SELF REFLECTION

Self reflection is the activity of thinking about your own feelings, behavior and the reasons that may lie behind them (Cambridge Dictionary)

It is good to take a pause and evaluate how you are doing mentally, emotionally, and physically. Self-reflection helps you understand who you are, your values, attitudes, desires, and motivations, and why you think, feel, and act the way you do. You can think deeply about what truly matters to you.

For you to actualize self-reflection, you have to be intentional. Look for a place that has minimal distractions, you can play some soothing music that won’t interfere with your thought process. Have your journal and a pen. You can pick a period that you want to look back into. Write down the highs and the lows of that given time. Allow yourself to be honest and vulnerable. Think about what everything you’ve written makes you feel.

I know the lows may be louder than the highs you’ve listed. It is human nature to concentrate so much on the things that have gone wrong over the things that have happened in our favor. Ask yourself whether the wrongs were things within your control. If yes, then think of what you may do differently next time. If not, then find ways to make peace with it. Dig deep into the different spheres of your life. Do you feel healthy? How do you feel about the various relationships you have? Do you like your job? Do you feel mentally at peace? Do you feel satisfaction when you look at the life you lead?

Do not be too hard on yourself. The goal is to get a better understanding of how you are fairing in life. You will become more self-aware. When you feel stuck, look back, dig deep, self-reflect, and then purpose to change. Without evaluation then you won’t know what you are doing right or wrong and what you should enhance or work on. Change is influenced by assessment and evaluation.

There are times I get an overwhelming feeling of emptiness, loneliness, and feeling unaccomplished. I have to go back to my journal and write down exactly what I am feeling and thinking. I then try my best to declutter and identify factors/events/people that influence my mood at that particular moment. It might be that I haven’t been working out, I feel disconnected from someone dear to me, there’s pressure from work, I have mental exhaustion because I haven’t been sleeping enough, or I feel unsatisfied because I have dropped my hobbies such as reading. After that, I implement habits that will eliminate those negative feelings. For the things that are beyond my power, I find peace and live with them.

By Ambitious Val.