Living with a disability is hard enough—navigating your disability insurance claim should not make it harder. If you’re applying for or receiving long term disability insurance through your employer’s group plan or your own private policy in Canada, a powerful tool at your disposal is a disability journal. This simple habit can actually make the difference between an approved disability claim and a frustrating denial.

Why You Should Keep a Disability Journal

When dealing with a disabling medical condition and a disability insurance claim, memory and paperwork can easily get overwhelming. Insurance companies often demand proof that your condition genuinely prevents you from working. A well-kept disability journal acts as your ongoing, credible evidence. This helps you document symptoms, treatments, and the true impact on your daily life—all crucial information that supports your claim.

In this detailed guide by the experienced disability lawyers at Share Lawyers, you’ll learn exactly why you should keep a disability journal, how to use it to protect your rights, and practical steps to get started.

Jody’s Experience

Jody, 38, from Manitoba, struggled with daily pain and fatigue from a chronic illness. When her long term disability claim was denied, the insurance company argued there wasn’t enough documentation to prove how much her condition affected her work and daily routines.

Because Jody hadn’t kept a disability journal, she found it hard to describe details like how her pain changed throughout the day, or how often she needed to rest. Without a clear record, Jody’s word carried less weight than hospital forms alone.

She spent months gathering extra evidence that might have been available instantly if she’d kept a regular journal.

What Is a Disability Journal?

A disability journal is a written record or diary where you document your symptoms, treatment, medications, and how your condition affects your work and daily activities. It serves as a day-to-day evidence log to support your disability insurance claim and helps you remember important details, events, and challenges you might otherwise forget.

You can keep your journal using:

• A notebook or paper diary

• A computer document or spreadsheet

• A symptoms tracking app

Why Keeping a Disability Journal Helps Your Long Term Disability Claim

A disability journal strengthens your disability claim by:

• Providing concrete, ongoing evidence: It gives insurers real-life examples of how your disability affects daily life, making your case stronger.
  

• Showing consistency and severity: Regular entries reveal patterns and long-term effects, not just isolated incidents.
  

• Helping your healthcare providers: Clear records let your care team see changes over time and support your claim with better information.
  

• Supporting your credibility: A well-kept journal proves you are being truthful and thorough.

Tip: Insurance companies often prefer objective evidence, but strong, consistent self-reports in a diary can be persuasive—even for invisible or subjective symptoms like fatigue or pain.

What to Include in a Disability Journal

Here’s a checklist of what to capture:

Symptoms & Pain Levels

Tracks severity, frequency, patterns, and triggers

• Rate your pain or symptoms each day (e.g., “Pain 7/10 in the morning, eased by mid-afternoon”)

• Note what triggers symptoms (weather, stress, activity) and if anything helps ease them

• Use clear, simple language: “Could not lift my arms to wash my hair this morning”

Impact on Work & Daily Life

Shows specific tasks or activities you can/can’t do

• Describe activities you can’t perform, or how you’ve had to change or reduce them (e.g., “Needed help with groceries—couldn’t carry bags”)

• Log missed workdays, reduced hours, or inability to complete certain duties

Emotional & Mental Health Challenges

Documents anxiety, depression, or cognitive difficulties

• Record changes in mood, motivation, concentration, or sleep

• Note anxiety, depression, memory issues, or other mental health symptoms

Medications & Side Effects

Notes changes in treatment and any difficulties experienced

• List changes in prescriptions and over-the-counter medication

• Record side effects and how they affect your day (e.g., “Medication made me dizzy, had to rest for two hours”)

Medical Appointments & Treatments
Logs visits, referrals, test results, and doctors’ instructions

• Document each appointment, test, referral, and specialist visit

• Summarize what the doctor said and next steps advised

• Including both “good” and “bad” days shows you are being honest and balanced—a red flag for adjusters is if every day sounds extremely severe or unrealistically perfect.

Tips for Keeping a Legally Useful Disability Journal

A disability journal is not just a personal diary. These essential tips ensure your records are credible and support your disability insurance claim:

Be Honest and Consistent

• Tell the truth, even when it’s hard

• Record both ups and downs

• Avoid exaggerating or downplaying symptoms

Write Regularly (Daily or Weekly)

• Set a schedule that fits your situation

• Make quick notes if you’re too tired to write a full entry

• Missing entries occasionally is fine—just get back on track

Use Specific, Descriptive Language

• Replace “I felt bad” with “Had trouble standing for more than 5 minutes without back pain”

• Clarify how symptoms affect your work, home, and social life

Consider Using a Template or App

• Use symptom-tracking apps or simple templates (many can generate summary reports)

• Apps like CatchMyPain help you track pain location and intensity, and even link your notes with other health data

• Keep digital or paper copies and secure backups for your lawyer

How Your Disability Lawyer Can Use Your Journal

A disability journal can become a vital tool for your disability lawyer to:

• Prepare your case and identify evidence gaps

• Respond to requests for more information from the insurance company

• Challenge denials by proving how your condition genuinely impacts daily life

• Show trends and severity that medical forms alone might miss

Your lawyer may use specific detail from your diary to demonstrate how your symptoms align with your disability insurance policy’s requirements for benefits.

If you’re struggling with symptoms that interfere with your ability to work, starting a disability journal today could make all the difference for your disability insurance claim. Not having a detailed, consistent record may slow your case or even lead to unfair denials. Why you should keep a disability journal is simple: it can be extra protection in a process where details matter.

If your long term disability claim has been denied, don’t lose hope. Reach out to Share Lawyers today for a free consultation. You pay absolutely no fees unless we win your case. Our team understands how overwhelming this process can be, and we are here to fight for your rights and help you get the benefits you deserve. Let us handle the insurance company—so you can focus on your health and recovery.