Self-reflection is a great way to press pause and assess how you’re doing, to think about what you’ve accomplished and to discover new ways to grow.
As another year comes to a close, the talk of setting New Year’s resolutions begins. Many of us start to look ahead and set goals for the upcoming year, but what about reflecting on the year that’s ending?
With the fast pace of life, it can be hard to find time to reflect on the past. Many operate on autopilot, moving from one task to the next without much thought. However, looking back can be just as important as looking ahead.
Self-reflection is a great way to press pause and assess how you’re doing, to think about what you’ve accomplished and to discover new ways to grow.
Why Should I Try Self-Reflection?
For many, self-reflection doesn’t come naturally. It requires slowing down and thinking about your life – the good and the bad. Sometimes just getting from one day to the next feels like enough. Although it may be a challenge to start, here are some reasons why it’s a good idea to try.
Self-reflection:
- Enables you to focus your attention inward – instead of on the million things swirling around in your head on a daily basis.
- Allows you to celebrate the things that you’re proud of, that have gone well and that you worked hard to achieve.
- Gives you a chance to learn from your failures, defeats and moments of frustration.
- Allows you to take responsibility for certain parts of your life you’d like to change.
- Helps you understand who you are, who you want to be and what is most important to you.
Tips for Self-Reflection
These tips are collected from a wide range of articles and blogs, like this one from Forbes:
- Have an open mind. Many of us may feel uncomfortable with the idea of self-reflection. We like to look ahead and think about what’s next, but taking time to sit and reflect can be beneficial. Don’t assume the whole idea is pointless or that it’s not for you until you give it a try.
- Set aside time and space. Self-reflection isn’t something to do while multitasking ten other things. Find a quiet place and a time when you can think without interruptions.
- Be an honest observer. You aren’t here to bash or criticize yourself, but you are here to be honest. For instance, if a relationship ended, it’s easy to blame everything on someone else, but self-reflection may help you realize how your own behavior contributed to the challenges. Making honest observations can help you avoid the same mistakes in the future. At the same time, celebrate your wins, just like you would for someone else.
- Start gathering memories. It can be hard to remember everything that’s happened over the course of a year, so here are some ways to get started:
- Look back on photos you’ve taken or social media posts you’ve made to see where you’ve been, who you’ve spent time with and what memories you’ve created.
- Check your fitness app to see what goals you’ve reached or how active you’ve been.
- Browse through your computer and look at files or emails you’ve sent. Scroll through your credit card statements to see how you’ve spent your money.
- Flip through your planner to see how you spent your time.
- Ask yourself questions. Once you’ve gathered some memories of the past year, ask yourself questions, like – What am I most proud of? What relationships feel important to me? Are there moments I wish I had handled differently? What are some big triumphs or setbacks I’ve had? What am I grateful for? What would I like to change? Am I making time for self-care? How am I handling stress and challenging situations? Asking these questions can help you begin to set goals for next year.
- Use mindfulness and meditation techniques. Mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools for self-reflection. You can use these strategies to calm your mind, shift away from the hectic pace of daily life, and help you reflect. Check out this guide to get started.
- Write. Jot down moments of success and happiness, failure and frustration. You can do this once a year or start keeping a notebook to use once a week or even once a day. If you’re not the journaling type, perhaps you can record voice notes on your phone or tablet. Or you can find a reflection partner – someone you can talk through everything with instead.
- Create goals or resolutions based on your reflection. Now that you know what you’re proud of, what made you happiest and what you’d like to change, you’re ready to set resolutions that align with what you’ve learned. For example, maybe you realize you’re happiest when you connect with others, so you’d like to start volunteering. Maybe you’ve enjoyed reflecting, so you want to start meditating for a few minutes each morning. For more ideas on creating resolutions that stick, check out these tips.
- Get the support you deserve. Sometimes life can feel too overwhelming to look back or forward. Maybe you’re living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and it feels impossible to see past your symptoms. Maybe you’re trying to manage chronic pain and you’ve had to give up activities you love. Check out the resources below to get the support you deserve.
Resources
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health services – VA offers treatment and support for several mental health conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, depression and more. Learn about the treatment options that may be right for you.
- VA Whole Health – Your Whole Health team gets to know you, your desires and your goals in order to create a personalized health plan that involves all aspects of your well-being, including not just your health, but your relationships, mental health, personal life and more. Whether you’re ready to live pain-free, tackle the mounting debt you have or find a purpose to your days, Whole Health can help.
- VA’s Mindfulness and Meditation resources –
- Mindfulness – Learn more about its benefits and connect to helpful podcasts, videos and a free mindfulness coaching app.
- Meditation – Learn more about the importance of meditation and find links to simple breathing exercises, guided meditations and more.
- VA’s #LiveWholeHealth series offers short, easy-to-follow videos related to mindfulness and meditation such as breathing techniques, body scans, mini yoga sessions and more.
Before you start looking ahead to the new year, take some time to reflect on the year you’ve just had!