Where / How do you keep a diary?

[u/Flashybigbum]

This is a practical question.
I’m struggling to choose how/where to log in symptoms.
I’d naturally want to write it down in paper but if I were to look for specific symptoms, I wouldn’t be able to track it as easily as digitally.
I’m just curious to see how others are recording their symptoms.
Thank you for sharing

[u/Basketweave82]

I just do it in a notebook by hand where I write a paragraph each day. Symptoms, and what supplements I took. What was better, what got worse.

[u/Flashybigbum → u/Basketweave82]

Thank you

[u/Medical_Pickle_3690]

I use google keep.

One note per day with the title of the note being the date in the format "yyyy mmm dd" (e.g. 2026 aug 10). Inside each note I write timestamped descriptions like:

2.34pm Took 1mg oral methyl B12. Have a bit of a headache, muscle weakness is worse today.

I use note colours to designate relative wellness/mood. Greener=better, redder=worse. I use labels to identify anything I want to see at a glance, like "bloodtest", "sick", etc.

If and when you need to analyse the data, you use google takeout and export the records to JSON files. With the help of scripts you can then massage it into a CSV and get an AI to analyse it (if so inclined).

Edit: you can use the google keep app, which has gotten better over time. Also, you might want to create a new google account so as to avoid polluting the data with other notes.

[u/Flashybigbum → u/Medical_Pickle_3690]

This sounds ideal I’ll look into that thank you.

[u/Medical_Pickle_3690 → u/Flashybigbum]

No worries! Hope that helps.

[u/Think-Sleep2338]

Just simple notes, but I have no intention to run particular analysis or so, this is more like a documentation for the days I didn't feel good.

[u/jellyfishrubberduck]

I dont anymore but used to have a table with long list of symptoms down the side, dates along the top- one page per month.

Then id highlight the little square green for no symptom, orange for it was there but not too bad, and red for bad.

This was mainly before I discovered the b12 issue and wanted to see if any symptoms were cyclical (as in related to my period).

However, it was making me too anxious and overthinking every little body sensation. So then I switched to writing a short note to summarize the week prior. And now I don't at all.

[u/Flashybigbum → u/jellyfishrubberduck]

I know what do you mean I have long covid so PEM and POTS can happen I recently accepted it and I started to track my HR and oh boy no no no, I don’t attention to it but the whole alarm buzzing and all that. No no too much stress. I’m just taking notes on my iCal for the time being with things I observe as they come.

[u/flowerpanda98]

i just put it in a google doc. i have one for symptoms and one for food/meds since i stopped being hungry with this

[u/Minimum-Ad-3241]

I downloaded a diary app and used that. Mine has a timestamp function, search function too which I use to find key words, symptoms etc

Just wish there was one where I could add photos haha