Tough Getting Motivated Today

I'm not sure why.  It was another day in which I know I accomplished some things, but don't feel like I accomplished much.  I started the day off reviewing My Experiences, which helped.  But for some reason I just had a tough time this morning getting motivated.  At lunch I reviewed the few Cost Benefit entries I have, which also helped and made the afternoon feel a bit more productive than the morning.  Looking back on my day I'd say it wasn't my most productive day, but it probably wasn't my worst either.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.  I'll review some entries this evening and set some goals for tomorrow and try this again.

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 Had this Nagging Feeling Today...

That I wasn't getting anything done.  Intellectually, I know that I did get things done.  I just checked my Daily Goals tool and see that I hit just about everything I had listed.  There was one item that I did not get to, but it was overcome by a couple of other things I did that I didn't think of when I made the list that were more important.  So why the feeling that I didn't get things done?  I've been in a fairly deep funk for the past couple of months, which you might have ascertained from some of my posts.  The little things the app does, helping me reflect on my own experiences, reminding me to take action, setting goals, etc, help me get through days like this, but are not curing my condition.  I've dealt with depression since I was a kid, but I'm not letting it rule my life.  Sometimes it's a struggle for me, and this is one of those times.  I guess I just want to make it clear that Mood Sentry has not cured my condition, but it does help me get through days like this and accomplish things.

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 Did Things Go Today?

They went pretty well for me.  I accomplished everything that I wanted to accomplish and had some fun along the way.  I ran into a work friend this morning and had a pretty good discussion with her.  I kayaked, and even worked on the next version of the app.  Note that the update is a ways away as I'm still trying to figure out what I want to include in this release.  I didn't have any issues with my thoughts today, which is typical for a Saturday.  So, I'll lightly plan some activities for Sunday and see how tomorrow goes.  I'll set a few easy goals in the Daily Goals tool and call it a night.

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.

Not Much to Report Today

Getting more sleep these days, but not as much as I'd like.  That helps, and actually helps me make better use of Mood Sentry simply due to feeling a bit better when I start the day.  Today was fairly uneventful at work, no major meetings.  I had things pop up and tended to forecast conflict and doom which delayed my responses but didn't stop me from responding.  Looking back, I think I delayed more than I should have, or better yet, it might have been better had I not delayed as much.  In the end I did get everything done that I needed to get done.  I used Mood Sentry in the morning and again at lunch, but not this evening.  I'll review some entries before I go to bed and set a couple of goals for tomorrow.  I think I have better weekends when I set a couple of goals, just to help me feel like I got something done.

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 a Better Day Today

I basically followed my own instructions and reviewed My Experiences at the start of the day.  I think the main thing that helped was that I got one of the better night's sleep I've had in the past couple of months last night.  That started me off a little more motivated to make to time to manage my depression at the start of the day.  That seems odd to me, in that the days that I need to really work my condition the most are the toughest to motivate myself to do so.  Anyway, I'm glad I made the time to review My Experiences in the morning, and also review some entries at lunch time.  Regarding the tool I was working on the other day for analyzing my thoughts related to interactions.  I haven't done much with it since.  I think I'll pick it up on the weekend and see if I can develop the concept a little 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.

Using My Experiences

Just reviewing My Experiences can really help me tackle a degraded mood.  The reason I bring this up is sometimes I'm pretty busy at work and just don't feel I have much time to engage the app.  I can often find enough time to read through My Experiences, and just doing that can really help improve a degraded mood.  I know my reminders suggest reviewing My Experiences and reviewing entries in some of the other tools, however if you're pushed for time, you might find that simply reviewing My Experiences (tailored to yourself) is good enough to help.

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.

Did Something Different Today

I worked on my issue with interactions today.  I created a multi column technique with headings like who, when, topic, thoughts, and preparation.  I was filling it in at lunch time and think it was helping me get a better feel for the thoughts that drive my mood in regard to interactions.  I didn't fill in the whole table today and will pick it up again later this week.  I think it's going to help me with this issue.  I don't think this tool will make it in the app because Mood Sentry is designed for a phone, and this tool is just not designed for the small format of the phone.  However, if it works well for me, perhaps there's a way to make it work on the phone.  We'll see.

Mental Filter

I was reviewing My Experiences this evening and had a realization regarding Mental Filtering.  In the example, which is from my own experience, I state that this distortion usually involves an event or result.  This evening I realized it can involve an aspect of my job or life that can trigger this distortion.  The specific aspect involves interacting with others, which can drive anxiety and depression.  Once I start thinking about interactions I can find myself focusing on all the negative aspects of my job.  I have some observations and essays related to interactions and I'll see if any of those can help with these thoughts.  I've been reviewing my experiences for years, but every now and then something new can pop up and help me better understand what drives my mood.

Had an OK Day

I made some progress on the next version of the app.  I think I would have done more had I set some goals, but it's Sunday and I wanted to take a break and just let the day flow.  I did the important things, such as calling family and make some progress on the next update.  I learned something too regarding the iOS version and 32 vs. 64 bit functionality, that I may need to address.  Finding something like that often creates anxiety and the thought that there will always something that I have to fix before the next release.  However, I'm getting better at realizing that those thoughts are exaggerations and can be challenged.  Regarding that 32 vs. 64 bit statement, you'll notice that I said it "may" need to be addressed.  The first thought was that I have to address it.  I challenged that thought and realized that I didn't have to.  Good stuff.  I'm taking tomorrow off, so I'll have a bit more time to work on the next update (which won't be out for a few weeks).

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.

Haven't Been Getting My Sleep for the Past Couple of Months

I've had some challenges over the past couple of months, and one impact has been a lack of sleep.  That's part of the reason I've been so stressed at work.  I don't think there's a lot that Mood Sentry can do in that situation because it's mostly a physical thing.  I'm sure Mood Sentry helped me keep my thoughts somewhat in order, but it certainly didn't help me get my sleep.  I had only been getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night, for a  couple of months.  After speaking with my therapist last Monday, I ended up seeing my Primary Care Physician on Thursday and getting some sleep aids.  We were thinking that if I could get some decent sleep, that might help with the more severe depression I've been battling over the past month or so.  So far, I still haven't gotten more than 6 hours of sleep, but I feel a lot better.  My head isn't a groggy throughout the day, and I feel like doing things, such as reading and working on the next version of Mood Sentry.  Sometimes, you gotta fix the problem before you can really do anything else.

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.

Talk to Your Therapist

If you've read the hints, you may have noticed that I often suggest that if you don't know where to begin, talk to your therapist.  That's kind of a dangerous suggestion, because I have no reason to assume that your therapist will know what to do.  The tools I have are fairly straight forward for people in cognitive behavioral therapy, which made me think that you and your therapist will be able to figure out how/if the tool will work for you.  I guess I'm just curious as to whether anyone has reviewed this tool with his/her therapist and how that review went.  Was your therapist able to help 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.

The Event Prep Tool

This tool is one of the newer ones I added to Mood Sentry.  I added it for myself, to help me prepare for upcoming events.  I guess that's kind of obvious.  I've used it a few times and think it's helped get my mind prepared for what are typically group events.  Sometimes I have a tough time in group settings and a little preparation can really help.  I typically use it per the instructions, filling in the top and middle text boxes before the event and the bottom text box after the event.  I'm not sure what this tool's main benefit for me will be in the long run, but it may simply be that I always survive these events and have developed a couple of coping strategies that really help.  How about 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.

Do You Find the References Helpful?

I put the references in Mood Sentry because I thought having references built into the app would be helpful.  I chose articles that were freely available.  Two relate to the concept of Cognitive Distortions and the other to the concept of Resilience.  I like all three and have found them useful when using the app in a remote location, such as a coffee shop.  How about you?  If you have a handy, on-line resource you'd like me to consider including in Mood Sentry, send me the link an I'll check it out.

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.

Having a Tough Time these Days

I've been having a tough time over the past few weeks, mostly caused by stress related to work.  I've been using Mood Sentry to challenge my thoughts which are mostly related to my anxieties associated with contacting other people as well as overgeneralizations related to getting stuck in the same job for the next decade, which helps a little but still leaves plenty of stress and anxiety in me.  One symptom is a lack of sleep, which really doesn't help with situations like this.  I discussed this with my therapist today, who helped me explore some of my thoughts and start thinking about what else I can do.  One thing I'll do if I don't sleep well tonight is talk to my primary care physician about my current challenges.  Perhaps a sleep aid might be in order.  Another thing I'll do is start working on a career change.  I may be able to orchestrate such a change with my current employer, but I also might take a leap and go back to school for a more substantial career change.  I have to figure this one out.

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.

Set Some Goals for Sunday

As suggested yesterday, I set some goals for today which helped me focus a bit today.  Note that I didn't get to everything on my list, but that's OK.  I came up with other, more important items to address and got those done instead.  I made time to review My Experiences this morning, which helped quell some thoughts related to all or nothing thinking and should statements.  Tonight I prepared for tomorrow by thinking about my day and setting some goals.  We'll see how tomorrow unfolds.

Weekends

On weekends I find that I'm a little inconsistent using Mood Sentry, at least when I have weekends that are fairly free of my regular work.  This is one such weekend.  I have stuff I want/need to do, but tracking it with the Daily Goals tool hasn't entered my mind.  I'm not sure why, because looking back on today (Saturday) I see that I got a lot of stuff done, but there were some things I would have really liked to address that I did not get to.  These things were related to Mood Sentry and whether or not I'll create an ad supported version.  I'm thinking about doing that, but need to figure out how it will look to the user.  I'll use my Daily Goals tool to capture this goal for 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.

Using the Task Timer

I have to admit that I haven't used the Task Timer that much.  I think I only have one custom entry in that tool.  When I created it, I had this vision that I would use it for multiple things I do on a regular basis to create a log of how long these things really take.  However, in practice rarely ever think of using this tool when I'm feeling lethargic or when I'm feeling overwhelmed.  I think it is my most complex tool.  Have you tried it?  How does it work for 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.

Using the Daily Goals

When I first created the Daily Goals tool, the idea was that each line of the Accomplish list would contain one item to accomplish.  I figured that as you completed items, you could replace what you had listed with another item as appropriate.  However, that just didn't work that well for me.  Rather than adding more lines and updating the database, I realized that I can have multiple items on each line.  I tend to group similar items on a line as a convention.  It works for me because I don't usually need a lot of detail for each item.  Typically, just the item name is sufficient for me to know what I have to do.  Do you use the Daily Goals tool in this way?

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.

Been Dealing with a Lot of Forecasting at Work

I have a project that was neglected due to another commitment recently, and I'm now realizing that the project may be a little off track.  This is feeding forecasts of conflict when reporting the project's status and herculean efforts to get the project back on track.  That last forecast seems to have some of my typical all-or-nothing bias.  These forecasts and drive procrastination.  Fortunately, I have some entries related to these thoughts.  One of the main things I can do is reflect on recent experiences which really do not support the forecasts in terms of conflict or effort to get something done.  I got some things done today, and I'll see what I can do 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.

Getting Ready for Monday

I have some anxiety about tomorrow, a bit more than typical due to some comments made about a project of mine.  As I reported a couple of weeks ago, I was engulfed in a task that consumed much of my work and even home time.  As a result, one of my projects didn't get the amount of attention it really needed from me.  Some people noticed and commented to my boss about it.  The result was a weekend with periods of jumping to conclusions regarding the commenter's intentions.  For the most part, I was able to counter those conclusions by recognizing that I really don't know what the commenters were thinking, if they think I'm doing a bad job or simply concerned that the project appears a little off course.  I know I now have plenty of time to direct to the project and can make any necessary corrections, which is a good thing.  I have a little anxiety about tomorrow due to my uncertainty about their motives, but I think I can contact these people and give them a heads up in regards to where I'm taking the project.  Action often helps me deal with anxiety.

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.

The Task Timer

I added the Task Timer tool a couple of updates ago and must confess that I've only used it a couple of times.  I had this idea that I would use it for several things I do on a weekly basis, but to be candid, I just don't think of using it that often.  When I forecast that an activity is going to take an inordinate amount of time to complete, I usually address the thought through past experiences and task breakdown (looking at individual pieces that I can better estimate in regards to duration).  The reason I use those methods is because my symptom is a reluctance to start the task, something that using the timer really doesn't help with.  I'm not going to remove the tool, and will consider using more often in the future.  I just felt like sharing that this is one of the tools that I don't use that often.  Any of you use it?

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.

The Prioritization Scheme

The Prioritization Scheme is the tool I have the most uncertainty about.  It just seems that there are so many considerations when prioritizing things that one really can't capture them succinctly.  The scheme uses safety first, and then time.  That's it.  The odd thing is that every time I've felt overwhelmed and needed to prioritize my activities, the scheme worked pretty well.  I think this makes sense because I created it and thus of course it should work for me.  So, I'm curious as to if you've needed it and if so, how did it work for 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.

Kind of a Regular Day

I checked in with Mood Sentry in the morning and again at lunch.  I had some challenges in the afternoon when a computer upgrade posed some challenges with respect to restoring my e-mail.  Looking back on the event I can see some distortions in regards to thinking that I wouldn't get the issue fixed today (it's mostly fixed, there are still a couple of open items to resolve), that I'll need to stay at work late to fix these issues (I did not), and that stuff like this always happens (it doesn't).  I did an OK job of handling these and the associated thoughts at the time, but feel I could have done better.  It feels like these thoughts ran away a bit before I got hold of them and reined them in.  I think reflecting back and envisioning myself doing better next time is a good thing to do before turning in for the night.

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.

Spent Some Time on the Journaling Tools

I spent some time this evening working with the journaling tools.  I was reviewing some existing entries and started a new one related to contacting people I haven't spoken to in a while.  This is a big issue with me and I think some self reflection might help.  It usually takes a week or two for me to figure out how to capture my thoughts in a succinct and coherent manner.  I'll see how it develops.  Other than that, reviewing previous entries is a good thing to do at the end of the day.  I have so many entries at this time that I'm often mildly surprised by how appropriate some of them are for whatever is on my mind.  I guess I can forget what I wrote after a while.

The Differences in the Tools

A couple of updates ago I split the Tools into two types of tools, what I call Journaling tools and also what I call Thriving tools.  In reality, both sets of tools are Journaling tools and both are Thriving tools, so why the division?  One set of tools look backward, to observations and events that happened in the past.  That's the group I refer to as Journaling tools because their purpose is to capture or journal what has been going on with my (your) life and thoughts.  The other set of tools is forward looking and focused on capturing how we want to be or how we want things to go.  Those I call Thriving tools because their purpose if to help me (or you) live better in the future.  The main reason I split the tools was because I felt that having all the tools in one scrolling list would be a bit much on a cell phone, so I split them in two for convenience.  I hope the separation makes sense 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.

Going to Start on the Next Update

I'm going to work on an ad supported version, just for kicks.  As long as I'm working on an update, let me know if you'd like any features added or enhanced.  I'm thinking about making a version optimized for tablets that will use a lot of the same code as the phone version.  I'm not sure how that will work, but that's one of those things on my mind.  That would be something I work on later this year.  Other than that, I mention a lot in the hints that you should work with your therapist if you don't know where to begin.  Has anyone done that? If so, how did it go?  Have your therapist drop me line and give me some feedback if you think that will help.  See below for the contact information.

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

Used Mood Sentry in the morning, but without all that pressure from work, I really didn't have that many distorted thoughts to deal with today.  Sorry I don't have more to report, but I'm just kind of worn out from the events of the past few weeks.  How about you?  Do you have any feedback on the app for me?  I've only had one suggestion to date, which was for the ability to e-mail different items.  I added that feature about a year ago and have used it myself to e-mail things I'd like to put on the web.  Any other features you would like to see?   Drop me a line.  I'll keep your identity confidential.

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.