Visual Mood Tracker Ideas: Keep the Momentum Going Between Therapy Sessions
Hey there! If you’re reading this, you’ve probably had the experience of cramming a week’s worth of feeling into an hour-long therapy session. It’s totally normal—so much of the healing and understanding in therapy happens during those little moments between sessions. Now, let’s check out some fun and effective visual mood tracker ideas to help you maintain that progress.
Why Use a Visual Mood Tracker?
Visual mood trackers are more than just a creative outlet. They do wonders for your emotional awareness. When you visually represent your feelings, you engage different parts of your brain. This can help you:
– Notice patterns in your mood.
– Understand triggers and how they affect you.
– Encourage reflection on what’s working in your journey.
Think of it like a mood journal but with an artistic twist that makes it easier to process your emotions.
How to Create Your Visual Mood Tracker
Here are some actionable ideas to get you started:
1. Mood Mandalas
Creating a mandala when you sit down to reflect can be a soothing practice.
– What to do: Draw a circle and divide it into sections. Each section represents your mood for different parts of the day or week. Color each section based on how you felt.
– Why it helps: The repetitive motion of coloring can feel meditative, promoting calm while offering clarity about your feelings.
2. Emotion Wheel
This is a fun and straightforward way to identify your emotions.
– What to do: Draw a large wheel and label slices with different emotions (happy, sad, anxious, etc.). Each day, color in the slice that best represents your mood.
– Why it helps: Visualizing your emotions can make them feel less daunting.
3. Daily Doodles
Feel free to get a bit artsy! Daily doodles can express want you might not be able to put into words.
– What to do: At the end of each day, draw something that represents how you felt. It could be abstract or literal.
– Why it helps: It encourages you to think creatively about your feelings, reinforcing your emotional vocabulary.
4. Mood Jar
This is a low-key, highly visual option.
– What to do: Get a jar and some small pieces of paper. Each day, write down how you felt and fold it. Over time, you’ll build a physical collection of your emotions.
– Why it helps: Watching the jar fill up can give you a sense of achievement and clarity about recurring feelings.
5. Tracking Apps with Visual Features
If you prefer a digital approach, several apps allow for visual tracking.
– What to do: Use an app that lets you log your mood with emojis or images. Some popular ones are Daylio and Moodpath.
– Why it helps: Digital logs can provide analytics and insights into your mood patterns over time.
Resources to Keep You Grounded
Here are a couple of great resources to deepen your practice:
Books
– “The Emotionary” by Eden Sher: A whimsical guide to understanding and expressing your emotions.
– “Feelings: A Storybook of Feelings” by 13 different authors: A fun, illustrated approach to exploring various emotions.
YouTube Channels
– Therapy in a Nutshell: Offers excellent bite-sized videos about emotional regulation and mindfulness.
– Kati Morton: A licensed therapist with engaging videos on mental health topics.
Kai can help you with these practices by sending reminders to track your mood or providing prompts for reflection. Having a supportive tool at your fingertips can reinforce your growth between sessions.
Take Action!
You are doing an amazing job by being committed to your mental health journey. The next time you’re feeling something—good or bad—try one of these mood tracker ideas. This simple habit can help you better understand your emotions as you work in therapy.
If you want additional support as you practice these tools, consider trying Kai on WhatsApp or Apple Messages. It’s like having a friend who understands your mental health journey and provides guidance when you need it.
Remember, your journey doesn’t just happen in your therapist’s office. You’ve got this!
