Calm has partnered with Intelligent Change to launch a new Five Minute Journal — a science-backed guided journal to help you feel better in the morning and sleep better at night in just five minutes each day.

Journaling is powerful. It can reduce stress, boost your mood, and help you improve sleep naturally.

That’s why Calm has teamed up with Intelligent Change—the creators of the beloved Five Minute Journal—to launch a special edition guided journal, designed to help you feel better in the morning and sleep better at night.

"The Five Minute Journal became a global sensation for a reason: it’s simple, powerful, and people genuinely love it,” says Calm co-founder Michael Acton Smith. “Teaming up with the brilliant team at Intelligent Change was the perfect way to bring the Calm experience off the app and onto the page. Together, we’ve created a beautiful, science-backed journal that makes it easier than ever to feel more grateful, grounded, and well-rested, just five minutes at a time."

About the Calm x Five Minute Journal

Whether you’re dealing with day-to-day stress and anxiety, navigating the weight of the world, or struggling with sleep, the Calm x Five Minute Journal has been carefully curated to help you feel and live better.

How it works

Your day has a beginning and an end, and the Calm x Five Minute Journal is designed for both.

The morning pages of the journal spark clarity, presence, and purpose with gratitude prompts and daily affirmations — it’s a positive start that’ll set you up for a great day. The evening pages allow you to reflect on your day, reset, and relax, making it easier for you to wind down before bed and sleep better.

Start with gratitude and end with calm. In many ways, the journal becomes the physical embodiment of a full nervous system cycle.

Why it works

Research shows journaling can boost your mood and decrease stress. If you journal in the morning and meditate in the evening—which can reduce cortisol and improve sleep latency—you create a 24-hour mood regulation loop. The result? You wake up more refreshed, sleep better at night, and feel happier all around.

That’s why we recommend using the Calm x Five Minute Journal alongside Calm’s vast in-app library of mindfulness meditation and sleep content.

How journaling supports your mental health & wellbeing

Journaling can be a creative outlet, but it’s also a therapeutic practice with deep roots in psychological research. At its core, journaling gives you a structured way to slow down, check in with yourself, and make sense of what’s going on in your life.

Some benefits of journaling include:

Less stress and anxiety: Writing about your worries can help to slow racing thoughts, creating mental space for calm. In fact, studies have shown that expressive writing can boost your mood and help you better cope with daily challenges.
Improved self-awareness: Journaling can help you recognize patterns, like what energizes you, what drains you, and what matters most. With greater self-awareness, you’re more likely to cultivate better decision-making and emotional resilience.
Better sleep: A nighttime journaling ritual, especially one focused on gratitude or positive events, can help you wind down and ease into rest.
Greater self-awareness: Whether you're navigating grief, change, or just a tough day, writing can be a safe space to explore your feelings. It allows for emotional release and insight, without the need for judgment or external validation.
Increased clarity and growth: Documenting your hopes, plans, and progress can help you stay focused on your goals. Over time, your journal can also help you connect the dots and show you how you’ve evolved over time.

Other offerings from Calm & Intelligent Change

Aside from the Calm x Five Minute Journal, we’re also offering 40% off Calm Premium with every purchase, as well as the opportunity to tune into a brand new Sleep Story called “A Dreamy Journaling Journey.”

A Dreamy Journaling Journey Sleep Story

To celebrate the collaboration, we’ve also created a brand new Sleep Story to help you get even better sleep. “A Dreamy Journaling Journey,” narrated by Jon Wolfson, is a poetic tale inspired by the calming effects of reflection and gratitude. Carefully crafted to quiet your mind and ease you into restful sleep, it's the perfect companion to your evening journaling practice.
Listen here

Calm your mind. Change your life.

Mental health is hard. Getting support doesn't have to be. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life.

Feel better in the morning, sleep better at night with the Calm x Five Minute Journal