If you need help discerning a thought that goes hand in hand with your feeling, you might find it beneficial to talk to someone about your thoughts and feelings, or use a tool like MARCo’s journaling feature to better understand how your emotions tie into your feelings. A common misconception is that depression only (or always) causes sadness but what it actually does is numb your emotional and motivational capacity. If you're finding things hard emotionally right now, you're not alone. We're here to give information and support.

To have a better understanding of what we’re measuring when looking at moods, we can start by agreeing on a few definitions on which to build our conclusions. Make sure to update your app when the developer upgrades to a new version, so you can be sure you're getting all the latest features and bug fixes. Safety plan: The safety plan for suicide prevention lists warning signs and triggers and offers a support network and coping strategies.

The fact is unless an individual is able to organize, analyze and process the data they’re working with, reaching an accurate conclusion can be difficult. Mindfulness is a way of giving your full attention to the present moment. Some studies show that practising mindfulness can help to manage depression. What makes the Mood Diary unique is that it securely sends this information to your healthcare record. This means that you and your healthcare professional can look at your progress at your next appointment, and make changes to your care to suit your needs.

Together with our local Minds in Wales we’re committed to improving mental health in this country. Together we’re Mind in Wales. When you experience a mental health problem it can feel like no one understands. Peer support brings together people who've had similar experiences to support each other. This can offer many benefits, such as: If you react to your triggers fairly immediately, perhaps on a scale that doesn’t align with the trigger (like a delay during your commute sending you into a rage that ruins your entire day), it can help to practice self-care in the moment. The relationship between the activities and the emotions felt at the end of the day is what provides the data for pattern observations. After many years of forcing positivity, 2020 was my final breaking point. In these trying times, employing toxic positivity was like looking for sunshine in a clogged toilet. The constant search pushed me toward emotional exhaustion, to a point where all I felt was bored… or so I thought.

There are also some mindfulness-based therapies that can help treat mental health problems. For example, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is recommended for managing depression.

These activities can be particularly valuable if you don't want to try medication or talking treatments, or you're having to wait a while for treatment on the NHS.

How can I help myself?

Amado-Boccara, I., Donnet, D., & Olie, J. (1993). The concept of mood in psychology. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8275897 Your goals for mood journaling are personal. Maybe you want to discover what causes your emotions or maybe you’re trying to understand your response to certain emotions. This type of journaling provides a more creative and fun way to organize your life and make it more meaningful and productive. You just need the right kind of pen, journal, layouts, and ideas, and you can start your journey. Taking steps to look after your physical health can help you manage your mental health too. Get enough sleep The details that you take are sent securely to your Berkshire Healthcare record. This will be reviewed by you and your healthcare professional during your appointments, to make sure you’re getting the right support. Who else can see what I’ve recorded?

This is the beginning of a type of journaling called Mood Journaling . Mood journaling focuses on identifying, processing, and creating action around your emotions.It might feel hard to talk about how you’re feeling. But many people find that sharing their experiences can help them feel better. Having someone listen and show they care can help in itself. When you're experiencing a mental health problem, it's easy for personal care to not feel like a priority. Mood journaling is the act of logging your mood so you can recognize trends, triggers, and use of your energy. You can mood journal just by logging how or what you felt. Or you can go more in-depth by naming your emotion and identifying what caused it, what resulted from it, and whether it was contextually appropriate. the danger of tuning out your feelings, therapists say, is that if you lose your ability to feel painful feelings, you can also lose your ability to feel joy and vitality. The result: an emotional grayness or numbness can take over your life.”