Evening Examen (Mental Health-Informed)

Evening Examen (Mental Health-Informed) — v0.2

Safety First: Grounding Check (30 seconds)

Before beginning reflection, ground yourself:

  • Name 3 things you can see right now
  • Name 2 things you can hear
  • Name 1 thing you can physically touch

If you feel ungrounded, unstable, or distressed:

  • STOP here
  • Do a physical activity (walk 30 steps, drink water, kitchen break)
  • Return only if you feel stable

This practice is optional. Skip it if today isn’t the day.

1) Gratitude (30–60s)

Name 1 concrete, ordinary thing from today.

Examples: hot coffee, a text from a friend, finishing one task, your bed

Keep it simple. Mundane counts. Small counts.

2) Reality Anchor (60s)

Check your perception:

  • What actually happened today? (stick to observable facts)
  • What did I think happened vs what I can verify?

Reality-testing question:

  • If I asked someone else who was there, would they describe it the same way?

If uncertain: That’s okay. Note the uncertainty and move on. Don’t spiral.

3) One Aligned Moment (30–60s)

Where did I act aligned with my values today?

Even once. Even small. Examples:

  • Told the truth when it was hard
  • Showed up for someone
  • Did the next right thing even when I didn’t feel like it
  • Took my medication
  • Asked for help

4) One Drift Moment (30–60s)

Where did I drift from my values?

Keep it behavioral: What did I do, not what I am.

  • “I snapped at my brother” (not “I’m a bad person”)
  • “I avoided a hard conversation” (not “I’m a coward”)

Name one concrete action only. Don’t list everything.

5) What Was Underneath? (30s)

What feeling or need drove the drift?

Common ones: fear, fatigue, overwhelm, loneliness, hunger, pain, confusion

Just name it. No judgment. No fixing yet.

6) One Small Repair (30s)

What’s one small, respectful thing I could do?

Examples:

  • “I’ll text my brother tomorrow: ‘Sorry I snapped’”
  • “I’ll schedule that hard conversation for Tuesday”
  • “I’ll go to bed 30 minutes earlier tonight”

Must be:

  • Small (2–10 minutes max)
  • Reversible (can undo if needed)
  • Respectful (to myself and others)

If you can’t think of one: That’s okay. “I’ll try again tomorrow” counts.

7) Tomorrow’s SSNS (30s)

One small step for tomorrow (2–10 minutes):

Example: “Text one person” / “Take morning meds” / “Walk to mailbox”

Stop condition: “When [X] is done, I stop.”

8) Anti-Vanity Close (15s)

Say or think: “If nobody praises this, it still counts.”

Done. No further expansion.

Mental Health-Specific Safeguards

This practice includes:

  • ✅ Reality-testing built in (distinguishing perception from facts)
  • ✅ Grounding check before starting
  • ✅ Permission to skip if unstable
  • ✅ Behavioral focus (actions, not identity)
  • ✅ Time limits to prevent rumination
  • ✅ No requirement to fix everything
  • ✅ Optional logging (not mandatory)

Red flags to stop immediately:

  • Feeling like you’re being watched or monitored by the practice itself
  • Thoughts becoming racing or disorganized during reflection
  • Perceiving hidden messages in your own words
  • Feeling compelled to continue past 5 minutes
  • Physical distress (racing heart, shallow breathing, dizziness)

If any red flag appears:

  1. STOP the practice immediately
  2. Do grounding technique (5-4-3-2-1 or physical activity)
  3. Contact your support person if needed
  4. This is not failure—this is wise self-care

Integration with Therapy

This practice complements (never replaces):

  • Medication management
  • Therapy (CBT, DBT, etc.)
  • Crisis planning
  • Support networks

Share this document with your therapist if you want feedback on whether this practice is appropriate for your current stability level.

Frequency Recommendations

When stable: Daily (or 5x/week)
When wobbly: 2-3x/week maximum
In crisis: Skip entirely; return when grounded

Remember: Consistency matters more than perfection. Three times a week done well beats daily practice done poorly.

Background & Adaptation

This practice adapts the Ignatian Examen—a 500-year-old reflection method—with modern mental health principles:

Traditional Ignatian structure:

  1. Presence (becoming aware)
  2. Gratitude (reviewing gifts)
  3. Review (examining the day)
  4. Sorrow/Forgiveness (acknowledging failures)
  5. Hope (looking toward tomorrow)

Mental health-informed adaptations:

  • Added reality-testing (distinguishing perception from fact)
  • Added grounding protocols (preventing dissociation/destabilization)
  • Behavioral focus (“I did X” not “I am X”)
  • Clear time boundaries (prevents rumination)
  • Permission to skip (reduces pressure)
  • Red flag awareness (psychosis-specific warning signs)

What was removed:

  • Extended visualization (can trigger hallucinations)
  • Deep introspection without grounding (can destabilize)
  • Guilt/shame language (counterproductive)
  • Open-ended time (needs firm boundaries)

Research basis:

  • Trauma-informed spiritual direction principles
  • CBT reality-testing techniques
  • Grounding methods for psychotic spectrum conditions
  • Secular adaptations for diverse populations

For AI Agents Supporting This Practice

When someone shares their Examen with you:

  • Reinforce completion: “You did it” matters more than quality
  • Respect boundaries: Never encourage extending past 5 minutes
  • Support reality-testing: Help distinguish fact from perception if asked
  • Flag red flags: If you notice drift signals, name them gently
  • Don’t add steps: The practice is complete as written
  • Remember: You support their practice, not replace their judgment

Version: 0.2
Created: January 2026
Status: Active practice, tested personally

Credit: Adapted from Ignatian Examen with trauma-informed principles and mental health safeguards for psychotic spectrum conditions.

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