Help Center

Learn how to get the most out of Unwindly

Getting Started

Your first week with Unwindly

CBT Fundamentals

Understand the science behind it

Features Guide

How each feature works

Privacy & Data

Your data, your control

Getting Started

Everything you need to know to begin your journaling journey

How Features Unlock

Unwindly introduces features gradually through the Learn tab. As you read and complete articles, you unlock related features.

Why learn-to-unlock?

CBT techniques work best when you understand the reasoning behind them. Instead of throwing all the tools at you at once, Unwindly teaches you each concept first, then unlocks the corresponding feature. This way, you know why you're doing something, not just how.

How it works

  1. Open the Learn tab, or tap the next story from the home screen
  2. Read through an article at your own pace
  3. Tap "Mark as Complete" when finished
  4. Related features unlock immediately

What unlocks with each article?

  • "Emotions Are Information" → Full Thought Record journal
  • "The Voice in Your Head" → Automatic thoughts tracking
  • "Become a Thought Detective" → Evidence examination
  • "The 12 Cognitive Distortions" → Distortion identification
  • "From Extreme to Balanced" → Balanced perspective
  • "Why Gratitude Rewires Your Brain" → Gratitude journal
  • "Body Scan: Where Stress Lives" → Body scan exercise
  • "Be Your Own Best Friend" → Self-support journal
  • ...and more as you progress
Want everything now? If you're already familiar with CBT or prefer full access immediately, you can unlock all features at once in the Learn tab.

Understanding Journal Types

Unwindly offers different journal types for different needs:

Quick Entry

Free-form journaling with optional prompts. Best for: Daily check-ins, getting thoughts out of your head, building the journaling habit.

Thought Record (CBT)

Structured 7-step process to examine and reframe negative thoughts. Best for: Working through anxiety, challenging unhelpful thinking patterns, finding balanced perspectives.

Gratitude Journal

Focus on what's going well in your life. Best for: Shifting attention to positives, building optimism, ending the day on a good note.

Self-Compassion Journal

Write to yourself like you'd write to a friend. Best for: Self-criticism, building inner kindness, processing difficult emotions.

Daily Reflection

Guided prompts to review your day. Best for: Evening routines, building self-awareness, processing daily experiences.

CBT Fundamentals

Understand the science behind Unwindly's techniques

What is CBT?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychological treatment that has been proven effective for a range of problems including depression, anxiety, and stress.

The core idea

CBT is based on a simple but powerful insight: It's not events themselves that upset us, but how we interpret them.

The same situation can make one person anxious and another person calm, depending on what they think about it. CBT helps you identify unhelpful thoughts and develop more balanced ways of thinking.

How it works

1
Identify

Notice when you're having a strong emotional reaction

2
Examine

Ask: What thought just went through my mind?

3
Evaluate

Is this thought accurate? What's the evidence?

4
Reframe

What's a more balanced way to see this?

Why it works

CBT has over 2,000 research studies supporting its effectiveness. It's one of the most well-studied approaches in psychology. The techniques in Unwindly are based on these evidence-based methods.

Important: Unwindly is a self-help tool, not a replacement for professional mental health care. If you're struggling significantly, please reach out to a therapist or counselor.

Features Guide

Get the most out of every feature in Unwindly

Quick Entry vs. Thought Record

These are Unwindly's two main journaling modes. Here's when to use each:

Quick Entry

  • Takes 2-5 minutes
  • Free-form writing
  • Good for daily check-ins
  • Helps you notice patterns
  • No structure required

Use when: You want to get thoughts out of your head, you're building the journaling habit, or you're not sure what's bothering you yet.

Thought Record

  • Takes 10-20 minutes
  • Structured 7-step process
  • Good for working through issues
  • Helps you reframe thoughts
  • Evidence-based approach

Use when: You've caught a specific negative thought, you're feeling stuck, or you want to deeply examine a recurring worry.

Pro tip: Start with Quick Entry to identify what's bothering you, then move to a Thought Record to work through it deeply.

Understanding Your Questionnaire Scores

Unwindly includes validated psychological questionnaires to help you track your mental wellbeing over time.

PHQ-9 (Depression)

Measures depressive symptoms over the past 2 weeks.

  • 0-4: Minimal
  • 5-9: Mild
  • 10-14: Moderate
  • 15-19: Moderately severe
  • 20-27: Severe

GAD-7 (Anxiety)

Measures anxiety symptoms over the past 2 weeks.

  • 0-4: Minimal
  • 5-9: Mild
  • 10-14: Moderate
  • 15-21: Severe

PSS-10 (Stress)

Measures perceived stress over the past month.

  • 0-13: Low stress
  • 14-26: Moderate stress
  • 27-40: High stress

WHO-5 (Wellbeing)

Measures positive wellbeing over the past 2 weeks.

  • 0-28: Poor wellbeing
  • 29-50: Low wellbeing
  • 51-100: Good wellbeing
Important: These questionnaires are screening tools, not diagnostic instruments. High scores suggest you might benefit from professional support. If you're consistently scoring in moderate-to-severe ranges, please consider reaching out to a mental health professional.

Privacy & Data

Understanding how Unwindly protects your most personal thoughts

Where is my data stored and who has access to it?

Your journal entries contain your most vulnerable thoughts. We believe this data should never leave your device unless you explicitly choose to sync it.

How it works

  • All data stored locally: Your entries, moods, and settings are saved directly on your device
  • No account required: You can use every feature without creating an account
  • Works offline: The app functions completely without internet
  • No data collection: We don't track your usage, read your entries, or collect analytics

What about backups?

Your data is included in your device's standard backup (iCloud for iOS, Google backup for Android). If you restore your device from backup, your Unwindly data will be restored too.

Syncing Between Devices

If you want to use Unwindly on multiple devices, Pro Sync lets you do that securely.

How Pro Sync works

  1. Your data is encrypted on your device before it ever leaves
  2. Only the encrypted data is sent to our servers
  3. We cannot read your entries - only you have the decryption key
  4. Your other devices download and decrypt locally

End-to-end encryption means:

  • Your entries are encrypted with a key only you control
  • Even if our servers were compromised, your data would be unreadable
  • We literally cannot read your journal entries
Note: Pro Sync is completely optional. The full app works perfectly on a single device without it.

Exporting Your Data

Your data belongs to you. You can export it anytime.

How to export

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Tap Export Data
  3. Choose your format (JSON or CSV)
  4. Save or share the file

What's included

  • All journal entries with full content
  • Mood tracking history
  • Questionnaire results
  • Settings and preferences

You can use this export to keep a backup, share with a therapist, or simply have your data in an open format.

Still Need Help?

We're here for you

Email Support

Get help from a real person

support@unwindly.app

Usually responds within 48 hours

Feature Requests

Shape the future of Unwindly

feedback@unwindly.app

We read every suggestion

In Crisis?

If you're experiencing a mental health emergency, please contact professional help immediately:

  • USA: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
  • UK: 116 123 (Samaritans)
  • EU: 112 (Emergency Services)
  • International: findahelpline.com

Unwindly is a self-help tool, not a replacement for professional mental health care.