NOTES FROM LIGHTVESSEL
What can you write in a mood journal?
You open a mood journal, choose how you feel, and pause at the empty note field.
Start with one detail you would like to remember: the meeting that ran late, a friend’s message, or how quiet the kitchen felt after everyone left.
Pick one of the four questions below. The sample entries are made up; use your own words, or leave the note blank.
1. What happened today that stayed with you?
Pick a moment rather than a summary of everything you did. It can be something small.
- “I kept thinking about the question I didn’t ask in the meeting.”
- “My friend sent a photo of her dog. I laughed on the bus.”
- “Dinner was quiet tonight. I wasn’t sure whether I liked it.”
Nothing in particular stands out? “Mostly routine. Work, groceries, home” can be the note.
2. How do you feel right now?
Your note can describe this moment, even if the rest of the day felt different.
- “Relieved that it’s over, and still annoyed about how it went.”
- “Content. Nothing much happened, and that suited me.”
- “A bit flat. I don’t have a better word for it yet.”
“Happy to see them, tired from being around people” can go in the same entry. Both were part of the day.
3. What do you notice in your body?
If an emotion word does not come to mind, try a physical detail.
- “My shoulders feel tight after sitting at the desk.”
- “Sleepy. I want to finish this note and go to bed.”
- “Restless legs, and I keep getting up from the sofa.”
Keep it to what you notice, even if you are unsure why it feels that way.
4. What would you like to keep from today?
This might be a pleasant moment, a frustration, or something unfinished. It does not have to be something you are grateful for.
- “We took the long way home and talked about nothing in particular.”
- “I’m still upset about the canceled plan. I don’t want to pretend I’m fine with it.”
- “I said I would call tomorrow. Leaving that here so I remember.”
The note can end there, with the thing you want to remember.
When none of the prompts fits
“I don’t know how I feel today” is a note too. So is “I’d rather not put this into words.” You can also save a mood without a written note, or close the journal and come back another day.
If you only want to write one line, try this one-sentence mood check-in. It gives you a starting sentence without a list of questions to work through.
Leaving a note in Lightvessel
In Lightvessel’s mood tracker for iPhone, choose the sea conditions that fit your mood, then add a body feeling or a note if you want to. Only the sea conditions are needed to save the check-in.
Your entries appear in Tides when you want to look back. You can use any of the prompts above in the note field, in another journal, or on a piece of paper.