Do you ever question your thoughts or examine your mental processes? Do you find it helpful to clarify your values in a moment of doubt or uncertainty? If you responded with a “yes,” then introspection and self-reflection are not foreign to you. Looking at your mistakes objectively and finding value can be a valuable psychological tool.
Many people don’t understand the value of self-reflection. It might include noting different aspects of yourself, including your feelings, traits, and behaviours. Essentially, it is the psychological state of you becoming the focus of attention. Therefore, in the following sections of this post, you’ll learn the top six things about self-reflection to help you find value in it. So, let’s dive in.
The Emergence of Self-Awareness
Self-reflection is a skill: – the ability to be aware of yourself and reflect in real life is essential. And this skill emerges when you’re a child. Researchers — Lewis and Brooks-Gunn — found that infants develop more complex self-awareness at around one year of age. By 18 months, it is much more developed.
As part of their studies, they examined how self-awareness develops. They painted a red dot on an infant’s nose and placed them in front of a mirror. When the children saw themselves in the mirror, they reached for their noses instead of the reflection. It showed some self-awareness. According to Lewis and Brooks-Gunn, almost no children under one year went for their nose over the mirror.
Self-Consciousness
Has anyone ever made you feel like they watched your every move, judged your actions, and got ready to see what you would do next? When you become more conscious of yourself, you feel awkward and nervous. You can sometimes become overly self-aware and veer into self-consciousness. These temporary feelings only occur when you are the centre of attention. However, excessive self-consciousness can signify a chronic condition, like social anxiety disorder.
Privately conscious people often have a higher level of self-awareness, which may be both a positive and a negative attribute. Publicly aware people have a greater sense of self-awareness. Their thoughts focus more on how others view them, and they worry other people might judge them based on their appearance or behaviour.
The Self-Reflecting Process
Most people find it troublesome to self-reflect. Self-reflection does not benefit those without an understanding of why they need it. But before you do so, it would help to understand some of its benefits, including:
- Providing Perspective
- Allowing you to respond rather than react
- Learning at a deeper level
- Boosting Your Confidence
- Challenging Your Assumptions
Here are some guidelines for self-reflection:
- Stop: Consider taking a step back from the situation
- Look: Consider what you observe and see from a different perspective
- Listen: Give yourself time and space to tune into your inner guide, the wisdom that arises when you listen to it
- Act: Assess what you need to do to adjust, change, or improve
Signs of Low Self-Awareness
Self-awareness can be a critical component in nearly all areas of life, whether they are business, dating, or politics. However, those with little self-awareness are unlikely to be emotionally mature. Similarly, hiring, electing, or dating someone with little emotional maturity is dangerous.
Fortunately, you can train yourself to spot signs of low self-awareness by learning to look for these six cues:
- The refusal to admit mistakes
- Critiquing others
- Avoiding difficult choices
- Having vague feelings
- Future worries
- Ruminating about the past
Low self-awareness is not intrinsically wrong. You can improve in the areas outlined above.
Exploring New Experiences
You can boost your self-awareness by immersing yourself in new experiences. In this way, you learn how you respond, think, and feel in unfamiliar situations. It allows you to discover more positive aspects of yourself.
Fortunately, a new experience doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. You might try a new hobby, talk to a new person, or explore a nearby town. It’s even fun to try a new recipe. You will gain new perspectives about yourself because of these experiences, no matter what you choose to do.
When to Self-Reflect
It would also help to know when to self-reflect. The more significant the impact of self-reflection, the more likely you will make it part of your routine. The following suggestions may help. Select one that suits your needs. You can use your phone or calendar and set a reminder for when it’s the time!
- New Year: It’s not without reason that New Year’s resolutions have become a tradition. A new year is an excellent opportunity to reflect on how the previous year has gone and identify what you want in the coming year.
- Milestones: Take time to reflect every year on your birthday. You can also choose a date that has meaning or significance to you, such as an anniversary or religious holiday.
- When Off Track: It’s essential to take a step back, reflect, and refocus whenever you feel off track, unhappy, or stressed.
Conclusion
Self-reflection plays a significant role in understanding yourself and your relationships with others. Now that you know the top things about self-reflection, it’s time to reflect on your life regularly if it isn’t already. It would help to step back and look at your life from a new perspective. It doesn’t matter which step you take next. Depending on your preference, there is no right or wrong way.