Mood Tracking: How to do it, and Why it Matters
When I ask my clients to work with me to develop a method of mood tracking, it's not just so that I have data on their symptoms. It is, first and foremost, for their benefit.
Research has demonstrated that the simple first step of tracking progress toward a goal improves the likelihood of achieving that goal. Reasonable, specific, and attainable goals can be easily incorporated into your tracking system, alongside other data that helps you parse out which lifestyle factors affect your mood and goal progress.
Tracking symptoms also gives us perspective. For many of us, it can be hard to remember one mental state when we are in another, empathizing with ourselves across time and situations. (See: the hot-cold empathy gap.) In the midst of a depressive episode, it can be hard to remember that we have ever felt happy, or to imagine that we will again. Similarly, in a manic or hypomanic state, one forgets their sadness - and along with it, their limitations, insecurities, and vulnerability to the consequences of their actions. Placing brief bits of data about these various states into a tracking system where we can see them all at once, on a daily basis, can help us remember ourselves in a broader sense, and act accordingly. It can help lift us out of those all-or-nothing, catastrophic thought spirals to see that, just two weeks ago, our mood was at a rather pleasant 7 out of 10; and it can serve as a gentle warning, before acting hastily on a happy impulse, to remember that we don't always have the energy to keep up with our most grandiose plans.
I have developed my own personal mood chart and tracker, and I help my clients do the same. First, I help my clients identify their own personal range of 1-10. For some people, 1 means "I can't get out of bed, life seems pointless, I have no appetite, and I think I'm useless." For others, it may involve thoughts of suicide, or self-destructive actions. A low mood for one person might mean feeling overwhelmed with a flood of tearful emotion, whereas another may report being unable to feel anything at all. A 10 on the scale of someone with episodic depression may be simply a great day with a cheerful and optimistic demeanor, while a 10 on the scale of someone with Bipolar I disorder might ascend to the height of feeling invincible while taking humongous risks.
Next, I guide my clients in identifying their own "sweet spot" that they would like to aim for. For a person with episodic depression only, it might be a 9; for someone who needs help regulating manic phases, their sweet spot might be a 7. We identify the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with these states. We then fill out the rest of the numbers, one through ten. For instance, a three day might involve feeling sluggish and dysphoric, but only running five minutes late to work. A five day might be an adequately productive yet tinged with insecurity or angst.
Once we have established a personal mood scale, we identify any corresponding factors related to one's mental health, as well as any goals one wants to set for self-care or improvement. Here are a few factors we might somehow track or rate:
Sleep
Anxiety
PTSD symptoms
Suicidal ideation or self-harm behaviors
Social harmony, connection, conflict, or distance
Menstrual cycle
Exercise
Eating habits
Medication or supplements
And so on. I help people customize trackers to their own unique symptoms and needs.
Tracking helps us stay accountable and on track toward our goals. It provides perspective and insight. It can help us recognize both correlations and causal factors, and develop resources and action plans according to what we discover.
