A mood tracker is a visual tool you can use to help you increase self-awareness by gathering data on your day to day emotional experiences and factors that may affect your mood.
Are you someone who likes to see more concrete evidence that you are making progress? Is it difficult sometimes to tell if therapy is working for you? Do you tend to be forgetful and then feel unsure how to describe how your week went to your therapist?
Here are examples of mood trackers you could use or you could create your own:
| Emotions, rate on scale of 0-10 | Sadness 0-10 | Anger | Anxiety | Shame | Guilt | Fear | Joy |
| Monday | |||||||
| Tuesday | |||||||
| Wednesday | |||||||
| Thursday | |||||||
| Friday | |||||||
| Saturday | |||||||
| Sunday |
Behavior (Y or N) |
Applying for work | House chores | Mindfulness practice | Positive activities | Substance use | Procrastination | Isolating behavior |
| Monday | |||||||
| Tuesday | |||||||
| Wednesday | |||||||
| Thursday | |||||||
| Friday | |||||||
| Saturday | |||||||
| Sunday |
Negative thoughts |
Something bad might happen. | Something is wrong with me | I can’t do anything about this. | Other people are suffering to a much larger extent. | I’ll end up in the hospital. | Negative predictions | Self-criticism or negative comparisons with how things used to be. |
| Monday | |||||||
| Tuesday | |||||||
| Wednesday | |||||||
| Thursday | |||||||
| Friday | |||||||
| Saturday | |||||||
| Sunday |
Behavior |
# of meals I have eaten | # hours of sleep | Self-harm beahvior (Y or N) | Suicidal thoughts (Y or N) | Taking medications (Y or N) | Attended support group (Y or N) | Practiced skills from therapy (Y or N) |
| Monday | |||||||
| Tuesday | |||||||
| Wednesday | |||||||
| Thursday | |||||||
| Friday | |||||||
| Saturday | |||||||
| Sunday |
Positive things |
Accomplishments (completing assignments, making a new friend, using a new skill, setting a boundary) | Affirmations (I am grateful for…, I am worthy, I am loved, I am learning, I can overcome this) | Signs of progress (decreased symptoms, more energy, getting positive feedback from others, reacting differently than before, more positive thoughts, etc.) |
| Monday | |||
| Tuesday | |||
| Wednesday | |||
| Thursday | |||
| Friday | |||
| Saturday | |||
| Sunday |
Other Things |
Triggering situations (stressors, events that reminded you of past trauma, loss, abrupt change) | Interpretations or assumptions about the situations | Reactions (crying, walking away, shut down, blew up, ruminating for hours, blamed self, used maladaptive coping) |
| Monday | |||
| Tuesday | |||
| Wednesday | |||
| Thursday | |||
| Friday | |||
| Saturday | |||
| Sunday |
Choose emotions you want to track and put them in the first row. Each day, rate your emotions in terms of intensity with 0 being having no emotion and 10 being having the most intense emotion.
-You can track behaviors and thoughts that may be impacting your mood.
– You can also track your accomplishments each day, write down your affirmations, and describe signs of progress. You can connect your behaviors, thoughts, and emotions and see how they impact each other.
-You can describe triggers that occurred, identify how you interpreted the situation or what assumptions you made, then go into details about your reactions.
You can then bring the mood trackers into your session to have more details to share and more information to help find the right therapy approach.
If you are looking for counseling support with your mood or worry that you might have depression, a therapist at Star Meadow Counseling is available to help! Reach out today to schedule an appointment!
5 Tricks for Falling Asleep
Are you one of the 30% of Americans that have had bouts with insomnia? Do you get less than the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night (or 8-10 hours for teens)? Sleep loss can have profound impacts on a body’s physical and emotional health. Bad sleep can...
How to Cope with Stress & Loss around the Holidays
For some, the “most wonderful season of the year” is anything but wonderful. Any number of things can make this season challenging: Feelings of loneliness Worry about how family members will get along Missing a loved one that is no longer with you Guilt about...
Walk to Fight Suicide
Star Meadow Counseling is proud to help sponsor the 2017 Out of Darkness Community Walk. We have seen the impact that suicide can have on friends and family and are committed to spreading a message of hope to those that are suffering. Every 40 seconds someone in the...
Listen Like a Counselor – How to Help Your Depressed Teen
Teen depression can bring an array of emotions and behaviors that parents struggle to understand. An urge to isolate, to experience intense feelings alone Difficulty maintaining motivation with chores or homework Disinterest in usual hobbies or interests An opposite...
5 Steps to Coping with Panic Attacks
Unless you are face-to-face with a bear or another physical danger, nothing feels more terrifying than a panic attack. Many have gone to the Emergency Room fearing heart attacks, strokes, and death. With symptoms including chest tightening, throat constricting, and...