Healing Through Words: Digital Journals & Keepsakes for Navigating Sudden Loss
Grieving in the Digital Age: Why Words and Memories Matter
Grief in the digital age is both uniquely isolating and strangely connective. While loss pulls us into silence, today’s tools can quietly support our healing—offering private space for reflection, memory-keeping, and storytelling.
After the sudden loss of my son Dhian, I found myself clinging to words. Journaling, blogging, saving moments on my phone—these became lifelines. In this post, I want to share how digital tools—especially journaling—can help hold grief in a way that feels manageable, personal, and lasting.
Why Writing Helps Heal Sudden Loss
(& How to Start When You're Stuck)
Writing is one of the most powerful tools for emotional healing—especially after a sudden or traumatic loss. Psychologically, journaling helps make sense of what feels senseless. It supports memory processing, emotional regulation, and even reduces anxiety by giving form to formless pain.
For me, writing has always been a quiet companion. I started journaling as a teenager—recording where my mind was, who was in my life, and how I was growing. During my psychotherapy training as an adult, journaling deepened, becoming a reflective space for insight. But after becoming a mum, journaling slipped away—until it returned, with urgency, when I lost my son.
“When Dhian passed away, I felt compelled to write. I started a journal about me and him, filled with harrowing thoughts, memories, and my inability to accept a new reality without him. I had to write things I didn’t want to forget. Writing was the only place I could put the pain.”
If you're grieving and want to start journaling but feel stuck, try these simple steps:
- Start small: A sentence or a few words is enough.
- Use prompts: “Today I remembered…”, “One thing I miss is…”, “If I could say one thing to you…”
- Voice it out: If writing is too hard, speak into a notes app.
- Give yourself permission: There’s no ‘right’ way. It doesn’t need to be daily or neat. It just needs to be yours.
Writing doesn't erase pain—but it can offer relief, perspective, and a sense of connection, even in the heaviest moments.
How to Create a Memory Journal After a Sudden Loss
Step-by-Step Guide
Journaling is not just about reflection—it’s also about remembrance. A memory journal can become a sacred space for you and your loved ones to revisit over time. Here’s how to create one:
1. Choose Your Format
- Digital: Use apps like Day One, Notion, or Google Docs. I personally use my phone Notes and email entries to my children’s email accounts (which I created at birth) as backups.
- Physical: Keep a notebook, printed journal, or photo album. My “Mum’s One Line a Day” journal started as a handwritten keepsake, now supplemented with typed entries.
“This journal became a way to document my children’s lives—the funny things they say, their little quirks. I started it after my second child because I wanted them to have something, one day, that showed them how magical I thought they were.”
2. Start With a Flexible Structure
Try including:
- Stories or memories
- Quotes or things they said
- Photos or drawings
- Letters to your loved one
- Milestones and anniversaries
“Now, I have two journals: one for Dhian and one for all my children. In the ‘kids’ journal’, I write the sweet things they say about their baby brother. My daughter recently said, ‘We could go to the airport and save Dhian,’ and stroked his babygrow against her face. These are the moments I need to remember—for them and for me.”
3. Use Prompts to Get Started
- “I never want to forget the way you…”
- “The last time we were together, we…”
- “One thing that breaks me when I think about it is…”
4. Make It Visual
Tools like Canva or Shutterfly let you combine images with journal entries for something tangible and beautiful. If you want something more guided, Forever Dhian offers digital templates and milestone trackers.
“I created a Year of Firsts milestone tracker to help families like mine mark difficult days and remember together—gently. It includes kid-friendly prompts, grief scripts, and simple ways to keep your baby’s memory alive within your family.”
5. Add Gradually, Revisit Gently
There’s no deadline. Some days you’ll write more than others. Allow yourself to come and go from the journal as your emotions allow.
6. Consider Creating a Keepsake
Eventually, you might choose to:
- Print a book of entries using Mixbook or Blurb
- Share it with close family
- Keep it completely private
You can even create a digital version first, then format it later into something your children or partner can hold onto one day.
Digital Keepsakes & Healing Practices
Writing is just one piece. Here are other meaningful digital tools to support your grief journey:
Digital Keepsakes
- Video tributes or digital memory books using Canva or iMovie
- Photo albums with voice notes using your smartphone or apps like Chatbooks
- QR codes on keepsakes that link to online journals or tribute pages (use QR Code Generator)
Mindful Tools & Support Apps
- Grief journaling apps: Grief Works, Daylio, Journey
- Mindfulness apps: Calm, Headspace
- Grief communities: Grief Refuge, Untangle
Tip: Blend ritual with tech
- Light a digital candle at gratefulness.org
- Create a private Instagram or blog to post memories
- Use shared calendars like Google Calendar to mark remembrance days with notes or family activities
There’s No Right Way to Grieve—But You Can Start Here...
Whether you’ve lost a child, partner, parent, or friend—grief alters you. There’s no fixing it, but there are ways to hold it more gently. Digital tools like journaling, memory trackers, and keepsakes aren’t replacements for healing. They’re soft containers. They remind you that your memories matter, that your love still lives in words, images, and rituals—even in the darkest moments.
“Even though journaling is private, blogging has become another healing outlet. Being able to share with others lightens something in me. If my words can hold space for someone else’s grief, then this pain has not gone unheard.”
Start Slowly...
If this post resonates with you, I invite you to explore Forever Dhian where you’ll find digital grief tools, journals, and templates to support your own healing. You can also subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates, writing prompts, and free resources for remembrance.
You don’t have to do it all. You just have to start. One word, one memory, one day at a time.
With kindness and care,
- Salina 🤍