You can hear about habit tracking on any self care social media platform that is imaginable.
“Track how many times you eat in a day, track your weight by the hour! Track cardio from weight lifting to water consumption.”
Granted, not everything you track must be directly weight loss related, but usually these categories affect your lifestyle choices and general health in one way or another.
I have made a point to write in a physical planner every single day of the year 2023. So for roughly five months, I have managed to follow my mantras and create to do lists, school agendas and plan appointments and events around my work and home schedule. So when I found habit tracker planner inserts that fit inside a regular sized Happy Planner, yall know I was stoked and bought them immediately. I bought them mid April so it took me a while to set up the categories I would track and how I would utilize the information I gathered from the graph.
Essentially the graph is dated 1-31 for each day of the month and on the left hand side you can have as many categories for habit tracking that you would like. I color coded each item so I only had eleven things I tracked but you can do black and white, color coded, or a hybrid version of whatever works best for you.
My most unconventional thing I tracked, but most important to me was my mood tracker. For this, I had to create my own key for when I am manic, depressed, and level headed, and of course an ‘other’ category for when it didn’t fit those top three choices.
The rest of the choices were literally “did you do that thing, yes or no” so I would color in each line a different color of leave blank on the days that I didn’t do some particular thing.
So how’s it going?
I try to not beat myself up if my whole row isn’t colored in or checked off on because some things I track are vices and clearly don’t want to act on vices every single day so I’d rather have some things blank than filled in.
For those of you who don’t know, my categories are as follows:
- Mood Tracker
- Med check (if I took both AM and PM doses of meds)
- Water Intake (I shoot for a minimum of 32 oz of water in a day, but I am trying to average at least 64 oz a day)
- Post on Precarious Aquarius? (if I post that day, then I get to check the square off)
- Weight check. I write in my weight that day and “x” the box if I didn’t check
- Self care. Did I participate in self care today?
- Read the Bible
- Period tracker. Only mark when menstruating.
- Boozey drinks. Alcohol consumption, period. Doesn’t matter how much or how little; just if I had any at all.
- Cannabis consumption. Same as booze.
- Sex count. You know the drill.
I have enjoyed having the tracker because it makes me more mindful when I do or don’t do something. Like if I wanna have a drink, but don’t want to color it in on my graph because I drank the last couple days straight and I think I need a break from booze, it actually makes me think about my actions versus acting on impulse which is HUGE because my life is impulsive as it is being bipolar and all.
Good news is this: I have actively tracked every day for the past two weeks which is unlike me because I am not consistent with most things in my life.
Results:
Level headed days: 5
Manic Days: 3
Depressed days: 6
Total: 14 whole days where Dani didn’t kill herself 🙂
Med check: 14/14 Perfect score
Water Intake: 4/14 days boooooo
Post on the blog: 4/14 boooooo again
Weight check: In the past month, I think I lost 13 pounds, and in the past two weeks beginning on the 1st, I went from 198 to 192 as of this morning so I’m pleased.
Self care: 9/14 that’s like a solid B so go me.
Read scripture: I had three days back to back and I finished the book of Revelations in those three days and I want to read more but haven’t made it as much of a priority.
Period: I’m supposed to get it this upcoming week but then again I haven’t had a consistent period due to my lack of lady hormones for over a year now so I doubt I will get one again until I get my copper IUD and that way I can get on the right hormone replacement stuff so I can feel normal again.
Booze: 4/14 good that’s low
Cannabis: 3/14 I guess it’s good it’s low
Sex: 1/14 boooooo jk it’s good I’m focusing on myself.
Meaning:
I had no goals for any certain category but I am happy that I have been keeping track and I think this little check in will keep me accountable.
Okay, that’s it for me. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Much love,
Dani
Precarious Aquarius 