By James Morgan, Founder of Buddys
Think back to the last time you started your day feeling anxious, stressed, or generally down. Did you know why you were feeling that way? Were you able to pause or use any resources to help you manage how you were feeling? Not taking the time to notice how you’re feeling or being unable to find the underlying cause may leave you unsettled or feeling like your emotions are in control instead of you.
Traditional journaling usually chronicles your daily actions, thoughts, and feelings. If you don’t have time for long journal entries, or are looking for an easy and accessible way to start practicing emotional mindfulness, regular mood journaling is a great place to start. Taking a moment to acknowledge your emotions – positive or negative – can help you stay in touch with what may be causing them, create a space for negative feelings, and room to celebrate the positive ones.
Mood Tracking and Journaling
Have you ever used a journal, mindfulness log, or mood tracker? Tools like these have been shown to help improve overall mental health through a variety of ways. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, journaling and tracking your mood and emotions can help manage anxiety, reduce stress, and cope with depression – and even better, it’s quick and easy to do.
You don’t have to stock up on new expensive journals or complicated trackers. In most cases, you can get started with a notepad you already have, or use a digital note on your phone or computer. For Buddys users, mood tracking and journaling is now available for free directly in the app. The daily check-in feature helps remind you to take a moment to check in with your feelings each day. Buddys check-ins also give you a space to elaborate on your thoughts, release any heavy feelings that may be weighing you down, and document them to reference in the days ahead.
“We’re excited to see a feature like this come to life in the app,” said James Morgan, Buddys founder. “Checking in will help our community members share how they’re feeling if they want, which gives their Buddys the opportunity to reach out and connect through support, encouragement, or celebration.”
How to Check In With Buddys
Get Started
Start your day by checking in with how you’re feeling in the Buddys app. When you open Buddys, you’ll be greeted by the check-in prompt. Or, enable push notifications to help remind you to practice a moment of mindfulness. Once you select the mood that best describes how you’re feeling, you’ll be able to add more details in the same form. You can enter, track, and share how you’re feeling all from the Buddys home page you already know and love.
Share Updates with Your Buddys
Keep your check-in answers private, or choose to share them with your Buddys. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), connecting with others and taking the time to talk with people you trust about your feelings is a healthy outlet to help cope with stress.
When you share your check-in status, your Buddys will be able to see the emoji corresponding to how you’re feeling next to your name. If you want to add more information below your mood, those details will be kept private to you. You’re also able to look back on your recent entries for up to a week.
Keep Track on Your Timeline
Want to review recent check-ins? View your responses from the last seven days in a visual timeline on your homepage to take a quick glance back at how you’ve been feeling recently. Use the timeline to track your progress, take note of day-to-day changes, or help set goals for the week ahead.
Don’t worry – if you skip your morning check-in you can always come back to it later. You can submit, update, or edit your entry from your homepage any time that day.
Next Steps
If you’re already a Buddy, simply open the app to start exploring the daily check-in feature. If you haven’t joined a Buddys community yet, you can download the app from the App Store or Google Play. When you join Buddys, you get instant access to communities across a variety of topics relating to hardship and loss that are full of Buddys who know what you’re going through, because they’ve been there, too. Access expert resources from authentic, one-on-one connections with other Buddys, and join a trusted community of members who understand what you’re going through.
