Darkness to Dialogue: Living Well With Mental Illness

Design Your Own Behavior-Signal Mirror: Track The Subtle Patterns That Shape Your Mental Health Design a “Behavior-Signal Mirror” for Your Daily Life Here’s how: Pick two kinds of external signals you can reasonably track without obsession: like hours slept, time spent outside, or phone checks after 9 p.m. Then, pick two internal signals,  such as mood rating (1–5), rumination notes, or anxiety level. Twice a day (morning and evening), record both external and internal signals. Keep it simple: a notebook, phone note, or small tracker. After 3–5 days, reflect: 👉 What external patterns tend to precede worse internal states? 👉 What actions seem to lift you up? Examples: “After <6 hours of sleep, I felt flat all day,” or “When I got outside twice, my anxiety dropped.” Use what you notice to make small, meaningful shifts, prioritize consistent sleep, take short walks when restlessness creeps in, or unplug earlier at night. 💬 Why This Tip Matters  In acknowledgment of Mental ...