After countless attempts at journaling, it’s never stuck. I’ve repeatedly tried to establish a routine for myself, setting aside time each night to sit with my feelings, regardless of what’s going on in my life. However, as I entered high school, the journal I kept throughout eighth grade began to collect dust, slowly forgotten. Instead of freely recording my emotions, I’d be up late writing an English essay due the next day.
Psychologists promote journaling as one of the most effective tools for managing emotions, whether that involves writing in a notebook or using an app. As someone who struggles with finding the time to journal daily, using apps like How We Feel has been a game-changer.
At first, I downloaded How We Feel out of curiosity — just another wellness trend I figured I’d try out for a week and simply forget about. Over time, it entirely altered how I perceive emotions.
Marc Brackett, the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Ben Silbermann, the co-founder of Pinterest, created How We Feel as an updated version of the Mood Meter App released in 2013. The app launched at Yale as a science-based nonprofit, meant to increase awareness around emotional regulation and help people gain insight into the causes and effects of their feelings.
When first setting up the app, How We Feel users create a schedule, setting a certain number of “check-ins” each day. Every check-in allows the user to tag where they are, who they’re with and what they’re doing. There’s also a space to journal or just write down a few words.
The app categorizes emotions by color into four sections: high energy pleasant in yellow, high energy unpleasant in red, low energy unpleasant in blue and low energy pleasant in green. The different categories come with their own set of emotions, such as “cheerful” and “forlorn,” allowing users to track their feelings throughout the day, identify any patterns and learn proper coping strategies. The app focuses on giving users a deeper understanding of their present emotions and providing the opportunity to reflect on a specific day, week or month.
The app allows users to connect with friends and family, by sending an invitation link or code. Users can control whether they want to share all aspects of their check-in, or just the emotion they selected. The app plays a vital role in my life. I originally downloaded it after hearing about it from my friends, figuring it could be a smart way to journal without taking up a large part of my day. I quickly began to understand the ins and outs of the app, becoming more comfortable with the settings and even creating my own emotions to clarify specific situations happening in my life.
The best thing about How We Feel is its simplicity — my daily check-ins take no longer than two minutes each. I initially set a goal for myself to check in three times a day: in the morning, afternoon and evening. Now, I find myself checking in whenever I feel a sudden shift in my mood. I can go from feeling content while drinking coffee before school to feeling overwhelmed with homework an hour later.
I’ve developed a sense of urgency to check in, reminding myself to document how I feel during almost all of my daily activities. Through my first few days using the app, I paid more attention to how my friends were feeling, intrigued to see how their emotions differed from mine. Even though they slowly stopped checking in as often, I continued to use the app, even installing a widget on my phone to keep track of how many moods I feel in a day.
The app has become a part of my daily routine. Not only do I look forward to checking in, but I’ve been able to document my mental processing from a psychological standpoint.
Digital technology typically carries a negative connotation regarding mental health, with addictive aspects and the opportunity to spread misinformation. However, the growing use of apps like How We Feel and Daylio, another self-care app created in 2017 that can build emotional awareness, permits people to engage with technology more positively. My ability to use my emotions wisely influences my behavior in my everyday activities, such as performing well in school and thinking critically. The app emphasizes the importance of exploring feelings more deeply, enabling me to see how my mood fluctuates over time.
Living in a society where it’s easy to fixate on the future or overanalyze the past, we often lose sight of the present. Using wellness apps like How We Feel helped me understand the significance of emotional regulation. Being able to sit with my ranging emotions, even if it’s just for a short amount of time each day, is the first step towards staying balanced in an ever-changing world.
