Many people underestimate the power of self-reflection. Some of us understand how self-reflection can change our lives, but many of us don’t attempt to improve in it. Self-reflection is a skill that many successful people have and we all admire them for that. Self-reflection is important in improving your life. The pandemic has forced to change the way we look at life. Many people lost their jobs because of it or went into debt. It seems impossible that self-reflection can change your outlook when everything looks bleak. However, I will show you all the ways self-reflection can change your life. 

Many of my plans were thwarted because of it. But when I take a deeper look, I realize that there are people in hospitals struggling and suffering. People have lost their lives. Regardless of the uncertainty, improving my skills in self-reflection I am at peace despite all that has happened. The first time I learned this skill I was a twenty-year-old who was frustrated I had to learn this skill. My professor believed in the power of self-reflection so he gave us assignments built to make us think.

It was agonizing going through the questions, but the more did it I realized I had no idea who I was. Self-reflection can make you take an earnest look at yourself. You then start to see yourself. The real you. You start considering that maybe you’re hiding from the world and that is scary. Maybe, that is the reason why many people choose not to use self-reflection.

But with what’s going on in the world, now more than ever it’s important to learn how to self-reflect. But if you need more proof of the importance of self-reflection I will give you a few reasons why you should do it. 

Develop a growth/success mindset

Do you want to be successful? If you answered yes, then you need to learn how to use self-reflection. One of the first steps that people rarely talk about in becoming successful is self-reflection. I understand why people don’t talk about it. It isn’t something people like to do especially in the beginning. Self-reflection requires uncovering who really are. It is about digging deep into your past and asking yourself how you got to this point. 

It involves looking deep down and understanding who you are as a person. That can be a painful process. Because it is then that you realize all your flaws. Most people want to ignore their flaws and that is normal. I was like that when someone pointed something out I was so quick to go on the defensive. I thought I was helping myself, but I wasn’t. I was hiding. It took me time and sitting on a couch talking to a therapist to realize I had to change. If I wanted to grow and evolve then I had to stop allowing the pain of the past to push me back.

That is what I eventually did. When you learn how to use self-reflection correctly, you will develop a growth or success mindset. This will help push the needle forward in your life. So, yes if you want to become successful, it starts with taking care of your mind. 

Also Related: Is a Success Mindset Still Key to Success?

Reduce stress

So many people focus on the things they can’t change and that is why they are so stressed. Have you ever heard of the Serenity prayer? It is a look into the human condition. Us, humans are conditioned to carry the world on our shoulders and act as if it is all on us. Even now, people are stressed about the pandemic. If you can’t control it then why focus on it.

Self-reflection can be used as a tool to help you reduce your stress. What happens is you start asking yourself questions about what you are going through. If you lost your job there’s nothing you can do about it. Whatever happens, when you learn how to self-reflect you start realizing that so much is out of our control. Maybe, that’s the point of life. To realize how short and precious it is. Even before the pandemic struck, we weren’t exactly in control of anything, but our actions. Though we had the illusion of control.

Now, many of us are waking up to realize that we weren’t in control. It is a scary thought, but the longer we spend trying to control everything the worse it becomes. If you want to reduce your stress levels, use self-reflection to help you. It will ease the burden that you carry and push you forward. 

Learn a new skill

Something interesting happens when you learn how to use self-reflection. This is another way self-reflection can help change your life. When you have reduced your stress levels, you fill in the gap. Maybe, because you realize that whatever problem you are going through will end or it could be that you want to focus on improving yourself.

Whatever the reason is you start looking for creative avenues. This can come in the shape of building a business you always wanted to start, learning a new language, or picking up a new hobby. Here’s a success tip that you might not know, most successful people have a hobby. Why? Hobbies or learning a new skill changes your perspective. When you learn a new skill you focus on the positives, your world changes. However, when you focus on the negatives, your world becomes smaller. 

Hobbies change the way you look at the world. Your perspective-changing is a good thing. That is what hobbies can do for you. It is also a great way to get access to dopamine (the happiness hormone,) but it will also help you to solve problems better. 

 Also Related: 20 Productive Hobbies That Will Make You Smarter and Happier

How to do self-reflection

There are a lot of benefits associated with self-reflection, but the question you might have is how to do it. Self-reflection can change your life in so many ways, but it isn’t easy to start doing it. If you are new to self-reflection then there are a few ideas you can start with to help you with it. One thing you should note is it does take time to see the results.

The benefits of self-reflection don’t appear overnight and that is one of the reasons many people don’t like talking about it. Success is all about measured steps and it isn’t as immediate as many people would like it to be. However, it is a skill that is necessary and will equip you with tools for you to survive in any climate. If you want to start a business, self-reflection will give you the push that you need. You will never know how self-reflection can help change your life if you don’t try it. 

The list below is a few ways you can do self-reflection effectively.

 Journaling – This is one of the best ways to do self-reflection. Write about your highs and lows. Talk about what you are feeling and why you are feeling it. When you start asking yourself questions you are forcing yourself to think about what is going on beneath the surface. Too many people have no idea about the destructive thoughts preventing them from achieving their goals. Once you are aware of it you will understand yourself, way better. This is how many people start their self-reflection journey.  

Ask questions – One way you can do self-reflection is to ask yourself questions whenever your actions appear negative. For example, maybe someone close to you said something, did it trigger you? Did you lash out and become withdrawn? You need to ask yourself why you acted that way. Once you know you are likely to know what steps you can take next. If you are stressed and depressed, ask yourself why are you feeling this way? Is it the people you surround yourself with or has it more to do with an internal conflict.

Brain dump – Who doesn’t love a brain dump. We have been using brain dumps since school and this one shouldn’t be too difficult to do. Whatever you are feeling write it down and then sort it out later. Sometimes, the best solution is to get every out in the open, and only then can you figure out your emotions. 

What is your main takeaway from the blog post and how will you use self-reflection to change your life? Let me known in the comments section. 

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                                                               VANESSA