Guide

Mood diary

A mood diary is a short daily record of how you felt and what was going on around it. Write the date, a mark for your mood, and one or two lines on why. After a few weeks it shows what lifts you and what weighs on you.

Updated 21 October 2026. Sources named on the page.

What a mood diary is and how it differs from a tracker
A page layout you can copy
What to write on a hard day
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A diary is a tracker with words

A mood tracker is a mark. A mood diary adds a few words. The mark is quick, and the words are what turn the pattern into something you can use: not just that Tuesday was low, but that it followed a late night and a skipped lunch.

A page layout to copy

Write the date. Then four short lines: my mood (a word or a number), what happened, what I did about it, and one thing for tomorrow. Four lines take two or three minutes and give you something to read back.

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On a hard day

Keep it shorter, not longer. A mark and one line is a full entry. You are not writing to fix the day, only to record it honestly so that it is not forgotten when you look back.

Read it back, gently

Once a month, read the page. Look for what repeats and what helped, and write one change you will try. Be kind about it: a diary is evidence to learn from, not a record to be judged by.

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Keep it private

A mood diary holds honest things. On paper, keep it somewhere safe. In an app, choose one that is private by default. The Daily Journal entries are private to you.

When a diary is not enough

A mood diary is not treatment. If your mood stays low for more than a couple of weeks, or you feel unsafe, speak to a doctor or a support service. Bring the diary if it helps.

Questions

What is a mood diary?

A daily record of your mood and a few words on why. It is a tracker with notes.

What do I write in a mood diary?

The date, a mood mark, what happened, what you did about it and one thing for tomorrow.

How is a mood diary different from a journal?

A mood diary focuses on how you felt each day. A journal can cover anything. Many people keep both on one page.

Is a mood diary private?

On paper, only as private as where you keep it. In an app, check the privacy settings. The Daily Journal is private by default.

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