Mood Chart

What Is A Mood Chart? And For Who Is It?

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To have a better understanding of what we’re measuring when looking at moods, we can start by agreeing on a few definitions on which to build our conclusions.

There are three key that will assist us in the process: affect, emotions, and mood.

Affect refers to our overall feelings, which we experience throughout our days, weeks and months. Emotions arise as a result of specific events or situations. Moods, on the other hand, are the background feelings that accompany us without any particular reason or cause

Psychologists define mood as a number of persistent feelings that accompany our perception and evaluation of incoming stimuli. Mood has a huge influence on the way we react, specifically in the actions we take and the feelings that get created throughout that process.

The tricky thing about moods is that they are transitory, and can come and go without warning, cause, or reason. This is why, unlike emotions, which arise due to, or as a result of, specific events, moods represent our overall state, and determine how we interpret or approach external stimuli. Also, they can last much longer than emotions.

One’s personality can influence the way a mood is displayed, and the actions that one takes during such phases. People who are more optimistic and positive, who gather more information from the surrounding stimuli, are able to have a better view of reality and adjust their actions according to what’s going on at that moment.

With enough data and information, a pattern of the highs and lows can be identified, as well as to factors that may have caused them. This tool is handy for those experiencing depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, but also those wishing to know more about themselves.

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Why It’s Good For Your Mental Health

Why should we care about tracking and noticing our mood patterns? Well, because the way we feel impacts the way we think. And the way we think determines the actions we take, which in turn influences our experiences and ultimately, our feelings.

This is a good example of how connected and cyclical our systems are.

The below quote by Darwin emphasizes the connected nature of our body organs and adds some explanation to this phenomenon.

“When the mind is strongly excited, we might expect that it would instantly affect in a direct manner the heart; and this is universally acknowledged and felt to be the case. Claude Bernard also repeatedly insists, and this deserves especial notice, that when the heart is affected it reacts on the brain; and the state of the brain again reacts through the pneumo-gastric nerve on the heart; so that under any excitement there will be much mutual action and reaction between these, the two most important organs of the body.” Darwin

From this, we can deduce that maintaining a positive mood ensures a balanced outlook and notably influences our well-being. On the other hand, being in a constant state of nervousness, where our feelings go up and down as a result of external stimuli, creates an imbalance that leads to ill-being.

A continued mood imbalance, in either the positive or negative outlook, leads to a lopsided view of the world. Rather than seeing reality as is, and making objective decisions based on available information, individuals focus on and pick up stimuli that their dominant thoughts and emotions. An inability to understand and express these strong feelings can cause long-term problems.

One study showed that in the wake of trauma, the habit of ruminating on the negative event, a wish to suppress its undesirable thoughts, as well as the inability to associate with that past event, so as to fully process and move beyond it, is correlated with more symptoms of traumatic behavior and their severity.

Having a mind that’s filled and occupied with ruminating negative thoughts and self-talk leads to aggression, hopelessness, and can cause depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, as well as a slew of other mental illnesses.

This is why tracking one’s mood can be useful not only for individuals currently suffering from mental illnesses but also for those wishing to add more balance and objectivity to their lives.

As one begins to plot and track mood patterns, the overall frequency of such moods emerges. The ability to see the number and the intensity of such dysfunctional thoughts enables the person to better understand whether their “sad mood will be a transient state or will become protracted, increasing the risk of developing clinical depression”.

There are several tools available that organize and track moods, and other factors that influence the way we feel and think.

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The Bullet Journal Mood Tracker

One such easy and simple tool is known as the Bullet Journal Mood Tracker.

The name itself ‘bullet’ readily suggests what to expect from this process: clarity, organization, and effectiveness. And the fact that creating such a tracker can be done by the individual suggests there is a lot of autonomy for the person, as they can monitor exclusively the items most applicable to them.

In many ways, it’s a part planner, as the person lists the activities they want or need to accomplish, but also part journal, as the emotions and feelings for that day can be identified. The relationship between the activities and the emotions felt at the end of the day is what provides the data for pattern observations.

Due to the flexible nature of such journals, the focus areas can differ from person to person, based on immediate needs, long-term goals, and other interests. Some common themes include: a daily log; a habit tracker (diet, sleep, physical activity, social life, and even stress levels); a mood tracker to identify the emotions and things that triggered it (ex: sadness, triggered by upsetting news, or personal events); and thoughts (ex: mantras; advise; interesting facts).

The information collected in the journal can remain private for personal use and analysis, or it can be shared with a mental health care provider

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The Mood Ring Color Chart

Another way to identify moods and emotions is with mood rings.

This accessory was introduced in the 1970s and operates with a liquid crystal that changes color with differing temperature. The idea behind the design was that blood flow relies on temperature and mood

The different colors represent varying states of emotion. Below are some of the colors and what they tend to represent:

Black: Stressed/Nervous

Dark brown: On Edge/Restless

Dark yellow: Unsettled/Surprised

Yellow: Creative/Imaginative

Orange: Daring/Adventurous

Red: High Energy/Angry

Green: Calm/Comfortable

Turquoise: Contentment/Peace

Blue: Relaxed/Lovable

Purple: Romantic/Sensual

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Mood Journals & Mood Logs

Managing emotions is a challenge every individual faces. For some, recognizing and managing emotions can come easy, for others, not so much. Especially for individuals suffering from a mental illness, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and others. As the mind becomes subjective and sensitive to only a particular type of stimuli, it takes away one’s ability to objectively view and review the changing patterns of mood.

When it comes to individuals experiencing depression, the problem can be that they completely detach from their emotions. As Dr. O’Connor said:

“The emotional self has largely been lost to the depressive.”

The important thing to note, however, is that it is not the feelings and emotions themselves that are the issue, rather, it is the coping mechanisms that the individual created that are building barriers and obstacles to leading a more balanced life.

This is why mood journals and mood logs are such necessary tools, to tracking, understanding and examining the patterns of emotions one experiences, as well as the triggers, situations, and events that cause them. Rather than just noticing a change in mood, mood journals also show the possible causes for such changes.

Equipped with this information, individuals can have concrete data to spark change and improve their habits, through the introduction of more productive coping techniques.

Mood journals are similar to bullet journals and mood charts, as they look at:

The date and time (of the event).

The mood change.

External factors (surroundings, circumstances).

Internal thoughts (the memories and thoughts being entertained by the mind).

Suggesting how a well-adjusted person would react to the situation.

Comparing the current mood to that of the well-adjusted person.

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ONLINE APPS

If you're not into the whole journal idea there are many apps on the app store that you can use!

I personally use an app called Daylio.

I can add moods or activities, it keeps track of how I was feeling throughout the day.

[ The screenshots are from my app ]

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A Take Home Message

The mind can be a tricky thing to manage. In some moments it cooperates, and in others, it runs loose. Being more understanding of these changing emotions, and approaching them with curiosity, can make a big difference in the coping habits we utilize to deal with such ranging highs and lows.

There are many tools available at our fingertips that can empower us to take charge of our lives, simply by just noticing how we feel, and what triggered it. With minimal time and effort, we can start taking note of the patterns that our lives go through and adjust accordingly to the data that emerges.

At the end of the day, no one can take responsibility for our lives, but ourselves.

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