A mood chart is a chart that shows your mood, bedtime and medication schedule information. Most people use these charts to understand mood swings and to identify the effect that moods have on other behaviors, such as length of sleep, energy and diet. Charts are a good way to detect mood swings and help you and your doctor deal with disorders such as bipolar disorder. Learn how to make this chart and pay attention to the signs that affect your recovery.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Creating a Mood Chart
Step 1. Decide on your chart format
There are many options for creating a mood chart. You can choose the method according to your preference. You can print multiple copies of a chart from a table with Microsoft Word or Excel. You can use blank paper, a pencil, and a ruler to draw your own chart. Or, you can also use a journal to record the details of your daily life.
- If you're lazy to get creative or don't want to use paper charts, you can use charts on websites like Mood Panda or MedHelp Mood Tracker. Or, save the downloaded paper chart.
- You can also download a mood tracker app on your phone or tablet. Just enter “\mood chart” or “\mood tracker” in the iTunes or Google Play search box.
Step 2. Choose the things to explore
Mood charts can be simple or complex, depending on your preference. There are people who only track the length of sleep, mood, anxiety and drug consumption, while others record sleep time, energy, eating patterns, behavior, drug consumption and so on. Determine the factors that are most relevant and influential to your problem and include them on the chart.
The charts in this article focus only on mood, anxiety, sleep time and drug consumption and are recorded in a journal
Step 3. Purchase a journal
A journal or diary is best if you want to explain your sleep status and daily mood and write additional notes about the events of the day. Buy books that are interesting and have 10-15 lines of space on each page. Each page in the journal will represent your daily life.
Step 4. Create a rating scale to rate each factor
Since the factors being investigated were mood status, anxiety, sleep time and medication consumption, the spectrum that needs to be developed on the chart is only for mood and anxiety. Sleep status will be recorded in hours, and drug consumption displays the type and dose of medication you took on that day. You can include a rating scale on the first page of the journal so that it is always visible. Here is a rating scale that you can use as an example:
- 1- Very depressed
- 2-Pretty depressed
- 3-Slightly depressed
- 4-A little depression
- 5-Stable
- 6-A little excited
- 7-Slightly excited
- 8-Quite excited
- 9-So excited
- You can follow the same method if you look for other factors, such as anxiety. Create a scale from 1-10 (or another number) that ranges from Very Anxious to Very Calm.
Step 5. Determine the number of days for recording the chart
If you're active for 18 hours per day, it's a good idea to log three times a day every six hours. Make a special place for each time period in the journal and leave 3-4 blank lines under the special place. Then, leave a few lines for additional notes regarding your mood, energy, stressors and/or behavior for the day.
Method 2 of 2: Using a Mood Chart
Step 1. Follow your mood
When creating a chart, adjust it to your medication schedule so that it is easy to remember. Over time, charting will become a habit and increase your daily productivity. Take a look at the sample below to see an example of a created chart:
- October 18
- Sleep: 7 hours
- 8.00 o'clock
- Mood: 3
- Medication: 200 mg Tegretol; 100 mg Wellbutrin
- 14.00
- Mood: 4
- Medicines: None
- 20.00
- Mood: 4
- Drugs: 200 mg Tegretol, 100 mg Wellbutrin
- Note: Work, Eat 3 times. Walk 1 km. Today is going better. Focus and attention is quite good. Negative thoughts come, "I messed up the presentation just now, I'm a failure." “My boyfriend didn't call. Nobody cares about me." I managed to overcome the bad thoughts and face reality. Today there is no consumption of alcohol and drugs without a prescription.
Step 2. Develop the habit of creating a mood chart
Making a mood chart should be done every day so that you and your doctor can learn something from your chart. If you miss even one day, you'll forget or miss making any new changes in your mood, anxiety or sleep status. At first, this activity may seem difficult. To keep you motivated to chart regularly, follow the 3R's to change your habits.
- Reminder: Get used to this behavior by reminding yourself when it's time for a chart to be made. Simplify the time of making the chart so that it is easy to remember, for example, make a chart right after breakfast, lunch or dinner.
- Routine (Do it regularly): follow the same procedure every day so that you become physically and mentally accustomed to creating mood charts.
- Reward: in addition, to learn new and interesting facts about yourself through charting, add a reward if you are successful in this habit regularly. For example, reward yourself with good food on the weekends, if you manage to create a mood chart three times a day for a week.
Step 3. Review your progress
Creating a mood chart is very useful when you are about to change medications, look for repeat cycles of your mood state, want to make sure the medication you are taking is working, and show your doctor your progress. Review your journal at the end of each month for patterns of repetitive mood swings or stressors that affect your mood and behavior.
Tips
- A mood chart will help your doctor see your progress and determine if the treatment program is working properly.
- You can also create a mood chart to identify early symptoms of bipolar disorder and help your doctor make a diagnosis.
