Do you struggle with anxiety and disordered mood symptoms, or have you been diagnosed with an anxiety or mood disorder? Do you find it hard to keep track of, or manage, your symptoms each day?
Or are you a mental health provider, such as a case manager (case worker, peer advocate, etc.), social worker (MSW, ACSW, LCSW, etc.), psychologist (LMFT, Psy.D., etc.), or psychiatric nurse (the list goes on and on)?
Managing symptoms and being aware of mood fluctuations can be difficult enough when you're feeling anxious, depressed, or manic. So can finding resources online that are accessible, affordable, and even aesthetically/visually pleasing. Finding these mental health resources online is challenging whether you're a citizen on your phone, a psychotherapy client, or a mental health clinician offering group therapy.
"Thanks so much for these mood charts. I love how you added water and what one is grateful for. I am definitely using these for my therapy groups!!! Thanks again, Cindy" - Cynthia Lee
This is, without a doubt, the BEST mental health tracker I have seen to date! - @kellyl1102 on Pinterest
One way to help manage your mental health is with self-care. Self-care is the conscious decision to take care of yourself, whether it be mental, physical, spiritual, etc., and it can range from attempting basic hygiene (a common problem for those in deep depression) to candles, soaps, music, or new book. Self-care is not only generally important for good health, happiness, and well-being, but it's also an accessible and inexpensive treatment aid for mental illness.
Another way to manage your mental health is with mood trackers. A mood tracker is a wonderful way to regulate emotions, observe changes in well-being, and clarify previously-unknown mood patterns. Mood trackers can be helpful for an individual tracking mood changes or for therapists to use with their clients either to give out for private use or go over in therapy if both parties are comfortable!
Is a mood tracker right for you or your clients? Keep reading below to find out more about mood trackers, and choose your favorite from 7 free printables with unique, fun designs!
What is 'Mood'?
- Mood is a temporary emotional state of mind.
You may have noticed that sometimes you're in a "good" mood, and sometimes you fall into a "bad" mood. What do these mean? A "good" mood could mean anything from ecstatic to content to seductive. A "bad" mood could mean anything from disgusted to exhausted to embarrassed. So, how do we draw the line between emotions when we claim to be in a "good" or "bad" mood? What if you've been moving from content to happy to ecstatic over a course of time, but all you notice are some "good" moods?
See More: 5 Reasons You're Always in a Bad Mood
Mood trackers are essential to those who have any kind of problems with their mood or anyone interested in self-awareness, self-reflection, emotional intelligence, or personal growth. Not everyone who has problems with their mood has a mental illness; however, 'Mood Disorders' is a category of mental illness under which Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder fall under. An underlying symptom of many mental illnesses is emotion dysregulation.
What is 'Emotion Dysregulation'?
- Emotion dysregulation is the inability to properly process, regulate, or respond to emotional events or situations.
Other possible mental health disorders with this symptom include personality disorders, such as Borderline Personality Disorder or Narcissistic Personality Disorder, and Anxiety Disorders (ex. hyper-reactivity, distress, worry, fear), such as OCD or PTSD. Substance abuse, chemical dependency, and traumatic brain injury can cause emotional dysregulation.
But remember... mood & emotion are important to anyone and everyone, regardless of a mental health diagnosis!
Created by Kay Uimari, creator of Rose-Minded, B.S. in Psychology, MSW Therapist Student Intern, Recovery Specialist and Case Manager in IOP for serious mental illness (SMI), Mental Health and Social Justice Advocate, and specializing in crisis intervention, management, and safety planning. Kay also has personal experience managing mental health, mental illness, and general confidence. You can find Kay on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. For more about Kay, visit Rose-Minded's About page to continue reading. This page may contain affiliate links and/or ads; for more information about how we protect your privacy, please read our disclaimer.
7 Themed Daily Mood Trackers (Free Printables)
Download your favorites from these free daily mood trackers and print them out! You can use mood trackers every day, every other day, or once a week. If you use the mood tracker once a week, make sure your responses cover the collective week's mood and emotions. Along with the mood trackers, you'll need to print out the emotion chart, which will help with some of your or your client's responses!
For those trying to minimize their carbon footprint, print out one (or just save it as wallpaper on your laptop!) and write down your responses in a journal. A fun way to incorporate more of these styles you love is by switching off themes to keep things fresh and interesting! Observing changes in your sleep patterns and nutrition is also important because of how they can affect your moods.
Note for Mental Health Providers: When working as a Recovery Specialist/Case Manager (see above for a summary of experience), I printed out and used these mood trackers and the emotion chart with various clients who found it helpful. I would even make copies and provide clients with as many copies as the days until our next appointment. Many clients struggle with motivation to participate in recovery, including adolescent, teenage, and young adult populations. Finding ways to make any form of mental health treatment or supplemental recovery work fun and exciting can be challenging when caseloads are high, workloads are heavy, and crises never seem to stop. That's why I created a few mood trackers that are easy to download, free, and may help motivate some clients to enjoy participating in their treatment and recovery.
1. 'Classic'- Daily Mood Tracker by Rose-Minded
2. 'Retro'- Daily Mood Tracker by Rose-Minded
3. 'Neutral'- Daily Mood Tracker by Rose-Minded
4. 'Vintage'- Daily Mood Tracker by Rose-Minded
5. 'Lace'- Daily Mood Tracker by Rose-Minded
6. 'Hippy'- Daily Mood Tracker by Rose-Minded
7. 'Garden'- Daily Mood Tracker by Rose-Minded
Don't forget your emotion chart!
If you love these mood trackers, you'll love the other creative designs by Rose-Minded. These designs are bundled into 3 "weeks' worth" of mood trackers and 8 "weeks' worth" of mood trackers. We use quotations because you can use and reuse the mood trackers for as many weeks as you'd like. "Weeks' worth" will be what we call the measurement/quantity of our bundles. We recommend buying one or the other, as the 8-week bundle contains some of the 3-week bundle.
Rose-Minded now offers fun, creative mood trackers for personal and professional use. Check out the article, 5 Reasons You're Always in a Bad Mood, to read more on the mood trackers available, or click below to head straight to the mood trackers' main page!
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