Mood Tracker Ideas: Simple Layouts for Journals and Apps
A mood tracker can be as simple as coloring in a square each day. The layout you choose affects how easy it is to fill in and what patterns you can see later, so it is worth picking one that suits you rather than the most elaborate design.
Below are easy mood tracker ideas for a notebook or bullet journal, tips on choosing colors, an honest comparison with tracking in an app, and how HowFeel gives you a color calendar and chart automatically.
A quick note
A mood tracker is a personal diary, not a health tool, and it cannot tell you why you feel the way you do. If you notice many low days or your mood is affecting daily life, talk to a doctor or mental health professional. If you are in crisis, contact emergency services or a crisis line: in the US, call or text 988; in the UK and Ireland, call Samaritans on 116 123; elsewhere, Find a Helpline lists free services.
Easy mood tracker ideas
1. Monthly color calendar
Draw a normal month grid and color each day with your mood color. It is the easiest layout to read: good and bad weeks jump out at a glance. Good for: beginners and anyone who wants to see weekdays versus weekends.
2. Year in pixels
A grid with 12 columns (months) and 31 rows (days), one small square per day. At the end of the year the whole page is a single picture of your mood. It is satisfying but takes a full year to pay off, and one notebook page has to last twelve months.
3. Mood line
Draw a horizontal axis for the days of the month and three or five levels up the side. Put a dot each day and join them. Lines show ups and downs better than colors, and are easy to compare month to month.
4. Theme shapes
Fill in petals of a flower, scales of a fish, leaves on a branch or tiles on a building, one per day. Popular in bullet journals and fun to draw, but less easy to read than a plain grid, so number the shapes.
5. Mood plus one factor
Add a second row under each day for one factor you are curious about, such as hours of sleep, exercise (yes or no) or time outside. Keep it to one factor so the tracker stays quick.
6. Weekly mini tracker
If a whole month feels like too much commitment, put seven boxes at the top of each weekly spread. You can start any week and never face a half-empty month.
Choosing colors and a scale
- Use three to five moods at most. More shades than that are hard to tell apart and slow to choose between.
- Write a key on the page so you always use the same color for the same mood.
- Pick colors that stay distinct in your pens and on your paper; test them first.
- If you are color blind or photocopy your journal, add a symbol or letter to each square as well.
- Avoid making the low-mood color one that feels like a judgment. The goal is an honest record.
Tips to keep it going
- Fill it in at the same time each day, such as just before bed.
- Keep pens or the app where you will see them at that time.
- If you miss a day, fill it in the next morning if you remember, otherwise leave it blank and carry on.
- Spend five minutes at the end of each month looking at the whole page.
- Do not redesign the layout every month unless you enjoy that; a simple repeatable layout is easier to keep.
Paper tracker or app?
A paper tracker is creative and screen-free, and drawing it can be part of the pleasure. It takes time to set up each month, it is only with you if the notebook is, and turning colors into a chart means drawing it yourself.
An app does the layout and chart for you and is usually always on hand. You give up the creativity and the freedom to add any factor you like. Some people use both: an app for the daily tap and a journal for occasional longer notes.
For the habit itself, see how to track your mood.
A color calendar and mood line in HowFeel
HowFeel combines ideas 1 and 3 above: a monthly color calendar and a mood line, both filled in from a single tap per day.
- Tap today's date (outlined in blue) or an earlier day.
- Choose the smiling, neutral or sad face. The day turns green, yellow or blue.
- Tap the same date again to change the mood if needed.
- Move between months with a swipe or the arrows at the top.
- Scroll to the line chart under the calendar to see the month as a line, and touch any point for its date and mood.
HowFeel keeps to three moods and has no notes or extra factors, so pair it with a notebook if you want to track sleep or other details. The web version stores entries only in your browser. HowFeel is also on iPhone and Android.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest mood tracker layout?
A monthly calendar where you color each day. It takes seconds to fill in and is easy to read.
How many moods should a tracker have?
Three to five is enough for most people. More choices make each entry slower without adding much.
What is a year in pixels?
A grid of one small square per day for the whole year, colored by mood, so the year becomes one picture.
Can HowFeel change the colors?
No. HowFeel uses fixed colors: green for good, yellow for normal and blue for bad days.
What if my tracker is full of low days?
Consider talking to a doctor or counsellor and bringing your tracker with you. If you are in crisis, contact emergency services or a crisis line.