What to track for depression
Use the same fields every day, so you can compare one week with the next. These fields follow common signs of depression that NIMH lists, including changes in sleep, energy and appetite and losing interest in activities.1
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Date | Tuesday, 9:15 pm |
| Mood, 0 to 10 | 3 |
| Sleep | Too little |
| Energy | Low |
| Appetite | Less than usual |
| What's been going on | Work, alone most of the day |
| What you did | Got outside, talked to someone |
On the 0 to 10 scale, 0 is the lowest you can imagine, 5 is getting by and 10 is your best. Rate your mood at about the same time each day, because mood can shift over a day and a fixed time makes your entries easier to compare.
How to use a depression thought log
A thought record is a common CBT exercise.2 You pick one moment and write down:
- what happened
- what went through your mind
- another way to look at it
- how your mood is now
In this tracker, the thought log is a switch inside your daily entry, so your thoughts sit next to your mood, sleep and energy. Skip it on days when it feels like too much. The mood rating alone still counts.
Printable depression tracker and mood chart (PDF)
Prefer paper? The free PDF has one row for each day, with mood and thought log columns. You don't need to give an email.
What to look for in your mood chart
- The direction over weeks. One bad day tells you little. Look at how the last two weeks compare with the two before.
- Sleep and energy next to mood. See whether your low days follow a bad night.
- What you did on better days. A walk or a call with a friend may show up more often than you'd expect.
- Dose changes. If you take medication, check what happened in the weeks after a change or a skipped dose.
A log shows what happened together. It can't tell you the cause, so use it to ask better questions.
You don't need a long log to get help. If low mood or lost interest lasts most of the time for 2 weeks or more and gets in the way of daily life, or it's getting worse, talk to a health care provider.1
What to show your doctor or therapist
Your report puts your highest and lowest mood, your sleep, energy and appetite, the thoughts you wrote down and any dose changes on one page.
You can bring these questions with it:
- Which of these patterns should we work on first?
- Could sleep, energy or appetite changes come from something other than depression?
- Could any of this be a side effect of my medication or a recent dose change?
The first weeks on an antidepressant
Antidepressants take several weeks to work, and side effects usually show up before the benefits.
Sleep, appetite or energy may improve first. The lift in mood usually comes later, and the full effect later still. This is why the first weeks can feel like a step backward.
A short rise in anxiety or restlessness at the start is common and usually settles. If it is hard to manage, your prescriber may lower the starting dose or change the time of day.
Early signs of progress are often small, and other people may notice them first. Getting out of bed gets easier, you spend less time on the same worries, and old interests come back.
Talk to your prescriber about the dose or a different medication if:
- nothing has improved after several weeks at a steady dose
- side effects are hard to live with
New thoughts of suicide or self-harm in the first weeks need a call to your prescriber the same day.
FAQ
What should I track for depression?
Your mood from 0 to 10, your sleep, energy and appetite, what's been going on and what you did. If you take medication, add dose changes and new side effects.
Is there a free printable depression tracker?
Yes. The one-page PDF on this page is free, needs no email and has the main fields of the online log.
What is a depression thought log?
A way to write down one difficult moment: what happened, what went through your mind and another way to look at it. It's a common CBT exercise.
Where are my entries stored?
In this browser, on this device. We don't receive what you write, and there's no account. Clearing your browser data deletes your log, and Safari can clear it after about 7 days without a visit. On iPhone, add this page to your Home Screen to avoid that, and download a copy now and then.
Can I download all my entries?
Yes, at any time. My log has a button that saves every entry as a CSV file you can open in Excel or Google Sheets. You can use that file to restore your log on another device.
Can a tracker tell me if I have depression?
No. A diagnosis comes from a clinician. Your log gives them a clearer record to work from.
When should I talk to someone instead of tracking?
If your symptoms don't go away, or they're getting worse, talk to a health care provider.1 You don't need a full log first.
Sources
More free trackers and templates
- Anxiety tracker: Log what set it off, how strong it felt and what helped. See your pattern on a chart.
- Psychiatrist appointment sheet: Put what you want to say and ask on one page, so nothing gets lost in the room.
- See all trackers and templates