There’s an App for that

appThe I-phone has come out with some new, user friendly mood charting apps that have the potential to change the way you live your life. Just when you thought the I-phone couldn’t get any better!  Two of these affordable apps are Senti and Moodkit.

The Senti app keeps an emotional history of every day life by asking questions about the day and feelings of that moment. It then compiles a summary and chart of your moods throughout the day.  All of the information is handled with anonymity and privacy. Senti can average moods over the course of several weeks to show what your average mood is and the times when mood rises or falls. The note taking component of Senti allows individuals to write little blurbs about activities and feelings that correspond to a particular mood rating. A log of these notes helps users identify events or experiences that trigger certain moods.  With this information, users have a better idea of what activities to seek and avoid. Senti not only asks questions about mood, but also asks about feelings in regard to purpose and personal goals.

Senti has received many positive reviews. One user says “ The very act of answering Senti questions has led me to realizations about how I’m living my life…The intimacy of the app allowed me to be honest with myself, and I readjusted my work habits as a result.”

In addition to Senti, Moodkit is a highly recommended mood charting tool. Moodkit utilizes four strategies to improve mood. This app allows users to participate in mood-enhancing activities,  identify and change unhealthy patterns of thinking, rate/chart moods over time, and create journal entries as a supplement to these ratings.

Moodkit offers more than 150 mood improvement activities full of examples and tips. Because of the variety, this app is able to target more specific needs of different individuals. Similar to Senti, there are security features in this app, so that the information is private.

One of the best features of Moodkit is Thought Checker. The Thought Checker feature calls users to first, write about a certain situation. Then, the individual must report initial thoughts and feelings about the event.  Finally, the individual looks for common patterns and distortions within these thoughts. Once the user recognizes thought distortions, they report their current feelings and modify negative thoughts into more positive thoughts.

Both apps give individuals greater understanding and control of their moods throughout the day. With greater insight, individuals are able to change maladaptive thoughts into positive ones and lead more productive, happier lives.