The only moods I have trouble identifying are mixed ones. Also can't identify when I'm psychotic. For me when I'm confident, want to socialise all the time, running out of breath from talking so fast, think everything is amazing, crave sex more than air and don't need sleep - that's definite mania. When I'm crying all the time, feeling a lot of guilt and thinking death is the only solution - that's definitely depression unless its accompanied by manic energy then it's mixed. I know these moods coz they are so far removed from my level headed, calm and hopeful baseline. Just work on what your baseline is and then any extreme shifts up or down will be easier to identify. You have to know what's normal for you before you can ever know what's abnormal.