Mood Tracker Printable: How to Track Your Mood and Habits
A simple mood tracker helps you notice how your everyday habits, such as sleep, movement and time with people, connect with how you feel. Here’s how to use one, what to track, and a free monthly mood tracker you can print.
Key takeaways
- Rate your mood once a day, at the same time, on a simple 1–5 scale.
- Track a few everyday factors alongside it, such as sleep, movement and time outdoors.
- Look for patterns weekly, not daily. One bad day doesn’t mean much.
- A mood tracker is a self-care tool, not a diagnosis. If low mood lasts two weeks or more, talk to a doctor.
Why track your mood?
- It shows what helps. You may notice your mood is better on days you walk, sleep well or see friends: the basics that the National Institute of Mental Health recommends for self-care, such as regular exercise, enough sleep and staying connected (NIMH).
- It makes changes easier to see. Monitoring progress tends to help people reach their goals, especially when they write it down (Harkin et al., 2016).
- It helps you explain how you’ve been. If you ever talk to a doctor, a few weeks of notes are more reliable than trying to remember.
Free printable monthly mood tracker
Each evening, write a number from 1 to 5 for your mood, then tick the habits you did that day.
Monthly Mood & Habit Tracker
Month: ________________ Mood: 1 = very low · 2 = low · 3 = okay · 4 = good · 5 = great
| Day | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mood (1–5) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Slept 7+ hours | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moved 20+ min | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time outdoors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Talked to someone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Screens off early |
Pattern I noticed this month: ____________________________________________ One thing to do more of: ______________________
How to use it: 5 steps
- Pick a time. Rate your mood once a day, such as after dinner or before bed.
- Use the 1–5 scale. Rate the day overall, not just how you feel at that moment.
- Tick the habits. Sleep, movement, time outdoors, talking to someone and screens off early are a good start. Swap in your own if you like.
- Add a word if something stood out, such as “busy work day” or “saw friends.”
- Review once a week. Our weekly wellness check-in is a good time to do this.
Check your everyday habits, free. The Wellness Scorecard asks 8 quick questions about sleep, water, movement, screens, downtime and connection, and suggests one next step. It’s a habit check, not a mental health test.
Take the Wellness Scorecard →How to spot patterns
| Look for… | Then try… |
|---|---|
| Better mood on days you moved | A daily 10–20 minute walk. See our 30-day walking challenge. |
| Lower mood after short sleep | A steadier bedtime. See how to build a consistent sleep schedule. |
| Better days when you saw people | Plan one call or meet-up each week. |
| Lower mood after late screen time | Screens away 30–60 minutes before bed. See how to cut back on screen time. |
| Lower days on the same weekday | Plan something small to look forward to on that day. |
When to get support
A mood tracker isn’t a diagnosis or treatment. NIMH advises seeking professional help if you have severe or distressing symptoms that have lasted two weeks or more, such as low mood, trouble sleeping, or losing interest in things you usually enjoy. Talk to a doctor or another health professional, and take your tracker with you if it helps.
If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact your local emergency number or a crisis helpline straight away. In the U.S., you can call or text 988.
A month of daily self-care prompts. $7 The printable 30-Day Self-Care Planner includes a daily page, a monthly habit tracker and weekly reflection pages.
See the 30-Day Self-Care Planner →Common questions
How do you use a mood tracker?
Rate your mood once a day on a simple scale, such as 1 to 5, and tick a few habits like sleep, movement and time with people. Review it weekly to see which habits go with better days.
What should I track in a mood tracker?
Your overall mood, plus a few everyday factors: hours of sleep, movement, time outdoors, time with people and screen time in the evening. Keep it short enough to fill in within a minute.
Is a mood tracker the same as a mental health test?
No. It’s a self-care tool for noticing patterns. If low mood or other symptoms last two weeks or more, or feel severe, talk to a doctor or health professional.
Is a paper or app mood tracker better?
Either works. Paper is simple and visible; apps can show charts. Choose the one you’ll actually fill in every day.
Sources
- National Institute of Mental Health: Caring for Your Mental Health
- American Psychological Association: Tracking progress toward goals makes success more likely (Harkin et al., 2016, Psychological Bulletin)
Related tools and guides
This guide is for general education and is not medical advice. See our Health Disclaimer and Editorial Policy.