What should a mood journal entry include?
A useful mood entry answers at least two things: how you feel right now and where it might be coming from. “Annoyed today” means little a month later. “Annoyed because of what happened in the meeting” helps you notice patterns.
Four questions, two or three minutes
- Feeling: one word for your mood. Restless, settled, hurt, excited.
- Event: what happened just before you felt this way?
- Body: what do you notice physically? Tight shoulders, an upset stomach, tiredness?
- Need: what do you want most right now? Rest, someone to listen, time alone?
Demo entry: Hurt. My proposal was turned down in front of everyone before I could explain. Shoulders tense all afternoon. Going to bed early; tomorrow is another day.
This is an original example. You do not need to answer all four every time.
Mood tracker or mood journal?
For a quick check-in, a tracker is enough: tap a mood. To understand why, write an entry and spend one more minute on what happened. Mix the two: tap when busy, add a line when you have time.
What to look for when you reread
Every few weeks, read back. Not to judge yourself, but to notice which situations tend to bring you down, and which people and routines help you recover.
Mood journaling in Gemi
Gemi’s mood journal offers five mood levels in the entry editor and a Mood widget for one-tap logging, and Review has a mood section for looking back over time. It is a journaling tool and does not diagnose or treat anything.