Everyone gets moody at some point, but do you know what exactly mood is? Mood is the emotional state of mind or how a person feels. It will be either positive or negative depending upon one’s situation. The negative mood makes the individual unstable whereas they feel joyful when feeling positive. However, any degree of emotion, if not dealt with wisely, has a major impact on one’s life. For this, we will firstly understand the factors that immensely affect our moods in day to day life, for only then can we monitor them. There are three basic factors a person deals with in life: biological, psychological and social.
- BIOLOGICAL
This is anything related to your physical health, diet, sleep and even genetics.
- One may be suffering with health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer or some mild issue like tooth decay, or a sprain in the foot.
- The diet may lack the essential nutrients like proteins and vitamins which are directly involved in development, management and prevention of many mental problems.
- The body lacking rest cannot experience a good mood and feels unmotivated and depressed.
- Genes can also make someone more vulnerable to mental health problems.
- PSYCHOLOGICAL
This will include factors associated with an individual’s beliefs, perceptions, addictions and mental health diagnosis.
- The relationship one shares with their family and close ones.
- The kind of relationship amongst family members.
- An individual’s upbringing and childhood. Different beliefs pertaining to their customs, culture and ethics.
- Pressure to look a certain way.
- Financial issues and other responsibilities one cannot escape.
- Addiction to drugs, alcohol, caffeine or tobacco.
- Certain life stages like puberty, menopause or pregnancy.
- Mental health problems like depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
- SOCIAL
The day a child enters school, he or she transforms into a social being, which goes on throughout life. So, we can say that his or her surroundings will have a big contribution in how they feel. The social norms one cannot escape, that affect an individual the most, would be income groups, race, gender, religion, education, employment, community safety and social support.
MOOD MONITORING
Monitoring solely means to observe and check the progress or decline in the quality of something over a period of time. One may want to monitor anything which is important to him or her to be able to manage things appropriately. Monitoring of students by teachers, project monitoring in an office, budget monitoring at home or even self monitoring, all are a few examples.
Similar to these, mood monitoring also involves the tricks to manage mood sooner and with accuracy. Although one can track their mood anytime they feel, the particular situations of very high and very low mood swings should be a priority. Here are vital mood tracking statements one must be aware of in life.
- To identify and differentiate between emotional and external triggers that cause mood fluctuations.
- To identify with a past trauma which stays unresolved. For instance, death of a loved one, a financial crisis or a breakup.
- To take note of certain behaviors and thoughts which become uncontrollable such as anger, fear, nervousness and hatred.
- To learn about thoughts and attitudes one might be using as coping mechanisms to manage their overwhelming emotions.
- To mindfully choose a mood tracker that will be effective in stabilizing the mood.
- To be able to communicate their problem to others and create a healthy boundary for themselves.
WAYS TO TRACK MOOD
- MOOD TRACKER APP
Mood trackers are the digital tools which help to regularly monitor an individual’s emotional state. It also gives a clear picture of how the fluctuations in mood affect a person’s physical health. For instance, you must have observed yourself skipping meals or not willing to attend a party if you are in a bad mood.
A number of mood tracking apps are available now-a-days and can be easily downloaded on the phones. Some popular mood tracking apps are:
- CBT Thought Diary
- My Therapy
- Mood Kit
- Daylio
- JoyScore app
We prefer JoyScore! Downloading the JoyScore app helps you track your overall level of joy and receive personalized activity programs to manage the uncontrollable emotions. This app is the power bank of happiness and believes that everyone deserves a joyful life.
- MOOD JOURNAL
A mood journal is all handwritten notes recorded in a diary or a calendar. A mood journal can go with you wherever you go, so when you feel overwhelmed you can write in it to better process overwhelming emotions.
- MOOD MAPPING
This is a simple technique which involves plotting the feelings and emotions against their energy levels. The results determine one’s current mood to increase self-awareness. Getting an insight to your current mental health status helps one learn how to implement techniques to improve it. For instance, negative emotions like stress and anxiety can be determined if plenty of energy is plotted against a depressed mood.
- MOOD CHART
Daily mood chart worksheets help clients most effectively when they are using it alongside CBT interventions. They record their emotions with their intensity and make notes about the triggers. The daily mood chart must be filled out after every 2 hours to recognize the influencing factors at the very moment.
- VOICE MEMOS
For some people it is easy to talk through challenging emotions. If that is the case, they can speak freely over a voice recorder and save it, to go back and listen to when they need to remember how they felt about a particular situation.
TIPS FOR MOOD MONITORING
- DON’T LIE
The fear of being judged by someone is natural but it can lead to sugarcoating words. So, in the case of mood trackers, the person must keep in mind that their personal information is secure and they just have to be honest about their feelings. The true information will generate correct results and find an effective solution.
- BE REGULAR
Consistency is the key to success. It may seem like a big effort in the beginning but being consistent will help someone keep a habit of tracking their mood. To be consistent, choose the same time each day. Schedule it after you wake up or before bedtime, and set a reminder too.
- REVIEW THE RECORDS
At the end of every week or month, one should go back to their mood records to notice the trends and pattern of their mood swings. The information will prove valuable to allow them to understand their triggers which lead to such fluctuations. This will help it become clear if one can manage their moods by themselves or need guidance. For instance, completing the project at the last moment may be a stressor making you angry and frustrated. So, why not schedule it beforehand to avoid the rush.
CONCLUSION
Once an individual is aware of their mental state in varying situations, moods and their triggers, they can learn how to go forward and what to avoid in life. They can purposely stay away from things that stress them out or learn techniques to manage overwhelming emotions. Certain healthy lifestyle changes can also be incorporated to stay calm and relaxed throughout the day.
Download the JOYSCORE APP to enhance your happiness and health through self care.
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