Coping with Negative Emotions: Mood Journal
Daily Mood Log
It is up to you how often you check your mood. I hope, at least, you would find this Daily Mood Log useful when you feel unhappy. Keeping a Daily Mood Log will help you write down all your thoughts for the day, and then, you can identify all the cognitive distortions. This will help you think more positively and be ready for the next day. You can divide a page in half: on the left hand column, you write down all your thoughts for the day; on the right hand column, you identify all the cognitive distortions (Burns, 1999). Let's take a look at Fabio’s, an office worker, day of events.
Daily Thoughts
This morning, I headed out to work. I slipped and fell on the first step out in the rain. What a lousy day! I arrived at work and realized I forgot to take my project with me. What a useless bum! I thought about what to do, and remembered that I saved the project on Cloud. Lucky me, I was able to retrieve it. I am not such a loser after all.
When I sat at a park during lunch, I saw a beautiful girl walked by. I said hi to her and we had a chat. She probably was not attracted to me because we didn't chat for long. I don't think I am an attractive guy.
After I got back to the office, I found out that my boss was already at my desk, evaluating my project. He showed no emotion and asked me to come to his office. I was thinking, “Shit! I must have messed up.”
At his office, he said everything I've done for the project was good, except that I have spent way too much time on it. I was thinking, “My project is a waste of company’s resources. I should have done my job faster. I am not a good employee.”
After work, I felt like a hopeless case because I left my apartment key inside the apartment. I had dragged my already tiresome body to my brother's house to get a spare key. I shouldn't have left my keys at my apartment.
Cognitive Distortions
“What a lousy day!” is Overgeneralization. I had a bad experience once, slipped on the floor, it does not mean that I will have a never ending bad day.
“I am not such a loser after all” is Labeling. People forget sometimes. Forgetting something doesn't make me a “Loser”.
“The girl was not attracted to me” is Discounting the Positive. We didn't chat for long, but she took my phone number. She probably had a busy schedule.
“Shit! I must have messed up” is Jumping to Conclusion. In fact, I was mind reading my boss. He exhibited no emotion didn't mean he was upset.
“I should have done my job faster” is a ‘Should Statements’. I were trying my best to accomplish a task and my boss was happy with it. I probably will pick up speed next time since I have gained experience on doing project.
“I felt like a hopeless case” is Emotional Reasoning. I feel hopeless. It doesn't mean I am really hopeless. In fact, everything is hopeful. I have a job, an apartment, and I have the phone number of the girl I am attracted to. I can call her now.