If this practice surfaces thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out before continuing.
US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 24/7) · Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 · UK: 116 123 Samaritans · AU: 13 11 14 Lifeline · International: findahelpline.com. This practice is a complement to clinical care, not a substitute.
Quick Answer
The Stoic Daily Examen is the nightly self-review practice attributed to Sextius and described in Seneca's De Ira III.36. The practice asks: what bad habit have you cured today? What fault resisted? In what way are you better? Seneca's tone is generous, not harsh.
Tradition and source
Tradition
Stoic
Classical source
Seneca, De Ira III.36, Sextius's nightly self-examination ('What bad habit have you cured today? What fault resisted?'); the daily-review practice attributed to the Pythagoreans before him; cf. Seneca, Letters 83 (on daily self-review)
Modern source
Donald Robertson, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor (2019), ch. 8
What this practice does
Seneca describes Sextius's practice in De Ira III.36, the nightly review of the day's actions, asking 'What bad habit have you cured today? What fault resisted? In what way are you better?' (Letter 28 is sometimes paired with this practice but is about travel and self, not nightly examination, the canonical source is De Ira III.36.) The Stoic version pre-dates the Ignatian examen by fifteen centuries but the structure is similar. Robertson's modern guide is the practical bridge; pair with Marcus Aurelius for the felt sense.
How to practice
The instructions below run 10 to 15 minutes. Read through all the steps before you begin. The practice is not the goal; you are.
Each evening, set aside ten minutes alone.
Replay the day briefly. Where did I act well? Where did I fall short?
Name one specific action to repeat tomorrow.
Name one specific action to correct tomorrow.
Close with a phrase of friendliness toward yourself, Seneca's tone is generous, not harsh.
What to notice, and when to stop
Best for which inner weather
According to Aria's comparative-traditions framework, this practice is the matched prescription for the following inner weathers. Tap any to read the full weather prescription.
Take the 12-question Inner Weather Reading → to find your dominant weather today.
Difficulty and duration
Duration
10 to 15 minutes
Difficulty
beginner
Category
Journaling Practices
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In Crystal Cassandra's work, certain stones are the somatic companion to certain practices. The pairing is not magical; it is a steady weight in the palm that becomes part of the noticing.
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Smoky Quartz is the stone the modern Western canon names for grounding work during contemplative dryness, its dark translucent structure carries the symbolic resonance of staying with what is. Many practitioners hold it during long-form sitting through the Long Winter. The classical pairing makes it the natural cross-sell for chronic groundlessness work.
Related practices
These practices complement The Stoic Daily Examen, same category, or matched to overlapping inner weathers.
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