Self Reflection
During the hustle of everyday life, it’s all too easy to lose sight of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. That’s where self-reflection comes in. This practice encourages you to press the “pause” button on your daily life, so you can better understand yourself. The benefits of self-reflection even include reduced stress, a better understanding of your values and dreams, and more connected relationships.
How to Self Reflect
Ask yourself deep questions when self-reflecting
Reflective questions help you better understand yourself. Ask yourself thought-provoking questions that shine a light on your essence.
- “What have I been avoiding?”
- “How have I been achieving my goals?”
- Or “How am I holding myself back?”
These types of questions may lead to some helpful insights, and help you to better understand yourself and your needs.
Don’t be afraid to ask yourself some difficult questions too. Identifying and reflecting on your weak points can help you improve in the future.
- “What are you most proud of?”
- “What stressed you out the most?”
- “What opportunities did I miss out on?”
- “What did I start to do but never finish?” are all great questions for self-reflection.
Write in a self-reflection journal
Jot down everything that’s on your mind. Take time to reflect on how your day went, along with anything you feel thankful for. Journaling is a great way to curb any negative or unproductive thoughts while helping you look toward the future.
- You might write about a frustrating experience at work.
- A tough conversation you had with a friend.
- Or an upcoming event that’s stressing you out.
- You could also jot down something you did well, or something that made you happy.
It’s okay if your journaling seems jumbled—what matters most is that you’re transforming your thoughts into words.
Label your emotions
Figuring out how you’re feeling will improve your self-awareness. It feels really good to describe exactly how you’re feeling, whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, or something completely different. Try adding a new word to your emotional vocabulary, so you can be more aware of your thoughts and feelings.
- Receptive, ecstatic, blessed, reassured, intrigued, resentful, and indignant are all great examples of words for your emotional vocabulary.
Create goals for yourself
Set specific goals and measure your progress. Write down your goals and outcomes for your career, as well as your spiritual, emotional, and mental health. Once a month, check in with yourself. Have you reached your goals from the previous month, or are you not quite there yet? As you reflect, create new goals for the upcoming month.
- Your goals could be “I want to be 20% more productive at work.”
- Or “I want to give myself an extra hour of “me time” each week.”
It’s okay if you don’t reach your goals right away! Self-reflection is all about the journey and becoming more in tune with yourself.
Practice gratitude
Use gratitude to help you reflect on all the good things in your life. Throughout the week, focus on anything you feel grateful for. Practicing gratitude can help you feel calmer, and also boost your feelings of contentment.
- “I’m grateful for the support system in my life.”
- “I’m thankful to have a roof over my head.”
- Or “I’m thankful to have a supportive boss and co-workers” are some ways to practice gratitude.
Get into the right headspace for Self Reflection
Daily walks, meditation, and other exercises help clear your mind. Walk through your neighborhood, a local park, or any other place where you can unplug and focus on yourself. Meditation and yoga are also great ways to boost your sense of self-awareness.
- There are plenty of meditation styles to try—guided style helps you focus on a relaxing place or experience. While mantra meditation involves chanting a calming word. There’s also mindfulness meditation, which helps you focus on living in the current moment.
- A daily walk is a great way to incorporate self-reflection into your busy schedule.
Go easy on yourself
Don’t criticize or beat yourself up as you reflect. Self-reflection isn’t about judging or criticizing your past decisions. Instead, self-reflection helps you learn from your past so you can reach a healthier, happier future.
- Instead of thinking, “I can’t believe I made that mistake at work.” Think, “I’m glad I have the opportunity to reflect on my mistakes so I can do better in the future.”
- Instead of thinking, “I shouldn’t have said that to my sister.” Think, “I’m now better prepared for future conversations.”
Practice Self Reflection daily
Self Reflect regularly, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Just 10-15 minutes is enough time to help you unplug and focus on yourself. In fact, research shows that professionals who took time for self-reflection performed better at work overall.
- If you don’t have a lot of free time, try self-reflecting at least once a week.
Get an accountability partner
A trusted friend can help keep tabs on your self-reflection. Regular self-reflection can be tough to manage on your own. So, reach out to a friend, loved one, or another trusted individual for help.
- Ask this person to hold you accountable and remind you to self-reflect frequently. This might be a text, phone call, or any other reminder that helps you remember.
Reflect on your past
Figure out what went wrong so you can avoid repeating the same mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up when you think about the past. Instead, honestly identify and reflect on the mistakes you made. Then you can make better, more informed decisions in the future.
- For instance, if you showed up late to work, you might set several alarms for yourself in the future.
- If you didn’t get a lot done during the workday, you could pinpoint what slowed you down.
Self Reflection, final thoughts
First, ask yourself some deep questions to help you better understand yourself.
Next, jot down everything that’s on your mind in a journal so you can reflect, be thankful and look forward to the future. Click Here for your Self-Reflection Work Sheet
Label your emotions so you can be more aware of your thoughts and feelings.
Create specific goals and measure your progress by doing a self check once a month. As you reflect, create new goals for the upcoming months and years.
Practice gratitude to help you reflect on all the good things in your life.
Last, go easy on yourself because self reflection isn’t about the letdowns. It’s about learning from them!
So, practice self-reflection and remember you do not learn from experience…you learn from reflecting on experience.
If you liked this post, check out our Wellness Post on manifesting your best life. A call to action on how to turn your thoughts, desires, and dreams into reality.
