A Mindfulness Response: Emotions and Moods

Mood and Symptom Tracker

Start Day___________ Month ______________Year ____________________

Use a rating scale of 0 -10, with 10 being very positive and 0 for being difficult, for symptoms related to mood, trauma, or psychosis. This can be done with a supportive person.

Rating Scale for Symptoms

__________________________________________________________

O         1          2          3          4          5                      6          7          8                     9              10

OK,     SOME             More               MANY   Seek Help                Overwhelmed              Crisis

Do self-care,                                 Call for support: prescriber     Need medication changes

Keep a routine                              Therapist case manager         Emergency Department

At home, in the community,         Increased therapy, PRN

__________________________________________________________

Mood

DATE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Depression
Sad, Unworthy
Anger at self or others
Worried, Anxious
Fearful
Other
Suicidal, Homicidal, Self-injury

Trauma

DATE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
De-personalization
De-realization
Nightmares
Flashbacks
Avoid places or people.
Startled, jumpy
Cannot concentrate
irritability

De-personalization: I am not in my body

De-realization: My environment does not seem real.

Psychosis

DATE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Hallucinations Sound/voices Sight Touch Taste Smell Something in my body
paranoia
I am not connected to my body
Increased Religious thoughts, spirituality
Guilty, did something wrong.
Certain things, like numbers have special meaning
Messages from TV, radio, electronics

Substance Abuse

DATE	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Type of Substance ________ ________
Reason for using? Craving Lonely With friends to Get high or drunk
Total Amount Used

Notes to myself

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Did I take my medications? 

Use a pill box on separate days. Put it in a place where you go each morning or night, such as the bathroom. Put it near your toothbrush and brush your teeth in the morning and at night. (This will help remind you to take medications.)

When do I take them?

Am/morning _____________________________________________________________

Noon _____________________________________________________________

Evening _____________________________________________________________

Do problem symptoms occur at a particular time of the day? 

On anniversaries?  Seasonal changes?

Morning? _____________________________________________________________

Afternoon? _____________________________________________________________

Evening?  _____________________________________________________________

Other? _____________________________________________________________

DBT and Distress

One Thing At A Time (OTAT)

            We can only focus on one thing, even though work wants us to multitask. It isn't easy to do multiple things simultaneously without dropping your phone, burning something on the stove, or forgetting where you put something. Doing only one thing calms our minds and reduces headaches. When we do one thing entirely, we feel better about that task. It helps us remain in the present moment and focus on one task.

Opposite to Emotion (O2E)

            This DBT skill from Linehan (1993) examines emotions and actions together. When a person is not motivated to do something that could be fun, the opposite is used. A person decides to go to the fun event rather than stay home and isolate from others.

Distraction skills

            Distraction skills are used when a person needs to get a break from intense emotions such as anxiety and try to calm down. DBT distress tolerance skills teach the body and mind to quiet themselves by changing activities and the environment (Linehan, 1993). Distraction is used temporarily. Sometimes, this action creates more stress since original tasks may not get done. Distraction diverts attention away from the present moment to change intense emotions.

Call a friend                Take a shower             Use hot or cold packs,             Go for a walk

Play music                  Sing                             Care for a pet                          Bake   

Dance                          Play board games        Do arts & crafts                      Play sports

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is not the same as Distraction skills. 

Mindfulness is being present at the moment and being aware of your thoughts and feelings.

Mindfulness builds concentration, and repeated practice over months helps to reduce depression and anxiety. It involves observing, noticing, and acknowledging thoughts, feelings, sensations, or images and letting them be there. It is nonjudgmental about all that enters the mind and remains in the present moment.

HALT

            Sometimes, we are unaware of why we do things when we could be experiencing something else. This reminds us to examine our inner self with sensory information and feelings. (Alcoholics Anonymous 1982)

Hungry: Need to eat to maintain energy. Loss of appetite from depression can be a problem.

Angry: Moods and severe mental illness symptoms can cause irritability and anger.

Lonely: Moods can cause us to alienate and isolate ourselves from others.

Tired:  Being on guard, depressed, or anxious is physically tiring for the body.

Gratitude and the Three Good Things 

            Seligman et al. (2005) developed the 3 Good Things to do each day, which help us focus on small and beautiful or funny things that we can appreciate (Gibbon, 2020). Gratitude helps us turn our attitude from feeling alienated from others to feeling a sense of community and belonging.

What are three good things that I noticed today:

_____________________________________________________________

Gratitude and Naikan Philosophy

            The Naikan philosophy (Krech, 2010) introduces us to our relationships with family, friends, and community. It emphasizes all relationships' effects and interactions and how they impact us. We forget that we give and take qualities and values, not just material goods.

            There are gifts that we receive in life that are invaluable, and they are not material things. Each person carries their values and qualities. These values and qualities do not have a price, such as friendship, listening, understanding, patience, love, caring, reassurance, encouragement, a smile, a hug, a handshake, security, belonging, safety, humor…

Things that I gave myself today (self-care) _____________________________________________________________

Things that I gave to others _____________________________________________________________

Things that I received from others _____________________________________________________________

Results or consequences of my interactions _____________________________________________________________

Paradoxical Intention

            This skill originated from Victor Frankl (1963), who used it to help people with ruminative and repetitive thoughts and acts. It contains two opposing ideas that contradict each other. The paradox is the resolution. For example, someone who worries constantly about everything would be told to choose 1 hour each day to worry and write down all their worries on paper. Eventually, the mind cannot do this because the concerns decrease as they are written on paper.

I will write down my worrisome thoughts between 2:00 – 3:00 pm.

My worrisome thoughts: _____________________________________________________________

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

            Thoughts are not necessarily true. Negative thoughts and cognitive distortions are disputed and questioned about their veracity. This includes examining negative thoughts and feelings that go with them and questioning whether they are true. Thoughts can be created by strong emotions and feelings that can influence our thoughts. For example, feelings such as jealousy, anger, depression, and embarrassment will start thoughts that are related to strong emotions, but when we calm ourselves, we may think differently.

Self-Cares 

            We need to take care of ourselves every day. Small cares add up, and those daily actions help us feel better about ourselves. We care for ourselves with personal hygiene and chores to make ourselves feel safe and grounded daily. Paying attention to our home means daily or weekly chores by ourselves or our family. Try to keep up with laundry, cleaning, organizing, and cooking. Getting healthy nutrition, a regular sleep routine, staying sober, exercising, and taking daily medications are simple ways to make us feel better.