How Self-Reflection Can Improve Your Mental Health (2023)

How much do you know about yourself? Have you ever thought about why you do what you do? Self-reflection is a skill that can help you understand yourself better.

Active self-reflection can help you deepen your understanding ofWho are you, what values ​​do you believe in and why you think and act the way you do, saykristen wilson, MA, LPC, CCTP, RYT, Chief Experience Officer, Newport Healthcare.

This article explores the benefits and importance of self-reflection, as well as some strategies to help you practice and incorporate it into your daily life. We also discuss when self-reflection can become unhealthy and suggest some coping strategies.

Why is self-reflection so important?

Self-reflection is important because it helps form a self-concept and aids in self-development.

build your self concept

yourself conceptInclude your thoughts about your own traits, skills, beliefs, values, roles and relationships. It plays an important role in your mood, judgment and behavior patterns.

Reflecting inward allows you to learn about yourself and continue to learn about yourself as you change and develop as a person, says Francis. Over time, it can help you understand and strengthen your self-concept.

Allow self-development

Being able to assess your strengths and weaknesses, or what you're doing right or wrong, can help you identify areas where you need to grow and improve so you can work on those areas.

For example, let's say you gave a presentation at school or work, but despite working really hard on the project, it didn't go well. Taking a moment of self-reflection can help you realize that although you spend a lot of time working on projects and creating presentation materials, you're not actually practicing giving presentations. Being aware of a problem can help you solve it. So the next time you have to give a presentation, you can start by practicing with your colleagues or loved ones.

or say youjust finishedand your partner. While it's easy to blame them for everything wrong, self-reflection can help you understand what behavior led to the breakup. Knowing about these behaviors may help other relationships.

The benefits of self-reflection

According to experts, these are some of the benefits of self-reflection:

• Improve self-awareness:Taking time for self-reflection can help build a greaterself conscious, Wilson said. Self-awareness is an important part of emotional intelligence.It helps you identify and understand your emotions and how they affect your thinking and behavior.
• Greater sense of control:Self-reflection involves practicing mindfulness and being present. This can help you feel more grounded,controlFrancis said.
• Improve communication skills:Self-reflection can help you improve your communication skills, which can benefit your relationships. Knowing how you feel can help you express yourself clearly, honestly, and with empathy.
• Align more deeply with core values:Self-reflection can help you understand what you believe and why. This helps ensure that what you say and do is more in line with your core values, Wilson explains. It can also help reducecognitive dissonance, when your behavior doesn't align with your values, you feel uncomfortable, Francis said.
• Best Decision Making Skills:Self-reflection can help you dobetter decisionFor yourself, Wilson said. Knowing yourself better can help you more clearly evaluate all your options and how they will affect you. Francis says this can help you make an informed decision that's best for you.
• Greater Responsibility:Self-reflection can help you hold yourself accountable, says Francis. It can help you assess your actions and identify personal responsibility. It also helps you take responsibility for what you're trying to achieve.

When Self-Reflection Becomes Harmful

Self-reflection is a healthy practice that is important for mental health. But if it turns into introspection, self-criticism, self-judgment,negative self talk, and compared to others, Wilson said.

This could be something like this:

• meditation:Experiencing excessive and repetitive stress or negative thoughts.meditationIt is often compulsive and interferes with other types of mental activity.
• car rental:Constantly judging yourself and often finding yourself flawed.
• Negative self-talk:Let that voice in your head stop you from doing what you want to do. Negative self-talk is often self-defeating.
• self-criticism:Constantly criticize your actions and decisions.
• Compare:endlesslycompare yourself with othersand feel inferior.
  

Practice is important when anxious thoughts and feelings arise during self-reflection, says Wilsonself-compassionAnd turn your attention to actionable insights that can power your life. “We all have shortcomings and room for improvement. Reflect on the behavior or action you want to change and take steps to do it.”

It may help to think about what you would say to a friend in a similar situation. For example, if your friend says he's worried about his job situation after a bad presentation, you might be kind to him by telling him not to worry and to focus on improving his presentation skills. future. Apply the same compassion to yourself and focus on the things you can control.

How to Practice Self-Reflection

Wilson suggests some strategies that can help you with self-reflection:

• Ask yourself open-ended questions:start by asking yourselfopen questionThis can lead to self-reflection, such as, “Am I doing things that make me happy?” “Is there anything I would like to improve on myself?” or “What could I do differently today?” Or someone for granted?" Notice how you think and feel about each issue, and start thinking about why. Be curious about yourself and be open to whatever comes your way.
• write diary:Recording your thoughts and responses to these questions is a great tool for self-expression. It can be helpful to review your answers, read how you have handled things in the past, evaluate the results, and look for where you can make changes in the future.
• Try meditating:meditationIt can also be a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth. Even if it's only for five minutes, practice sitting quietly and noticing whatever is happening to you. Notice which thoughts are fleeting and which ones come up most often.
• Dealing with big events and emotions:When something happens in your life that makes you feel particularly good or bad, take a moment to reflect on what happened, how it made you feel, and how you can get that feeling back, or what you can do next time what a different thing. Writing your thoughts down in a journal can help.
• Do a self-reflection board:Create a self-reflection chart of positive attributes that you add on a regular basis. celebrate yourReal meAnd the way to be true to yourself. Having a visual representation of self-reflection can be motivating.

What to do if self-reflection makes you uncomfortable

You may want to avoid self-reflection if it brings up difficult emotions and makes you uncomfortable, says Francis. She recommends preparing yourself for uncomfortable situations before you start.

Think of your self-reflection time as a safe space within yourself. "avoidjudgmentWhen you explore your thoughts, feelings, and motivations for your actions, yourself," says Francis. Just observe what happened and accept it. Instead of focusing on fears, worries, or regrets, try to find areas for growth and improvement.

Incorporate self-reflection into your daily routine

Francis suggests some strategies that can help you incorporate self-reflection into your daily life:

• Take the time to do this:It's important to take time for self-reflection and incorporate it into your daily routine. Find a time that fits your schedule—it could be five minutes with your coffee every morning, or 30 minutes sitting outsidenatureOnce a week.
• Choose a quiet place:If your environment is busy or chaotic, it can be difficult to focus internally. Choose a calm, quiet space without distractions so you can listen to your thoughts.
• Pay attention to your senses:Pay attention to your senses.sensory inputIt is an important part of self-awareness.