the research behind tabula

tracking helps you notice. on its own, it rarely helps you feel better.

evidence: strong

A 2026 meta-analysis of eight randomised trials found that mood monitoring on its own had no robust effect on symptoms in bipolar disorder, and only a small, borderline effect on depression at 12 months (SMD = −0.25; Astill Wright et al., 2026). Apps that teach skills do better: across 92 randomised trials, mental health apps improved outcomes compared with control groups (g = 0.43; Valentine et al., 2025). One trial compared the two directly. Monitoring alone did no better than a waitlist, while monitoring plus brief skill content improved depression, anxiety and negative thinking (SMDs of about 0.32 to 0.40; Everitt et al., 2021).

so tabula

• never says that tracking treats anything. it's for noticing patterns and reflecting.
• pairs check-ins with small skills (below), rather than asking for more data.

small skills, chosen for their evidence

evidence: moderate (strong for skills in general, mixed for single techniques)

In a large trial of a self-help app for young people, using its behavioural activation challenges (small, planned, doable activities) predicted lower depression three months later (β = −0.28; Bralee et al., 2025). Reappraisal, looking at a situation from another angle, shows small to medium benefits in mobile interventions (SMD = 0.34; Morello et al., 2023). Breathwork shows small to medium pooled effects on stress, anxiety and depression (Fincham, Strauss, Montero-Marín, et al., 2023). Single techniques are less certain: a placebo-controlled trial of coherent breathing found no added benefit over a matched placebo (Fincham, Strauss, & Cavanagh, 2023), and slow-paced breathing offered just in time eased anxiety in the moment but had mixed effects across the day (Lachowicz et al., 2026).

so tabula

• offers one short skill after a heavy check-in: slow breathing, grounding (5-4-3-2-1), one tiny step, or another angle.
• keeps every skill optional and skippable, one at a time, and doesn't promise any single one works for everyone.

no streaks, points or punishment

evidence: moderate

Across 38 studies, gamification did not make depression apps more effective (β = −0.03, p = .38) or improve adherence (Six et al., 2021). Across 92 trials, persuasive design features showed no link to how well apps worked or how much they were used (Valentine et al., 2025), and trials of depression and anxiety apps lost fewer people when they had reminders and human contact and no gamification (Liu et al., 2025). Reviews also flag a risk of over-engagement (Cheng & Ebrahimi, 2023). One gamified app did keep 21% more people, though the trial couldn't separate the game from the rest of the app (Litvin et al., 2020).

so tabula

• has no streak counters, points or leaderboards, and no red "missed" or "overdue".
• lets the cairn only grow. nothing you've done is ever taken away.

the caveat: direct evidence that streaks cause guilt is still limited. this is a careful choice more than a proven one.

stepping away is normal

evidence: moderate

Studies of how people really track describe a cycle of deciding to track, tracking, lapsing and sometimes coming back, and treat lapsing as a normal part of use rather than a failure (Epstein et al., 2015). In trials of depression and anxiety apps, about 19% of people had dropped out by the end of the trial and about 28% by follow-up (Liu et al., 2025).

so tabula

• welcomes you back after time away, with nothing to catch up on.
• lets you fill in past days if you want to, and never shows a gap as a failure.

logging that stays light

evidence: strong

Adherence falls as tracking takes more effort. In one study in a 2026 review, daily check-in completion fell from 78% in the first week to 47% by week 16 (Astill Wright et al., 2026). Across app trials, only about 62% of people used their app as much as the trial intended, and reminders helped keep people in (Liu et al., 2025).

so tabula

• takes one tap, or one sentence to oratio, with no required fields.
• sends only the reminders you choose, and makes them easy to snooze.

focus helpers for adhd

evidence: early

Adults with ADHD describe task management as relational and emotional, and say most tools assume steady self-regulation they don't have (Chen et al., 2026). Professionals with ADHD prefer quiet, customisable, non-judgemental support over gamified pressure or hard deadlines (Deshmukh, 2025). Prototypes point toward one-step-at-a-time flows and cues to get started (Xu, 2026), and body doubling (working alongside someone) looks promising in a small, not yet peer-reviewed study (Ara et al., 2025).

so tabula

• offers focus helpers when you start: fewer choices at once, shorter forms, and one thing at a time.
• calls them helpers, not a treatment, because this research is still early.