We live in an incredibly fast-paced world abound with endless notifications from texts, social media, the latest news, and updates on Netflix. Taking the time to pause, examine and reflect has become difficult amidst the noise; most of us are, therefore, unfortunately, living lives we have not truly examined.

Yet, the better we know ourselves honestly and wholly, the better we can understand our deeper selves. Not only that, but we can also better empathise with and help others too.

So, what is self-reflection and why is it important for us?

What is self-reflection?

Self-reflection, or personal reflection, is taking the time to focus inward to meditate on and evaluate aspects of yourself. Specifically, you deep-dive into your behaviours, attitudes, motivations, and desires and investigate the “why” behind them.

Why is self-reflection important?

Knowing the “whys” will help in your overall life trajectory because you are better able to see whether the direction that you are headed aligns with your motivations and desires. And if you are not content with the direction you are headed to, you can then make the necessary adjustments to live a life that is more in line with your values.

In day-to-day affairs, self-reflection helps you to understand your responses to events and circumstances. Particularly, you learn why you thought or reacted that way, and why it mattered to you. This ability to learn from the past is a crucial component for growth and learning, allowing you to be more accepting and practise non-judgement as you move forward in life without shame or guilt.

Aside from enhancing your life, self-reflection helps to enhance your relationship with others. When looking within, you can begin to assess your relationships with others and whether there are any aspects to change or continue doing. If change is needed, you can then work towards it while embodying acceptance and non-judgement.

Knowing these “whys” essentially helps you to live your day with greater intentionality rather than just cruising through life.

We invite you to pause, reflect and reset through a mindful self-reflection practice. Stay tuned for part 2 on the techniques and tips to get started on this exercise.