Why Digital Diaries Can't Beat Paper Diaries
Digital diaries may feel like the convenient option, but there are lots of reasons why you can't beat a paper diary. A paper diary can help you to retain information more effectively, reduce distractions, encourage creative freedom and even offer mental health benefits.
I'm a paper diary kind of girl. I haven't always been, but, here I am, age 42 and in a fully committed relationship with my paper diary. I will not be tempted by any digital diary app. Not now. Not ever.
I've not always kept a paper diary. In fact, I've had a pretty disastrous run of things with them in the past. The ADHD chaos has resulted in the purchase of multiple diaries in any given year, mostly because I forget where I've put them and have to buy a new one. But I think I've got a handle on that now.
One year, I decided to go it alone, "I don't need a diary- I've got reminder texts and post-it notes to see me through". Just no. I wouldn't recommend this as a way of organising your life. I'm not sure what I was thinking, really.
The Problem With a Digital Diary or Calendar App
Once I've saved the appointment in my phone app, it is gone forever- like, into the abyss. It is NEVER coming back. And if I forgot to set some kind of alert to remind me of the appointment the day before, and then the morning of, and then an hour before, I am 100% missing that appointment.
There are, of course, other issues with having a diary on my phone, including, but not limited to:
- the overwhelming temptation to get sucked into a scroll-hole because I've picked up my phone again
- the inevitable time of the day when my battery is at 1% (usually when I need to access information the most)
- the limitations on what I can view at any one time
- how boring they are to look at/use
Reasons to Buy a Paper Diary
1- Better Memory Retention
Writing entries by hand forces you to slow down and process information deeply. The physical act of writing my hand stimulates parts of your brain that typing on a screen just can't. That means you are less likely to miss that appointment.
2- Less Temptation for Digital Distractions
Have you ever picked up your phone to just quickly check something, and found yourself stuck in a half-hour-long doom scroll session? Yep. Me too. I cannot pick up my phone without doing a complete tour of each social media app. But the good news is that a paper diary doesn't have in-built social media! Paper diary time is screen-free time, which, in my eyes, is a huge bonus.
3- More Mindfulness
A paper diary doesn't just have to be for organisation and appointments. You can also use it to track habits, brain-dump the things that are playing on your mind and get that to-do list written down so you don't have to worry about it. You could also start a mini journal in your diary by writing down 3 things you are grateful for each day. All these little mindfulness techniques can help reduce stress and create a moment of calm.
4- Better Visibility
A digital diary will usually let you view a day at a time or the whole month. There aren't many apps that let you flick through whole weeks to see what you've got coming up. But a paper diary, well, you can choose a day per page layout or a week per page layout- whichever suits you best.
5- Tech-Free Convenience
Yes, you read that correctly! A paper diary doesn't need to be recharged, it won't require signal, data or a software update to let you access information,
6- Tactile Experience
Is there anything more satisfying than the feeling of opening a beautiful book and flicking through the pages?! Or writing on smooth, crisp white paper with a gorgeous pen?! The whole process of using a paper diary is sensory heaven. It's just a lovely experience, and something that no digital app can recreate.
7- A Creative Outlet
Did you know that when you doodle, you are more likely to retain information? When you combine basic drawings with words (often called visual note-taking or "sketchnoting"), you process information both visually and verbally, solidifying the memory.
But doodling is about more than just helping retain information- it is an act of creative freedom and artistic exploration. When you add colours, patterns and shapes to your diary, you express your creativity and transform your diary into your own personalised, creative safe space.
8- A Tangible Time Capsule
Your diary says a lot about who you are. Completed diaries and journals become like little time-capsules for each year of your life - a reminder of your history, goals and experiences.
9- Good Habits
Taking the time out to write in your diary or journal every day is a fantastic way to build good habits. I love to use my diary as a way to track my habits- I actually started this last year by creating my own little habit trackers on each page and ticking each day that I managed to drink 2L of water and hit my steps goal. It's something I've taken into our very first Pogofandango Diary - I've created a little habit tracking section for each week with the space to track up to 4 habits. I think it's the bit I'm most excited about using next year!
Final Thoughts
Paper diaries are useful tools for organising your appointments, but they are also so much more than that! If you'd like a pretty A5 hardcover diary for 2027, take a look at ours here. We've designed the whole thing, one page at a time, so you can expect the usual Pogofandango style and attention to detail. They are made in the UK, and the paper is the most beautifully smooth 120gsm paper, so it's a total dream to write on!
I'm just sad that I have to wait until 2027 to start using it!
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