In the bustling world of higher education, moments to reflect, capture memories, and relish life’s milestones can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Yet, for Ryan Iocco, a Student Affairs Director and a PhD student based in Orlando, Florida, journaling is an oasis of calm and introspection amidst the hectic pace of life.
His 1,000-day journey with the Day One app has transformed a once sporadic habit into an enriching daily routine. Not only has journaling become a way for Ryan to revisit and reflect on significant life events, from professional promotions to personal joy of becoming a father, but it’s also become his avenue for fostering gratitude in daily life. Whether it’s capturing a poignant memory with a photo or expressing gratitude for life’s gifts, his journals are a vibrant collection of experiences and emotions.
In this interview, we learn about Ryan’s journey of harnessing the versatility of the Day One app and how a simple routine of jotting down thoughts before bedtime turned into a rewarding habit that positively impacts his mental well-being.
How long have you been keeping a journal?
I began journaling on and off in 2019 in a physical journal. It did not stick with me and become a daily habit until I started with Day One in 2020.
What makes journaling important to you?
Journaling is important to me because it helps with being able to relive moments in time. Life happens fast and by writing them down, you can experience those moments again.
Journaling has allowed me to celebrate milestones in life and take time to reflect on them, whether it has been professional and educational milestones (including getting promoted and advancing in my Doctoral program) or family memories (including my wedding and the birth of my son).
“Journaling is important to me because it helps with being able to relive moments in time. Life happens fast and by writing them down, you can experience those moments again.”
What do you usually journal about?
Every day I write in my gratitude journal and write down one (or more) thing(s) that I am grateful for in my life that day. These entries can range from a few words to several paragraphs. I also engage in more long form journaling following major life events to help capture those moments and how I am feeling. Another journal that I began with Day One is a “Photo of The Day” journal where I upload a picture that captures a memory of the day.
When do you journal each day?
Journaling usually takes place in Day One each night before I go to sleep. It is a good time to reflect on the day and how I am feeling. Journaling usually happens on my iPad or iPhone.
What tips or advice would you give others who want to build a journaling habit?
Start small! Even a small entry is journaling. My journaling habit began by creating smaller entries that built up over time.
What have you learned from keeping a journal?
For me, journaling is fulfilling and is good personal reflection. When I opted out of social media over a year ago, I learned that journaling replaced the desire to share or endlessly scroll on Instagram or Facebook.
What is your favorite thing about the Day One app?
My favorite thing is how versatile the app is. From short entries to longer reflections, they can all go in the app. Also, the ability to add media to entries helps to make the entries and reflecting on them more powerful.
How has Day One helped you journal more consistently?
The two things that have helped me are journaling reminders and the daily writing prompts. Each night, I get a reminder on my phone that I should write an entry before I go to sleep. The daily prompts are helpful when I journal at different times of day and am not sure what to write about. I may not use those every day, but they are always there if I need some more inspiration.
“A Positive Habit That Can Have An Incredible Impact”
Ryan summarizes his experience with journaling: “Journaling is a positive habit that I put off doing for far too long. As I shared earlier, you can start small and it can grow into a positive habit that can have an incredible impact on your mental well-being.”
Start Your Journaling Streak
with Day One
The Day One journaling app makes it easy to build and maintain a daily journaling habit. Daily journaling reminders, daily writing prompts, and journal streaks are designed to help keep you motivated and consistently journaling.
