Darkness to Dialogue: Living Well With Mental Illness

Emotions can feel like storms, sometimes intense, sometimes subtle, but naming them gives you power over them. Instead of judging yourself for feeling anxious, sad, or restless, try labeling the emotion: “I feel anxious,” “I feel frustrated,” or even “I feel exhausted.” 💡  Try this today:  Spend 30 seconds checking in with yourself.  Name the dominant emotion you’re feeling  and notice where it shows up in your body. Simply acknowledging it can reduce its intensity and help you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively. (I have done this several times, and it was so helpful. Why it matters:  For those living with mental illness, emotional labeling strengthens self-awareness and improves emotional regulation, a critical skill in mental health recovery. Thank you for stopping by! Until next time, remember that you are not alone in your feelings or experiences. I've got your back! For more updates: Instagram click  here   Substack click  he...

  🧠 Quick Summary Overthinking gives the illusion of safety, but it’s often fear disguised as logic. This mental loop comforts us because it feels like we’re in control, but it actually keeps us stuck. Learn how to recognize overthinking, why it happens, and science-backed ways to move forward. ➡️ Overthinking = control-seeking fueled by fear ➡️ Rumination drains mental energy and fuels anxiety ➡️ Grounded action is the way out 🔗 Want the deeper dive? Keep reading below 👇 Personal Reflection: My Brain Wouldn’t Shut Off There were nights when I stared at the ceiling until 3 AM, convinced that if I could just “think it through one more time,” I’d finally feel better. Whether it was a conversation, a decision I hadn’t made, or something that hadn’t even happened yet, my brain would cycle through every scenario. And for a while, I felt like I was doing something by thinking. But I wasn’t. I was stuck. At the time, I didn’t realize that I was in an anxiety loop. It felt like control...