A simple mood journal template, free to print or copy
Here's a free mood journal template — a one-page printable PDF and a Notion duplicate you can fork. Each entry takes thirty seconds: date, feeling, a 1–5 rating, one line of context. Print it, copy it, or do it in five seconds on iPhone.
(date · feeling · 1–5 · one-line note)
Get the template
One page. Five fields. Thirty seconds per entry. No email needed.
What's inside this mood journal template
The template is one page, designed to print at standard US Letter or A4 and to be used for a single day at a time. Stack a month of them in a binder, or fold a week into the back of a notebook you already carry. The Notion version is the same layout as a duplicatable database — one row per entry, calendar and gallery views included.
Each daily entry has five fields:
- Date — written, not a checkbox calendar.
- Mood label — one word, your choice (no fixed list).
- Rating — a 1-to-5 scale, with a 30-day strip across the bottom of the page so you can see the month at a glance.
- Note — one line of context. What was happening when you noticed the feeling.
- Optional tags — sleep, meds, exercise, period. Only fill these in if you're actually tracking one of them.
There's no streak counter, no daily prompt, no inspirational quote. The page does one thing: get the entry on paper in under a minute, then get out of your way.
How to use the mood journal template
Print one page, fill in one line. That's the whole workflow. Six steps if you want them spelled out.
- Print or copy. Print the PDF on one side of paper, or fork the Notion template once per day.
- Date the entry. Write the day before you fill in anything else. Missing dates are why journals stop being useful.
- Pick a feeling. One word. The label that fits — not the label you wish fit.
- Mark the rating. 1 (worst day in memory) to 5 (best you can imagine). Most days are 3s, and that's correct.
- Write one line. What was actually happening when you noticed the feeling. Facts beat analysis.
- File the page. Stack chronologically. Weekly: flip through the last seven and notice anything. That's the whole review.
Skip days are fine. Three entries a week for a month beats seven for ten days and then nothing. The point of the template is to lower the bar, not to give you a new streak to break.
Why this template works
The format forces three things research suggests matter: a label, a number, and a sentence. Putting feelings into words measurably lowers stress reactivity — the affect-labeling effect documented in a 2007 UCLA study by Matthew Lieberman and colleagues (Lieberman et al., 2007). The number gives you a comparable signal week over week. The one-line note gives you something to remember the day by when you flip back six months later.
What this template doesn't do is also intentional. There are no built-in charts on the page itself — the visual pattern shows up in your head when you fan out a stack of finished pages. There's no gratitude prompt; if you want one, it belongs in a separate practice. The structure is austere on purpose. A page that asks you to do five things is a page you'll skip on a busy night.
Variations and related templates
The basic page works for most people. Three variants for specific cases:
- Daily mood tracker template — same structure, but the rating field is a row of five circles to shade in rather than a number to write. A little faster for visual people.
- Mood diary — a clinician-friendly layout with sleep and medication fields and a longer note area. Useful if you're bringing pages to therapy.
- Mood tracker examples — three realistic days side by side, so you can see what filled-in pages actually look like before you start.
For broader practice, pair the template with a feelings journal on days when you don't yet have words for what you're feeling, or with long-form journaling on the days that need more than a line. For the long view, our complete guide to mood journaling covers why the practice works and how to make it stick.
FAQ
Where do I download the mood journal template PDF?
The PDF is a free one-click download from the top of this page — no email required, no signup. The Notion version is a public template you can duplicate to your own workspace in one click.
Can I edit the template?
The Notion version is fully editable. Add fields, change colors, remove the rating row, swap the 1–5 scale for a 1–10 scale. The PDF is fixed, but most people who use the printable just write their own variations of any field in the margins.
How long should I keep using the same template?
At least a month before deciding it doesn't work. Patterns in a mood journal need three to four weeks to start showing. If you're still skipping more than half your days at week four, the template is too heavy for you — switch to a simpler one or move the practice to a phone app.
Is this template clinician-approved?
It's not a clinical tool. It's a self-tracking template that mirrors the structure many therapists already recommend (label, rating, brief context). If your clinician has a preferred format, use theirs — the goal is one page you'll actually fill in.
Not medical advice. A mood journal is a self-reflective practice, not a diagnosis or treatment. If you're in crisis in the US, call or text 988. If you're concerned about your mental health, talk to a licensed clinician.