work best with a clearly-plotted strategy, then we reckon so.
Studies have shown that writing things down and pre-planning can not only boost productivity but improve career prospects and reduce stress levels, too. Whatever your learning style, they're worth a shot, in our opinion.
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