i did daily mood charting when i did dbt. daily mood charting was especially helpful for seeing that my moods often plummet for a couple days right before i get my period. just knowing that kinda helps because i know that it is a time when i just need to b gentle with myself and it will pass in a couple days.

my t said that when she was training as a dbt therapist she did mood ratings every few waking hours for a week. that can be helpful for figuring out whether there are any patterns around when you feel better or worse.

figuring out what else is going on can be hardest. but if you see your mood is lowest before meals then it might be that hunger (or low blood sugar) is a factor. if you feel happy after exercise then that can be useful to know that when you notice yourself feeling bad excercise might be able to help you feel better.