An OK Day

I had my usual forecasting issues, but was able to either keep them in check or push through them and get things done.  I only used the app a couple of times, and looking back on today, I could have made better use of it.  I had a mild issue with a meeting in the morning and think I could have handled it a bit better.  Looking back on it, the meeting went fairly well so those thoughts I had of things blowing up we just thoughts and nothing more.  I have some entries related to this that I'll review before turning in for the night.  Tomorrow is Saturday, and I see no real issues.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Minor Updates and Porpoising

I had some minor updates to the entry I posted over the past couple of days, mostly formatting.  I think I'll keep it as is and see how it fits.  Other than that, I was porpoising up and down in mood.  I've got some challenges at work that just aren't converging to a solution as fast as I'd like.  This really drives stress and anxiety.  I think guilt is getting in there, driven by personalization and should statements.  I'll keep working my issues through the lens of guilt.  I think there's something there.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Correction and Update to Yesterday's Post

I have a correction and update to yesterday's post.  First, it was actually a Tuesday morning thought.  That's the impact of a long weekend I guess.  Next, I updated this entry by adding some counter thoughts and challenges to what I originally recorded.  This is how I develop my entries on my phone, in phases like this.  I'll continue to update this and really try to capture what's going on but probably won't post this anymore.  I"m doing this to share how I use the app.

Observation Title: Not Working on Weekend

Tues am thought - I should have worked over the weekend.
Forecast being overwhelmed by work not done plus work remaining and unknown pop up items
Label myself a not very good worker for not working over the weekend.
Mindread that others will think the same once they realize that i don't have everything done.
Forecast that i'll be dressed down for this.
Feeling depressed and anxious.

Why should I have worked?  It was a holiday weekend.  The company, nor any colleague expected me to work.  In fact the power at work was turned off.

How often have i ever been overwhelmed by work?  It's the exception, not the rule.

Not a good worker?  Because I didn't work over a holiday weekend?  Am I not ethical, honest, able to solve tough problems, reliable?  Don't those define a good worker?

If no one expected me to work, why would anyone think I'm a bad worker?

So when was the last time I was dressed down? Two decades ago?  And wasn't that unwarranted, reflecting poorly on him and not me?

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

My Monday Thoughts

I've been reading the chapter in Dr. Burns' book "Feeling Good" on guilt, and it's making more sense to me than it has in the past. This morning I was working on the theme of guilt and documented my thoughts in the Observation tool.  Here's what I have, and will probably continue to refine by adding a section of counter thoughts to each.  As you can glean, I was feeling guilty for not working over this Memorial Day weekend.  I capture my thoughts, then the feelings.  Note that e-mail feature comes in handy for sharing stuff like this.

Title: Not Working on Weekend
Observation and Notes
Mon am thought - I should have worked over the weekend.forecast being overwhelmed by work not done plus work remaining and unknown pop up itemslabel myself a not very good worker for not working over the weekend.mindread that others will think the same once they realize that i don't have everything done.forecast that i'll be dressed down for this.feeling depressed and anxious.


If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Prepping for Work Tomorrow

I'm prepping for work tomorrow, reviewing some entries in Mood Sentry and setting some goals.  I really need to do that after a holiday weekend like this.  Today I still had a little something going on and was mildly depressed.  I did get out and get some exercise this morning and actually got a lot done today now that I've looked back.  I have this urge to kick myself with some "should" statements, such as I should have gotten a little more done, I should have gotten off to an earlier start, I should have watched just a bit less TV this afternoon, and I should have spent a little more time documenting the changes to Mood Sentry I worked on this afternoon.  However, not one of those thoughts is helpful.  Each puts my focus on something I can't change, and the fact is I did get a lot done today.  Regarding the documentation, I kept some hand written notes on a notepad on my desk, and I can do that documentation tomorrow.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Kind of a Rough Day

I was in a funk this morning and had a tough time getting out of it.  I knew getting up and doing something would help, and was finally able to get myself moving, partly due to having a date with my wife to go to a really nice museum and garden.  Once I got myself moving and in the car, I started to feel better, though I never really completely got out of my funk.  Not bad.  We had a really good time today.  I did use the Mood Sentry a couple of times during the day, but what really helped was getting out of the house and doing something with my wife.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Got in a Bit of a Rut this Afernoon

I got in a bit of a rut this afternoon when I turned the TV on and started vegging out rather than working on the next update to the app.  It was just like described in Dr. Burns' book "Feeling Good" in the chapter dealing with defeating guilt.  I started trying to motivate myself with should statements, which made me feel crappy and continue watching the TV.  Part of the problem was it felt like I had a huge effort in regards to the update, and I just didn't know where to start, or where to end.  It wasn't until I decided to just work on one area of the update that I was able to get off the couch and turn the TV off.  Giving myself a short task and deciding that it would be enough for today was all I needed.  I ended up completing that task and then some, which was a good thing.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

How are the Reminders for You?

Are you using the reminders?  I'm wondering if anyone has been using them and if you find them useful.  For me, I like having something pop up on my phone to prompt me to take some kind of action.  Drop me a line and let me know if you use the reminders.  If you'd like to share your personal reminder, I'd love to see it.  Perhaps I'll even post it in this blog, if you let me.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Read this Morning

I read a bit from Dr. Burns' book "Feeling Good" this morning.  More specifically, a couple of sections from the chapter on defeating guilt.  I started re-reading that chapter the other night and things kind of hit home.  I remember when I originally read that chapter that it didn't feel quite right for me.  However, on re-reading it  I can see multiple things that feel like me.  I've noticed that before, that sometimes when I re-read something that didn't feel quite like me on the original read, on the subsequent read it feels more applicable to me.  It's probably due to learning more about myself as I progress.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

A Minor Episode Tonight

There I was, updating the tool I use to build the android version of Mood Sentry, when all of the sudden the app wouldn't build.  The symptom was a little red circle with a white "X" in the middle of it next to a majority of the file names.  That's when the should statements started.  I shouldn't have done the update.  Then the overgeneralizations kicked in with I'll never fix this.  I managed to catch those thoughts quickly.  Of course I should have updated the app, I have to do that every now and then.  I certainly didn't know that I'd have an issue with an update.  They usually go very smoothly.  And I will eventually fix this.  I then remembered that something similar had happened in the past, and I did in fact fix it.  I kept that thought and kept working the issue and finally resolved it.  I simply needed to run the update tool one more time.  Just like I had to do in the past.  I have to do that every now and then and probably should document that.  It took me an hour to remember to run the updater twice.  Things are working fine now, and I'm feeling better.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

How Things Went Today

I didn't sleep that well last night but rose early anyway this morning and hit the gym.  Working out is something I do to help manage my condition.  At the gym I was managing my thoughts by recognizing my tendency toward all or nothing thinking, should statements, and forecasting, and countering the thoughts that came up in relation to the challenge that I recognized yesterday.  I felt anxious but was able to keep that feeling in check by actively addressing my thoughts.  When I got to work I checked my e-mail but didn't see what I wanted to see, which was the receipt of additional funding for my project.  I was still stressing and actively managing my thoughts when I got the word that the funding had arrived and I would be OK.  Actually, it turns out the funding had arrived last Friday, so there really never was an issue.  I felt a lot of relief and took the time to review Mood Sentry to address the thoughts that I had been dealing with.  When I got home this evening I reviewed Dr. Burns' book "Feeling Good..." and just thumbed through it, skimming the various chapters.  I think I'll re-read the chapter on defeating guilt.  In general, things went well today.  I kept my mood in check and got what I needed at work.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Stressing Over Work

I discovered a potential issue regarding work today and am forecasting trouble tomorrow.  I reviewed My Experiences and was able to pin-point All or Nothing Thinking and Should Statements with a few Overgeneralizations thrown in.  Reviewing my mitigations has helped lessen these feelings of anxiety, but hasn't eliminated them.  I'll set some goals for tomorrow that explicitly relate to this issue.  One thing I've learned is that letting things sit doesn't help me.  They'll just fester and grow.  If I address issues quickly I usually do better.  Using my Daily Goals helps motivate me to address issues at the start of my day.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Had an OK Day

I had an OK day.  I have stuff going on at work that isn't going as well as I'd like.  However, I'm doing about as well as anyone can and people have commented to that effect.  Using the app helps me manage my mood, but another thing that helps is focusing on the stuff that I can get done clearing some of that stuff off my plate. Progress, even in small doses, can make a difference for me.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Go Out to My Car

I've been going out to my car in the morning to use Mood Sentry.  I like the privacy I have in my car and just feel I can concentrate more on using the app when I'm away from my computer.  This has been working fairly well for me over the past few weeks.  I've used Mood Sentry at my desk but am concerned that it may look like I'm goofing off on my phone rather than working.  I've used Mood Sentry in a small conference room we have, but again I'm concerned that I'll look like I'm goofing off.  Anyway, getting out of the office, away from the computer and other people is a good way for me to focus on managing my condition.  Just thought I'd share.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Working on the Next Update

One of the changes I'm making is to the support page.  I'm getting rid of the bulletin board and replacing it with some simple e-mail links to our info address and our support address.  I'm also going to include a quick link to this blog, in case someone has a comment or suggestion.  I may even include a FAQ page.  We'll see about that.  Got any other ideas you'd like to see in the next update?

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Core Belief

Started a Core Belief entry.  I'm using an Observation entry to capture this one.  It still in development, but what I did was capture the belief in the title of the entry, and now I'm trying to better define it and then challenge it.  Perhaps I'll share it later, as I develop it a bit more.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Getting Ready for Monday

I have the typical thoughts running through my head, mainly that the stuff is going to hit the fan tomorrow.  This time, there actually is chance that things will not go that well tomorrow.  However, the thing I need to keep in mind is that no matter what happens, I have a good team and we'll adapt and do our best.  Also, during my last visit to my therapist I received a worksheet for challenging automatic thoughts.  Simple questions I can ask myself such as is the thought a belief or a fact?  I'm going to try this worksheet on this automatic thought and see what it does for me.  Who knows, perhaps something like this will make it into Mood Sentry.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Using the Daily Goals

I only have 3 lines for things to accomplish in the Daily Goals tool.  I typically have more than three things to do and have two ways of dealing with that.  One is to take advantage of the mid-day reminder and delete any goal that has been achieved.  Then I can use that space for another goal to complete before the day is over.  The other is to simply put more than one item on a line.  I usually group things, such as a couple of work items on one line, a couple of non-work items on another.  How's that?

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Therapist Visit Today

Had an appointment with my therapist today.  I took the time yesterday to jot down some things I wanted to cover in-session in the Observations tool.  I revisited it at lunch today and then again just before my session to make sure I knew what I wanted to cover.  We covered all those items and had a pretty good session.  I know reading off the phone can impede the therapeutic process a bit by pulling my attention away from the therapist, but it really does help to have a handy reference at my fingertips.  The distraction is only temporary and not that bad.  Like I said, it was a pretty good session.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Just a Maintenance Day Today

I used Mood Sentry in the morning, afternoon, and evening mostly to keep my mood in check.  It helped.  I think looking back at how things have gone so far during my day is helping me manage my mood a bit better.  Things rarely go as I forecast.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

I was reflecting back on how things were going and decided to start an Observation.  Things were going pretty well, and it seemed people were working together to make the most of a challenging situation.  I started this to combat forecasts of conflict.
------------ begin -------------------
People Work Together

Observation and Notes
People tend to work together to get things done.
Boss with guidance, support, and advice.
Teammate with mgmt for funding.
Teammate with supplier support.
Teammate with technical support.
Customer with guidance and insight.
No finger pointing or blaming was experienced.
------------end--------------------
As you can see, it's fairly simple.  Most of my entries start off fairly simple and get more involved as I develop them over time.  I'll probably revisit this one over the next few days and fill it in a bit.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

A Waffling Day at Work

I was waffling in and out of a mild funk today at work, mostly driven by uncertainty in my job, tasks, and project.  However, I was able to challenge my thoughts by recognizing that I have a natural tendency toward all or nothing thinking.  I also referenced a couple of write-up I've stored in Mood Sentry related to acting on things that are bothering me rather than stewing on them.  I was able to meet with a couple of people and remove some of the uncertainty on at least one project and felt a bit better.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Has Anyone Tried the New E-mail Feature Yet?

I have not used this feature other than to test it on my phone and a test device.  I added at the request of a user.  The idea is that you can e-mail yourself what you wrote, print it out before a therapy session, and read from it rather than reading from your phone.  Another alternative would be to e-mail a specific entry or two to your therapist for discussion in-session.  I'm curious if anyone has tried this yet.  Other than that, I'm somewhat stressed these days, mostly work related but also home related. I'm just feeling that I don't have the time I really need to do the stuff I need to do as well as the stuff I want to do.  Looking back on my day, I actually did get a lot of stuff done.  I think I need to stop every now and then and take an inventory of what I need to get done and what I actually did get done.  I might surprise myself.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Working on the Next Update Today

I was working on the update to the Support page, under References.  I'm going to turn it into a Contact Us page, on which you can launch an email for general info, support, or to suggest something for the blog.  I think that will work better than the current page, which takes you to our bulletin board.  No one has used it, and I think the ability to e-mail from your phone may be better.  I'll have some other things different too, some of which are structural and should not be noticeable to you.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Social Event this Evening

I had a social event this evening, dinner with friends.  I can get a little "saturated" at events like this, mostly due to being surrounded by multiple conversations and other noise sources.  I have things I can do beforehand to help me prepare, such as tips on conversation and recognizing things I can do to help reduce the tension (take a walk, find a quieter area and sit for a while).  Tonight I didn't really have a chance to take a walk or get away and as a result I got a little testy with some of my friends.  Fortunately, they didn't hold it against me so perhaps I didn't appear as testy as I felt.  Things like this happen every now and then.  I used to ruminate on events like this for hours, I think I'm getting better at managing my ruminations.  I also think reviewing my entries related to social gathering helps too.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Working on Challenging Forecasts of Conflict

I've been working on addressing my forecasts of conflict and doom mostly be stopping every now and then and reflecting back on my recent interactions.  It's helping a bit, but I think I need a lot more work.  I'll change my mid-day reminder to explicitly mention challenging these forecasts.

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.

Got a New Phone, Android

Got a new phone, Android.  I have a bigger screen and can see that the layout needs a bit of fine tuning.  I'll work on this and include it in the next update.  Speaking of which, I'm going to add a Contact Us page under references.  I think this will make contacting us easier, and be a useful feature.  Other changes under consideration include a new tool to capture and challenge dysfunctional thoughts and some structural changes to how the source code is laid out (you hopefully won't notice these).  Got any suggestions you'd like to see?

If you'd like to contribute one of your experiences, reminders, any tool entry or just your thoughts to possibly help others make better use of Mood Sentry, please consider e-mailing the item (or your thoughts) to 4theblog@moodappsllc.com. I'll protect your privacy and keep the source anonymous.

If your therapist would like to contact me with questions or suggestions, have him/her contact me at info@moodappsllc.com.