What is mood tracking?
Mood tracking is the habit of recording how you feel, usually once a day, so patterns become visible over weeks and months. Tracked alongside the menstrual cycle, it shows whether mood changes cluster in certain phases, such as the days before a period. Doctors use prospective daily mood charts to diagnose PMS and PMDD.
Why track mood with your cycle
Memory is unreliable. Looking back, a hard week can feel random. A simple daily log shows whether low, anxious or irritable days really bunch up in the late luteal phase, or whether they follow something else like sleep or stress. That turns "I don't know what's wrong with me" into "this is my pattern".
How to do it well
- Daily and quick: one tap or a 1 to 5 rating beats a long journal you'll abandon.
- Same time each day: evenings work for most people.
- Add a few symptoms: sleep, energy, cramps or headaches give context.
- At least 2 cycles: that's what doctors ask for to confirm PMS or PMDD.
- Look back, not daily: patterns appear when you compare cycles side by side.
Clinical mood charts
For PMDD, doctors often use the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, a structured daily rating of symptoms across two cycles. Any consistent daily tracking is a good start. Read the full guide to mood tracking with your cycle, or try our mood tracker printable.
Lulu uses one-tap daily check-ins to learn how you usually feel in each phase, then gives you a heads-up before days that tend to be harder. It shows patterns; it doesn't diagnose.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I track my mood?
At least two full cycles to see a pattern, and three is better. Doctors usually ask for two cycles of daily ratings for PMDD.
Can mood tracking help without a diagnosis?
Yes. Many people use it simply to plan around harder days, explain how they feel to a partner, or notice what helps.
Sources
This page is for information only and isn’t medical advice. If something worries you, please talk to a doctor.
Keep reading
How to track your mood with your cycle (and actually learn something)Use a mood tracker with your period to see your real pattern: what to log, how long to track, how to read it, and how to bring a chart to your doctor.Menstrual cycle mood: how you feel in each phase, and whyHow menstrual cycle mood changes through all four phases: what hormones do, why some people feel it more, and how to learn your own pattern.
Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP): what it isThe DRSP is a daily symptom chart used to diagnose PMS and PMDD. What it measures, how to fill it in over two cycles, and how to bring it to your doctor.Mood tracker printable: chart your mood across your cycleA free mood tracker printable built around your cycle: one row per cycle day, a 1 to 5 mood score and a few symptoms. See your PMS pattern in two months.Period mood calculator: how might I feel today?Period mood calculator: find your cycle phase today and the mood people often feel in it, then learn how to build a personal forecast from your own days.