How to use this journal
Something happens.
You notice what it meant to you.
You notice what you did next.
Then you decide whether there is anything you want to try differently next time.
That is all this page is asking you to do.
1. What happened?
Start with the moment itself. Keep it simple.
ExampleI sent a message and there was no reply.
2. The meaning you gave to it
What did it mean to you?
ExampleThey don’t want to talk to me.
3. What did you do next?
What did you actually do after that?
ExampleI checked my phone again ten minutes later.
4. How much did it pull you in?
Choose the number that feels closest.
0 = hardly at all
10 = completely
There is no good or bad number. It is simply what felt true in that moment.
5. Next time this comes up…
Is there one small thing you would like to try?
ExampleWhen I want to check again, I’ll put my phone down and make tea.
You are not trying to get it right.
You are giving yourself another option.
Start with what happened. You can work out the rest from there.
Here’s what an entry can look like
There is no right way to fill the page. This is simply one example.
1. What happened?
I sent a message at lunchtime. There was still no reply when I looked at my phone later.
2. The meaning you gave to it
They don’t want to talk to me. I wish I hadn’t sent it.
3. What did you do next?
I opened the chat several times and checked whether they had been online.
4. How much did it pull you in?
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
5. Next time this comes up…
When I notice myself checking again, I’ll put my phone down for ten minutes and make some tea.
Nothing had to be solved. It was simply easier to see once it was written down.
A simple way to remember it
You do not need to remember every question on the page.
Just remember four small steps.
Pause
Something happened and it is still on your mind. Give yourself a moment before you rush past it.
Write
Write down what happened, what it meant to you, and what you did next.
Look
How much did it pull you in? You are not judging yourself. You are simply noticing how strong it felt.
Choose
Is there one small thing you would like to try next time?
That is enough.
Pause. Write. Look. Choose.
Start where you are
You do not need to know exactly what keeps happening before you begin.
You do not need to work out what needs changing.
Start with one moment.
Something that happened.
Something that stayed with you.
Something you found yourself thinking about afterwards.
Write down what happened, what it meant to you, what you did next, and how much it pulled you in.
After a few entries, you may begin to notice things you could not see at the start.
That is enough for now.
You do not have to understand everything before you begin.
Your next step is ready whenever you are.
Write it simply, in your own words.
ExampleI saw their name on my phone, opened the message and read it twice.
What did it mean to you?
ExampleThey don’t want to talk to me.
What did you actually do after that?
ExampleI checked my phone again ten minutes later.
Choose the number that feels closest. 0 = hardly at all. 10 = completely.
Is there one small thing you would like to try?
ExampleWhen I want to check again, I’ll put my phone down and make tea.
You only need to notice what is here.
0 = hardly at all. 10 = completely.
How much each one pulled you in
These are the numbers you chose. Tap any entry to read it again.
What did you notice more than once?
ExampleI kept checking for a reply whenever I wasn’t sure what was happening.
Look back at the moments you wrote about.
ExampleIt was often after I saw their name, had no reply or had too much time to think.
Look at what you actually wrote, rather than what you remember.
ExampleI thought I checked every time, but there were two times when I put my phone down instead.
Choose one small thing.
ExampleWait a few minutes before I check again.
The plan, not you. If what you tried was too difficult, too vague or simply did not help, change it.
ExampleTen minutes felt too long. Next time I’ll start with two.
Look back at your last four Reviews
The numbers you recorded
ExampleI thought I checked my phone randomly. I can see now that I do it much more when I’m unsure what is happening.
Think about the moments, meanings or things you did that appeared more than once.
ExampleWhen I don’t have an answer, I tend to fill in the gap myself.
It does not have to be a big change.
ExampleI still want to check, but sometimes I notice what I’m doing before I open the app.
ExampleSeeing that they are online still gets to me quickly.
Choose something worth carrying with you into the next part of the journal.
ExampleI want to keep giving myself a few minutes before I do anything.
Final Review
Before you begin
You may want to look back at your first few entries, your Reviews and your Longer Check-Ins.
ExampleI used to think these moments came out of nowhere. Looking back, I can see there were certain situations that pulled me in again and again.
ExampleWhen I do not know what someone means, I often decide what it means before I have enough information.
ExampleWhen I feel unsure, I usually want to do something quickly. Giving myself a little time sometimes changes what I do next.
ExampleI notice the urge to check before I am already doing it.
Some things may still have a strong pull. That belongs here too.
ExampleSilence still makes me want an answer quickly.
Look for what your own entries have shown you.
ExampleWaiting a little before I act has helped more than trying to talk myself out of how I feel.
ExampleI want to keep noticing what happened before deciding what it means.
You may not have changed everything. But you can see more than you could before.
Your chapter is complete
You’ve reached the end of these 182 entries.
Everything you wrote is still here whenever you want to look back.
You can read through your entries, revisit your Reviews and Longer Check-Ins, or save a copy before beginning again.
You can begin again without losing what this chapter helped you see.
Your record
Searches your own entries, Reviews and Check-Ins on this device.
Keep your journal safe
Backup
A backup is a copy you can restore later. Keep it somewhere you trust.
Export
Export creates a readable copy of your writing for you to keep, read or print. It is not a backup and cannot be used to restore the journal.
Delete everything
This removes everything this journal has stored in this browser, including what you have already seen. It cannot be undone. Save a backup first if you want to keep any of it.
Awake tonight?
You do not need to work anything out right now.
Choose what feels easiest.
Listen
Put something quiet beside you.
Ocean · Rain · Night Music
Read
A few quiet words for the middle of the night.
No questions. Nothing to fill in.
Tonight only needs to be tonight.
Listen
Nothing to work out.
Choose a sound and let it play for as long as you want.
Nothing else needs your attention for a while.
Read
You do not need to work anything out. Read slowly. Stop whenever you have had enough.
About this journal
Sometimes something happens and the mind moves quickly from what happened, to what it means, to what to do next.
Those steps can become so familiar that they feel like one thing.
This journal gives you somewhere to slow them down.
You record what happened, the meaning you gave to it, what you did next, how strongly it pulled you in and one small thing you might try the next time something similar happens.
Over several entries, the Reviews help you notice what repeats.
Not what you should be doing.
What your own record actually shows.
What this journal is not
It is not therapy, diagnosis or treatment.
It will not tell you what your thoughts mean or decide what you should do.
It does not use AI to analyse your writing.
Your words remain your words.
There is no right pace
You do not have to write every day.
Use the journal when there is something worth looking at.
Seven entries lead to a Review.
Twenty-eight entries lead to a Longer Check-In.
After 182 entries, you complete a Final Review and can begin a new chapter if you want to.
Your privacy
Your writing is stored locally in this browser.
There is no account or login, and your entries are not sent to Darcy Dawe Ltd.
Because browser storage is not encrypted, anyone with access to this device and browser may be able to read the journal.
Use Backup to keep a separate copy somewhere you trust.
If you are struggling
If something here has been hard to sit with, or if you are struggling, please talk to your GP or another professional. This journal is not a substitute for that.
Your record does not have to tell a perfect story. It only has to be yours.