Handouts · Depression
Mood Tracking & Symptom Monitoring
What gets measured gets managed. A few seconds a day reveals patterns you can't see in the moment — and gives your clinician real data to work with.
Why Track
Memory is unreliable, especially when mood is low — bad days feel like "always." Tracking shows the real trend, catches early warning signs, and reveals what helps and what hurts.
It also turns "I've been off" into specifics your clinician can act on.
What to Rate Daily
Score each 0–10 (0 = worst, 10 = best), takes 30 seconds:
- Overall mood
- Energy level
- Anxiety (0 = calm)
- Hours of sleep
Also Note
- Anything notable that happened (good or hard)
- Medications taken as prescribed? (Y/N)
- Alcohol / substances
- One thing you're grateful for
This Week
Mood / Energy / Sleep — fill each day:
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Pattern I noticed:
Read the Patterns
- Do low days follow poor sleep?
- Which activities or people lift your score?
- Is the weekly average trending up or down?
- Bring this to your next appointment.
Warning signs to flag right away: a sharp drop lasting several days, thoughts of self-harm, or not needing sleep yet feeling wired. Don't wait for the next appointment — contact your clinician, or call/text 988 if you're unsafe.