I am someone who generally wakes up in a good mood. When I was a kid, my parents would greet my brother and me with a big “Good Morning,” We would all discuss our funny dreams we had the night before and have a good laugh. I would say that my family woke up in a “Great Mood” (Mostly).

But, I noticed that some people are generally in a frowny mood or a dull mood. It took me some time to understand the “Why” behind it.

Everyone’s mood changes from time to time. Sometimes, we know the reason, and many times we don’t, but mostly we tend to ignore the cause.

Our Mood can fluctuate many times within a day, even in minutes. Imagine you wake up in a good & calm mood, and you get a phone call with upsetting news or see a disturbing social media feed without trigger warning; it can make you feel sad or anxious. On the flip side, you get unexpected compliments or a gift, you can instantly feel a boost in your Mood.

(Reader at this point): Ummm, I know this! But why should I track my Mood?

Benefits of #MoodTracking

You identify and understand your #triggers:

We may feel that our routine life is filled with apparent stresses, and that’s how life is. We even learn to live with those stresses until some of us find ourselves in difficult situations. #Moodtracking can help you identify the issues, thinking patterns, triggers, and stress activators.

You can track your #Mood either by writing it down in a diary or use a mood tracking tool like Mind Alcove App to get a deeper insight into your mood patterns. Once you identify the issues that negatively impact your Mood, you can manage or alter the situations, behaviors, or people who are causing them.

But if you notice a pattern of bad days despite your best efforts, you may want to seek help from a family, friend, or mental health professional. Don’t keep your situation bottled up.

You get a view of patterns in your life:

Writing down your thoughts and emotions along with your Mood tracking can be an excellent asset for you to know your life patterns and habits. You would understand what causes your Mood in a certain way; what you feel when you exercise, party with friends, at your work/ college/ school, work from home, consume fried food or alcohol. You get a lifelog and memories worth noting down. If you want to track Mood and start a journaling habit, download the Mind Alcove App. If you are new to journaling and want to learn more about how to journal, click here

It can be a tremendous help for your therapist:

If you ever need to seek help through therapy or see a psychologist, a mood tracker will be an added bonus for them to understand your life, triggers, thinking patterns, etc.

What causes Mood?

3 main factors cause mood fluctuations in our regular life, biology, environment, and psychology. The most common lifestyle triggers are:

  • #Stress and Overwork
  • Disturbing news
  • Weather
  • Lack of sleep
  • Lack of Nutrition or Hunger
  • Hormonal changes, like puberty, menopause, periods, or pregnancy
  • Stressful discussions or Shouting in anger/ frustration

Other causes:

  • Drugs and alcohol
  • Depression and/ or Anxiety
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Physical illness or chronic pain
  • Noise and Air pollution

A few tips to boost your Mood:

Connect with others – We are social beings; isolation doesn’t go well with us, so pick up the phone and talk to a friend or family member.

  • Do what you enjoy – Do what you naturally like; it can be cooking, sketching, or watching something interesting.
  • Go out in nature – Nature is always calming; go out in the open, talk a stroll and boost your Mood immediately.
  • Practice self-care – Take care of yourself, your skin, body, and mind. Try to meditate, go to a spa, go for a run, or take a detox from the internet.
  • Take rest – Know when to close your day for some rest. Have a healthy work-life balance. Remember to take enough breaks.
  • Practice Mindfulness – Pay attention to what you do, be present at the moment, and enjoy everything you do.
  • Contribute to the community – Selflessness gives an immediate boost to many people; share your knowledge, or help others in need.
  • Listen to music – Tune up your favorite playlist, sit back and enjoy.
  • Play with a pet – If you have one, spend some time with your pet.
  • Seek Help – If you feel that no regular activity is making you feel OK, talk to a friend and seek help from a mental health professional. Remember, you can always ask for help.

Please note:

Adverse reactions to everyday situations or even frequent bad moods don’t necessarily mean you have a mood disorder or any other mental health condition. But, if your Mood is making it hard for you to work, socialize or perform regular daily functions, see a mental health professional.

If your friend shows such symptoms, you can start by just asking how they are and encourage them to see a professional.

If you would like to track your Mood and have a view of your thinking patterns, download Mind Alcove – An easy way to track Mood, write journals, and connect with an anonymous community to vent out your challenges.

Download here

Have a view point on this topic and want to contribute as a guest blogger? Reach out to me at contact@mindalcove.com