How to Track Your Mood: A Simple Method You Can Keep Up
Tracking your mood means making a short, regular note of how you felt, so that over weeks you can see patterns you might miss day to day. Many people start a mood tracker with enthusiasm and stop after a week because the method asked too much of them.
This guide shows how to keep mood tracking simple enough to last: choosing a scale, deciding when to record, adding just enough context, reviewing the month, and comparing paper and app methods. It ends with how to track your mood in HowFeel.
Before you start
Mood tracking is a personal record-keeping habit. It does not assess, diagnose or treat anything. If low mood, anxiety or big mood swings are affecting your life, please talk to a doctor or mental health professional, and consider sharing your record with them. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact emergency services or a crisis line now: in the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, call Samaritans on 116 123; elsewhere, Find a Helpline lists free services.
1. Choose a scale you can answer in seconds
The scale is the most important decision. More detail feels more accurate, but it also makes each entry harder, and a tracker you abandon records nothing.
- Three levels (good, normal, bad): very quick and hard to overthink. Best for long-term consistency.
- Five levels (great to awful): a bit more nuance, still quick.
- 1 to 10: detailed, but many people find it hard to tell a 6 from a 7, and scores drift over time.
- Named emotions (calm, anxious, irritable, content): useful for some people, slower to fill in.
If you are unsure, start with three levels. You can always add notes elsewhere for days that need more.
2. Pick when to record
Most people record once a day, in the evening, summing up the day as a whole. Choose a regular moment, such as before bed or after dinner, and link it to something you already do.
If you forget, fill in yesterday the next morning. A rough entry is more useful than a gap, but do not go back more than a day or two; memory of mood fades quickly.
3. Add context only if it helps
Patterns become clearer if you know what else was happening. Some people note a few factors alongside their mood:
- Sleep: roughly how long, and how well.
- Activity: exercise, time outdoors.
- Social contact: time with friends or family, or a day alone.
- Work or study: a deadline, a day off.
- For people who menstruate, where they are in their cycle.
Keep it optional. If adding context makes the habit too heavy, record only the mood; a long, unbroken simple record is more useful than a short detailed one.
4. Review once a month
Looking at a single day tells you very little. At the end of each month, look at the whole picture:
- How many good, normal and bad days were there compared with last month?
- Do low days cluster: certain weekdays, after short nights, around deadlines?
- Were there runs of good days, and what was different then?
Treat what you see as questions, not conclusions. Moods have many causes, and a month is a small sample.
Paper, spreadsheet or app?
Paper or bullet journal
A grid of days you colour in is satisfying and private. It only works if the notebook is with you at your chosen time, and charts must be drawn by hand. See mood tracker ideas for layouts.
Spreadsheet
Easy to chart and to add extra columns for sleep or exercise. Less pleasant to fill in on a phone at the end of a tiring day.
Mood tracking app
Usually the fastest option, with colours and charts done for you. Choose one that stores data in a way you are comfortable with, and accept that a simple app may not have every field you want.
Tracking your mood in HowFeel
HowFeel uses a three-level scale so each entry takes a single tap.
- Open the calendar. Today is outlined in blue; tap it, or any earlier day you want to fill in.
- Pick the smiling face for a good day, the neutral face for a normal day or the sad face for a bad day. The date changes to green, yellow or blue.
- If you picked the wrong face, tap the date again and choose another. The new choice replaces the old one.
- Swipe or use the arrows at the top to move between months.
- For your monthly review, look at the line chart below the calendar: good days at the top, normal in the middle and bad at the bottom. Touch a point to see its date and mood.
HowFeel records one mood per day and has no notes field, so keep any context in a separate notebook if you want it. The web version stores entries only in your browser, with no account. HowFeel is also available for iPhone and Android; each keeps its own separate records.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I track my mood?
Once a day is enough for most people. A regular time, such as before bed, makes it easier to remember.
Is a three-point mood scale too simple?
It loses some detail, but it is quick enough to keep up for months, and long-term patterns are often what you want to see.
What should I do if my tracker shows a lot of bad days?
Consider talking to a doctor, counsellor or someone you trust, and take your record with you. A tracker shows patterns; it cannot tell you why they happen.
Can I add notes to a day in HowFeel?
No. HowFeel keeps each day to a single choice so it takes only a moment. Use a separate journal for notes.
Is my mood data private in HowFeel?
In the web version, entries are kept only in your browser on that device and are not sent to a server.