Monitoring the Mood
Running a business isn’t just about sales targets, cash flow, and strategy. It’s also about people. And sometimes, the hardest person to manage is yourself.
I’ve battled with anxiety and depression over the years. The thing with mood is that it sneaks up on you. One day you’re fine, the next you’re sliding into a dark place without even realising it. The tough part is that negative moments stick harder than positive ones. You can have ten good things happen in a day, but the one bad thing is the one you carry home with you.
A while back, I came across something called Moodbeam — a simple wristband with just two buttons: yellow for a good moment, blue for a bad one. That’s it. Press it when you feel something. No judgment, no analysis in the moment, just tracking. Later, you can look back and see patterns.
Sounds simple, but here’s the thing: when you actually track your mood, you start noticing triggers. You see what lifts you and what drags you down. You realise maybe it wasn’t the whole day that was “awful” — just a couple of moments that overshadowed the rest.
For me, it was a game-changer. It gave me awareness. And awareness is the first step to change.
I even thought about introducing Moodbeam to my team at ATG. Imagine if a business could track not just performance but how people are feeling — and use that data to start better conversations. Instead of waiting for burnout, you’d notice dips early and ask, “What’s going on? How can we help?”
The truth is, talking about mental health at work is still uncomfortable for a lot of people. But if we don’t talk about it, we leave people fighting silent battles. And if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: silence makes things worse.
So here’s my challenge:
👉 Start monitoring your own mood. Write it down, track it, press a button if you’ve got a gadget. But notice it. Because when you notice it, you can start changing it.
👉 And if you’re a leader, start the conversation. Don’t wait until someone is on the brink.
Because business isn’t just about numbers. It’s about people. And if the people aren’t well, the business won’t be either.
— Mark Matthews