[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.8.2″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(0,0,0,0.34)” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(0,0,0,0.34)” background_color_gradient_end_position=”27%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” background_image=”https:\/\/drsharongrossman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/girl-4898696_1920.jpg” bottom_divider_style=”curve2″ bottom_divider_color=”#FFFFFF” bottom_divider_flip=”vertical” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=”The Women in Medicine Badass Radioshow” subhead=”Episode #41: Mood Tracking” text_orientation=”center” _builder_version=”4.11.4″ title_font_size=”45px” subhead_font_size=”23px” background_enable_color=”off” use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”rgba(0,0,0,0.14)” background_color_gradient_end=”rgba(0,0,0,0.19)” background_color_gradient_end_position=”28%” background_color_gradient_overlays_image=”on” custom_padding=”80px||180px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”50px||120px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” hover_enabled=”0″ title_font_size_tablet=”” title_font_size_phone=”30px” title_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.8.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.8.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”2px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.8.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.11.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Hello WIMBAs and welcome to another fantastic episode. How have you been feeling? I\u2019ve been reading and hearing from clients that burnout rates keep rising. The latest statistic I read was that 52% of workers are feeling at least a little burned out. And since you\u2019re in healthcare, your numbers might be even higher.<\/span><\/p>\n And I also just heard someone say that she has struggled with <\/span>depression<\/b> her whole life and to her <\/span>burnout<\/b> feels no different from depression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So if you\u2019re someone who struggles with low mood and you\u2019d like to improve your mood and feel happier overall, I dedicate this episode to you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how we\u2019re going to tackle this today. This is something I used to do with many of my depressed clients when I was working as a therapist in private practice. I would encourage them to track their mood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>If you\u2019re new to<\/span> mood tracking<\/b>, I\u2019m going to explain exactly what I mean by this, why this is to your benefit, and how you can do it effectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So mood tracking is where you keep track of your mood – plain and simple. You\u2019ve probably heard of gratitude journaling. That\u2019s where you write down something you\u2019re grateful for each day. Well, mood tracking is where you\u2019re keeping tabs of your mood every day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is important for a few reasons. Eva Hoffman, author of How to Be Bored, shares hers. She says,<\/span>\u201cIf we rush ceaselessly through disconnected activities without checking in on our moods or motives, we can lose track of ourselves; in a sense, we lose the ability to experience our experiences.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So mood tracking is that self check-in that requires you to take a moment to reflect on how you feel. Not only does it help you be more present and aware, but it gives you data that you can look back on and see if your mood is improving over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And because you\u2019re all women listening to this, realize that mood tracking is even more important for us because our mood can fluctuate quite a bit when we\u2019re <\/span>menstruating<\/b>. Many of my clients reported a dip in their mood around the time of their period. When they started tracking their mood, they were able to make the connection between their cycle and their mood and prepare mentally and even take some precautions ahead of time to stabilize their mood.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I hope by now you\u2019re seeing the value of tracking your mood. Now the question is <\/span>how<\/span><\/i> to do it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n There are a few different types of mood trackers and based on your personal preference you can choose what will work best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you are someone who likes to journal and hold a physical notebook in your hand, then having a <\/span>mood journal <\/b>might be a great way to go. This is where you write for yourself about your mood that day. It\u2019s an opportunity to reflect on the day perhaps after you get home from work or before you go to sleep. And again, depending on your preference, you can keep it open in terms of format or you can have it more structured where every day you answer the same questions. You might rate your mood on a scale of 1-10 as an example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n You might reflect on how certain behaviors or daily activities influenced your mood. For instance, does your mood decline after a bad night’s sleep? Do you feel more irritable when you eat certain foods or when you don\u2019t eat on time? Noticing these connections will help you be more mindful of your choices and then prevent an emotional rollercoaster from happening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What do you do when you\u2019re in a certain emotional state? Reflecting on your <\/span>coping<\/b> techniques is also instructive because if you use a technique that isn\u2019t improving your mood and you realize it, you can start to be more strategic about when and what coping strategies to use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Maybe you\u2019re not so into writing freestyle about your situation, but want to understand what contributes to your mood and how to shift it. That\u2019s where doing a<\/span> thought log<\/b> might come in handy. This is where you have more of a worksheet that you fill out about what happened that day, what your thoughts were about it, how it made you feel, and what you did. This connects the dots between your thoughts and feelings and gives you more awareness of how it\u2019s not the circumstances, but your thoughts about them that created your feelings. In other words, it can help you identify triggers that affect your mood or lead to mood swings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Lastly, if you\u2019re more of a digital person, consider using an app to track your mood. A couple of popular options include <\/span>iMoodJournal<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Daylio<\/span><\/a>. I\u2019ll put the links in the show notes for you.<\/span><\/p>\n