As documented throughout this blog, I have a daily questionnaire that I fill out to track things like how I’m feeling, how productive I’ve been, what I weight, etc.
But one thing I haven’t really thought of much until today was the fact that I tend to fill out this questionnaire around the same time each day, which greatly biases the answers.
Some questions have numerical answers and are established using information from the previous day, which makes them inherently more resistant to this problem. Others, however, ask about the situation in the moment I take the survey.
So for example, one of the main questions is, “On a scale from 1-10, how are you feeling right now?”
And over the years, I’ve noticed that the answer to this doesn’t change much. Something like 90% of submissions are a 6, with an additional 9% or so being a 5.
But this shouldn’t be all that surprising.
I almost always get my day started with a routine. Sometimes it involves running, but it almost always ends with tea and some low-key studying before submitting the questionnaire.
Either way, I’m virtually always calm and alone when I take it.
When I think about it, this nearly eliminates the possibility of any high-values, which typically happen when I’m socializing or doing something particularly exciting.
This obviously limits the usefulness of the survey question, but more broadly: it makes me realize that every day has predictable low-periods in mood and periods when it’s likely to be higher, and that’s okay.
I’m going to be in a lower mood when I’m alone and not doing anything fun; that’s to be expected.
Or even in periods when I am less happy, there will still be predictable periods of time when I’m particularly unhappy. I think the key is to understand that it doesn’t mean that “deep down I’m actually truly unhappy” if that’s how I feel during the parts of the day when I’m alone and not doing anything fun.
Because you have to consider the rest of the time.
Much of the time I am socializing and engaging in activities that improve my overall mood. And those are important parts of my life that can’t be ignored.
Overall, I think this just helps me understand how I’m feeling and what significance that has in the grand scheme of things. It’s not only okay but expected that I’ll have low points throughout the day. But I should focus on the high points that will also come.