Garrett Rutledge

We've all heard of self-reflection, and I'd wager most of us would feel comfortable defining it. But generally, self-reflection exists more as a concept that's understood in theory rather than in practice. How many of us genuinely self-reflect consistently? And how could we? Why should we? Today's world is full of information, activity, and resources; it's hard to find the time or sufficient justification for why self-reflection is needed in the first place. Yet, it's that abundance that makes self-reflection all the more essential right now. In the following, we'll take a look at what self-reflection is, why we all need it now more than ever, and the value it can bring into our lives. What is Self-Reflection? In the simplest terms, self-reflection is setting time aside to evaluate and give serious thought to your emotions, behavior, motivation, thoughts, perspective, and desires. It's about going beyond the surface level to find the "why" behind these elements of ourselves and the experiences we have. The idea of self-reflection is to gain a more profound, rawer understanding of yourself. And for those unfamiliar, you'll find that with that understanding comes empowerment and clarity that simply cannot be captured otherwise. Today's world is more advanced than it's ever been and constantly reminds us of what's out there and available to us. But within this environment can lie a trap. A trap that convinces us that the answers we need to the hardest questions are out in the world for us to find, rather than within ourselves waiting to be unveiled. With that being said, let's dive into the reasons why self-reflection is more vital than it's ever been. Why Now? Covid & the Climate of Uncertainty and Hostility We start with a somewhat obvious one: the present state of society. Over the last year and a half, we've all likely felt like we've been carrying extra weight around. The air of uncertainty combined with what seems to be growing polarization and hostility has placed a lot on us personally and societally. In times like these, in particular, self-reflection can be a great friend to us. It can help us stay grounded and sharpen our ability not to lose perspective. Just because you engage in self-reflection doesn't mean the world will change or problems will go away, but it can certainly help in your ability to manage said problems and stay true to what brings you fulfillment in life. The Modern, Digital Age Let's be clear; this piece is not intended to portray our modern advancement as a negative. There are certainly great benefits to it. However, there are legitimate downsides we've all likely experienced. Whether it be social media, the internet as a whole, the many gadgets we use, etc., the point is that there have never been more distractions in the world that make it incredibly hard to stay within ourselves. Every day, we're constantly reminded of what else is out in the world, what others have that we don't, and people's perceptions of us. A failure to keep these reminders in check is a recipe for all kinds of negative mental repercussions. Self-reflection can help you in this regard. It's an incredible tool for staying focused on what you have in life, what matters most to you, and understanding your true identity, no matter what others may think. Mental Health Crisis It's no secret that mental health issues have become a national, if not a worldwide, concern. More and more young people report suffering from mental health problems, and of course, the issue has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while we've evolved tremendously in our acceptance of mental health struggles, we still have a long way to go, particularly with helping people navigate these difficult times. Self-reflection is not a cure-all approach, but it certainly won't hurt in managing mental health issues. As mentioned before, when done right, self-reflection ultimately can be empowering and fulfilling. And as we'll see next, there's a lot of value it can bring into your life, whether mental health has been a problem area or not. The Value of Self-Reflection Tool for Learning & Growth We naturally tend to believe we know ourselves well, which is a fair assumption. However, you'd be surprised how much you don't know about yourself if you don't self-reflect often. Not everything is always as it seems on the surface. Sometimes our emotions are driven by something else deep within ourselves, or perhaps our behavior was motivated by a force we had never considered before. We're far more complicated creatures than we give ourselves credit for, and it can often be hard to keep up without taking the extra time to retrace and reconsider. Self-reflection opens up doors that perhaps have never been seen before, let alone opened. And with that knowledge comes the power to learn, evolve, and grow as a person. Vessel for Self-Peace This builds off that understanding touched on before. By having a more authentic conception of yourself, you can make better decisions and engage in behavior that you know will ultimately be rewarding to you. For example, not everything we enjoy doing is necessarily beneficial for us in the long run. Sometimes we engage in behavior that gives us what we need at the moment but leaves us empty in the long haul. It can be hard to truly realize what's good for us and what's not until we take that time to dive deep within. And once we do, we have more control over our ability to feel at peace with who we are, where we're going, and what matters most to us in life. Your Life GPS Where those previous points lead you is here, a conceptualized roadmap for life. Now, let's be clear, a big part of life is the unknown, taking chances, learning from experience, and simply "living." However, most of us often have an overwhelming feeling that we have no idea where our life is going, what we want from it, and where to go next. And that's precisely where self-reflection and that understanding of self can help. You'll be able to better understand what fulfills you the most, what you want to get out of your time here, where you want to go next, and how you might be able to do that. Self-reflection will not give you all the answers or allow you to map your entire life step-by-step, nor should that be desired anyway; that's what living is for. But it can help you on your journey toward getting those answers, learning from your experiences, growing as a person, and finding your purpose in life. Conclusion It's important to know, value can only be experienced if you approach self-reflection with discipline, legitimate intent, and consistent action. Self-reflection also requires a willingness to be honest with yourself and possibly confront areas you may have been reluctant to in the past. But, what you get from self-reflection and how you do it is really just up to you. Below, I've included a few resources to help you get started. If you're new to this, try different ones out and see what sticks for you. Don't look at self-reflection as a daunting task; it's meant to be helpful, not stressful. You have to find what brings the most value to you. And hopefully, this journey will leave you feeling empowered, more connected with yourself, and more clear on what you want from this life. Resources to Get Started: https://positivepsychology.com/introspection-self-reflection/ https://www.minimalismmadesimple.com/home/self-reflection/ https://www.wikihow.com/Self-Reflect

Garrett Rutledge

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