Plus, a new resource for anxiety and depression.
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| | | | | Do you ever feel worked up or depressed without knowing exactly why? Many of us can wander under a cloud of vague, undefined gloom or anxiety for days — if not longer. | | If this sounds familiar, mood journaling is one exercise that may help you better understand your emotions. Today, we'll discuss what it is and how to get started. | | | | | | | Be well,
Morgan Mandriota
Newsletter Editor, Healthline |  | | Written by Morgan Mandriota
August 4, 2025 • 3 min read | | | | | | | |
| |  | | | | How to start mood journaling | | Journaling your thoughts, emotions, and challenges may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This is because putting down your problems on paper helps you see the causes — and potential solutions — more clearly. | | A mood journal specifically focuses on your emotions and how to improve your mental health. When you start to recognize trends, you can figure out how to eliminate or avoid certain triggers — and focus your energy on how best to respond next time. | | You can buy a premade mood journal online, but there's no need for any special products or materials to get started. All you really need is a blank notebook and a pen, or even the Notes app on your phone. | | Whenever you have a quiet moment, reflect on a few of your biggest emotions from the day with the following prompts: | - Emotion name: By recognizing and naming what you feel, you can start to unravel complex emotional experiences. Over time, you may notice patterns in your emotional responses, which can help you understand your tendencies and find more effective coping strategies.
- What caused this emotion? When you pause for a bit of self-reflection, you can usually identify the situation fueling an emotion by connecting those feelings to specific events or thoughts. Take a moment to dig deeper and identify the root cause of what you're feeling.
- Behaviors or actions this emotion caused me to take: It's natural to act in response to emotion. Sometimes, this leads to expressions of love, gratitude, or joy. Other times, it means giving in to road rage or spending an hour locked in the bathroom crying. What did it look like for you today?
- Is this emotion appropriate to the situation? Consider the scale of your response. Many therapists call this step "checking the facts." Do your emotional responses match the circumstances that caused them? It may help to consider what you'd tell a friend if they were in your situation.
- Is this feeling something to accept or a problem to solve? Some circumstances are simply outside our control. In this case, it's a good idea to embrace the concept of "distress tolerance," which is the capacity to withstand difficult emotions. Otherwise, try to make an action plan for the situations you can change.
| | Keeping a mood journal may not lead to instant results or positive change. It might take time, so try not to feel discouraged! Continue journaling, identifying your triggers, and adjusting your action plan to find what works best for you and your mental health. | | | | | | | | | | Mental health advice at your fingertips | | | | | | |  | | Subscribe to Our New Anxiety & Depression Newsletter | | We're proud to announce the launch of Thinking Aloud, Healthline and Optum Now's new partnership newsletter. Every Monday, you'll receive tips, product recommendations, and support for your mental health journey. Our team's personal experiences with therapy, coping skills, and related anxiety and depression topics will hopefully help you feel seen and heard. | | | Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline's or Optum Now's vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Now are owned by RVO Health. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | How did you feel about this newsletter? | | | | Email wellnesswire@healthline.com with comments related to this newsletter or topics you'd like to see in future editions. The newsletter editors read every message that lands in our inbox — yes, really! We look forward to hearing from you. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Until next time, |  | Take care of yourself, and we'll see
you again soon! | | |  | | |  | | This edition was powered by | | therapy. | | | | | | | | View in browser
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Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline's or Optum Now's vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Now are owned by RVO Health.
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