

In these struggles, it can be hard to empathise with others if you have been hurt, but through the process of self-reflection you will gain a better understanding of your own thoughts and behaviours towards specific situations. Improved relationships: Whether it be a partner, family or friends, we all struggle with the relationships in our lives from time-to-time. This can help add balance to your life and restore a sense of inner peace. By reflecting on your thoughts, behaviours and emotions, you can begin to identify your own inner strengths and focus on what is important to you. Here are some examples of what you could achieve from self-reflection:įinding peace: We are consumed with our thoughts and the likes of social media can regularly have a negative impact on our perception of ourselves. If we don’t set a goal of positive outcome for ourselves, there can be a danger of becoming overly critical. By being goal-orientated you are more likely to be open-minded on the potential solutions available, rather than focusing on the journey at hand. This can help shape your focus on reflection and help maintain objectivity. What are the benefits of self-reflection?Ī great place to begin with self-reflection is having a goal or question in mind that you want to solve. By slowing down and taking a step back to truly reflect, we can take one step closer to where we want to be. In the modern world with the speed and accessibility of technology, we are more impatient than ever before, and this can have a dire impact on our self development. This could mean having a constructive conversation with a colleague, family member or partner, or perhaps just showing yourself some compassion and self- love to feel stronger in the situation.

With this in mind, you can gain a better understanding of what you are able to do in that moment. Remember, you can only truly review your own personal thoughts, beliefs and behaviours. Self-reflection is a tool that can help you manage these situations.

It is perfectly normal to feel anxious about these challenges as they bring change which at times can feel overwhelming.
SELF REFLECTION DEFINITION PROFESSIONAL
There are always new challenges to face in both professional and personal settings and these experiences are what shape us as individuals. Why is self-reflection important?ĭespite what Hollywood might show us on the big screen, life is never truly as simple as we would all like it to be. By taking time to actively reflect on your previous experience you can define your own future. You may find that you need to tackle it from a different angle, give yourself more time or perhaps pursue new opportunities. By reflecting on your current state of mind you may ask yourself certain questions – why do I feel so frustrated? How do others see me from the outside? Is there anything more that I can be doing or giving to help me progress? How do I envision myself in the future – what specific attributes does this future-self have that I don’t currently?īy asking these questions and reflecting on previous experiences you may be able to gain perspective on the problem. In this scenario, self-reflection can help you understand more about your current thoughts and behaviours to enable you for a stronger future. To use the infamous Einstein quote, if “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”, then self-reflection is the first step in achieving a different and desirable outcome. This helps us to become more self-aware and enables us to grow. If you were to compare your thoughts to the words on the pages of a book, then self-reflection would be like going to book club and discussing them in depth.īy taking an inward look at ourselves we adopt empathy for others, understanding how our actions impact those around us both positively and negatively. Self-reflection is the practice of actively looking at your thoughts, attitudes and behaviours to understand your impact on yourself and others. It’s time to change our perspective on what has previously been dubbed “over-thinking” and to use this in a positive way that will help us grow as individuals. That being said, by tapping into our subconscious mind and taking time to understand our thoughts and behaviours, we can actually find some serious benefits in the long run.
