Many of us are so focused on getting ahead that we don’t necessarily take time to reflect on what’s going on within us. Self-reflection is the process of bringing your attention to what’s happening in your life in a mindful and open-minded way. It is all about creating self-awareness. Self-reflection is one of the best things you can do to create a positive mindset and discover a greater connection to yourself.
Why You Should Practice Self-Reflection:
1. To Make Sense of Things.
It can help you process your thoughts and feelings. When we keep our thoughts bottled up or floating around in our heads, we only confuse and frustrate ourselves more. Getting your thoughts in order can help you understand why you’re feeling a certain way and make those feelings a little easier to navigate.
2. To Challenge Your Thoughts.
It offers us the opportunity to challenge our ways of thinking. Most of us have a tendency to ruminate on the bad things, such as our perceived weaknesses, mistakes we’ve made, or embarrassing moments. When you actually take the time to reflect and write these things down, it’s important to ask yourself if you really believe them. Eventually, you’ll start to realize that the things you tell yourself about yourself are not always true.
3. To Recognize Change & Track Progress.
It allows us to look back and see where we’ve come from. If you take the time to write down a few thoughts about your day, you can look back on it in weeks, months, or years later and see how much has changed. This can help you recognize that the things you were so worried about before were perhaps not so significant.
4. To Increase Self-Awareness.
If you’re on your own self-improvement journey, you need to know both where you’re going and where you are right now. Without self-awareness, we can’t fully understand our emotions, values, goals, or strengths. You can learn a lot about yourself simply by reflecting on the place you’re at right now and considering how it will help you get to where you want to be.
5. To Live with More Intention.
Reflecting on what’s going on in your life can simply serve as a reminder of what you do on a daily basis. Most of our days end up blending into one another, so regular reflection can be an opportunity to show you that the days are different. On the other hand, it can encourage you think about how you can add more joy and fun into your daily life.
How to Practice Self-Reflection:
Practice Free Writing.
Block out at least 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted time where you can sit in silence and write. Start in a comfortable position and simply write without thought, agenda, or concern for spelling and grammar. Allow yourself to mindlessly write for as long as your hand will flow. It becomes much harder the more you think about it so just let go and write no matter how still it may seem! The goal is to get yourself into the flow of writing, which will become easier every day. This is a powerful tool for self-reflection, especially when searching for clarity to a specific question.
Spend a Few Moments in Silence Each Day.
Learn to check in with yourself each day to reflect on your day. For every day in September, JOHO will be releasing a new question for your to ponder. Feel free to share your response with us. The main goal is for you to be able to reflect on your life in regards to the question. The answers may surprise you!
Be Honest with Yourself.
If we can’t be honest with ourselves, how can we expect others to be? Allow yourself to come face-to-face with all parts of you, even the ones that might not be as perfect or pretty. We cannot grow without allowing ourselves the time to recognize and accept the things about ourselves that we want and need to change. Dare to explore all parts of yourself and dive deep within!
Step Outside of Yourself.
It can be hard to see from the inside out sometimes. Whenever this happens, try looking at yourself from the outside in. What do you see? Is who you are projecting to the world, aligned with your deepest ideals and beliefs? If not, what can you change to more closely connect with what you see as your authentic self? Sometimes, who we think we are and how we’re actually living our lives are two very different identities. Learn to look at yourself objectively to ensure that you’re living in alignment with the life you dream.
Allow Yourself to Change.
There is no law or rule stating that who you were yesterday is who you must be today, or what/who you once liked must always hold true. The truth is, we are dynamic beings and growth and evolution are a vital part of our inner peace and joy. Don’t be afraid to break your own boundaries and allow yourself and who you are to evolve with time.
Trust Yourself.
Know that only you know the path that is meant for you, so take the time to tune into your inner voice and learn to trust your intuition. The more you stop to listen and reflect, the more you’ll learn to trust your inner guide and allow it to guide you.
We are so busy trying to move forward with our lives that we rarely take a moment to slow down and be at one with our thoughts. Self-reflection is one of the best ways that you can shift your mindset, increase positivity in your life, and discover a greater connection to yourself. It can help you understand more about the way you respond to situations, to not be completely oblivious to your own faults, and to find ways that you can deal with situations positively instead of letting them consume you.