What is mood diary?

Tracking depression

• Track your moods.

  Think about something that happened yesterday or today that brought up a strong feeling. It could be just a small thing. Make a short note about what happened. Then write down how it made you feel. Feelings can usually be described in one word. If you had more than one feeling, list them all.

• Keep a symptom diary.

  Keep track of how you feel mentally and physically. Here are some questions you might answer every day in your diary:

  • Were you interested in doing your usual activities?
  • Did you feel sad or have "the blues"? How long did it last?
  • How did you sleep last night? Did you feel restless or wake up a lot? Or did you have trouble falling asleep?
  • Were you able to carry out your normal activities?
  • How was your appetite? Did you overeat? Or did you not feel like eating?
  • How did you feel about yourself? For example, did you feel like you let anyone down?
  • Did you have a hard time focusing?
  • Did you have physical symptoms, like an upset stomach or headache?
• Track what makes your symptoms better or worse.

  Note anything that made you feel down or anxious or made your symptoms worse. Did anything help? If so, write that down too.

• Track side effects.

  If you are taking medicine to help with symptoms of depression, it will be helpful to track any side effects you have. You may think about tracking:

  • Any side effects you had. They may include dry mouth, blurred vision, change in appetite, fast heart rate, or loss of sexual desire or ability.
  • How often you had a side effect.
  • How severe the side effect was.
  • If it impacted your daily activities.

Tracking your moods can help you understand your depression patterns. A symptom diary can help your doctor and you decide on your treatment options.