Have you ever thought about why you did what you did and not the other way around? Or how you feel about what has happened? If so, you have already practiced reflection. Let’s understand what it is, why it’s useful, and how to avoid overdoing it.

What is reflection?

Reflection is the process of thinking about and analyzing one’s own experiences, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is essentially a dialogue with yourself in which you ask yourself the questions: “What did I do?”, “Why did I do that?”, “How can I improve my actions in the future? Reflection helps you better understand yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, and how to adjust your behavior to achieve your goals. It is the ability to step back from a situation and look at it from the outside, recognizing your motives, mistakes, and successes.

Interesting facts about reflectivity:

1.  Our brain continues to reflex even when we are asleep.
2.  Animals can also reflex, especially intelligent monkeys.
3.  High reflexivity is a sign of high intelligence.
4.  In many professions, such as education, medicine, and psychology, reflection is a key component of professional growth.
5.  Reflection contributes to the development of creativity. By analyzing one’s thoughts and actions, a person can find new ideas and approaches to solving problems.

Ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates promoted self-awareness and reflection as the path to wisdom. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living”.

Mood tracking: the key to mental balance

What happens when you reflect too much?

As with everything, balance is important in reflection. If you think too much about yourself and your actions, you can run into problems such as

1.  Perfectionism and self-criticism.
2.  Fear and indecision.
3.  Guilt and low self-esteem.
4.  Constant rumination can cause anxiety.
5.  Sometimes excessive reflection interferes with action and progress.

Reflection is a tool, not an end in itself. Therefore, it is important to find a golden mean: think about yourself and your actions, but do not forget to live and act.

Reflection is a powerful tool that helps you get to know yourself better, your strengths, weaknesses, mistakes and successes. By using reflection consciously, you will be able to manage your life, grow, and achieve your goals.

Try to set aside some time each day for reflection. For example, in the evening, think about the past day: what was good, what you learned, what you can improve tomorrow. And you will see how you will gradually understand yourself and the world around you better.

Develop yourself, friends, and let reflection be your faithful assistant on this exciting journey!