Journal Journey
A local creator turns her journaling practice into a tool for clarity and calm.
By Seattle Mag October 28, 2025
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2025 issue of Seattle magazine.
After 14 years of working in the tech industry, Sunetra Deshpande felt burned out, so she turned to journaling to streamline her thoughts. “It helped me refocus, find clarity, and manage my mental health,” she says. “What surprised me was how difficult and intimidating journaling can be for many of us who don’t identify as typical ‘wellness enthusiasts.’”
Inspired to find a more approachable format, Deshpande developed Journer, a notebook and guide with 75 prompts, six templates, and tips to help anyone start on their journaling journey.
“Unlike traditional guided journals, which can feel repetitive, or blank notebooks which provide zero guidance, Journer offers a unique mix of guidance and freedom,” she says, noting that the act of writing down your thoughts “can help reduce stress and anxiety, regulate emotions, boost happiness, and improve self-awareness and cognitive functions like problem-solving and memory.”
Deshpande donates 5% of all Journer proceeds to the National Alliance for Mental Illness.
Follow Us
Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Shop local and give her something she’ll love.
Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday, May 10, and the right gift really depends on the mom. Maybe she wants flowers. Maybe she wants lunch by the water. Maybe she wants something useful, pretty, or delicious. Whatever the day looks like, a little thought goes a long way. It can also be a complicated…
Here’s Your Earth Month To-Do List
Local cleanups, trail work, and ways to get outside this April.
In the Pacific Northwest, a region deeply connected to water, forests, and ecosystems, the climate conversation has never been theoretical. It shows up as shrinking snowpack, severe flooding, and warming streams. If the planet’s future—and that of our own backyard—can feel overwhelming, this year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” puts the action back…
A Clear Vision for Growth
Local optometry clinic Eye Eye celebrates a decade in business and prepares to debut its first line of frames.
In Leschi Park, overlooking Lake Washington, towers one of Seattle’s many historic trees, a giant sequoia planted sometime in the early 20th century. Just down the street on Lakeside Avenue is the second location of eye clinic and shop Eye Eye, where Dr. Will Pentecost seems to be borrowing some of the leafy specimen’s energy….
Floating with Friends
The benefits of sauna go beyond the physical, and Seattle’s newest wellness experience—which glides around the waters of Lake Union—equally taps into the non-tangible positives.
It only took a few minutes to settle in before I knew—these are my people. I met Emma Griffith, one of the founders of Wild Haus Floating Saunas, on a crisp, clear, late-summer morning to chat about the project she helped start last January. In simple terms, the team of eight created two saunas on…