self reflection essay questions

87 Self-Reflection Questions for Introspection [+Exercises]

Do you sometimes take time to clarify your values in a moment of doubt or uncertainty?

If you answered “yes,” you are no stranger to self-reflection and introspection (terms that will be used more or less interchangeably in this article), an important psychological exercise that can help you grow, develop your mind, and extract value from your mistakes.

Read on if you’d like to learn the meaning of self-reflection and introspection, reasons why it’s important, and tools and techniques for practicing it yourself.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Self-Compassion Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will not only help you increase the compassion and kindness you show yourself but will also give you the tools to help your clients, students, or employees show more compassion to themselves.

This Article Contains:

What is introspection a definition, what is the importance of introspection, 70 self-reflective questions to ask yourself, 10 self-reflection exercises, activities, and techniques for adults and students, 4 self-reflection worksheets and tools, the 3 best books on self-reflection and introspection, a take-home message.

Introspection can be practiced both as an informal reflection process and a formal experimental approach, and the two have different definitions. Still, both processes can be undertaken by anyone with curiosity and determination (Cherry, 2016).

The informal reflection process can be defined as examining one’s own internal thoughts and feelings and reflecting on what they mean. The process can be focused on either one’s current mental experience or mental experiences from the very recent past.

The formal experimental technique is a more objective and standardized version of this, in which people train themselves to carefully analyze the contents of their own thoughts in a way that’s as unbiased as possible.

The original idea of introspection was developed by Wilhelm Wundt in the late 1800s (McLeod, 2008). Wundt focused on three areas of mental functioning: thoughts, images, and feelings. Wundt’s work eventually led to the current work on perceptual processes and the establishment of the field of cognitive psychology .

Researchers have shown that we think more than 50,000 thoughts per day, of which more than half are negative and more than 90% are just repeats from the day before (Wood, 2013).

If you don’t make the time and effort to refocus your mind on the positive through introspection, you won’t give yourself the opportunity to grow and develop.

Enhancing our ability to understand ourselves and our motivations and to learn more about our own values helps us take the power away from the distractions of our modern, fast-paced lives and instead refocus on fulfillment (Wood, 2013).

The importance of doing it right

Reflecting on ourselves and our environments is a healthy and adaptive practice, but it should be undertaken with some care—there is, in fact, a wrong way to do it.

When your focus on introspection has morphed from a dedication to an obsession, you have taken it too far. In fact, those who take self-reflection too far can end up feeling more stressed, depressed, and anxious than ever (Eurich, 2017).

In addition, it is all too easy for us to fool ourselves into thinking we have found some deep insight that may or may not be accurate. We are surprisingly good at coming up with rational explanations for the irrational behaviors we engage in (Dahl, 2017).

To help stay on the right path with your self-reflection, consider asking more “what” questions than “why” questions. “Why” questions can highlight our limitations and stir up negative emotions, while “what” questions help keep us curious and positive about the future (Eurich, 2017).

With this important point in mind, let’s move on to the questions, exercises, and worksheets that you can use to work on your own self-reflection.

Read through the following three lists to get some ideas for introspective questions. Answering them can take you from feeling like you don’t understand yourself to knowing yourself like the back of your hand.

These 10 questions are great ways to jumpstart self-reflection (Woronko, n.d.):

• Am I using my time wisely?
• Am I taking anything for granted?
• Am I employing a healthy perspective?
• Am I living true to myself?
• Am I waking up in the morning ready to take on the day?
• Am I thinking negative thoughts before I fall asleep?
• Am I putting enough effort into my relationships?
• Am I taking care of myself physically?
• Am I letting matters that are out of my control stress me out?
• Am I achieving the goals that I’ve set for myself?

The following 30 questions are questions you can ask yourself every day to get to know yourself better (William, n.d.):

• Who am I, really?
• What worries me most about the future?
• If this were the last day of my life, would I have the same plans for today?
• What am I really scared of?
• Am I holding on to something I need to let go of?
• If not now, then when?
• What matters most in my life?
• What am I doing about the things that matter most in my life?
• Why do I matter?
• Have I done anything lately that’s worth remembering?
• Have I made someone smile today?
• What have I given up on?
• When did I last push the boundaries of my comfort zone?
• If I had to instill one piece of advice in a newborn baby, what advice would I give?
• What small act of kindness was I once shown that I will never forget?
• How will I live, knowing I will die?
• What do I need to change about myself?
• Is it more important to love or be loved?
• How many of my friends would I trust with my life?
• Who has had the greatest impact on my life?
• Would I break the law to save a loved one?
• Would I steal to feed a starving child?
• What do I want most in life?
• What is life asking of me?
• Which is worse: failing or never trying?
• If I try to fail and succeed, what have I done?
• What’s the one thing I’d like others to remember about me at the end of my life?
• Does it really matter what others think about me?
• To what degree have I actually controlled the course of my life?
• When all is said and done, what will I have said more than I’ve done?

Finally, the following 30 prompts and questions are great ways to put your journal to use (Tartakovsky, 2014):

• My favorite way to spend the day is . . .
• If I could talk to my teenage self, the one thing I would say is . . .
• The two moments I’ll never forget in my life are . . . (Describe them in great detail, and what makes them so unforgettable.)
• Make a list of 30 things that make you smile.
• “Write about a moment experienced through your body. Making love, making breakfast, going to a party, having a fight, an experience you’ve had or you imagine for your character. Leave out thought and emotion, and let all information be conveyed through the body and senses.”
• The words I’d like to live by are . . .
• I couldn’t imagine living without . . .
• When I’m in pain—physical or emotional—the kindest thing I can do for myself is . . .
• Make a list of the people in your life who genuinely support you, and whom you can genuinely trust. Then, make time to hang out with them.
• What does unconditional love look like for you?
• What things would you do if you loved yourself unconditionally? How can you act on these things, even if you’re not yet able to love yourself unconditionally?
• I really wish others knew this about me . . .
• Name what is enough for you.
• If my body could talk, it would say . . .
• Name a compassionate way you’ve supported a friend recently. Then, write down how you can do the same for yourself.
• What do you love about life?
• What always brings tears to your eyes? (As Paulo Coelho has said, “Tears are words that need to be written.”)
• Write about a time when your work felt real, necessary and satisfying to you, whether the work was paid or unpaid, professional or domestic, physical or mental.
• Write about your first love—whether it’s a person, place or thing.
• Using 10 words, describe yourself.
• What’s surprised you the most about your life or life in general?
• What can you learn from your biggest mistakes?
• I feel most energized when . . .
• “Write a list of questions to which you urgently need answers.”
• Make a list of everything that inspires you—whether books, websites, quotes, people, paintings, stores, or stars in the sky.
• What’s one topic you need to learn more about to help you live a more fulfilling life? (Then, follow through and learn more about that topic.)
• I feel happiest in my skin when . . .
• Make a list of everything you’d like to say no to.
• Make a list of everything you’d like to say yes to.
• Write the words you need to hear.

For example, the five self-examination exercises listed below (Bates, 2012) are a good way to get started with self-reflection. They’re simple and easy to do, but they can familiarize you with the process for more in-depth reflection in the future.

Self-Examination Exercise 1

Consider whether or not you tend to analyze people or diagnose their problems for them without their encouragement or request.

Often when we hold information that has helped us to make sense of the world, we want to share it. This information, when unprompted and delivered to another person, sometimes doesn’t feel so good. They may feel like you are telling them that something about them is wrong, something that they might not necessarily agree with.

Remind yourself that this information needs to be asked for and not prescribed by you, no matter how valid it feels to pass it on (Bates, 2012).

Self-Examination Exercise 2

This is a good exercise if you tend to expend a lot of energy trying to understand what upsets you about another person’s actions. You may also spend a lot of energy thinking of ways to address that person about what upsets you.

Not only does this burn a lot of your energy, but it also can have an unintended effect on the person who has upset you. When you place a clear emphasis or focus on what is wrong when speaking with someone, it implies that you are dissatisfied and unhappy.

Usually, the issue you have is not something that is making you terribly unhappy, just an annoyance or irritation, so this doom and gloom is not the message you want to deliver. It’s just a single issue that needs attention, but it can seem much bigger and more pervasive to the person you are planning to discuss it with.

Try to remind yourself that this problem, no matter how valid an issue it is or how important it is to you, is not the whole of your feelings. When you deliver this information, remember that a person who loves you does not want to be the cause of your unhappiness—do not make them feel an unnecessary amount of pain as a result of the unhappiness they’ve caused you.

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Self-Examination Exercise 3

Do you frequently interrupt people or constantly think of your own stories to share while they are talking? If you’re like a lot of social people, the answer is probably yes.

In order to relate to others, we have to share a little bit of ourselves with them—your stories can help you establish common ground with others or make you closer with them. However, if you’re only focused on sharing your stories, it can distract you from the greater purpose of a conversation.

In our eagerness to relate, please, entertain, and share, we often remove ourselves from the present, reducing our ability to be sensitive and engaged listeners. Even if we spend our whole lives trying to be good listeners , sometimes we slip out of practice in empathizing or identifying with the person we’re talking to, or we lose an opportunity to comfort or entertain the other person.

Next time you have a conversation with a loved one and you find yourself thinking ahead of them, take a moment to pause and truly listen. Don’t think about how you can personally identify with what they are talking about, and don’t search your memory bank for a relevant story of your own—just listen.

It’s a rewarding experience to truly soak in what another person is saying, both for you and the other person (Bates, 2012).

Self-Examination Exercise 4

Sometimes when we work very hard to do good things, we get to a level of comfort with that fact, and we begin to talk about it to others. That can be a great thing in that it allows us to own our efforts and our actions and, with that, acknowledge our goodness to ourselves.

But for this exercise, consider how you might feel if you were to do things that are good, but only for your own knowledge. The next time you do something really wonderful, try keeping that wonderful thing to yourself and not sharing it with anyone.

Often when a person is good and loving, they don’t have to tell anyone; it’s a truth that shines from every angle of their person. As an experiment, keep some knowledge to yourself, as a gift to you (Bates, 2012).

Self-Examination Exercise 5

For this exercise, you need only to do one thing: Consider what you don’t know.

When we get to a place of comfort in our skin and in the world, we tend to lose the ability to see things from a different perspective. Things make sense to us in our own point of view, so what’s left to know?

Everything, it turns out.

By this, we mean to try and remind yourself of these facts: You cannot know or understand everything, and you are not the judge of what is right for another person.

You can neither read minds nor know what the future holds. You can only exist in one moment at a time, and you are changing every day.

Trust that sometimes others know themselves and their lives better than you ever could. Listen with the awareness that you might learn something new.

Be open to the fact that you might one day feel totally different about something that you believe to be fixed—and that includes your sticking points, the “unchangeables” you thought were forever set in stone. Let what you don’t know and can’t know be a comfort rather than something to fear, because it means that anything is possible (Bates, 2012).

Once you have found your footing with these self-examination exercises, the following introspective exercises are a great next step.

4 Self-reflection technique – OER Africa

Affirmations

Creating affirmations is a helpful way to clear your mind and put things in perspective. Affirmations can be defined as positive phrases or statements used to challenge  negative or unhelpful thoughts .

For this exercise, write a list of at least 50 affirmations. They should address what you want to embrace, improve, and achieve in your life.

Follow these instructions when composing and practicing your affirmations:

• Write the affirmations in the present tense and be sure to use the word “I” throughout the affirmations;
• Focus on the things that are occurring now that will lead to your future success. You may have negative thoughts pop up, but do your best to let go of the negative thoughts and replace them with positive thinking;
• Repeat your affirmations aloud to help reprogram your mind with more positive thoughts.

Following these steps can help you open yourself up to the positive in your life and take steps that will lead you to the future you want (Holothink, n.d.).

Subconscious Mind Exercise

In this exercise, you will dive into your subconscious. Don’t worry, it’s not as painful or scary as it sounds!

Your subconscious mind is where your self-image is stored. All of your attitudes, experiences, beliefs, and values are stored deep in your subconscious, driving your behavior and forming the core of who you are.

We don’t often take time to think about ourselves on this level. So in this exercise, take some time and put a concerted effort into thinking about your attitudes, experiences, beliefs, and values. It may take a few sessions of self-reflection to really uncover your core beliefs, but it’s worth the effort it takes to learn about yourself.

Reflecting on this core component of yourself will help you gain greater self-awareness . Much like meditation, it will help you achieve a new, higher level of consciousness, and it may just help you find valuable information and answers about yourself and your beliefs (Holothink, n.d.).

Visualization Exercise

This exercise offers you an opportunity to put your creativity to use.

Create a box, a vision board, or some other medium to store and display who you are and what your hopes and dreams are for the future. You can create or decorate your box or board however you’d like. Use whatever you feel represents yourself and what’s important to you.

Place pictures, words, drawings, poems, or small items of personal significance on your board or in your box. The more details you include, the better.

The end result is a visual representation of yourself and what you love. Come back to the box or board when you’re having a dilemma or trying to figure out the best course of action, and draw from this visual representation of yourself to help you make decisions (Holothink, n.d.).

For this exercise, feel free to put your imagination to good use—the sky’s the limit when it comes to visualization.

Questions About Yourself

This exercise is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. All you need to do is ask yourself some questions.

Ask yourself questions about yourself. Write down the questions, then write down your answers to the questions. Ask yourself about your past, present, and future, and compose answers to the questions that are positive, insightful, and motivating to you.

Don’t worry about coming up with the “right” answers—there aren’t any right answers, and your answers will likely change over time. And be as creative as you’d like with the questions and answers since no one else needs to answer or read them but you.

Be sure to structure your questions to include details about your hopes and dreams. The more detailed your questions and answers, the more opportunity you have to dig into some valuable self-reflection (Holothink, n.d.).

Write and Reflect

Journaling is great for many reasons, and it can be used in several applications for introspection.

For this exercise, get a journal , diary, or notebook with plenty of pages to write in.

Every day, write down three things in your journal:

• At least one positive thing that happened to or around you today;
• A question for yourself (you can use one of the questions from the previous exercise, a question from the lists we covered earlier, or something entirely new), but don’t answer it yet;
• A reflection on the question you wrote the previous day for yourself and an answer to it.

Following these steps, you will write only the first two components on the first day but will write three components every day thereafter (Holothink, n.d.).

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In addition to the questions, prompts, writing ideas , and exercises included above, here are some worksheets and tools that can help get you started with introspection.

Self-Awareness Worksheet

The point of this worksheet is to help you know and understand:

• Your beliefs and principles;
• What you value and what is important to you;
• What motivates you;
• Your own emotions ;
• Your thinking patterns;
• Your tendencies to react to certain situations;
• What you want out of life.

There are several sections to this worksheet, each of which has its own set of questions and prompts:

– Talents

• What are your greatest talents or skills?
• Which of your talents or skills gives you the greatest sense of pride or satisfaction?

– Traits/Qualities

• What are your five greatest strengths?
• What do you feel are your two biggest weaknesses?
• What qualities or traits do you most admire in others?

– Values

• What are ten things that are really important to you?
• What are the three most important things to you?
• What are the values that you hold nearest to your heart?

– Perception

• How is the “public you” different from the “private you”?
• What do you want people to think and say about you?
• Is it more important to be liked by others or to be yourself? Why?

– Accomplishments

• What three things are you most proud of in your life to date?
• What do you hope to achieve in life?
• If you could accomplish only one thing before you died, what would it be?

– Reflection

• What is something that represents you (e.g., song, animal, flower, poem, symbol, jewelry, etc.)? Why?
• What three things would you like to change most about yourself?
• List three things that you are.

– Finish the Sentence

In the final section, you will be shown several prompts to complete:

• I do my best when . . .
• I struggle when . . .
• I am comfortable when . . .
• I feel stress when . . .
• I am courageous when . . .
• One of the most important things I learned was . . .
• I missed a great opportunity when . . .
• One of my favorite memories is . . .
• My toughest decisions involve . . .
• Being myself is hard because . . .
• I can be myself when . . .
• I wish I were more . . .
• I wish I could . . .
• I wish I would regularly . . .
• I wish I had . . .
• I wish I knew . . .
• I wish I felt . . .
• I wish I saw . . .
• I wish I thought . . .
• Life should be about . . .
• I am going to make my life about . . .

Once you finish this worksheet, you should have plenty of insight into who you really are and what is most important to you. Use your answers to inform your decisions about what goals you choose to strive toward, what you would like to do in the future, and what moves to make next.

You can view, download, or print this worksheet for yourself.

The average human has more than 50,000 thoughts per day; more than half of them are negative, and more than 90% are just a repetition from the day before (Wood, 2013).

This means refocusing your mind on positive thoughts through introspection is essential for personal ascendance and growth. Most people take the end of the year as an opportunity to reflect on the past and set goals for the following year. However, reflections and introspection are critical at any point in time and enable your clients to grow.

Wilhelm Wundt developed the concept of introspection in the late 1800s (McLeod, 2008). According to him, introspection is focused on thoughts, images, and feelings. Introspective questions are often used in the field of cognitive psychology.

Understanding your clients allows you to learn more about their values, internal thoughts, and feelings. Furthermore, it takes the focus away from fast-paced lives and allows your client to be in the present moment and refocus on fulfillment (Wood, 2013).

Besides asking your client reflective questions, another tip is to practice active listening. Being able to stay entirely in the present moment without interruption or projecting your own story onto someone is key to helping your clients flourish. When the urge to share your story arises, pause and take the time to listen.

Tool 1: Persona

Before moving on to the empathy map below, first create a “persona,” or a clear character representation of your actual self, your ideal self, and your “ought” self (Kos, n.d.).

In order to create this persona, you will need to thoroughly analyze who you are, who you want to become, and what the social expectations connected to your feelings and behaviors are like in different situations.

Answering questions like the following can help you define these three important selves:

• Why do I want to become [enter a characteristic important to you] ? Who in my life was or is like that?
• Who would I be proud if I were [enter a characteristic important to you] ? Why?
• How are my feelings in certain situations connected with my actual, ideal, and ought self?
• Am I pushing myself to be something I’m actually not?
• Am I being something I’m not just because others expect it of me?

Use your answers to these questions to help you get an idea of who you are, who you want to be, and who you feel you ought to be. Once this preparation has been completed, move on to creating an empathy map.

Tool 2: Empathy Map

An empathy map can help you engage in a valuable and informative process of self-reflection, using all of your senses to help you identify your needs and the disconnections between what you say and what you do (Kos, n.d.). Don’t worry—we all have a disconnect between what we say and what we do.

This exercise can help you figure out where you have these disconnects and how you can best address them to become the person you want to be.

To create your empathy map, simply draw four quadrants on a piece of paper. Each quadrant represents a different aspect of yourself:

Next, consider a situation that evokes a specific strong emotion in you, like having a fight with your spouse or significant other. In each quadrant, write down the relevant aspects of each perspective.

For example, for the fight scenario, you could write down something like the following:

• Seeing: What are some of the things you saw during the situation?
• Doing: What actions did you do and which behaviors did you notice in yourself? What is the behavioral pattern you can identify?
• Thinking: What were you thinking in that situation? What does this tell you about your beliefs?
• Feeling: What emotions were you feeling? Why? Which past situation do they most remind you of?

On the backside of your piece of paper, on another piece of paper, or next to your four quadrants, create a fifth section. Here, you will write down your insights and ideas based on your empathy map.

The following questions can help you with the self-reflection process while you’re working on your map:

• How is the situation connected to your fears and hopes? What are your fears? What are your hopes? Which of your needs are met or not met in that situation?
• What was the environment in which you encountered the situation? What do you remember from the environment? How did you find yourself in that environment and why? What was your sight focused on?
• What hurts you most in the situation or makes you feel good about the situation?
• What was the feedback you gathered from your environment or other people?
• What are all the positives about the situation? What can you learn about yourself, others, and the world by experiencing that kind of a situation?

Do your best to avoid falling prey to cognitive distortions or reinforcing negative feelings while answering these questions. Go deep, and identify why you feel like you do. Observe, but don’t judge (Kos, n.d.).

Tool 3: Life Satisfaction Chart

A life satisfaction chart is a great way to assess how well you are meeting your goals and furthering your hopes for the future. You can complete this chart periodically to track your progress toward your goals and see what needs to be revised, improved, reduced, or eliminated to help you strive toward them.

Draw a scale from 1 (not at all satisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied) horizontally, and list the following ten areas of life vertically:

• Relationships;
• Competencies;
• Spirituality ;
• Technology.

Assess your satisfaction in each of the 10 areas using the scale you created.

Next, take a second look at all the areas where you are only somewhat satisfied (where you used a rating between 4 and 7). It can be hard to effectively reflect when you don’t have a clear idea of whether you are satisfied with a specific area or not.

Go back through these “somewhat satisfied” areas and rate your satisfaction again, but use only ratings between 1 and 3 or 8 and 10. Limiting your options to either “very satisfied” or “not very satisfied” will help you to make a more decisive judgment about your satisfaction in each area.

Highlight every section rated with a 1, 2, or 3 with red, and highlight every section rated with an 8, 9, or 10 with green. Finally, for all ten areas of life, ask yourself, Why did you rate each area how you did? What would make you change your rating?

Repeat this exercise as often as you’d like to help you keep track of your satisfaction with the way your life is going (Kos, n.d.).

17 Exercises To Foster Self-Acceptance and Compassion

Help your clients develop a kinder, more accepting relationship with themselves using these 17 Self-Compassion Exercises [PDF] that promote self-care and self-compassion.

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There are many books out there on self-reflection, self-awareness , and introspection, but we recommend the books below as resources to help you start your journey.

1. Question Your Life: Naikan Self-Reflection and the Transformation of Our Stories – Gregg Krech

Like the physical bags we carry when we go on a journey, our hearts and our minds only have so much room—but instead of carrying luggage, they carry stories. Some stories inform our lives and help us understand ourselves, while others don’t serve a purpose and can weigh us down.

In this book, Krech will guide the reader through several powerful examples of people who had an important change of heart or mind as a result of quiet self-reflection, including a woman who hated her mother, a man estranged from his father, a pregnant woman hit by a train, a couple who was struggling with their marriage, and a rabbi who neglected his shoes.

Read this book to open yourself up to seeing the world differently, and finding a better path forward.

You can find it on Amazon .

2. Being Present: A Book of Daily Reflections – David Kundtz

Being present can be defined as:

• Paying full attention to what is going on right now;
• Staying in the moment;
• Observing what is, without criticism or judgment;
• Having a balanced concern for things exactly as they are;
• Accepting whatever experience one is having;
• Having an awake participation in ongoing life.

You can use this book as a reminder to be more present through every season of the year and every season of life. The book draws inspiration from poets, scientists, spiritual teachers, children, butterflies, and big cities, and teaches you to accept each day as one full of possibilities and potential surprises.

3. 52 Weeks of Self Reflection – Erika R. Dawkins

You can use this book to guide you through self-reflection. No matter your goal, this guidebook will help you clear your head, see the world from a new perspective, and build a greater understanding of yourself.

In this piece, we defined introspection, described the importance of self-reflection (especially healthy self-reflection), and provided many example exercises, activities, and worksheets for you to enhance your understanding of yourself.

Keep in mind that self-reflection is an intensely personal process. If you find other activities that work better for you, feel free to focus on those—but we’d love for you to come back here and share with us what works.

Do you have any other techniques for self-reflection that you like to use? How important do you think introspection is for the average person, or for yourself? Let us know in the comments.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Self Compassion Exercises for free .

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• Cherry, K. (2016, June 14). What is introspection? Wundt’s experimental technique. Very Well. Retrieved from https://www.verywell.com/what-is-introspection-2795252
• Dahl, M. (2017). Sometimes ‘introspection’ is you just making stuff up. Science of Us. Retrieved from http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/03/sometimes-introspection-is-you-just-making-stuff-up.html
• Eurich, T. (2017). The right way to be introspective (yes, there’s a wrong way). TED. Retrieved from https://ideas.ted.com/the-right-way-to-be-introspective-yes-theres-a-wrong-way/
• Holothink. (n.d.). The art of self-reflection – 5 exercises to find peace in your life. Holothink.org. Retrieved from https://holothink.org/the-art-of-self-reflection-%E2%80%93-5-exercises-to-find-peace-in-your-life/
• Kos, B. (n.d.). Tools to help you with self-reflection. Agile Lean Life. Retrieved from https://agileleanlife.com/tools-to-help-you-with-self-reflection/
• McLeod, S. (2008). Wilhelm Wundt. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/wundt.html
• Tartakovsky, M. (2014). 30 journaling prompts for self-reflection and self-discovery. Psych Central. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/09/27/30-journaling-prompts-for-self-reflection-and-self-discovery/
• William, D. K. (n.d.). 30 thought-provoking questions you should ask yourself every day. Lifehack. Retrieved from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/30-thought-provoking-questions-you-should-ask-yourself-every-day.html
• Wood, K. (2013). The lost art of introspection: Why you must master yourself. Expert Enough. Retrieved from http://expertenough.com/2990/the-lost-art-of-introspection-why-you-must-master-yourself
• Woronko, M. (n.d.). The power of self-reflection: Ten questions you should ask yourself. Lifehack. Retrieved from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/the-power-self-reflection-ten-questions-you-should-ask-yourself.html

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Fantastic article and each of the Reflective Question is like a light house taking us deep inside of our life experiences. Thank You with deep appreciation in preparing this.

Great article! Self-reflection is necessary for improvement!

A very informative article. I learned alot.

I would say ”Best” information I’ve ever read about Self-reflection

I am really impressed with your writing style. Keep it up. The way you explain a complex topic in an easy to understand way is really impressive. Thanks for your inspiring thoughts which guided me well during my journey and gave me the hope I was looking for in personal and professional life. Hats off for this content…

First of all, Thank you for writing this article. It was very useful for Self Motivation.. All the points are very important to our personal and professional career. This will be a useful book for everyone.

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105 Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery

Writing can be the perfect tool for self-reflection.

Reflective writing  is personal in nature – it’s all about you, your thoughts and your ideas.

There is no right or wrong way to write.

However, when you throw writer’s block into the mix – something that hits me often – it can hamper any efforts to get things out of your head, process and reflect on them, and take the next steps (whatever they may be).

Writing Tips – Getting Started

Writing is more than having an idea. It’s also about the process.

Here are a few ideas to help with the writing process:

Stream of consciousness

One method to help you start writing is streams of consciousness:

Stream of consciousness writing  is a method of writing that captures the myriad of thoughts and feelings that pass through the mind. This method’s purpose is to allow these thoughts to pass through without any inhibitors. It’s quite literally capturing the “stream” of your consciousness. studiobinder

With stream-of-consciousness writing, you write freely without thinking or stopping, letting the thoughts, ideas and words flow.

Don’t worry about grammar, structure, editing, format or even sense.

Free yourself to just write.

Ditch perfection.

Whenever you sit down to write, there’s no need to write war and peace (unless that is your goal).

Start small.

Choose an idea from the above list of writing prompts, let your thoughts flow, and your hand move over the paper or laptop, and write whatever flows from your mind!

Write what you want, how you want, without a care in the world about spelling or grammar.

That can always come later through the editing process.

Invest in things that make the writing process enjoyable

Buy some lovely pens in different colours that sit well in your hand and move over the paper nicely. Nice pens will make the writing process so much more enjoyable.

Invest in an inspiring journal or notebook filled with quality paper to write on. I don’t think you can ever have too many notebooks!

Splash out on a laptop that feels good under your fingers. personally, I love writing on my Macbook as the keys feel soft and smooth under my fingers, making the process so much more seamless.

Investigate writing software. I tend to stick to Word these days but have dabbled in various writing programs, including Scrivener , the go-to app for writers, Ommwriter for distraction-free writing, and Hemingway App to hone my writing style.

Here is a list of 105 writing prompts for self-reflection and self-discovery

I hope this extensive list provides you with ideas and inspiration to help you explore and reflect on your thoughts via writing, blogging, journaling, or some other creative form.

Self-development

• What is your life motto, or what words do you live by?
• List the top life hacks you swear by?
• What is/are your greatest strength/s?
• Do you have a routine, or are you a person who hates routine?
• What does success mean to you?
• How have you grown this year? And what have you learned?
• We are all unique individuals. What makes you uniquely you?
• How do you define success? What do you consider your greatest personal success?
• What are your hobbies, and why do you do them? If you don’t have a hobby, what would hobby you like to take up?
• What are your top self-care tips? Stuck for ideas? Here are 64 .
• How are you feeling right now? Physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially?
• Is anything causing you stress at the moment? Explore what you can do to decrease it.
• How do you maintain balance in your life? Are there any changes you need to make in your life?
• When you are feeling down, what picks you up?
• How do you look after your mental health ?
• Are you addicted to social media? Assess yourself honestly and explore how it impacts your life and what changes you can make.
• How do you look after your physical health?
• Do a digital detox for a weekend, and then write about how it went. The positives, the challenges, and any changes you would like to make in future.
• Head out to a cafe or somewhere public, sit, and people-watch. Write about what or who you see. Let your imagination run free. Write about the history of the people you see, what is happening, what they are thinking, and what their future will be.
• Where is your favourite place in the world? It could be a country, town, place, room in your house or something else!
• Write about the place you grew up. How has it shaped you?
• Go for a walk with your phone/camera and take some photos. Afterwards, sit down and reflect on one of the photos you took.
• My dream vacation is …
• Pretend you are a tourist in your hometown. Head out for a road trip with your camera, take some pics, and write about it.
• What is your earliest childhood memory?
• Choose three photos of yourself across your lifetime and write about how you feel looking at them. On reflection, what were you doing in the photo, and what were you like at the time?
• What is the best gift you have ever given or received?
• Reminisce about your wedding day.
• Write about the first time you saw/held your newborn. How/what did you feel?
• My favourite childhood memory is …
• What memory do you cherish the most?
• If you could relive one experience in your life, what would it be?
• What has been the most defining moment in your life?
• Reminisce about your first love. P.S. It could be a person, a pet, a car, or something else.
• What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Relationships

• What do you love most about your partner? Write it all down.
• How has a member of your immediate family helped shape your life?
• Who inspires you?
• Write a letter to your child.
• Who do you look up to, and what do you admire most about them?
• Do you have a pet? Write about them!
• Write a love letter to someone – it could even be to yourself.
• What are the traits you look for in a friend? Why are they important to you?
• Write about  five things you are grateful for this week . In addition, you can write a monthly, quarterly and yearly gratitude list!
• What is something that has impacted positively on your life?
• List five things you love about your home .
• What brings you joy?
• Name three things you couldn’t live without.
• What friends are you most grateful for? List what makes each friend so special.
• Write a list of 99 things you love. I love this prompt.  Here’s an example .
• My favourite way to spend the day is …
• What is the best advice someone has ever given you? Furthermore, what impact did this have on your life?
• I feel amazing when …
• What are four little things that make you happy, i.e. coffee in the morning, hugs, puppies, and a good book?
• If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
• What makes you laugh out loud?
• List ten things that make you smile
• What was the funniest thing you saw or heard this week?
• If you could invent something, what would it be? Personally, I’d go with a teleportation device
• Dad jokes, rude jokes, riddles and puns. What are your favourites?
• What is the best concert you have ever been to?
• If you had a theme song, what would it be? If it doesn’t exist yet, write your theme song!
• What is the cringe-iest song you just love?

Self-reflection

• How was your day today?
• What is one thing no one knows about you?
• Are you a spiritual person? Describe your beliefs and how they affect and define how you live your life.
• What advice would you give your 20-something self?
• If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing and the one person you would want to have with you and why?
• Write a letter to your teenage self.
• Write about a cause close to your heart and why it is so important to you
• What does it mean to live an authentic life ?
• When do you feel happiest in your skin?
• Write about something you have never told anyone about before.
• What does growing older mean to you?
• Sit down and do a life audit. Work through every section of your life and assess what is working well, what isn’t, and any changes you could make
• What is your favourite season, and why?
• Are you an introvert or an extrovert? How has it shaped your life?
• What scares you?
• How does it feel to be the age you currently are?
• What is your favourite way to spend the weekend?
• List all of the things you enjoy doing on your time off, so you have a go-to list of ideas for when you have time off!
• Write the words you need to hear right now.
• What makes you feel sexy?

Career, Goals & Dreams

• What is on your bucket list?
• List the things you need/want to achieve in the next week.
• What is something you would love to learn how to do?
• Write about your top three goals. What are they, how will you feel when you achieve them, and what will your life look like?
• What do you consider your greatest professional success?
• Describe your dream life.
• What excites you about the future?
• Write a life admin list, and then try ticking those items off your list!
• Are you a city, a country or a beach person?
• What do you want to be remembered for?
• Where do you see yourself five years from now?
• If you won the lotto tomorrow, what would you do? Where would you go?
• What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
• Try your hand at writing a poem or a song. Use one of these prompts to guide you.
• Interview an older person and write their story.
• If you could write anything, what would it be? Fiction, non-fiction, biography, fantasy, YA novel, comic book, manga novel, a song, or something else?
• Of all the books you have read this year, which has been your favourite, and why?
• Write the opening chapter of your autobiography.
• Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? Why?
• Write about a book, movie or song that has greatly impacted you.
• Develop a list of writing prompts just like this one !
• If you could meet a character, who would it be and why? What would you do when you met them?

I hope you enjoy the reflection prompts and that they help you in your journey of self-discovery. Happy reflecting!

More writing prompts

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23 Insightful Journal Writing Prompts Perfect for Self-Reflection

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Further Reading...

82 blog post ideas to help overcome writer’s block.

Here’s How to Use Expressive Writing for Depression

15 of the best ever articles on writing.

Apr 16, 2023

How to Write a Reflection Essay | Outlines and Examples

Do you ever struggle to put your thoughts into words? If you've ever felt stumped by a reflective essay assignment, you're not alone. In this article, we'll explore some strategies for writing effective reflection essays that will help you communicate your ideas clearly and powerfully!

Reflective Essays take a look at a piece of writing or an experience in your life and write down how you feel about it. This strategy not only reveals fascinating insights about your perspective and personality, but it also makes for entertaining reading. Examining some model papers is a great way to hone your skills in outlining introspective essays.

What Is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay (also called a critical reflection) involves a deep examination of one's assumptions, beliefs, and reactions to knowledge, events, or experiences. This type of writing encourages the author to introspect and articulate their personal insights on various subjects, influenced by literature, experiences, or lectures. Unlike traditional academic essays, reflective essays focus on the writer's individual perspective, employing a more subjective and expressive language without the necessity for scholarly sources. Essentially, while maintaining the core criteria of effective essay writing, a reflective essay distinguishes itself by centering on the writer's internal dialogue and personal growth.

Reflection isn't something that comes naturally to everyone. Whether one is contemplating one's own life experiences or a piece of literature, it can be challenging to put one's thoughts into words and express them adequately. Because of this, utilising this ability effectively when writing is necessary. The more time you devote to contemplating and learning about a topic, the more straightforward and understandable it will become. This situation is more complex than it initially appears to be.

What is the Purpose of Reflective Writing?

Reflective writing is another way to convey both your growth and the feelings you've experienced. You can discover a lot about yourself and how you function by conducting an in-depth investigation of your interior workings. It is interesting to watch how they mature and change over time. The initial move is always the one that presents the greatest challenge. Because of this, developing a strategy for your reflective essay is a fantastic way to kick off the writing process.

How to Create a Reflective Essay Outline?

The first part of an essay, known as the introduction, is generally composed of three parts. On the other hand, as was stated earlier, a conventional formula might experience significant shifts when written down in this manner.

Introduction

The introduction needs to be so captivating to the reader that they feel compelled to keep going with the story. To achieve this, writers will often include ambiguities, sarcastic circumstances, and tense situations in their works. An outline can be used for any kind of essay, but it is especially helpful for introspective writing because it organizes your thoughts and makes it easier to read. The abstract, just like the remainder of the essay, should be broken up into three main sections that are presented in the same order as the rest of the essay. On the other hand, as was stated earlier, a conventional formula might experience significant shifts when written down in this manner.

An engaging and interesting opening statement will pique the interest of the audience and encourage them to continue reading. To achieve this, authors will often include ambiguities, irony, and conflict within their works. The expression "my first bachelor celebration" is a good example of this concept in action.

Reflection Essay Example:

This past weekend I attended my first college frat party thanks to some friends who invited me.

That one phrase perfectly exemplifies an attention-grabbing opening to a reflective essay. In just one phrase, you've hooked the reader and set the stage for what you'll be discussing. Your essay's opening should always provide a teaser for the more in-depth explanation that follows in the essay's body.

The conclusion of your reflective essay, which you'll write based on the most significant event, should be the last line of the introduction. This sentence effectively summarises the changes brought about by the catalytic event and their importance in the grand scheme of things. 

Body Paragraphs

The body of an introspective essay needs to expand on the topic presented in the essay's thesis. Students' first challenge in writing such essays is expressing their thoughts uninhibitedly. It's simple to get sidetracked and leap from one thought to the next. This leads us to a useful piece of advice: be consistent with the story arc you've established. If possible, create a distinct outline for the paragraphs in the main body.

You're free to include as many or as few body lines as you like. The text may have a one-sentence introduction and a secret closing, for instance, but the body will always be the largest section. Put your viewpoint on display as much as possible in the middle section. Put forth justifications to back up your claim or corroborating details to back up your statements. Examples, facts, occurrences of public life, events, real-life circumstances and experiences, scientific proof, references to scholars and scientists, etc., can all serve as argumentative points.

If you don't want to appear uncertain of your views, avoid giving too many examples. A personal reflective essay only needs one piece of proof. For reflective essays, interacting aspects of literary analysis, or speculative writing about a variety of phenomena, two examples will suffice. Overloading a free reflective essay with more than three examples of the facts to be discussed will be apparent.

For Example:

My weekend at a house party made it clear that the vast majority of my fellow college students have no tolerance for alcohol.

An effective introduction to a body paragraph is provided above. Your paragraph's subject sentence should tell the reader exactly what the paragraph is going to be about. The first line of each paragraph in the body of your writing should do what the introductory paragraph did: make the reader want to keep reading. Body paragraphs are where you can bring the essay to life with specific descriptions and examples.

In other terms, immerse the reader by providing relatable examples of circumstances and describing minor details with great care. A reader's excitement and interest will increase in proportion to the originality and literary charm of each phrase.

An independent closing paragraph is optional in reflective essays. If you choose an essay format that calls for a conclusion with supporting notes, keep it brief. The end must not be overly formal, however. The paragraphs in the body of the essay need to be supervised naturally by this section.

If you look for a model reflective essay online, you will most likely find one that has a complete, detailed conclusion. You could, of course, use them as models for your essays. However, if you want your viewers to be impressed and reflect deeper on your work, you shouldn't spoon-feed them your observations. Get your readers to ignore the surface-level explanations and focus on the meat of the text where your ideas and feelings are revealed.

As I reflect on my time spent at a college party, I realize that I can no longer advocate for the consumption of alcoholic beverages by minors.

As you probably know by now, the end of your essay is where you restate your thesis and discuss its significance. Then, using the details from the body paragraph, you should draw a conclusion in which you quickly restate how this experience changed you physically and/or mentally. Conclude by giving the reader your concluding thoughts on the subject.

What is the Format of a Reflective Essay?

There is a unique structure for reflective writing. In this form of writing, the author employs a specific style, such as the Modern Language Association (MLA) or the American Psychological Association (APA) .

There are a few things to keep in mind when writing in APA style:

Use Time New Roman Font 

Double-space your work and use a font height of 12 points.

The page number appears in the upper right-hand area.

The major sections of an essay are the introduction, the body, and the bibliography or list of sources.

Equally to APA, there are a few things to keep in mind when using MLA format:

Use Time New Roman Font

Select 12 as a font size

Make sure to center all of your essay's names.

Include your name, the course number, the instructor's name, and the date in the header of your work.

On the last page of the essay, include the cited work.

Some Tips on Writing the Reflective Essay

The essay's structure serves as the paper's framework. You can't write a winning essay without first crafting a plan. If you have to write a reflective essay, here are some tips to follow.

References should be listed on the final page of the writing.

In the essay, try to avoid using the same phrase multiple times.

Give your take on the topic in the writing.

Verify that you have explained everything that was previously unclear.

Connect your parts with appropriate transitional language.

Make sure your plan covers everything important.

Avoid using difficult language and provide an argument to support your position.

Learn to identify your best qualities and highlight them in the writing.

Before sending or publishing the essay, make sure it has been thoroughly proofread.

Writing a reflective essay can be challenging, but you can make your way through the process with the help of a good plan. Some pupils simply don't have enough time to complete all of the required essay writing assignments. They lack the time necessary to offer essay writing their full attention.

3 Reflective Essay Examples

Impact of social media on students

Social media has become an integral part of our lives in recent years. With the advent of smartphones and the internet, social media platforms have become more accessible to everyone, including students. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok, and others have had a profound impact on the way students interact with each other, access information, and learn.

Social media has created a platform for students to interact with their peers, teachers, and other individuals from different parts of the world. Social media platforms provide students with the opportunity to express their thoughts, share their experiences, and discuss topics that interest them. Through social media, students can participate in discussions, exchange ideas, and learn from others.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Media on Students’ Life

One of the primary benefits of social media is its ability to provide students with access to information. Social media platforms have become a significant source of news, information, and educational resources for students. Students can learn about various topics, including history, science, literature, and more, from different social media platforms. For instance, Twitter provides students with the latest news on various topics, while Facebook and LinkedIn provide them with access to professional networks and job opportunities.

However, the impact of social media on students is not all positive. Social media has become a distraction for students, and many students spend more time on social media than they do studying. Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, and many students find themselves spending hours scrolling through their feeds and interacting with their peers. As a result, many students experience a decline in their academic performance and find it difficult to focus on their studies.

Moreover, social media has also had a significant impact on the mental health of students. Social media platforms can be a breeding ground for cyberbullying and online harassment, which can have a profound impact on a student's mental health. Additionally, social media platforms have been linked to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues in students. Many students feel pressured to present a perfect image of themselves on social media, which can lead to low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy.

Furthermore, social media has also affected the way students interact with each other. Many students now prefer to communicate through social media rather than in person, which can lead to a lack of social skills and interpersonal communication skills. This can make it challenging for students to form meaningful relationships and communicate effectively in the workplace and other settings.

In conclusion, social media has had a significant impact on students, both positive and negative. While social media provides students with access to information and a platform to express themselves, it has also become a significant distraction and can hurt their mental health and social skills. Therefore, students need to use social media responsibly and balance their time between social media and other activities. Additionally, educators and parents can play a significant role in guiding students on how to use social media effectively and responsibly.

Taking a Hike Through Forest

Introduction:

Nature is a therapeutic and rejuvenating element in our lives. Walking through a forest is an excellent way to connect with nature, relieve stress, and experience a sense of calmness. A hike through the forest provides a sense of freedom, and the tranquillity of the trees helps to reconnect with oneself. In this essay, I will reflect on my experience of taking a hike through a forest.

I woke up early one morning, feeling the need to get out of the city and spend some time in nature. I packed my bag with essentials and set off on a drive to a nearby forest. Upon arriving, I took a deep breath and took in the fresh air, which filled my lungs with a sense of peace.

The path was lined with tall trees, and the forest floor was soft and covered with leaves. As I walked, I could hear the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds. The serenity of the forest made me forget about the outside world and its pressures.

I kept walking deeper into the forest, and soon enough, I came across a stream. The sound of the water flowing over the rocks was soothing, and I sat down by the bank to take it all in. The quietness of the forest made me feel like I was in a different world altogether, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

As I continued my hike, I came across a clearing, and there, I saw a herd of deer grazing. I stood there, frozen, watching the beauty of nature unfold in front of my eyes. It was a moment of pure bliss, and I felt grateful for the opportunity to witness it.

I reached a hilltop, and from there, I could see the entire forest. The view was breathtaking, and it made me realize how small we are in the grand scheme of things. It also made me appreciate the beauty of the earth and the environment around us.

Conclusion:

Taking a hike through the forest was a humbling and rejuvenating experience for me. The calmness of the trees, the sound of the water, and the sight of the animals made me feel connected to nature. It reminded me that we are all a part of this beautiful planet and that it's our responsibility to take care of it. The forest gave me the space to reflect and connect with myself, and it was a reminder that sometimes, the best therapy is found in nature.

The role of Friendship in my Life

Friendship is one of the most essential aspects of human life. It is an integral part of our social fabric, as it provides a sense of belonging, support, and joy. Friendship is not just about having someone to talk to or hang out with; it is about having a deep and meaningful connection with someone who accepts and loves us for who we are. In my life, friendship has played a crucial role in shaping my personality and helping me navigate through different phases of life. This essay aims to explore the role of friendship in my life, its significance, and how it has impacted me.

The significance of friendship:

Friendship is essential for our well-being and mental health. It is a bond that helps us feel connected and loved , even in the most challenging times. A good friend can help us navigate through difficult situations, offer us a fresh perspective on our problems, and provide us with emotional support. Friends also provide us with a sense of belonging, a feeling that we are part of something greater than ourselves. The sense of community and companionship that comes with friendship can help us develop a positive outlook toward life and a strong sense of self-esteem.

Friendship in my life:

In my life, friendship has played a vital role in shaping my personality and helping me grow as an individual. Growing up, I was a shy and introverted child who struggled to make friends. However, I was fortunate enough to find a group of friends who accepted me for who I was and helped me come out of my shell. They encouraged me to pursue my passions and interests and supported me through the ups and downs of life.

As I grew older, I realized the true value of friendship. I have made many friends over the years, and each one of them has played a unique role in my life. Some have been there for me through thick and thin, while others have helped me discover new interests and passions. Some have challenged me to step out of my comfort zone, while others have offered me a shoulder to cry on. Regardless of the role they played, all my friends have helped me grow as a person and provided me with a sense of belonging.

Impact of friendship on my life:

The impact of friendship on my life has been profound. My friends have helped me develop a positive outlook toward life and have taught me to appreciate the little things. They have taught me to be more empathetic, kind, and compassionate toward others, and have helped me develop a strong sense of self-worth. They have been a source of strength and inspiration, and have helped me navigate through difficult times.

In conclusion, friendship is an essential aspect of human life. It provides us with a sense of belonging, support, and joy, and helps us grow as individuals. In my life, friendship has played a vital role in shaping my personality and helping me navigate through different phases of life. My friends have been there for me through thick and thin, and have taught me valuable life lessons. I am grateful for their presence in my life, and I believe that everyone should have a good friend or a group of friends who accept and love them for who they are.

Final Words

In conclusion, writing a reflection essay is a powerful tool for gaining self-awareness and insight into our experiences. By following a few simple steps, such as choosing a meaningful experience to reflect on, asking yourself critical questions, and structuring your thoughts into a clear and organized essay, you can effectively convey your thoughts and emotions to your reader. Essay topics like composing a reflective essay are a great opportunity to delve deeper into your own thoughts and feelings, and to connect with your readers on a deeper level.

However, we understand that the process of writing can sometimes be challenging, and that's where Jenni.ai comes in. Our AI-powered software can help you streamline the writing process, with features such as autocomplete and citation assistance that make it easier to create high-quality content efficiently.

Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, Jenni.ai can help you take your writing to the next level. So why not give it a try today, and see how it can help you create even better reflection essays, and other types of written content?

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A complete guide to writing a reflective essay

(Last updated: 3 June 2024)

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“The overwhelming burden of writing my first ever reflective essay loomed over me as I sat as still as a statue, as my fingers nervously poised over the intimidating buttons on my laptop keyboard. Where would I begin? Where would I end? Nerve wracking thoughts filled my mind as I fretted over the seemingly impossible journey on which I was about to embark.”

Reflective essays may seem simple on the surface, but they can be a real stumbling block if you're not quite sure how to go about them. In simple terms, reflective essays constitute a critical examination of a life experience and, with the right guidance, they're not too challenging to put together. A reflective essay is similar to other essays in that it needs to be easily understood and well structured, but the content is more akin to something personal like a diary entry.

In this guide, we explore in detail how to write a great reflective essay , including what makes a good structure and some advice on the writing process. We’ve even thrown in an example reflective essay to inspire you too, making this the ultimate guide for anyone needing reflective essay help.

Types of Reflection Papers

There are several types of reflective papers, each serving a unique purpose. Educational reflection papers focus on your learning experiences, such as a course or a lecture, and how they have impacted your understanding. Professional reflection papers often relate to work experiences, discussing what you have learned in a professional setting and how it has shaped your skills and perspectives. Personal reflection papers delve into personal experiences and their influence on your personal growth and development.

Each of these requires a slightly different approach, but all aim to provide insight into your thoughts and experiences, demonstrating your ability to analyse and learn from them. Understanding the specific requirements of each type can help you tailor your writing to effectively convey your reflections.

Reflective Essay Format

In a reflective essay, a writer primarily examines his or her life experiences, hence the term ‘reflective’. The purpose of writing a reflective essay is to provide a platform for the author to not only recount a particular life experience, but to also explore how he or she has changed or learned from those experiences. Reflective writing can be presented in various formats, but you’ll most often see it in a learning log format or diary entry. Diary entries in particular are used to convey how the author’s thoughts have developed and evolved over the course of a particular period.

The format of a reflective essay may change depending on the target audience. Reflective essays can be academic, or may feature more broadly as a part of a general piece of writing for a magazine, for instance. For class assignments, while the presentation format can vary, the purpose generally remains the same: tutors aim to inspire students to think deeply and critically about a particular learning experience or set of experiences. Here are some typical examples of reflective essay formats that you may have to write:

A focus on personal growth:

A type of reflective essay often used by tutors as a strategy for helping students to learn how to analyse their personal life experiences to promote emotional growth and development. The essay gives the student a better understanding of both themselves and their behaviours.

A focus on the literature:

This kind of essay requires students to provide a summary of the literature, after which it is applied to the student’s own life experiences.

Pre-Writing Tips: How to Start Writing the Reflection Essay?

As you go about deciding on the content of your essay, you need to keep in mind that a reflective essay is highly personal and aimed at engaging the reader or target audience. And there’s much more to a reflective essay than just recounting a story. You need to be able to reflect (more on this later) on your experience by showing how it influenced your subsequent behaviours and how your life has been particularly changed as a result.

As a starting point, you might want to think about some important experiences in your life that have really impacted you, either positively, negatively, or both. Some typical reflection essay topics include: a real-life experience, an imagined experience, a special object or place, a person who had an influence on you, or something you have watched or read. If you are writing a reflective essay as part of an academic exercise, chances are your tutor will ask you to focus on a particular episode – such as a time when you had to make an important decision – and reflect on what the outcomes were. Note also, that the aftermath of the experience is especially important in a reflective essay; miss this out and you will simply be storytelling.

What Do You Mean By Reflection Essay?

It sounds obvious, but the reflective process forms the core of writing this type of essay, so it’s important you get it right from the outset. You need to really think about how the personal experience you have chosen to focus on impacted or changed you. Use your memories and feelings of the experience to determine the implications for you on a personal level.

Once you’ve chosen the topic of your essay, it’s really important you study it thoroughly and spend a lot of time trying to think about it vividly. Write down everything you can remember about it, describing it as clearly and fully as you can. Keep your five senses in mind as you do this, and be sure to use adjectives to describe your experience. At this stage, you can simply make notes using short phrases, but you need to ensure that you’re recording your responses, perceptions, and your experience of the event(s).

Once you’ve successfully emptied the contents of your memory, you need to start reflecting. A great way to do this is to pick out some reflection questions which will help you think deeper about the impact and lasting effects of your experience. Here are some useful questions that you can consider:

• What have you learned about yourself as a result of the experience?
• Have you developed because of it? How?
• Did it have any positive or negative bearing on your life?
• Looking back, what would you have done differently?
• Why do you think you made the particular choices that you did? Do you think these were the right choices?
• What are your thoughts on the experience in general? Was it a useful learning experience? What specific skills or perspectives did you acquire as a result?

These signpost questions should help kick-start your reflective process. Remember, asking yourself lots of questions is key to ensuring that you think deeply and critically about your experiences – a skill that is at the heart of writing a great reflective essay.

Consider using models of reflection (like the Gibbs or Kolb cycles) before, during, and after the learning process to ensure that you maintain a high standard of analysis. For example, before you really get stuck into the process, consider questions such as: what might happen (regarding the experience)? Are there any possible challenges to keep in mind? What knowledge is needed to be best prepared to approach the experience? Then, as you’re planning and writing, these questions may be useful: what is happening within the learning process? Is the process working out as expected? Am I dealing with the accompanying challenges successfully? Is there anything that needs to be done additionally to ensure that the learning process is successful? What am I learning from this? By adopting such a framework, you’ll be ensuring that you are keeping tabs on the reflective process that should underpin your work.

How to Strategically Plan Out the Reflective Essay Structure?

Here’s a very useful tip: although you may feel well prepared with all that time spent reflecting in your arsenal, do not, start writing your essay until you have worked out a comprehensive, well-rounded plan . Your writing will be so much more coherent, your ideas conveyed with structure and clarity, and your essay will likely achieve higher marks.

This is an especially important step when you’re tackling a reflective essay – there can be a tendency for people to get a little ‘lost’ or disorganised as they recount their life experiences in an erratic and often unsystematic manner as it is a topic so close to their hearts. But if you develop a thorough outline (this is the same as a ‘plan’) and ensure you stick to it like Christopher Columbus to a map, you should do just fine as you embark on the ultimate step of writing your essay. If you need further convincing on how important planning is, we’ve summarised the key benefits of creating a detailed essay outline below:

An outline allows you to establish the basic details that you plan to incorporate into your paper – this is great for helping you pick out any superfluous information, which can be removed entirely to make your essay succinct and to the point.

Think of the outline as a map – you plan in advance the points you wish to navigate through and discuss in your writing. Your work will more likely have a clear through line of thought, making it easier for the reader to understand. It’ll also help you avoid missing out any key information, and having to go back at the end and try to fit it in.

It’s a real time-saver! Because the outline essentially serves as the essay’s ‘skeleton’, you’ll save a tremendous amount of time when writing as you’ll be really familiar with what you want to say. As such, you’ll be able to allocate more time to editing the paper and ensuring it’s of a high standard.

Now you’re familiar with the benefits of using an outline for your reflective essay, it is essential that you know how to craft one. It can be considerably different from other typical essay outlines, mostly because of the varying subjects. But what remains the same, is that you need to start your outline by drafting the introduction, body and conclusion. More on this below.

Introduction

As is the case with all essays, your reflective essay must begin within an introduction that contains both a hook and a thesis statement. The point of having a ‘hook’ is to grab the attention of your audience or reader from the very beginning. You must portray the exciting aspects of your story in the initial paragraph so that you stand the best chances of holding your reader’s interest. Refer back to the opening quote of this article – did it grab your attention and encourage you to read more? The thesis statement is a brief summary of the focus of the essay, which in this case is a particular experience that influenced you significantly. Remember to give a quick overview of your experience – don’t give too much information away or you risk your reader becoming disinterested.

Next up is planning the body of your essay. This can be the hardest part of the entire paper; it’s easy to waffle and repeat yourself both in the plan and in the actual writing. Have you ever tried recounting a story to a friend only for them to tell you to ‘cut the long story short’? They key here is to put plenty of time and effort into planning the body, and you can draw on the following tips to help you do this well:

Try adopting a chronological approach. This means working through everything you want to touch upon as it happened in time. This kind of approach will ensure that your work is systematic and coherent. Keep in mind that a reflective essay doesn’t necessarily have to be linear, but working chronologically will prevent you from providing a haphazard recollection of your experience. Lay out the important elements of your experience in a timeline – this will then help you clearly see how to piece your narrative together.

Ensure the body of your reflective essay is well focused and contains appropriate critique and reflection. The body should not only summarise your experience, it should explore the impact that the experience has had on your life, as well as the lessons that you have learned as a result. The emphasis should generally be on reflection as opposed to summation. A reflective posture will not only provide readers with insight on your experience, it’ll highlight your personality and your ability to deal with or adapt to particular situations.

In the conclusion of your reflective essay, you should focus on bringing your piece together by providing a summary of both the points made throughout, and what you have learned as a result. Try to include a few points on why and how your attitudes and behaviours have been changed. Consider also how your character and skills have been affected, for example: what conclusions can be drawn about your problem-solving skills? What can be concluded about your approach to specific situations? What might you do differently in similar situations in the future? What steps have you taken to consolidate everything that you have learned from your experience? Keep in mind that your tutor will be looking out for evidence of reflection at a very high standard.

Congratulations – you now have the tools to create a thorough and accurate plan which should put you in good stead for the ultimate phase indeed of any essay, the writing process.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Reflective Essay

As with all written assignments, sitting down to put pen to paper (or more likely fingers to keyboard) can be daunting. But if you have put in the time and effort fleshing out a thorough plan, you should be well prepared, which will make the writing process as smooth as possible. The following points should also help ease the writing process:

• To get a feel for the tone and format in which your writing should be, read other typically reflective pieces in magazines and newspapers, for instance.
• Don’t think too much about how to start your first sentence or paragraph; just start writing and you can always come back later to edit anything you’re not keen on. Your first draft won’t necessarily be your best essay writing work but it’s important to remember that the earlier you start writing, the more time you will have to keep reworking your paper until it’s perfect. Don’t shy away from using a free-flow method, writing and recording your thoughts and feelings on your experiences as and when they come to mind. But make sure you stick to your plan. Your plan is your roadmap which will ensure your writing doesn’t meander too far off course.
• For every point you make about an experience or event, support it by describing how you were directly impacted, using specific as opposed to vague words to convey exactly how you felt.
• Write using the first-person narrative, ensuring that the tone of your essay is very personal and reflective of your character.
• If you need to, refer back to our notes earlier on creating an outline. As you work through your essay, present your thoughts systematically, remembering to focus on your key learning outcomes.
• Consider starting your introduction with a short anecdote or quote to grasp your readers’ attention, or other engaging techniques such as flashbacks.
• Choose your vocabulary carefully to properly convey your feelings and emotions. Remember that reflective writing has a descriptive component and so must have a wide range of adjectives to draw from. Avoid vague adjectives such as ‘okay’ or ‘nice’ as they don’t really offer much insight into your feelings and personality. Be more specific – this will make your writing more engaging.
• Be honest with your feelings and opinions. Remember that this is a reflective task, and is the one place you can freely admit – without any repercussions – that you failed at a particular task. When assessing your essay, your tutor will expect a deep level of reflection, not a simple review of your experiences and emotion. Showing deep reflection requires you to move beyond the descriptive. Be extremely critical about your experience and your response to it. In your evaluation and analysis, ensure that you make value judgements, incorporating ideas from outside the experience you had to guide your analysis. Remember that you can be honest about your feelings without writing in a direct way. Use words that work for you and are aligned with your personality.
• Once you’ve finished learning about and reflecting on your experience, consider asking yourself these questions: what did I particularly value from the experience and why? Looking back, how successful has the process been? Think about your opinions immediately after the experience and how they differ now, so that you can evaluate the difference between your immediate and current perceptions. Asking yourself such questions will help you achieve reflective writing effectively and efficiently.
• Don’t shy away from using a variety of punctuation. It helps keeps your writing dynamic! Doesn’t it?
• If you really want to awaken your reader’s imagination, you can use imagery to create a vivid picture of your experiences.
• Ensure that you highlight your turning point, or what we like to call your “Aha!” moment. Without this moment, your resulting feelings and thoughts aren’t as valid and your argument not as strong.
• Don’t forget to keep reiterating the lessons you have learned from your experience.

Bonus Tip - Using Wider Sources

Although a reflective piece of writing is focused on personal experience, it’s important you draw on other sources to demonstrate your understanding of your experience from a theoretical perspective. It’ll show a level of analysis – and a standard of reliability in what you’re claiming – if you’re also able to validate your work against other perspectives that you find. Think about possible sources, like newspapers, surveys, books and even journal articles. Generally, the additional sources you decide to include in your work are highly dependent on your field of study. Analysing a wide range of sources, will show that you have read widely on your subject area, that you have nuanced insight into the available literature on the subject of your essay, and that you have considered the broader implications of the literature for your essay. The incorporation of other sources into your essay also helps to show that you are aware of the multi-dimensional nature of both the learning and problem-solving process.

Reflective Essay Example

If you want some inspiration for writing, take a look at our example of a short reflective essay , which can serve as a useful starting point for you when you set out to write your own.

Some Final Notes to Remember

To recap, the key to writing a reflective essay is demonstrating what lessons you have taken away from your experiences, and why and how you have been shaped by these lessons.

The reflective thinking process begins with you – you must consciously make an effort to identify and examine your own thoughts in relation to a particular experience. Don’t hesitate to explore any prior knowledge or experience of the topic, which will help you identify why you have formed certain opinions on the subject. Remember that central to reflective essay writing is the examination of your attitudes, assumptions and values, so be upfront about how you feel. Reflective writing can be quite therapeutic, helping you identify and clarify your strengths and weaknesses, particularly in terms of any knowledge gaps that you may have. It’s a pretty good way of improving your critical thinking skills, too. It enables you to adopt an introspective posture in analysing your experiences and how you learn/make sense of them.

If you are still having difficulties with starting the writing process, why not try mind-mapping which will help you to structure your thinking and ideas, enabling you to produce a coherent piece. Creating a mind map will ensure that your argument is written in a very systematic way that will be easy for your tutor to follow. Here’s a recap of the contents of this article, which also serves as a way to create a mind map:

1. Identify the topic you will be writing on.

2. Note down any ideas that are related to the topic and if you want to, try drawing a diagram to link together any topics, theories, and ideas.

3. Allow your ideas to flow freely, knowing that you will always have time to edit your reflective essay .

4. Consider how your ideas are connected to each other, then begin the writing process.

And finally, keep in mind that although there are descriptive elements in a reflective essay, we can’t emphasise enough how crucial it is that your work is critical, analytical, and adopts a reflective posture in terms of your experience and the lessons you have learned from it.

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Ultimate Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay

Carla johnson.

• June 14, 2023
• How to Guides

Writing about yourself is a powerful way to learn and grow as a person. It is a type of writing that makes you think about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences and how they have affected your personal and professional growth. A reflective essay is a type of writing that lets you talk about your own experiences, thoughts, and insights. In this article , we’ll tell you everything you need to know about writing a reflective essay, from how to define it and figure out what it’s for to how to do it well.

What You'll Learn

Definition of a Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a type of writing in which you write about your own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It is a type of personal writing that lets you talk about your own thoughts and experiences and share them with other people. Students are often asked to write reflective essays for school, but they can also be used for personal or professional growth.

Purpose of a Reflective Essay

The goal of a reflective essay is to get you to think about your life and how it has affected your personal and professional growth. Reflective essays can help you learn more about yourself and your experiences, as well as find places where you can grow and improve. They can also help you get better at writing and better at getting your ideas across.

Importance of Reflective Writing

Writing about yourself and your work is an important way to grow personally and professionally. It can help you learn more about yourself, figure out where you need to grow and change, and learn more about how you think and feel. Writing about yourself can also help you get better at critical thinking and analysis , and it can help you get your ideas across better. It is a useful tool for anyone who wants to grow personally and professionally, and it can be used in many different situations, from academic writing to keeping a personal journal.

Writing about yourself and your work is a powerful way to grow personally and professionally. Reflective essays give you a chance to think about your own life and how it has affected your personal and professional growth. By writing about your thoughts and feelings, you can learn more about them, find ways to grow and improve, and improve your writing and communication skills . In the next parts of this article, we’ll show you how to write a good reflective essay step by step, from choosing a topic and organizing your thoughts to writing and revising your essay.

Elements of a Reflective Essay

A reflective essay is a type of writing that allows you to reflect on your personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. There are several essential elements that should be included in a reflective essay to ensure that it is effective in conveying your personal reflections and experiences.

Personal Reflection

The first essential element of a reflective essay is personal reflection. This involves exploring your own thoughts and feelings about the experience you are reflecting on. It is important to be honest and open about your thoughts and feelings, as this will make your essay more authentic and meaningful.

Description of the Experience

The second element of a reflective essay is a description of the experience that you are reflecting on. This includes providing details about the experience, such as where it took place, who was involved, and what happened. The description should be clear and concise, and should provide enough detail for the reader to understand the context of your reflection.

Analysis of the Experience

The third element of a reflective essay is analysis of the experience. This involves exploring the experience in more depth, and examining your thoughts and feelings about it. You should consider what you learned from the experience, and how it impacted your personal and professional growth .

Evaluation of the Experience

The fourth element of a reflective essay is evaluation of the experience. This involves examining the experience from different perspectives, and considering its strengths and weaknesses. You should reflect on what you would do differently if you were in the same situation again, and how you could improve your response or approach.

Identification of Key Learning

The fifth element of a reflective essay is identifying the key learning that you gained from the experience. This involves reflecting on the insights and lessons that you learned from the experience, and how these have impacted your personal and professional growth. This can include new skills, knowledge, or perspectives that you gained from the experience.

Planning for Future Action

The final element of a reflective essay is planning for future action. This involves considering how you can apply the lessons and insights gained from the experience to improve your future actions. You should reflect on how you can use what you learned to approach similar situations differently in the future.

How to Write a Reflective Essay

Writing a reflective essay can be a challenging task, but by following a few simple steps, you can write an effective and meaningful essay .

Steps for Writing a Reflective Essay:

1. Brainstorming and Selecting a Topic

Begin by brainstorming and selecting a topic for your reflective essay. Think about a personal experience or event that had a significant impact on your personal or professional growth.

2. Creating an Outline

Create an outline for your essay . This should include an introduction, body, and conclusion, as well as sections for each of the essential elements described above.

3. Writing the Introduction

Write the introduction for your essay . This should include a brief overview of the experience that you will be reflecting on, as well as the purpose and focus of your essay.

4. Writing the Body

Write the body of your essay, which should include the personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action . Make sure to use specific examples and details to support your reflection.

5. Writing the Conclusion

Write the conclusion for your essay , which should summarize the key points of your reflection and provide closure for the reader. You can also include a final reflection on the experience and what it means to you.

6. Revising and Editing

Pay close attention to grammar, spelling, and sentence structure as you reread and edit your essay . Make sure your essay is easy to read and flows well. You might also want someone else to look over your essay and give you feedback and ideas.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to write a good reflective essay. Remember to be honest and open about your thoughts and feelings, and to support your reflection with specific examples and details. You can become a good reflective writer with practice , and you can use this skill to help your personal and professional growth.

Reflective Essay Topics

Reflective essays can be written on a wide range of topics, as they are based on personal experiences and reflections. Here are some common categories of reflective essay topics:

Personal Experiences

– A time when you overcame a personal challenge

– A difficult decision you had to make

– A significant event in your life that changed you

– A moment when you learned an important lesson

– A relationship that had a significant impact on you

Professional Experiences

– A challenging project or assignment at work

– A significant accomplishment or success in your career

– A time when you had to deal with a difficult colleague or boss

– A failure or setback in your career and what you learned from it

– A career change or transition that had a significant impact on you

Academic Experiences

– A challenging course or assignment in school

– A significant accomplishment or success in your academic career

– A time when you struggled with a particular subject or topic and how you overcame it

– A research project or paper that had a significant impact on you

– A teacher or mentor who had a significant impact on your academic career

Cultural Experiences

– A significant trip or travel experience

– A significant cultural event or celebration you participated in

– A time when you experienced culture shock

– A significant interaction with someone from a different culture

– A time when you learned something new about a different culture and how it impacted you

Social Issues

– A personal experience with discrimination or prejudice

– A time when you volunteered or worked for a social cause or organization

– A significant event or moment related to a social issue (e.g. protest, rally, community event)

– A time when you had to confront your own biases or privilege

– A social issue that you are passionate about and how it has impacted you personally

Reflective Essay Examples

Example 1: Reflecting on a Personal Challenge

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a personal challenge they faced and how they overcame it. They explore their thoughts, feelings, and actions during this time, and reflect on the lessons they learned from the experience.

Example 2: Reflecting on a Professional Experience

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a challenging project they worked on at work and how they overcame obstacles to successfully complete it. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience and reflect on the skills and knowledge they gained from it.

Example 3: Reflecting on an Academic Assignment

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a challenging academic assignment they completed and how they overcame difficulties to successfully complete it. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience and reflect on the skills and knowledge they gained from it.

Example 4: Reflecting on a Cultural Experience

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on a significant cultural experience they had, such as traveling to a new country or participating in a cultural event. Theyexplore their thoughts and feelings about the experience, reflect on what they learned about the culture, and how it impacted them personally.

Example 5: Reflecting on a Social Issue

In this reflective essay, the writer reflects on their personal experiences with discrimination or prejudice and how it impacted them. They explore their thoughts and feelings about the experience, reflect on what they learned about themselves and the issue, and how they can take action to address it.

These examples demonstrate how reflective essays can be used to explore a wide range of personal experiences and reflections. By exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, you can gain insights into your personal and professional growth and identify areas for further development . Reflective writing is a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth, and it can be used in many different contexts to help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.

Reflective Essay Outline

A reflective essay should follow a basic outline that includes an introduction, body, and conclusion. Here is a breakdown of each section:

Introduction: The introduction should provide an overview of the experience you will be reflecting on and a preview of the key points you will be discussing in your essay .

Body: The body of the essay should include several paragraphs that explore your personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action.

Conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the key points of your reflection and provide closure for the reader.

Reflective Essay Thesis

A reflective essay thesis is a statement that summarizes the main points of your essay and provides a clear focus for your writing. A strong thesis statement is essential for a successful reflective essay, as it helps to guide your writing and ensure that your essay is focused and coherent.

Importance of a Strong Thesis Statement

A strong thesis statement is important for several reasons. First, it provides a clear focus for your writing, which helps to ensure that your essay is coherent and well-organized. Second, it helps to guide your writing and ensure that you stay on topic throughout your essay . Finally, it helps to engage your reader and provide them with a clear understanding of what your essay is about.

Tips for Writing a Thesis Statement

To write a strong thesis statement for your reflective essay, follow these tips:

– Be clear and concise: Yourthesis statement should clearly state the main focus and purpose of your essay in a concise manner.

– Use specific language: Use specific language to describe the experience you will be reflecting on and the key points you will be discussing in your essay .

– Make it arguable: A strong thesis statement should be arguable and provide some insight or perspective on the experience you are reflecting on.

– Reflect on the significance: Reflect on the significance of the experience you are reflecting on and why it is important to you.

Reflective Essay Structure

The structure of a reflective essay is important for ensuring that your essay is well-organized and easy to read. A clear structure helps to guide the reader through your thoughts and reflections, and it makes it easier for them to understand your main points.

The Importance of a Clear Structure

A clear structure is important for several reasons. First, it helps to ensure that your essay is well-organized and easy to read. Second, it helps to guide your writing and ensure that you stay on topic throughout your essay. Finally, it helps to engage your reader and provide them with a clear understanding of the key points you are making.

Tips for Structuring a Reflective Essay

To structure your reflective essay effectively, follow these tips:

– Start with an introduction that provides an overview of the experience you are reflecting on and a preview of the key points you will be discussing in your essay .

– Use body paragraphs to explore your personal reflection, description of the experience, analysisof the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action. Ensure that each paragraph has a clear focus and supports your thesis statement .

– Use transition words and phrases to connect your paragraphs and make your essay flow smoothly.

– End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes the key points of your reflection and provides closure for the reader.

– Consider using subheadings to organize your essay and make it more structured and easy to read.

By following these tips, you can create a clear and well-structured reflective essay that effectively communicates your personal experiences and reflections. Remember to use specific examples and details to support your reflection, and to keep your focus on the main topic and thesis statement of your essay .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. what is a reflective essay.

A reflective essay is a type of writing that allows you to reflect on your personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. It involves exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, and reflecting on what you learned from it.

2. What are the elements of a reflective essay?

The essential elements of a reflective essay include personal reflection, description of the experience, analysis of the experience, evaluation of the experience, identification of key learning, and planning for future action.

3. How do I choose a topic for a reflective essay?

To choose a topic for a reflective essay, think about a personal experience or event that had a significant impact on your personal or professional growth. You may also consider professional experiences, academic experiences, cultural experiences, or social issues that have impacted you personally.

Reflective writing is a powerful tool for personal and professional development. By exploring your own thoughts and feelings about an experience, you can gain insights into your personal and professional growth and identify areas for further development. To write an effective reflective essay, it is important to follow a clear structure, use specific examples and details to support your reflection, and stay focused on the main topic and thesis statement of your essay . By following these tips and guidelines, you can become a skilled reflective writer and use this tool to improve your personal and professional growth.

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Self Reflection Essay

Self reflection essay generator.

What goes through your mind when you have to write a self reflection essay? Do you ponder on your life choices, the actions you take to get where you want to be or where you are now? If you answered yes and yes to both of the questions, you are on the right track and have some idea on what a reflection essay would look like. This article would help give you more ideas on how to write a self reflection essay , how it looks like, what to put in it and some examples for you to use. So what are you waiting for? Check these out now.

10+ Self Reflection Essay Examples

1. self reflection essay template.

Size: 27 KB

2. Project Self Reflection Essay

Size: 35 KB

3. Final Self Reflection Essay

4. Internship Self Reflection Essay

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5. Student Self Reflection Essay

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6. Basic Self Reflection Essay

Size: 123 KB

7. College Self Reflection Essay

Size: 256 KB

8. Self Reflection Essay Rubric

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9. Standard Self Reflection Essay

Size: 30 KB

10. Persuasive Essays Student Self-Reflection

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11. Self Reflection Essay in Higher Education

Size: 139 KB

Defining Self

A person’s self that is different from the rest. On occasions it is considered as an object of a person’s view.

Defining Self Reflection

A self reflection is often described as taking a step back to reflect on your life. To take a break and observe how far you have become, the obstacles you have gone through and how they have affected your life, behavior and belief.

Defining Self Reflection Essay

A self- reflection essay is a type of essay that makes you express the experiences you have gone through in life based on a topic you have chosen to write about. It is a personal type of essay that you write about.  It makes you reflect on your life and journey to who you are today. The struggles, the fears, the triumphs and the actions you have taken to arrive at your current situation.

Tips on Writing a Self Reflection Essay

When writing a self reflection essay, there are some guidelines and formats to follow. But I am here to give you some tips to write a very good self reflection essay. These tips are easy to follow and they are not as complicated as some might believe them to be. Let’s begin. To write a good self reflection essay, one must first do:

• Think : Think about what you want to write. This is true for the title of your essay as well. Thinking about what to write first can save you a lot of time. After this tip, we move on to the next one which is:
• Drafting : As much as it sounds like a waste of time and effort, drafting what you are preparing to write is helpful. Just like in the first tip, drafting is a good way of writing down what you want and to add or take out what you will be writing later.
• State the purpose : Why are you writing this essay? State the purpose of the essay . As this is a self reflective essay, your purpose is to reflect on your life, the actions you did to reach this point of your life. The things you did to achieve it as well.
• Know your audience : Your self reflection essay may also depend on your audience. If you are planning on reading out loud your essay, your essay should fit your audience. If your audience is your team members, use the correct wording.
• Share your tips: This essay gives you the opportunity to share how you have achieved in life. Write down some tips for those who want to be able to achieve the same opportunity you are in right now.

How long or short can my self reflection essay be?

This depends on you. You may write a short self reflection essay, and you may also write a long one. The important thing there is stating the purpose of you writing your essay.

Writing a self reflection essay, am I allowed to write everything about my life?

The purpose of the self reflection essay is to reflect on a topic you choose and to talk about it.

Is there a limit of words to write this type of essay?

Yes, as much as possible stick to 300-700 words. But even if it may be this short, don’t forget to get creative and true in your essay.

A self reflective essay is a type of essay that people write to reflect on their lives. To reflect on a certain topic of their life and talk about it. Most of the time, this type of essay is short because this is merely to take a step back and watch your life throughout the beginning till the present time. Writing this type of essay may be a bit difficult for some as you have to dive deep into your life and remember the triumphs and the loss. The beauty of this essay though is the fact that you are able to see how far you have reached, how far you have overcome.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Write a Self Reflection Essay on a time you overcame a personal obstacle.

Reflect on your personal growth over the last year in your Self Reflection Essay.

175 of the Best Self-Reflection Questions to Ask Yourself (2024)

Posing self-reflection questions empowers you to examine your thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

Socrates wrote, “ The unexamined life is not worth living .”

How frequently do you pause to reflect on the life you lead?

Self-reflection gives you valuable insights. In turn, you are able to make better decisions, set realistic goals, and align your actions with your core values.

Amidst constant phone alerts and hectic calendars, moments of reflection are rare. Use these questions to stop and contemplate:

• personal growth
• relationships

Self-Reflection Questions for Personal Growth

1. What is going well in my life right now?

2. What is an area of my life I want to improve for personal growth?

3. When do I feel the most like myself?

4. What values are most important to me?

5. What would I do if other people’s opinions didn’t matter?

6. What do I want to say ‘no’ to moving forward?

7. What do I want to say ‘yes’ to more often?

8. What is something I would regret not doing in my life?

9. What do I tend to put off? Why?

10. What would I like to face more head-on and without fear?

11. How can I step out of my comfort zone ?

12. What is something I should become more knowledgeable about?

13. Am I using my time wisely?

14. Am I spending too much time focusing on things out of my control?

15. What personal goals am I working toward?

16. What worries me about the future?

17. What am I doing to appreciate and enjoy the things that are most important in my life?

18. Is there anything I need to let go of?

19. Am I living the life I envisioned?

20. What needs to change to feel like I’m living the life I desire to live?

21. What are my strengths? My weaknesses?

22. How can I improve my self-confidence?

23. What qualities do I admire most in others that I wish I had?

24. What is my most common negative thought about myself? How can I reframe that into a positive thought?

25. How can I describe my current self in 5 words? How would I describe my future self in 5 words?

26. How do I respond to setbacks?

27. What self-limiting beliefs are holding me back?

28. Do I embrace a growth mindset ?

29. What do I believe my mission in life is?

30. What have I always wanted to do but haven’t? What is stopping me?

31. What failure turned out to be a blessing?

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Self-Reflection Questions for Wellness & Self-Care

32. Do I take care of myself well ? How?

33. How do I spend my free time? How would I like to spend my free time?

34. How can I free up my calendar this week/month?

35. What am I looking forward to this week/month?

36. What is something that makes me feel refreshed or energized?

37. What do I like most about my physical appearance?

38. What is my favorite self-care activity ? Why?

39. What simple pleasures make me laugh or smile?

40. What good habits do I have for overall wellness? What is one good habit I would like to start?

41. Would I benefit from using a habit tracker to develop healthier self-care routines ?

42. What is one way I could show love to myself more?

(Take a 30 Day Self-Care Challenge )

43. How do I recharge?

44. What helps me slow down and feel more present?

45. How can I tell when I’m nearing burnout?

( Related: Symptoms and Tips For Mom Burnout )

46. Do I wake up feeling rested most days? How can I improve my sleep habits?

( Related: Sleep Affirmations )

47. Am I moving my body regularly? Do I enjoy the type of workouts I am doing?

48. Am I getting the preventative health care I need as I age (i.e. physicals and screenings)?

49. Do I deal with anxiety or depression? Am I seeking the steps needed for help?

50. Would I benefit from therapy? If so, what is holding me back?

51. What is one thing I can do to improve my overall diet? How can I plan to accomplish this?

52. How will taking care of myself physically, mentally, and emotionally have a positive impact on my family and my future?

53. Do I need to let go of anything from the past?

54. Do I have a morning routine that sets me up for a successful day? If not, what small changes can I make?

55. Do I have a nightly routine that sets me up for a successful sleep? If not, what small changes can I make?

56. What daily self-love affirmations can I say to myself?

57. How do I show and practice gratitude ?

58. What are three things that I love about myself?

59. Does my home feel like a relaxing and calm place to rest and recharge? If not, how I can make it that way?

60. Do I have a wardrobe that makes me feel good at my current age, size, and shape? If not, what steps do I need to take to improve this?

61. What are the three things I enjoy doing most? What are three things I hate doing and how can I stop doing those things?

62. What is a hobby that I wish to pursue ? How will I do that?

63. Do I have a bucket list ? What is on it that I can accomplish now?

64. What’s the best advice I’ve ever been given? Am I following that advice?

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Self-Reflection Questions for Relationships

65. How do I share my feelings with those I care about?

66. How can I make the time I spend with the people I love more intentional?

67. What qualities do I value in my relationships?

68. How can I foster healthier communication in my relationships?

69. Who shows support and uplifts me? How do I show support to others?

70. What connections matter the most to me? How can I prioritize those relationships more?

71. What is one person I want to improve my relationship with? What steps will I take to do this?

72. How can I connect more deeply with my partner this week?

73. What am I tolerating in a relationship that is really frustrating? What steps can I take to let that go?

74. Do I have any toxic relationships? How can I get rid of these relationships?

75. Do I know my love language? Do I know my partner’s love language? How can I use this knowledge to improve our relationship?

76. Who do I consider good friends? What are their qualities?

77. How can I be a better friend to others?

78. Do I have healthy relationship boundaries? Do I say “yes” to things I don’t like? How can I create healthier boundaries?

79. Do I have a close relationship that needs healing? How can I help this healing happen?

80. What are the top 3 things I must have in a relationship with others?

81. Do I ask for help from others when I need it?

82. Are most of my personal relationships mutually beneficial?

83. How do I rely on those closest to me?

84. Do I have the relationship I want with my parents?

85. What can I do to connect and foster positive relationships with each of my children?

86. What can I do this week to show someone important in my life that they are valued?

87. How can I show gratitude to one person I love this week?

88. How can I surprise someone I love with a small act of kindness this week?

89. How can I show compassion to a friend who needs it?

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Student Self-Reflection Questions

90. What is my greatest academic achievement?

91. What challenges me about school?

92. What are the best study habits I have? How can I improve my study habits?

93. What do I enjoy most about my studies?

94. How can I be more productive at school?

95. What new knowledge and skills do I want to gain at school?

96. How can I be a better teammate when working on group projects?

97. Do I consistently work to try my hardest on schoolwork?

98. What educational goals do I have for myself?

99. Do I meet the deadlines teachers set for me?

100. What helps me stay organized and motivated for my studies?

101. How do I use constructive feedback from my teachers to improve?

102. What classmates do I enjoy the most? Why?

103. What challenges me the most in school?

104. How will I use what I am learning in the future?

105. What is frustrating at school? How do I respond when I am struggling with something at school?

106. What am I still curious about?

107. What would I like to spend more time on in school?

108. What do I need more help with in school?

109. What have I learned today, this week, this semester, etc…?

110. Do I attend class ready to learn and with a good attitude?

111. Why is continuing to learn important to me?

112. Where have I found success and how can I share this with others?

113. How did I contribute to the class today? How did I hinder the class today?

114. What about my thinking, learning, or work has brought me satisfaction? Why?

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Self-Reflection Questions in the Workplace

115. Do I generally enjoy my work right now?

116. What is my dream job?

117. What are three career accomplishments I am proud of?

118. Do I feel valued and appreciated at work?

119. Am I motivated to reach my career goals? If not, why?

120. What changes do I need to make in order to feel fulfilled in my work?

121. Do I feel well compensated for the work I am doing? How can I earn more?

122. What is my ideal work environment?

123. What are some positive work habits I have? How can I improve my work habits?

124. Would I like to make a career change in the future? What’s stopping me or what do I need to do to accomplish this?

125. Do I want to get another degree or become more educated to advance in my current career?

126. How can I be a better team member at my workplace?

127. What is my current relationship with my colleagues?

128. How do I handle constructive feedback in the workplace?

129. How can I be more productive at work?

130. Do I have a good work-life balance?

131. How can I best use and expand on my current skills at work?

132. Do I want to gain a leadership position in my workplace?

133. Do I want to stay in my current career or consider a change?

134. How do I prevent burnout at work?

135. If I could change one thing about my current work, what would it be?

136. What is one thing I like the most about my current work?

137. Do I consistently meet deadlines set for me?

138. What are three career goals I have for myself? What plan do I need to accomplish these goals?

139. Am I financially stable? Do I have money in savings?

140. Do I have a good financial plan for retirement? What investments do I have?

141. What specific steps am I taking to improve my financial life?

142. How can I diversify my income to make more money?

Also, check out these awesome benefits for writing down your goals .

Spiritual Self-Reflection Questions

If your intentions are to discover your purpose or live a meaningful life, use these self-reflection questions as a guide.

143. What are my beliefs about a higher power?

144. Do I pray or meditate daily ?

145. Do I speak with others about my faith?

146. Do I live by the values of my faith? How?

147. Do I want to grow in my religious faith? If so, how?

148. Do I practice forgiveness with others?

149. How can I set aside time daily to grow in spirituality?

150. Do my priorities and values align with how I spend my time?

151. Do I practice the discipline of daily gratitude?

152. In what ways has my spiritual practice become more regular?

153. What are my beliefs about the afterlife? What has shaped those beliefs?

154. What will make my life worthwhile?

155. Do I want to become more involved in a church, synagogue, or bible study?

156. Do the people in my life support my spiritual journey?

157. How does my faith impact my daily life decisions?

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Daily Self-Reflection Questions To Ask

Morning Daily Self-Reflection Questions

158. How can I show myself love today?

159. What are three things I am grateful for today?

160. What am I most looking forward to today?

161. What am I anxious about? Why?

162. How did I feel today when I woke up? What were my first thoughts?

163. What morning affirmations can I say aloud to start my day with positivity?

164. How can I best start the day with my family and loved ones?

165. What do I love about my life?

166. What are my top priorities today?

Related: Good Morning Quotes & Thoughts and Best Family Affirmations

Evening Daily Self-Reflection Questions

167. What three things brought me joy today?

168. What was the highlight of my day?

169. What was a struggle I had today that I can handle better tomorrow?

170. What is something I want to remember about today?

171. Did I focus my time and energy on the right tasks today?

172. Did I spend too much time on social media today? Do I need to unplug from social media ?

173. What do I need to let go of that happened today?

174. What changes do I wish to see in my community and world? How did I contribute today?

175. What is one thing I accomplished today that felt good?

Self-Reflection Benefits

Personal Growth

Self-reflection can lead to self-improvement through:

• Setting meaningful goals
• Aligning actions with values
• Learning from past experiences
• Becoming aware of limiting beliefs and biases

This process leads to a more fulfilling and intentional life. It allows you to become fully engaged with the things that matter.

Emotional Intelligence

Developing emotional intelligence can lead to healthier relationships, improved mental well-being, and better conflict-resolution skills.

Emotional intelligence involves:

• Identifying emotions
• Understanding the causes of emotions
• Managing emotions effectively
• Recognizing others’ emotions and responding empathetically

Better Decision Making

Reflecting on past choices enables you to learn from mistakes and successes.

4 Practical Self-Reflection Activities

How can I practically apply these self-reflection questions in my daily life?

1. Journaling

Journal writing is a powerful technique for self-reflection. It allows you to express thoughts freely and without judgment. A daily journal can also help with tracking and identifying areas for improvement.

To start journal writing , use these tips:

• Choose a format : Decide if you want a physical journal or a digital one, such as a smartphone app or computer document. (Try this 30 day journaling challenge for specific questions)
• Create a routine : Set aside time each day to write in your journal without distractions.
• Write freely : Let your thoughts flow naturally. Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation.
• Reflect on your entries : Regularly review your journal entries to find patterns or recurring themes.

• Gratitude Journal Prompts
• Brain Dump Template

2. Meditation

Meditation entails being mindful, focusing on the present moment, and acknowledging thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. ( source )

Mindfulness techniques can help reduce stress and increase focus.

3. Create a Vision Board

Use the self-reflection questions from this list to create a vision board . Set goals and envision your future.

Use this free vision board template .>>

4. Creative Expression

Creative expression can also aid self-reflection by exploring emotions and thoughts.

• Visual arts : Create paintings, drawings, or collages.
• Writing : Compose short stories, poetry, or personal essays
• Performance arts : Engage in activities like dancing, acting, or playing an instrument.

10 Self-Reflection Quotes

Use these quotes to continue practicing self-reflection, awareness, and acceptance.

1. “What you think, you become. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you create .”- Buddha

2. “ Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom .” – Aristotle

3. “ To thine own self be true .” – William Shakespeare

4. “ The greatest journey is the one of self-discovery .” – Lao Tzu

5. “ Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. ” – Thomas Jefferson

6. “ We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience. ” – John Dewey

7. “ Be so busy improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others. ” – Unknown

8. “ Honest self-reflection opens your mind to reprogramming, change, success, and freedom .” – Vikas Runwal

9. “ If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be where you’ve always been .” – T.D. Jakes

10. “ The unexamined life is not worth living .”- Socrates

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Jessica is a contributing editor for Healthy Happy Impactful. She is dedicated to fostering a love of reading and empowering women and families. Jessica holds a Master's degree in Education and is a licensed Reading Specialist. She is a mom to 2 kids.

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Reflective Essay Guide

Writing Reflective Essay

Last updated on: Feb 9, 2023

A Step by Step Guide to Writing a Reflective Essay

By: John K.

Reviewed By: Jacklyn H.

Published on: May 11, 2021

If you have been assigned the task of writing a reflective essay, it will be an excellent opportunity to polish your creativity and writing skills.

A reflective essay is slightly different from other essays as it requires a personal point of view of a chosen subject. Thus, you need to analyze a particular subject with your personal experience, understanding, and knowledge.

The only key to write a reflective paper is that you need to be more expressive. The more expressive you are, the merrier it will be for your essay. Feel free to talk about life experiences that are valid to your topic. Writing your reflections can actually be a strength in this kind of essay.

If this sounds like something that interests or concerns you, then keep reading! This blog contains every detail necessary to produce an impressive reflective essay.

On this Page

What Is a Reflective Essay?

A reflective essay describes an experience or event and analyzes the meaning of that particular experience and the lessons it delivers. One thing that makes it a reflective essay is that the writer analyzes an event of the past from the present.

When writing a reflective essay, you are required to open up about your emotions and thoughts to paint a clear picture of your personality, history, and individual traits.

It is required that you include a description and a vivid summary of the experience; it will make the reader feel that he has experienced it as well. Moreover, you need to explain your reactions, thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

A good reflective paper should be creative, insightful, and authentic. It needs to express your opinions on a specific topic interestingly so that the reader wants to follow what you're saying without getting bored or leaving it before reading.

Reflective Essay Format

REFLECTIVE ESSAY FORMAT AND TEMPLATE

How to Start a Reflective Essay?

Writing a great reflective essay is a chance to polish your skills of writing and enhance your creativity. However, sometimes, it gets difficult and confusing to write it. There are many high schools as well as college students who get confused thinking where to start.

So, we have compiled some steps that will help you to write a perfect essay.

Let’s discuss them in detail.

1. Choose Your Topic Carefully

If you are given the freedom to choose a topic and don’t have any idea regarding it, the best way is to brainstorm and research some trending and good topic ideas. Unfortunately, a common mistake when writing a reflective essay is to choose a topic that is too broad or too narrow.

2. Research About Your Subject

Make sure you do thorough research on your topic first. Close your eyes and start imagining or remembering. Then, watch, listen, and read the information regarding your topic.

3. Brainstorm

Before you even start writing, brainstorm your ideas first. It is always a wise step to take before writing anything.

4. Choose Reflection Questions

Take a look at the questions below to get a better idea:

• What did I notice?
• What do I feel about it?
• Why am I feeling this way?

5. Answer the Questions You Have Chosen

After selecting your questions, you need to give their answers. Start from one essay question; make sure you answer it properly. After that, head on to the next one.

6. Recognize Your Experience Meaning

Before you even start writing, you need to choose the most significant lesson you have learned from your experience. This “most significant lesson or thing” is going to be the thesis of your essay.

7. Follow the Structure

Like all the other essays, the reflective essay also has the same format, which comprises the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraph.

Therefore, follow these steps and makes your essay writing process easy.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

How to Write a Reflective Essay?

Here are some steps that you should follow when you start writing your reflective paper.

1. Write the Introduction

To understand and know how to start a reflective essay introduction, you must first understand that an introduction is a piece of brief information about the main topic and its background.

In the reflective essay introduction, you will recognize the subject and provide the reader with an overview of the impression you have taken from it. Therefore, the introductory paragraph of your reflective essay needs to include a thesis statement that will act as a focal point of your paper.

2. Body Paragraphs

The first body paragraph should mention the impactful impression your subject has made on you. Then, provide relevant facts to support your thesis statement.

Moreover, the body of your essay will also describe most of the ideas you touched on in your introduction.

3. Write a Conclusion

Restate your thesis statement and summarize all the reasons you have mentioned in the essay’s body paragraphs. After that, sum up your essay with your final thoughts on the subject; close your essay with some reflective thoughts.

4. Proofread and Edit

Never submit your essay without editing or proofreading. Even though you have spent hours of effort and put a lot of hard work in doing your essay, your essay will have no worth if you haven’t proofread and edited it.

Here is the reflective essay outline sample for your ease.

Reflective Essay Outline

REFLECTIVE ESSAY OUTLINE

Reflective Essay Examples

We have compiled some perfect reflective essay examples below to help you get started on your paper.

Personal Reflective Essay Examples

PERSONAL REFLECTIVE ESSAY EXAMPLES

ENGLISH REFLECTIVE ESSAY EXAMPLES

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Reflective Essay Topics

Check out these reflective essay ideas on the most common subjects you can write about:

• Something from your imagination
• Something you have experienced in real
• A special object
• Something you have seen, heard, read, watched, touched, or smelled.

We are sure these subjects must have sparked your imagination, but here are a few essay topics that will help you get the bigger picture. In addition, these topics will help you understand the kind of topics teachers like to assign.

• The desert, mountains, countryside, or beach
• A special room or hideaway
• The house you grew up
• Home of some relative
• A person that taught me how to improve reflective writing skills
• New Experiences
• When your piece of writing published
• Important conversation
• The older man line of thought
• The time you overcame your fears

A list of topics will help you get a picture of what good ideas are like and how to come up with one of your own.

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Your essays are assigned to highly qualified essay writers who have years of experience and education. They make sure to provide you with mind-blowing, error-free, and on-time essays. They don’t just cater to the reflective essay but help with all types of essays.

So, contact us now and get the best write my essay for me? service at affordable rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a reflective essay.

The reflective essay should be between 300 and 500 words. However, it will vary according to the chosen topic.

What is the purpose of a reflective essay?

A reflective essay is a great opportunity for the author to explore what has happened in their life and show how this specific event may have changed them.

PhD Essay, Literature

John K. is a professional writer and author with many publications to his name. He has a Ph.D. in the field of management sciences, making him an expert on the subject matter. John is highly sought after for his insights and knowledge, and he regularly delivers keynote speeches and conducts workshops on various topics related to writing and publishing. He is also a regular contributor to various online publications.

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36 Important Self-Reflection Questions To Aid Introspection

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What better time to take a moment for self-reflection than right now?

So many of us get caught up in social media, TV shows, the news, what our partners/friends/family are up to, that we often neglect to check in with ourselves.

Though we are our only ever-present companion, we often overlook the more serious things we should be considering because everything just becomes normal, or routine.

We brush aside certain recurring thoughts, or play down certain feelings, and neglect to focus on how we’re actually doing.

Well, it’s time!

No more putting it off!

Let’s jump straight into some self-reflection questions and get deep…

( P.S. a pen and paper might come in handy to write down your answers for future reference.)

6 self-reflection questions about your thoughts and feelings. 

1. what helps you to feel happy.

What actually makes you happy? Some of us might automatically answer ‘food’ or ‘sex’ – but dig deeper.

When do you actually feel content or joyful – or, ideally, a mix of the two?

Think outside the box, as it might not be something you currently do very often.

Some of us love the things we only ‘get’ to do when we’re on holiday, like surfing, so the answer might not be immediately obvious.

Take your time to delve deep into your mind and see what sets your soul alight.

2. How can you spend more time doing things you love?

Now that you’ve figured out what really makes you feel good, how can you spend more time doing that?

Is there a way you can carve our more time in the day for them, or prioritize yourself over other things that take up your time?

If you chose something that you normally do on vacation, think about how you can incorporate that into your life more often.

Returning to the surfing example, maybe there’s an indoor surf spot near you, or a club you can join that organize trips to a nearby beach every month.

3. Who in your life makes you feel good?

Again, try to avoid answering quickly with the first person that pops into your mind! Sometimes, the best things aren’t the most obvious things.

It might not be someone you see every day, but it could be a distant relative you keep in touch with whose messages always cheer you up.

It could be a friend you’ve drifted away from – this is your reminder to get back in touch and rediscover that connection! 

4. Who drains your energy – and why are you still spending time with them?

This one might feel a bit awkward to answer, and you might feel uncomfortable thinking about people in this way.

Remember that it’s completely normal to find some friendships harder than usual at some point – everyone goes through phases, and those phases don’t always align well!

Think about how you can pull back a bit from people who are draining you. This isn’t about hurting their feelings or being rude; it’s about prioritizing what you need and being okay with setting boundaries.

You don’t need to cut this person out of your life, but you can start to ‘manage’ your relationship with them so that it’s healthier overall – for you both.

5. What do you value most about yourself?

Think about the parts of your body, brain, personality, that you like most. Where do you hold value?

Do you love how smart you are, or think that you’re really witty and funny?

Maybe you like how you look and have spent a lot of time and energy working out or bulking up?

We often forget to appreciate ourselves because we’re so used to being ourselves.

Take some time out to be kind to yourself and remember what makes you so amazing.

6. If there were no limits, what would you change about yourself? Even with limits, can you?

This shouldn’t focus on anything negative like “I wish I could be prettier/sexier/smarter/funnier.”

Instead, think about what you want to achieve and how you would feel when you achieve it.

It’s about growing as a person and improving on aspects of yourself that you know could use some work.

Maybe you’d change your work ethic so that you had the ability to open your own business.

Maybe you’d want to be more confident so that you could go on dates and find a partner.

Now, think about the obstacles you believe stand in the way of those changes – maybe you don’t have enough time to work as much as you want, or maybe you have a friend who makes you feel badly about yourself and it’s affecting your confidence.

How can you move past those obstacles and achieve those changes?

Wake up a little bit earlier, work through lunch one day a week, say no to drinks after work sometimes and focus on your own project.

Limit your time with a toxic friend, do things that make you feel capable and confident, speak to loved ones about boosting your self-esteem.

Then see what happens…

6 self-reflection questions about your future and dreams.

7. where do you see yourself in 3 years.

This one is straightforward and easy to do, so get deeper.

Go beyond ‘a good job and great relationship.’

What does it look like; feel like? How do you spend your days, where are you, and who are you with?

The stronger the visualization, the more successful the manifestation.

8. Where do you see yourself in 3 months?

The same as above, get a bit deeper! Also – what can you start doing in those 3 months that will help you achieve your 3-year goals?

9. Who, or what, is holding you back?

Spoiler alert – it might be you! You might be subconsciously blocking yourself from achieving certain things, which is totally normal, but not very helpful.

Have a good think about what you consider to be the obstacles to success – and then have a good think about what the actual obstacles are.

They’re bound to be quite different…

10. How can you address these limitations?

You may think you need money; what you actually need is to go to the bank and ask for a loan, start saving up, find an online course on budgeting and starting a business.

The obstacles may not be what you initially thought…

11. How do you feel about tomorrow?

Again, pretty simple! When you think about getting up tomorrow, how do you feel?

Nervous, anxious, excited, ready?

How can you move to a more positive mindset if you need to? How can you prep tonight to ensure tomorrow goes as well as it can?

Get your things ready, make yourself overnight oats so your breakfast is ready as soon as you’re up, make time for yoga before work.

How can you help yourself have the best tomorrow – every day?

12. What is your contingency plan?

Whether or not you have a contingency plan already says a lot about you and is something to consider in itself.

Are you a saver? Do you plan out of fear or excitement – are you building an underground bunker because you’re afraid of WW3, or is your plan to travel the world and explore?

What does that say about you, and are you happy with what it says?

6 self-reflection questions about your relationships and friendships.

13. are you happy with your relationship status.

Regardless of what it is, how do you feel about your current status?

Maybe you immediately think of an ex and get upset. Maybe you feel excited about the prospect of a new partner. Maybe you’re very content in your relationship.

Whatever it is, think about how happy you are…

14. If not, how can you address the issues you face?

This is a harder one, but definitely worth thinking about. If you’re not happy relationship-wise, how can you change that?

Maybe you want to be in a relationship and need to consider dating apps, speed dating, getting a friend to set you up with their friend.

Maybe you need to end your relationship, or maybe you need to communicate your feelings to your partner and move through a rough patch – together.

15. How can you become a better partner?

This isn’t about being critical of yourself and it’s not intended to make you feel badly about yourself.

Instead, it’s about considering how you communicate, how you manage your expectations, what your standards are, how you can maintain independence and merge with another at the same time.

Whether you’re single or with someone, think about how you could offer more and be the best partner you can be.

16. Which friends know you best?

Most of us behave slightly differently depending on who we’re spending time with. This is normal, but it does make you think – who are you most authentically ‘you’ with?

How can you spend more time with them, and what makes you so comfortable with them?

Is it how long you’ve known them, or how similar they are to you?

How can you move toward being more ‘you’ in your other friendships – and do you want to?

17. Do you need to forgive anyone?

This is a tough one, so go easy on yourself. It might bring up some negative feelings or some sad memories.

Think about people who have upset you and consider forgiving them.

Sometimes, we get so buried in our anger that we forget to pop our heads up, look around, and realize that that feeling is now stagnant; unnecessary.

It’s human nature to cling to the feeling of being ‘wronged,’ and it can harbor a lot of resentment.

Try to think about what you can let go of – and who you can free from their guilt.

18. Who needs to forgive you?

Again, it can be difficult to acknowledge certain feelings, especially if we feel guilty or angry about things that have happened.

Have you done something that you feel you should be forgiven for?

What have you learned from that experience – and why do you deserve to be forgiven?

How can you go about proving you deserve a second chance?

6 self-reflection questions about your health and well-being.

19. how do you feel in yourself.

Consider how you actually feel, right now. Is there any unease, either mentally or physically? How can you ease this?

Maybe jotting down your worries and getting them out of your head and onto a piece of paper.

Maybe you can stretch tight muscles or have a hot bath.

Can you make these things a habit to avoid unnecessary unease? 

20. What steps can you take toward feeling healthier?

Define what ‘health’ means to you – what does it look like?

Do you feel like you want to exercise more or less? Maybe you want to address the underlying anxiety you’ve been feeling recently.

How can you be your healthiest self – and why should you make the effort to become that?

21. How do you feel about asking for help?

Have you ever stopped yourself from reaching out for help out of shame, or time constraints, or confidence?

Would it feel differently this time round?

You can access free mental health support online, free counselling sessions are available, GPs can do phone/video calls if you feel worried about visiting in person, you can write down everything you’re worried about and hand it to a professional so that you don’t need to vocalize it or remember it all.

How can you let yourself get help?

22. Do you value your health?

Do you take your health for granted? A lot of us do. How can you celebrate being healthy – and why should you?

Think about how lucky you are in whatever situation you’re in, even if it takes a while to find that gratitude.

23. How can you move your body more?

What feels good? What’s realistic for your lifestyle?

Don’t commit to a 5am run if you know you won’t get up. Instead, invite your body to a 7pm yoga class online, with the option to postpone it if you’re busy.

Don’t force yourself, but encourage your body to move more and find things it loves.

24. How do you respect your health?

How do you honor your health and well-being? How do you make the most of your ability; your mobility?

How can you do this more? Who can you spread this message to, and why is it important to do this?

6 self-reflection questions about life in general.

25. how do you feel about aging and death.

We all get older and, eventually, we all leave this plane of existence. For where, no one knows for sure. Facing this reality and dealing with it can help you get on and live your life without the nagging presence of death.

How do you feel about getting older – the physical and mental changes that take place and the slow winding down of your days?

What can you do to better come to terms with the reality we all face?

26. What would you like to prioritize at this stage of your life?

We go through many stages in our lives – which one are you in right now?

Given where you are, what things do you put first? Or, rather, what things would you like to put first?

Your health? Your family? Your friends? Travel? Career? Financial security?

Sitting down and actually deciding what things really matter to you right now can help you decide where to put your energy.

27. Do you find meaning in your life?

Meaning and purpose – you can’t see them or touch them, but we all yearn for more of them in our lives.

Are they present in your life? What is the source? Could you do more of those things?

If they aren’t present, what could you do to try to find them? What teachings could you follow or learn about? What activities could you get involved in?

Could you volunteer? Could you dedicate yourself to a selfless task that helps in other ways? Could you learn to appreciate everything you already have in life?

28. How do you deal with the stresses of life?

Stress is something that everyone has to face in their lives. There will be times when things are difficult, both mentally and emotionally.

Being able to deal with that stress in a healthy and effective way can prevent it from building up to a point where it causes you to burn out or break down.

What coping mechanisms do you have? Are they healthy or unhealthy? What could you do to manage your stress better?

29. What are you avoiding in your life?

Are there things in your life that you are ignoring or avoiding? Are you putting your head in the sand and hoping that these things will just go away by themselves?

Sorry to break it to you, but this approach rarely ends well.

We have to face the things we might not wish to face. We have to take the actions we might not want to take. It’s the only way that we move forward and grow in our lives and in ourselves.

What things could you do in the next 7 days that you’ve been putting off for a while now?

30. Do you feel you are on the right path in life?

The language of life used in the personal development space is often one of paths and of walking those paths. It’s an analogy that works well because life is very much a journey that we all have to take.

And whilst there is no single path or way to live your life, you can find a way to live that resonates well with who you are and who you wish to be in the future.

Are you on such a path? Do you feel like you are doing the things that you ought to be doing? That you would like to do?

If not, how can you navigate your way to a path that best suits the type of life you would like to lead?

6 self-reflection questions about your beliefs.

31. do you have strong spiritual beliefs.

Are you a spiritual or religious person? How strongly do you hold these beliefs?

What are those beliefs? Do your beliefs help to define who you are and the path you walk?

32. Do you live true to your spiritual beliefs?

Do you always live in a way that is aligned with the spiritual beliefs you hold? Do you follow the principles of a religion or your own self-imposed rules?

If you struggle to live how your beliefs say you should live, does it cause any inner conflict? If so, how you do reconcile that conflict?

Could you find a way to live more in line with your spiritual beliefs?

33. Would you like your spiritual beliefs to play a bigger role in your life?

How much influence do your spiritual beliefs have on your everyday life? How regularly do you engage in spiritual practice, whether formal or informal?

Could your life benefit from giving your beliefs a more prominent role?

Would you feel happier, more connected, more fulfilled?

34. What are your moral and ethical standards?

What are your standards in terms of what guides your actions and your treatment of other people and things?

Do you only buy Fair Trade goods? Do you seek to minimize your impact on the environment? Are you passionately involved in fighting discrimination of some kind?

How did those morals and ethics form? Whose influence were you guided by? Have you ever questioned the standards you live by? Should you?

Are there times when you let your standards slip? How does this make you feel? What can you do to prevent this from happening?

35. How do you handle beliefs that conflict with your own?

Coming up against beliefs or standards that differ from your own – even to the point where they completely oppose your own – is inevitable. Humanity is so diverse that almost every point of view is held by at least one person.

Are you open-minded to these conflicting beliefs? Do you assess them rationally and without prejudice to see what value or lessons you can take away from them?

Or do you hold tight to what you believe whilst fighting against anyone and anything that might disagree with you? If so, how does this make you feel?

Are there ways that you can be more open to opposing ideas, or at least have a less emotional response to them?

36. Are there areas where you don’t have clearly defined beliefs, but would like them?

Beliefs and morals do not just magically appear in our minds. They develop over time based upon our life experiences and the people or organizations we learn from.

Are there pieces of the spiritual or moral jigsaw puzzle that are currently hidden to you? Are there aspects of your beliefs that are not well formed?

How might you go about figuring out where you stand on those issues? Who might you turn to for help? What books might you read? Whose wisdom might you consider?

You may also like:

• 6 Self-Awareness Activities For Discovery, Reflection, And Growth
• How To Find Yourself: 11 Steps To Discovering Your True Identity
• How To Be Yourself: 5 Tips For Being Real, Authentic, And Not Fake
• 4 Steps To Developing Your Personal Philosophy For Life
• 8 Spiritual Goals You Should Set Yourself Right Now

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About The Author

Lucy is a travel and wellness writer currently based in Gili Air, a tiny Indonesian island. After over a year of traveling, she’s settled in paradise and spends her days wandering around barefoot, practicing yoga and exploring new ways to work on her wellbeing.

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102 Self-Reflection Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Self-reflection essays are a great way to explore and analyze your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. They provide an opportunity to reflect on your actions, beliefs, and values, and to consider how they have shaped your identity and worldview. If you are struggling to come up with a topic for your self-reflection essay, here are 102 ideas and examples to inspire you.

• Reflect on a time when you faced a difficult decision and how you ultimately made your choice.
• Discuss a mistake you made and what you learned from it.
• Reflect on a time when you felt proud of yourself and why.
• Discuss a belief or value that has changed over time and why.
• Reflect on a challenging experience that helped you grow as a person.
• Discuss a time when you had to step out of your comfort zone and how it affected you.
• Reflect on a relationship that has had a significant impact on your life.
• Discuss a goal you set for yourself and how you worked towards achieving it.
• Reflect on a time when you felt misunderstood and how it affected you.
• Discuss a book, movie, or piece of art that has influenced your perspective on life.
• Reflect on a time when you felt overwhelmed and how you coped with it.
• Discuss a skill or talent you possess and how it has shaped your identity.
• Reflect on a time when you had to overcome a fear or phobia.
• Discuss a lesson you learned from a difficult experience.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like giving up and how you found the strength to keep going.
• Discuss a time when you had to apologize and make amends for a mistake you made.
• Reflect on a time when you felt grateful for something in your life.
• Discuss a time when you felt like a failure and how you bounced back from it.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you didn't belong and how you found your place.
• Discuss a cultural tradition or practice that has influenced your identity.
• Reflect on a time when you felt inspired by someone else's actions.
• Discuss a time when you had to confront a difficult truth about yourself.
• Reflect on a time when you felt conflicted about a decision and how you resolved it.
• Discuss a time when you felt judged or discriminated against and how it affected you.
• Reflect on a time when you had to stand up for what you believe in.
• Discuss a time when you felt lost or confused about your purpose in life.
• Reflect on a time when you experienced a moment of clarity or insight.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were living authentically.
• Reflect on a time when you had to let go of something or someone important to you.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were on the right path in life.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were failing at something important.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to yourself.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were living up to your potential.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being held back by fear or insecurity.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were making a difference in the world.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your values.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your beliefs.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your goals.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your dreams.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your passions.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your talents.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your strengths.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your weaknesses.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your insecurities.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your fears.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your doubts.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your hopes.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your dreams.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your ambitions.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your potential.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your purpose.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your values.
• Discuss a time when you felt like you were being true to your beliefs.
• Reflect on a time when you felt like you were being true to your goals.

These self-reflection essay topic ideas and examples are just a starting point to help you explore your thoughts and experiences. Remember, the most important thing is to be honest and authentic in your reflections, and to use them as a tool for personal growth and self-discovery. Happy writing!

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Frequently asked questions

What kind of self-reflection should i do for my college essay.

First, spend time reflecting on your core values and character . You can start with these questions:

• What are three words your friends or family would use to describe you, and why would they choose them?
• Whom do you admire most and why?
• What are you most proud of? Ashamed of?

However, you should do a comprehensive brainstorming session to fully understand your values. Also consider how your values and goals match your prospective university’s program and culture. Then, brainstorm stories that illustrate the fit between the two.

Frequently asked questions: College admissions essays

When writing your Common App essay , choose a prompt that sparks your interest and that you can connect to a unique personal story.

No matter which prompt you choose, admissions officers are more interested in your ability to demonstrate personal development , insight, or motivation for a certain area of study.

The Common App essay is your primary writing sample within the Common Application, a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools. All your prospective schools that accept the Common App will read this essay to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student.

Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any college names or programs; instead, save tailored answers for the supplementary school-specific essays within the Common App.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding your message and content. Then, check for flow, tone, style , and clarity. Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors .

If your college essay goes over the word count limit , cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

If you’ve got to write your college essay fast , don’t panic. First, set yourself deadlines: you should spend about 10% of your remaining time on brainstorming, 10% on outlining, 40% writing, 30% revising, and 10% taking breaks in between stages.

Second, brainstorm stories and values based on your essay prompt.

Third, outline your essay based on the montage or narrative essay structure .

Fourth, write specific, personal, and unique stories that would be hard for other students to replicate.

Fifth, revise your essay and make sure it’s clearly written.

Last, if possible, get feedback from an essay coach . Scribbr essay editors can help you revise your essay in 12 hours or less.

Avoid swearing in a college essay , since admissions officers’ opinions of profanity will vary. In some cases, it might be okay to use a vulgar word, such as in dialogue or quotes that make an important point in your essay. However, it’s safest to try to make the same point without swearing.

If you have bad grades on your transcript, you may want to use your college admissions essay to explain the challenging circumstances that led to them. Make sure to avoid dwelling on the negative aspects and highlight how you overcame the situation or learned an important lesson.

However, some college applications offer an additional information section where you can explain your bad grades, allowing you to choose another meaningful topic for your college essay.

Here’s a brief list of college essay topics that may be considered cliché:

• Extracurriculars, especially sports
• Role models
• Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family
• Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents’ divorce)
• Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp
• Overcoming a difficult class
• Using a common object as an extended metaphor

It’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic. However, it’s possible to make a common topic compelling with interesting story arcs, uncommon connections, and an advanced writing style.

Yes. The college application essay is less formal than other academic writing —though of course it’s not mandatory to use contractions in your essay.

In a college essay , you can be creative with your language . When writing about the past, you can use the present tense to make the reader feel as if they were there in the moment with you. But make sure to maintain consistency and when in doubt, default to the correct verb tense according to the time you’re writing about.

The college admissions essay gives admissions officers a different perspective on you beyond your academic achievements, test scores, and extracurriculars. It’s your chance to stand out from other applicants with similar academic profiles by telling a unique, personal, and specific story.

Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial to avoid distracting the reader from your college essay’s content.

A college application essay is less formal than most academic writing . Instead of citing sources formally with in-text citations and a reference list, you can cite them informally in your text.

For example, “In her research paper on genetics, Quinn Roberts explores …”

There is no set number of paragraphs in a college admissions essay . College admissions essays can diverge from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in English class. Just make sure to stay under the specified word count .

Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are:

• Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)
• Not personal enough (e.g. broad solutions to world problems, inspiring people or things)
• Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay)
• Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars)
• Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

You can use humor in a college essay , but carefully consider its purpose and use it wisely. An effective use of humor involves unexpected, keen observations of the everyday, or speaks to a deeper theme. Humor shouldn’t be the main focus of the essay, but rather a tool to improve your storytelling.

Get a second opinion from a teacher, counselor, or essay coach on whether your essay’s humor is appropriate.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:

• Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
• Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories

You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.

Yes—admissions officers don’t expect everyone to have a totally unique college essay topic . But you must differentiate your essay from others by having a surprising story arc, an interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style .

There are no foolproof college essay topics —whatever your topic, the key is to write about it effectively. However, a good topic

• Is meaningful, specific, and personal to you
• Focuses on you and your experiences
• Reveals something beyond your test scores, grades, and extracurriculars
• Is creative and original

Unlike a five-paragraph essay, your admissions essay should not end by summarizing the points you’ve already made. It’s better to be creative and aim for a strong final impression.

You should also avoid stating the obvious (for example, saying that you hope to be accepted).

There are a few strategies you can use for a memorable ending to your college essay :

• Return to the beginning with a “full circle” structure
• Reveal the main point or insight in your story
• Look to the future
• End on an action

The best technique will depend on your topic choice, essay outline, and writing style. You can write several endings using different techniques to see which works best.

College deadlines vary depending on the schools you’re applying to and your application plan:

• For early action applications and the first round of early decision applications, the deadline is on November 1 or 15. Decisions are released by mid-December.
• For the second round of early decision applications, the deadline is January 1 or 15. Decisions are released in January or February.
• Regular decision deadlines usually fall between late November and mid-March, and decisions are released in March or April.
• Rolling admission deadlines run from July to April, and decisions are released around four to eight weeks after submission.

Depending on your prospective schools’ requirements, you may need to submit scores for the SAT or ACT as part of your college application .

Some schools now no longer require students to submit test scores; however, you should still take the SAT or ACT and aim to get a high score to strengthen your application package.

Aim to take the SAT or ACT in the spring of your junior year to give yourself enough time to retake it in the fall of your senior year if necessary.

Apply early for federal student aid and application fee waivers. You can also look for scholarships from schools, corporations, and charitable foundations.

To maximize your options, you should aim to apply to about eight schools:

• Two reach schools that might be difficult to get into
• Four match schools that you have a good chance of getting into
• Two safety schools that you feel confident you’ll get into

The college admissions essay accounts for roughly 25% of the weight of your application .

At highly selective schools, there are four qualified candidates for every spot. While your academic achievements are important, your college admissions essay can help you stand out from other applicants with similar profiles.

In general, for your college application you will need to submit all of the following:

• Your personal information
• List of extracurriculars and awards
• College application essays
• Transcripts
• Standardized test scores
• Recommendation letters.

Different colleges may have specific requirements, so make sure you check exactly what’s expected in the application guidance.

You should start thinking about your college applications the summer before your junior year to give you sufficient time for college visits, taking standardized tests, applying for financial aid , writing essays, and collecting application material.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

In most cases, quoting other people isn’t a good way to start your college essay . Admissions officers want to hear your thoughts about yourself, and quotes often don’t achieve that. Unless a quote truly adds something important to your essay that it otherwise wouldn’t have, you probably shouldn’t include it.

Cliché openers in a college essay introduction are usually general and applicable to many students and situations. Most successful introductions are specific: they only work for the unique essay that follows.

The key to a strong college essay introduction is not to give too much away. Try to start with a surprising statement or image that raises questions and compels the reader to find out more.

The introduction of your college essay is the first thing admissions officers will read and therefore your most important opportunity to stand out. An excellent introduction will keep admissions officers reading, allowing you to tell them what you want them to know.

You can speed up this process by shortening and smoothing your writing with a paraphrasing tool . After that, you can use the summarizer to shorten it even more.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

In your application essay , admissions officers are looking for particular features : they want to see context on your background, positive traits that you could bring to campus, and examples of you demonstrating those qualities.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

You don’t need a title for your college admissions essay , but you can include one if you think it adds something important.

Your college essay’s format should be as simple as possible:

• Use a standard, readable font
• Use 1.5 or double spacing
• If attaching a file, save it as a PDF
• Stick to the word count
• Avoid unusual formatting and unnecessary decorative touches

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

• A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
• A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Campus visits are always helpful, but if you can’t make it in person, the college website will have plenty of information for you to explore. You should look through the course catalog and even reach out to current faculty with any questions about the school.

Colleges set a “Why this college?” essay because they want to see that you’ve done your research. You must prove that you know what makes the school unique and can connect that to your own personal goals and academic interests.

Depending on your writing, you may go through several rounds of revision . Make sure to put aside your essay for a little while after each editing stage to return with a fresh perspective.

Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your language, tone, and content . Ask for their help at least one to two months before the submission deadline, as many other students will also want their help.

Friends and family are a good resource to check for authenticity. It’s best to seek help from family members with a strong writing or English educational background, or from older siblings and cousins who have been through the college admissions process.

If possible, get help from an essay coach or editor ; they’ll have specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and be able to give objective expert feedback.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Include specific, personal details and use your authentic voice to shed a new perspective on a common human experience.

Through specific stories, you can weave your achievements and qualities into your essay so that it doesn’t seem like you’re bragging from a resume.

When writing about yourself , including difficult experiences or failures can be a great way to show vulnerability and authenticity, but be careful not to overshare, and focus on showing how you matured from the experience.

In a college application essay , you can occasionally bend grammatical rules if doing so adds value to the storytelling process and the essay maintains clarity.

However, use standard language rules if your stylistic choices would otherwise distract the reader from your overall narrative or could be easily interpreted as unintentional errors.

Write concisely and use the active voice to maintain a quick pace throughout your essay and make sure it’s the right length . Avoid adding definitions unless they provide necessary explanation.

Use first-person “I” statements to speak from your perspective . Use appropriate word choices that show off your vocabulary but don’t sound like you used a thesaurus. Avoid using idioms or cliché expressions by rewriting them in a creative, original way.

If you’re an international student applying to a US college and you’re comfortable using American idioms or cultural references , you can. But instead of potentially using them incorrectly, don’t be afraid to write in detail about yourself within your own culture.

Provide context for any words, customs, or places that an American admissions officer might be unfamiliar with.

College application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing . Use a conversational yet respectful tone , as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be vulnerable about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the reader.

Aim to write in your authentic voice , with a style that sounds natural and genuine. You can be creative with your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers.

Admissions officers use college admissions essays to evaluate your character, writing skills , and ability to self-reflect . The essay is your chance to show what you will add to the academic community.

The college essay may be the deciding factor in your application , especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Some colleges also require supplemental essays about specific topics, such as why you chose that specific college . Scholarship essays are often required to obtain financial aid .

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How to Write a Reflective Essay With Tips on Effective Self-Analysis (Step-by-Step Guide) 2023-2024

Writing an essay, particularly a reflective one, can be an enriching experience that enables introspection and self-analysis. In this guide, we will explore the step-by-step process of crafting a reflective essay with a focus on effective self-analysis. Whether you are a student or a professional, understanding how to write a reflective essay will enhance your critical thinking skills and personal growth. From choosing a topic to revising and editing, we will cover all the necessary aspects to help you produce a compelling reflective essay. By following these guidelines, you can develop a reflective essay that not only facilitates self-analysis but also showcases your growth and critical thinking abilities. GradeSmiths further supports your academic journey by offering the convenience of paying for essays and accessing expert online assignment help. With GradeSmiths, you can receive the necessary guidance and assistance to excel in your writing endeavors.

Step 1: Selecting an Engaging Topic

When starting your reflective essay, carefully choose a topic that has had a significant impact on you. It could be an achievement, a challenging situation , or a moment of personal growth. By selecting a specific incident or experience, you can delve deeper into its analysis and provide valuable insights to your readers.

Step 2: Gathering Thoughts and Emotions

Before diving into the writing process, take some time to gather your thoughts and emotions related to the chosen experience. Engage in techniques such as free-writing or brainstorming to jot down all the ideas that come to mind. This exercise will help you capture the essence of your reflections and ensure that no important details are overlooked during the analysis .

Step 3: Developing an Outline

An outline serves as a roadmap for your reflective essay, enabling you to organize your thoughts in a clear and logical manner. Identify key points and main arguments that you want to discuss in your essay. Divide your essay into sections, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. By structuring your essay in advance, you’ll have a solid foundation to build upon.

Step 4: Crafting an Engaging Introduction

The introduction is the gateway to your reflective essay and should engage the reader’s attention. Begin with a compelling hook or an intriguing anecdote related to your experience. Provide context and background information to help the reader understand the significance of the experience. Finally, present a clear and concise thesis statement that highlights the main focus of your essay.

Step 5: Developing Well-Structured Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs form the core of your reflective essay. Each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the experience and provide supporting evidence and examples. Analyze your thoughts, emotions, and reactions during the experience, exploring the reasons behind them. Reflect on the significance of the experience and its impact on your personal growth and development.

Step 6: Applying Self-Analysis Techniques

To deepen your self-analysis, apply various techniques such as SWOT analysis or self-questioning. Assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in relation to the experience. Consider how the experience has shaped you as an individual, what lessons you have learned, and identify areas for improvement. This process allows you to gain deeper insights into yourself and your journey.

Step 7: Writing a Thought-Provoking Conclusion

In the conclusion of your reflective essay, summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs. Reflect on the overall significance and implications of the experience you shared. Offer final thoughts and insights gained from the self-analysis process. Conclude your essay on a positive note, highlighting the growth and lessons learned through the reflective process.

Step 8: Revising and Editing for Polished Writing

Once you have completed your initial draft, it’s essential to revise and edit your reflective essay. Review it for clarity, coherence, and overall structure. Check for grammar, spelling , and punctuation errors. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to gain different perspectives and identify areas that need improvement. Taking the time to revise and edit ensures your essay is polished and effectively conveys your message.

Tips for Effective Self-Analysis in Reflective Essays

When writing your essay , it’s important to keep these tips in mind to effectively convey your ideas and engage your readers:

• Be genuine and authentic: When sharing your thoughts and emotions, be true to yourself. Avoid exaggeration or embellishment and express your experiences and feelings sincerely.
• Use descriptive language: Create a vivid and engaging narrative by incorporating descriptive language. Paint a picture with words to make your essay more captivating and memorable.
• Connect personal experiences to broader concepts: Demonstrate your critical thinking skills by linking your personal experiences to broader c oncepts or theories . Show how your experiences relate to larger societal issues or academic knowledge.
• Reflect on implications and personal growth: Take time to reflect on the implications of your experience and how it has contributed to your personal growth. Discuss the lessons learned and the insights gained from the experience.
• Analyze strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats : Assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in relation to the experience. Reflect on how the experience has affected your self-awareness and identify areas for improvement.
• Identify lessons learned and impact on perspective: Highlight the key lessons you have learned from the experience and how they have influenced your perspective . Discuss any shifts in mindset or changes in your outlook.
• Consider alignment with future goals: Evaluate how the experience aligns with your future goals and aspirations. Discuss how it has shaped your ambitions or influenced your career path.
• Be open to constructive criticism : Embrace feedback from others and be open to constructive criticism. Consider different perspectives and use feedback to refine your ideas and strengthen your essay.
• Revise and edit for clarity and coherence: Take the time to revise and edit your essay. Ensure that your ideas flow logically, your sentences are clear, and your essay is coherent. Eliminate any errors or inconsistencies.
• Maintain a positive and reflective tone: Throughout your essay , maintain a positive and reflective tone. Show gratitude for the experience and demonstrate your willingness to learn and grow.

By following these tips, you can effectively communicate your ideas, showcase your personal growth, and craft a compelling essay that leaves a lasting impression on your readers.

Writing a reflective essay with effective self-analysis is a valuable exercise that allows for self-reflection, personal growth, and the development of critical thinking skills. By following the step-by-step guide provided, you can navigate the process seamlessly. Remember to choose a compelling topic, gather your thoughts and emotions, create an outline, and craft a captivating introduction . Develop your analysis in the body paragraphs, applying self-analysis techniques to gain deeper insights. Conclude your essay by summarizing the main points and offering final reflections. With these tips, you’re well on your way to writing a stellar reflective essay that showcases your journey of self-discovery.

Take away Notes

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In conclusion, if you’re looking for reliable and professional assistance with your essay, research paper, thesis, or any other academic writing task, GradeSmiths is the right place for you. With a team of experienced and skilled writers, GradeSmiths offers high-quality custom writing services tailored to your specific needs. From essay writing to research paper structure and literature reviews, their experts are well-equipped to provide the support you require. By placing an order at GradeSmiths , you can ensure that your paper is well-written, well-researched, and meets all the necessary academic standards. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of their affordable prices and excellent customer reviews. Place your order today and experience the convenience and quality that GradeSmiths has to offer.

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Reflective Essay Examples

50 best reflective essay examples (+topic samples).

If you have ever read reflective essay examples, you would know that these types of written works examine the writer’s life experiences . When you write a reflective paper example, you write about your own experiences and explore how you’ve changed, grown or developed because of those experiences. There’s no standard format for this essay as it may vary depending on the target audience.

Table of Contents

• 1 Reflective Essay Examples
• 2 What is a reflective essay?
• 3 Reflective Paper Examples
• 4 Format of reflective essay
• 5 Creating the outline of reflective essay examples
• 6 Reflective Paper Samples
• 7 Tips for writing reflective essay
• 8 Reflective Essay Samples

What is a reflective essay?

A reflective essay is a type of written work which reflects your own self. Since it’s about yourself, you already have a topic to write about. For reflective essay examples, readers expect you to evaluate a specific part of your life. To do this, you may reflect on emotions, memories, and feelings you’ve experienced at that time.

Since you’re writing reflection essay samples about yourself, make sure that they’re interesting and exciting. This is very important so that your readers don’t get bored with what you’ve written. Reflective essays are very personal thus, they’re a special type of essay. As you write one, you need to reflect, think, and explain.

In the essay, you should demonstrate and describe different feelings or emotions which you’ve felt in the past. These statements breathe life into your essay as your readers start picturing what you’ve written in their minds. Reflective essays are very honest, personal, and emotional, especially those which describe painful experiences.

Reflective Paper Examples

Format of reflective essay

As aforementioned, reflective essay examples don’t have a standard format. They seem easy enough to write but once you’ve sat down to start writing, you may suddenly find the task very challenging! Besides the format, you must think about the life experience you want to write about and remember everything about it.

A reflective paper example is a lot like a personal journal or diary. Of course, the difference is that other people will read your essay. Therefore, you must write it with good structure and coherence. In this regard, reflective essays are a lot like the other types of essays too.

When writing a reflective essay, you will have to examine your own life experiences. The purpose of writing such an essay is to provide yourself with a platform to share your most meaningful life experiences with other people. You can also use it as a way to explore how your experiences have changed you as a person.

You can present reflective writing in different formats. Most of the time though, people use a learning log or a diary entry format. You can use these formats and others. Just make sure that your essay has a good flow and that it’s easy for other readers to understand.

The format to use for your reflection essay samples would depend on your target audience. You can make an academic reflective essay or you can make it as a general and informal piece of writing. If you need to write the essay for a class assignment, follow the format given to you by your teacher.

No matter what format you choose, you may write an essay which:

• Focuses on your personal growth Such an essay helps you learn how to evaluate and analyze the experiences you have had in your personal life. This helps promote emotional development and growth. It also helps you understand yourself and your behaviors better.
• Focuses on literature For this type of essay, you may have to include references to literature and apply these to your own life experiences. Such essays are commonly given as assignments to students in school.

Creating the outline of reflective essay examples

Before you write your reflective essay examples, you must create an outline for them. Although you’d write about your own life, creating an outline gives structure to your essay to serve as a guide for what you want to write about.

Whether you need to write an essay for school, for a magazine or for any other reason, creating an outline is the very first step. With a good outline, you have a better idea of how your essay will flow from one paragraph to the next all the way to the conclusion.

When creating the outline of your reflective paper example, keep it organized. Develop the outline gradually and put a lot of thought into it. In doing this, you make the writing process much easier. Here is a rundown of the steps involved in the essay-writing process:

• Choose a topic (a significant life experience you want to write about)
• Gather information
• Create an outline
• Write a draft
• Finalize your essay

Reflective Paper Samples

Tips for writing reflective essay

As you think about the content of your reflection essay samples, remember that the important thing is that such an essay must be highly personal but also engaging to readers. There’s so much more to reflective essays than just writing your story. You must also reflect on your experiences to engage your audiences.

For your starting point, think about the most significant experiences you had in your life. Those which had either a negative or a positive impact on you as a person. If the reflective essay is a school assignment, your professor would probably specify what you must write about. Here are some tips for you for writing your reflective paper example:

• Reflection The most important part of writing your reflective essay is the reflective process. Think about the personal experience you want to write about. Focus on what happened, how this experience made you feel, and how it affected your life. Explore your memories and emotions for this part of the process. As you’re recalling and reflecting on your life experience, take a lot of notes . Write down all the details you remember and try to be as clear and as detailed as you possibly can. Take as much time as you need for reflection. You can even close your eyes as you try to remember those experiences vividly. When you’re confident that you have recalled all of the details of your life experience, it’s time to write your essay. To make it more meaningful, try to answer some important questions about your life experience including: Did you learn anything new about yourself because of this experience? Have you grown or developed because of this experience? If so, in what way? Did this experience impact your life positively or negatively? If you had the chance to experience this all over again, would you do anything differently? Why did you behave in such a way at the time of this experience? Did you make the right choices? What are your general thoughts and feelings about this experience? Can you say that you learned from this experience? Did you gain any new perspectives or skills because of this experience? These are “signpost questions” which can help you write a more meaningful essay. These are just some examples, you can also think of your own questions to ask yourself. The point of these questions is to make sure that you think critically and deeply about the experience you’re writing about.
• Planning After you’ve reflected on your life experience, it’s time to start planning your essay. When it’s time to start, you might feel as if you’re not adequately prepared even though you’ve done a lot of reflection. This is a normal feeling, especially if you want to create a written piece which people will love reading. To ease your anxiety and doubt, come up with a well-rounded and comprehensive plan. The best way to do this is through an outline. With an outline to guide your writing process, you can come up with an essay that’s more coherent and which has a clear structure. An outline or plan is important for reflective essays. Since you’re writing about an emotionally-charged topic, you might find yourself getting “lost” along the way. This is especially true if you’re writing about a painful experience which still affects you until now. The outline serves as a map for you to keep your thoughts organized. In your outline, make sure to establish all of the fundamental details you wish to include in your essay. This helps you pick out and remove any superfluous information to make it easier to read and understand. Planning the points you want to write about makes it easier for you to stay on point. As such, your writing becomes a lot clearer and your readers can follow your line of thought. An outline also prevents you from missing out any relevant information. It’s very difficult and frustrating to go back after you’ve written the whole essay just to fit in this information! Planning your essay also saves you a lot of time. Coming up with the structure makes you more familiar with your essay even before you start writing it. Thus, you can spend more time writing, revising, and proofreading your essay to make it the best version possible.

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101 Self Reflection Questions You Need to Be Asking Yourself

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Last Updated on January 15, 2023

Learning about ourselves is a lifelong process. No matter your age, you’re always evolving and developing into new stages and phases of life. This means there’s a lot to unpack when it comes to, well, you!

But with soooo much to learn, where do you even start?! Asking yourself self reflection questions is your best bet. You might not know what to ask yourself in the first place, so using the guidance of journal prompts makes the process easier!

As you get some practice with self reflection, it’ll be easier to pick up on the little details: your thought processes, personality traits, the way you interact with the world, and so much more! The self reflection questions in this post will cover all the things you need to ask yourself in many areas of your life.

You’ll come out feeling way more well-versed in all things YOU!

Table of Contents

What is self reflection, really?

To self reflect means to evaluate your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions . Observing and analyzing yourself in this way is how you experience growth as a person. Becoming self-aware of who you truly are, inside and out, unlocks so many doors to improving yourself and your life!

We’re always learning, growing, and changing. But we don’t get to notice these changes unless we’re tuning in. Gaining a deeper understanding of yourself internally can help you make decisions in your external life that best align with your goals and values!

What are self reflection questions?

So then, what are self reflection questions? These are questions that are tailored to uncover those deep thoughts, emotions, and behaviors you may have. They get you one step closer to learning ALL about yourself.

These questions can deep-dive into things like: work, mental health, personal growth, your relationships, the way you look at the world, and so on…

Really insightful stuff! It’s best to use self reflection questions like the ones in this post every year or so, because chances are you’ll learn even more as time goes on!

Why is self reflection important?

Think about how much you do in a day that’s just on autopilot. Activities you do without giving them much thought. You don’t really think about why you drive to work, or why you bought the thing you always buy at the store.

Instead of carrying on doing things as you’ve always done them, whether that be something as simple as driving to work or as complicated as struggling with your self-image, assess your thoughts and actions.

Self reflection is all about questioning what you do and why you do it. It’s being intentional and evaluating if things should continue as is, or change for the better.

Self reflection is important because not only does it teach you who you currently are, but helps you identify who you want to become.

What are some good self-reflection questions?

Now, self reflection can be about practically anything that’s going on in your mind or in your life. But to give you some direction, self reflection questions can be about things like:

• What do you want to achieve interpersonally and how are you going to get there?
• How is your mental health going? (How well are you regulating your emotions? How healthy are your coping skills?)
• How is your professional life going and what are your thoughts surrounding it? (unhappy in your current job? Have a deeper desire to do something greater?)
• How do you interact in relationships? (attachment style, friendship preferences, love language)
• How has your past shaped you into the person you are today?
• What’s currently happening in your life right now and how are you responding to it?
• How do you envision your life to be in the next 1, 3, 5, or 10 years?

These are just some examples we’ll be focusing on in today’s post. But, again, self-reflection is a super expansive concept to explore!

101 Self Reflection Questions to Ask Yourself

Alright, are ya ready to dive in? These self reflection questions are everything you’ve been looking for literally just about every area of your life, like…

Self Reflection Questions for Personal Growth

Self reflection questions for mental health, self reflection questions for work, self reflection questions for relationships, self reflection questions about your past.

• Self Reflection Questions Daily

Self Reflection Questions About Your Future

Let’s get to it!

• In what ways have you grown as a person over the last 1-2 years?
• Is there anything you’re taking for granted?
• Are you happy with the way you’re spending your time? If not, what improvements can be made?
• How is your outlook on life/the world? Is it a healthy perspective?
• What are your personal values? Are you living in alignment with them?
• Are you taking care of yourself physically?
• Are you currently working toward any goals? How are things going?
• Why do you matter?
• What have you given up on?
• What do you need to change about your habits and/or behaviors?
• What are 3 traits you admire about yourself?
• Do you think it’s better to try and fail or never try at all? Which option have you been picking?
• Do you think it really matters what others think of you?
• What is something others misunderstand about you that you wish they knew?

RELATED: 55 Journal Prompts for a Growth Mindset (Perspective-Changing!)

• Are you taking care of yourself mentally?
• What is one self care activity you currently do?
• What is one self care activity you’d like to start doing? How will you make it happen?
• When negative thoughts creep in, how do you react?
• Do you tend to “dwell” on the bad things that happen during the day?
• How stressed/triggered do you feel by things that are outside your control?
• When you’re in emotional pain, what is the best thing you can do for yourself?
• If you struggle with any mental illnesses, how are you managing them right now?
• What do you need to remind yourself of most right now?
• What’s been distracting you lately before you go to sleep?
• What is the most frequent negative thought you have about yourself?
• How can you reframe that negative thought into something more realistic/positive?
• What is a limiting belief you currently hold about yourself and your abilities?
• Think of a time when your mental health was in a relatively good place. What contributed to that?

RELATED: 40 Journal Prompts to Help You Process Your Emotions

Grab this must-have journal for an even better way to reflect on your mental health!

Of all these categories for self reflection, trust me when I say that mental health is one of the most important areas to focus on. My printable mental health journal will guide you through the specifics of reflecting (and improving!) your mental health.

It’s jam-packed with 33 pages of writing prompts and mental activities for understanding your emotions, overcoming unhelpful behaviors, and reframing negative thoughts. You’ll wanna have it!

• Has your work ever felt fulfilling for you? Why or why not?
• Are you a workaholic or do you prioritize work-life balance?
• Think about your employment over the course of your life. How has the way you’ve felt about work changed?
• Be honest: do you like your job?
• How do you feel about work/corporate life/etc as a whole?
• Do you have a “dream job”? If so, what is it? Do you think you’ll get there?
• Are you career-oriented? Why or why not?
• How do you feel about your current income?
• Do you feel valued by the people you work with?
• Do you like your work environment?
• What are the warning signs you notice when you’re close to burnout?
• What’s the best thing you can do for yourself to prevent burnout?
• Is there anything causing you stress at your job? How badly are you impacted by this stress?
• Is there anything causing you stress about your career path as a whole?
• Are you nurturing your relationships/giving enough effort into them?
• Do you tend to be introverted or extroverted?
• Describe your friend circle. Are you happy with it?
• Is there anything you need that you’re not getting out of your friendships?
• What does unconditional love look like to you?
• When in a romantic relationship, do you typically feel securely, anxiously, or avoidantly attached?
• Of the 5 love languages (words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, physical touch), which one resonates with you most?
• What is a nice way you’ve supported a friend recently? How can you extend that same support to yourself?
• Write a paragraph about your first love. Who was it? How did things go?
• What are the things you will not tolerate in a significant other?
• What are the things you will not tolerate in a friend?
• Do you consider yourself a good friend? What makes that so?
• Have you ever had any toxic relationships? How did they end?
• Describe your relationship with your family. Has it affected you to this day?

RELATED: 70 Journal Prompts for All Your Relationships

• Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? What stops you?
• Describe a time where something did work out for you, so you can remember it the next time you’re worried about something working out.
• If you could speak with your teenage self, what would you say?
• If you could speak with your childhood self, what would you say?
• What have you learned from your biggest mistakes?
• What is the hardest thing you had to overcome and how did you make it out in the end?
• What are some of the biggest highlights of your life so far?
• Name 5 past experiences you’re most thankful for.
• What was a really defining moment that shaped you into the person you are today?
• What would you do differently if given the chance to go back in time?
• Think of a time where you did something spontaneous but it turned out to be a great decision.
• What encouragement would you give to yourself a year ago?
• Do you have any past traumas? How are you working on healing from them?
• Do you still maintain any relationships from your childhood? What’s made you stay in touch?

RELATED: 50 Influential Journal Prompts to Heal Your Inner Child

Journaling is super useful for learning more about yourself (and maybe even your past traumas), but you’ll find the most benefit if you pair it with therapy. Talking to an online therapist can really help you out. It’s helped me tremendously! I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit at an affordable monthly cost. Get 20% off your first month with the link below!

Self Reflection Questions to Ask Daily

• What matters most in your life?
• When was the last time you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone? How did it feel?
• What is your life asking of you right now?
• What has surprised you the most about yourself?
• What makes you feel the most energized?
• Brain-dump a list of everything that inspires you.
• What are your top priorities right now?
• Describe the season of life you’re in at the moment.
• What takes up most of your time? How do you feel about it?
• How do you wish you could spend your time?
• What aspects of your life can you control? What can’t you control?
• How can you learn to accept the things you can’t control?
• How do you feel, overall, about the last week, month, and year?
• What things in your life are you loving the most right now?
• What is something you wish you could change right now?

RELATED: 50+ Journal Prompts to Get to Know Yourself

• What worries you most about your future?
• What excites you most about your future?
• What are you truly scared of?
• What does your ideal life look like?
• What does your ideal home look like?
• What do you need to do to eventually get to your ideal life? Ideal home?
• Are you on track to accomplish the things you want to achieve in the future?
• What advice do you think your future self would give you right now if you met them?
• What makes you feel optimistic and/or hopeful about the future?
• Where do you see yourself in 1, 3, 5, and 10 years?
• What is something you currently struggle with that you hope to handle better in the future?
• What do you want to be remembered for?
• What are your feelings on marriage and children? Do you want either?
• What are your thoughts on getting older?
• If you could only accomplish one major thing in the next year, what would it be and why?
• Overall, what is your honest outlook on the future of your life?

RELATED: 60 Journal Prompts to Find Your Purpose When Stuck

Why ask self reflection questions?

Alright, but why should you ask yourself self reflection questions?

The biggest benefit is that by being fully in tune with yourself and who you are as a person, you’re likely to lead a more fulfilling, intentional, and engaged life.

Understanding who you are and what you really want out of life is vital to steering your life in the direction that fits you best. Not only are you exposing yourself to your strengths, but you’re uncovering areas of weakness and things you may struggle with. 

Identifying the full picture of yourself, for better or worse, will guide you in where to spend your effort and energy to best support you and your needs!

How to answer self reflection questions

Let’s be honest: self reflection involves some BIG questions. There won’t always be a clear-cut, simplified answer. To prevent you from feeling intimidated, here are my best tips for answering self reflection questions so you can reap the most benefit from them.

Tip #1: Follow your answers as they flow

Basically, write whatever comes to mind. Think through the question fully, yes, but see where your thought process takes you instead of crafting a perfectly controlled response. Sometimes we feel influenced to answer a question a certain way, but there is no “right way” when it comes to self reflection and your honest thoughts!

Tip #2: Be open, honest, and vulnerable

Remember that the goal is to dig deep and gain a stronger self awareness. Don’t hold back, and don’t shy away from uncomfortable topics or concepts. Self-discovery can be a little difficult at times, but facing the deeper parts of yourself is how you grow! Your journal is a place for you and you alone, so it’s not like you need to share your thoughts with anyone else.

Tip #3: No judgment!

Go through these self reflection questions with a lens of self love. If you realize something about yourself you feel unhappy with and want to change, be kind about it. Change is best accomplished through self-support and compassion, not putting yourself down. You can work on change while simultaneously meeting yourself with acceptance where you’re currently at!

Psst…make self care quick and easy by downloading my (free!) printable daily self care check in! Grab it to start adding a little self reflection into your morning + night routines.

You will receive your daily self care check in shortly.

More Journal Prompts You’ll Love

50+ Journal Prompts to Get to Know Yourself

55 Eye-Opening Journal Prompts For Self Growth

40 Spiritual Journal Prompts For Spiritual Growth

50 Influential Journal Prompts to Heal Your Inner Child

LIKE THESE SELF REFLECTION QUESTIONS? PIN THEM FOR LATER!

Founder & Content Strategist

Hey there! I'm Alexa, and I'm a self-care enthusiast and mental health advocate. At Ambitiously Alexa, I'm here to support women like you who are on a mission to achieve allll the things they're passionate about and make time for self care. I make this balance possible through journal prompts, positive affirmations, and self care ideas you'll love! Here's more about me, including my B.A in Psychology...

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55 Self-Reflection Essay Topics & Examples

Looking for good titles for self-reflection papers? Look no further! In this list, you will find the best hand-picked self-reflection essay topics for high school and college students. Get inspired with our titles for reflection papers and essay examples!

🏆 Best Self-Reflection Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

⭐ good title ideas for reflection paper, 👍 simple & easy self-reflection essay titles, ✅ how to choose a title for self-reflection essay.

• Self-Reflection in Nurses: 70-Year-Old Patient The paper provides a self-reflection analysis based on a case of an elderly patient who presented to the nursing home where I worked with the signs and symptoms of urinary retention.Mrs.
• Child Development Observation and Self-Reflection She has a nanny to care for her in the absence of her parents, and her maternal grandparents also visit and stay with her most of the week.
• Self-Reflection: Community Health Nursing The three crucial objectives of this course are: analyzing the impact of lifestyle and environment on the public’s health and applying culturally competent health strategies to the care of communities, families, or individuals.
• Self-Reflection About Life Questions It made me realize the importance of stopping and reflecting on the causes of events, the reasons for our actions and the best way to proceed.
• Self-Reflection: Maintaining Patients’ Rights I had to go and ask the buddy nurse to come and assist because the patient needed two people to help her get to the toilet.
• Self-Reflection in Social Work Therefore, social workers experiencing vicarious trauma and burnout are likely to make invalid assumptions about clients’ behavior because they project their desires and histories to the client. Professionals in the social work provision and students […]
• Personal Identity & Self-Reflection In the reflection, Ivan examined his past life and the values that he had lived by in all of his life.
• Self-Reflection Pertinence in Understanding Oneself It is significant that there I found a lot of information on the possible education in psychology, and then, of course, I passed to the link Career, which made me quite satisfied, for there one […]
• Self-Reflection on Life Values, Goals, and Death I want my life to be full of genuine relationships despite how challenging it is to find and cultivate such bonds in modern society.
• Self-Reflection and Successful Communication The role of introspection is also not to be underestimated by someone willing to become a leader and contribute to the development of a team. Overall, introspection represents a vital quality of mine that I […]
• Self-Reflection and Awareness: Cultural Concealment and Therapy Outcomes In the case study, the intern’s goal is to provide social work services to Helen, and the constant focus on this target should make the intern draw sufficient attention to all the details.
• Black Lives Matter: Diversity Awareness and Self-Reflection The “Black Lives Matter” movement continues to spread across the United States, provoking a number of positive and negative emotions.
• Society’s Self-Reflection: “Shooting an Elephant” and “The Real Story of Ah Q” This paper endeavors to highlight some similarities and differences especially in the aims and the writing style of these two authors. The aim of these two pieces is to portray societies as notorious for curtailing […]
• Event-Related Alpha-Band Power Changes During Self-Reflection and Working Memory Tasks in Healthy Individuals
• Decision Making, Self Reflection, Setting Goals and Priorities
• Critical Thinking Self Reflection and the Human Thought Process
• Self-Reflection and Its Connection to Depression
• Individual Academic Critical Self Reflection and Personal Branding Portfolio
• Analytical Support for Decision Making Self Reflection
• Cultural and Teamwork Map and Self Reflection
• Self Reflection and Organizational Behavior
• The Self Reflection Process and How I Am a Professional Writer
• Psychology Theories and Self-Reflection
• Article, Background and Self Reflection
• Casey Kirwan, Civic Engagement Self Reflection
• What Is Self-Reflection and Why Is It So Important?
• Self-Reflection for Business and Organizations
• Human Resource Management and Self Reflection
• Self Reflection and Personality Traits
• Microteaching Self Reflection Issues
• Self-Reflection About the Challenges and Benefits of Cross-Cultural Society
• Self-Reflection in Ethical Choice Making
• Self-Reflection and Personal Evolution as the Keystone of Sustainability
• Self-Reflection, Responsibility for Own Mistakes, and the Power of Integrity in the Crucible by Arthur Miller
• Personal Experience Encourages Self Reflection and Improves Self Awareness
• Before Individuals Can Truly Belong, They Must Engage in Self-Reflection
• Culture Self Reflection Exercise Through Awareness
• Enhancing Diversity Within University of Georgia Community via Self Reflection, Counseling, and Leadership
• Making Ethical Choices: Self-Reflection and Beyond
• Self Reflection and Project Management Plan
• Improving Dynamic Decision Making Through Training and Self-Reflection
• Self Reflection: Perceptions and Hypothetical Thought
• The Self Reflection in Business
• How Does Language Allow Self-Reflection?
• Self Assessment Through Self Reflection and Professional
• Defining Culture and Self Reflection
• How Does Language: Allow Self Reflection
• Operation Management: Self Reflection – Get a Complete Solution
• Saint Augustine and the Mapping of My Life Through Self-Reflection
• Self Reflection Regarding Quantitative Reasoning for Business

Follow our helpful tips to choose the best title ideas for reflection paper!

• Personal Growth Research Ideas
• Self Esteem Research Ideas
• Performance Indicators Essay Topics
• Child Development Research Ideas
• Personality Development Ideas
• Systems Thinking Essay Ideas
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• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 29). 55 Self-Reflection Essay Topics & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/self-reflection-essay-topics/

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1. IvyPanda . "55 Self-Reflection Essay Topics & Examples." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/self-reflection-essay-topics/.

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IvyPanda . "55 Self-Reflection Essay Topics & Examples." February 29, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/self-reflection-essay-topics/.

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The Importance of Self-Reflection: How Looking Inward Can Improve Your Mental Health

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Why Is Self-Reflection So Important?

When self-reflection becomes unhealthy, how to practice self-reflection, what to do if self-reflection makes you uncomfortable, incorporating self-reflection into your routine.

How well do you know yourself? Do you think about why you do the things you do? Self-reflection is a skill that can help you understand yourself better.

Self-reflection involves being present with yourself and intentionally focusing your attention inward to examine your thoughts, feelings, actions, and motivations, says Angeleena Francis , LMHC, executive director for AMFM Healthcare.

Active self-reflection can help grow your understanding of who you are , what values you believe in, and why you think and act the way you do, says Kristin Wilson , MA, LPC, CCTP, RYT, chief experience officer for Newport Healthcare.

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

Self-reflection is important because it helps you form a self-concept and contributes toward self-development.

Builds Your Self-Concept

Self-reflection is critical because it contributes to your self-concept, which is an important part of your identity.

Your self-concept includes your thoughts about your traits, abilities, beliefs, values, roles, and relationships. It plays an influential role in your mood, judgment, and behavioral patterns.

Reflecting inward allows you to know yourself and continue to get to know yourself as you change and develop as a person, says Francis. It helps you understand and strengthen your self-concept as you evolve with time.

Enables Self-Development

Self-reflection also plays a key role in self-development. “It is a required skill for personal growth ,” says Wilson.

Being able to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, or what you did right or wrong, can help you identify areas for growth and improvement, so you can work on them.

For instance, say you gave a presentation at school or work that didn’t go well, despite putting in a lot of work on the project. Spending a little time on self-reflection can help you understand that even though you spent a lot of time working on the project and creating the presentation materials, you didn’t practice giving the presentation. Realizing the problem can help you correct it. So, the next time you have to give a presentation, you can practice it on your colleagues or loved ones first.

Or, say you’ve just broken up with your partner. While it’s easy to blame them for everything that went wrong, self-reflection can help you understand what behaviors of yours contributed to the split. Being mindful of these behaviors can be helpful in other relationships.

Without self-reflection, you would continue to do what you’ve always done and as a result, you may continue to face the same problems you’ve always faced.

Benefits of Self-Reflection

These are some of the benefits of self-reflection, according to the experts:

• Increased self-awareness: Spending time in self-reflection can help build greater self-awareness , says Wilson. Self-awareness is a key component of emotional intelligence. It helps you recognize and understand your own emotions, as well as the impact of your emotions on your thoughts and behaviors.
• Greater sense of control: Self-reflection involves practicing mindfulness and being present with yourself at the moment. This can help you feel more grounded and in control of yourself, says Francis.
• Improved communication skills: Self-reflection can help you improve your communication skills, which can benefit your relationships. Understanding what you’re feeling can help you express yourself clearly, honestly, and empathetically.
• Deeper alignment with core values: Self-reflection can help you understand what you believe in and why. This can help ensure that your words and actions are more aligned with your core values, Wilson explains. It can also help reduce cognitive dissonance , which is the discomfort you may experience when your behavior doesn’t align with your values, says Francis.
• Better decision-making skills: Self-reflection can help you make better decisions for yourself, says Wilson. Understanding yourself better can help you evaluate all your options and how they will impact you with more clarity. This can help you make sound decisions that you’re more comfortable with, says Francis.
• Greater accountability: Self-reflection can help you hold yourself accountable to yourself, says Francis. It can help you evaluate your actions and recognize personal responsibility. It can also help you hold yourself accountable for the goals you’re working toward.

Self-reflection is a healthy practice that is important for mental well-being. However, it can become harmful if it turns into rumination, self-criticism, self-judgment, negative self-talk , and comparison to others, says Wilson.

Here’s what that could look like:

• Rumination: Experiencing excessive and repetitive stressful or negative thoughts. Rumination is often obsessive and interferes with other types of mental activity.
• Self-judgment: Constantly judging yourself and often finding yourself lacking. 
• Negative self-talk: Allowing the voice inside your head to discourage you from doing things you want to do. Negative self-talk is often self-defeating.
• Self-criticism: Constantly criticizing your actions and decisions.
• Comparison: Endlessly comparing yourself to others and feeling inferior.

Kristin Wilson, LPC, CCTP

Looking inward may activate your inner critic, but true self-reflection comes from a place of neutrality and non-judgment.

When anxious thoughts and feelings come up in self-reflection, Wilson says it’s important to practice self-compassion and redirect your focus to actionable insights that can propel your life forward. “We all have faults and room for improvement. Reflect on the behaviors or actions you want to change and take steps to do so.”

It can help to think of what you would say to a friend in a similar situation. For instance, if your friend said they were worried about the status of their job after they gave a presentation that didn’t go well, you would probably be kind to them, tell them not to worry, and to focus on improving their presentation skills in the future. Apply the same compassion to yourself and focus on what you can control.

If you are unable to calm your mind of racing or negative thoughts, Francis recommends seeking support from a trusted person in your life or a mental health professional. “Patterns of negative self-talk, self-doubt , or criticism should be addressed through professional support, as negative cognitions of oneself can lead to symptoms of depression if not resolved.”

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

• Ask yourself open-ended questions: Start off by asking yourself open-ended questions that will prompt self-reflection, such as: “Am I doing what makes me happy?” “Are there things I’d like to improve about myself?” or “What could I have done differently today?” “Am I taking anything or anyone for granted?” Notice what thoughts and feelings arise within you for each question and then begin to think about why. Be curious about yourself and be open to whatever comes up.
• Keep a journal: Journaling your thoughts and responses to these questions is an excellent vehicle for self-expression. It can be helpful to look back at your responses, read how you handled things in the past, assess the outcome, and look for where you might make changes in the future.
• Try meditation: Meditation can also be a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth. Even if it’s only for five minutes, practice sitting in silence and paying attention to what comes up for you. Notice which thoughts are fleeting and which come up more often.
• Process major events and emotions: When something happens in your life that makes you feel especially good or bad, take the time to reflect on what occurred, how it made you feel, and either how you can get to that feeling again or what you might do differently the next time. Writing down your thoughts in a journal can help.
• Make a self-reflection board: Create a self-reflection board of positive attributes that you add to regularly. Celebrate your authentic self and the ways you stay true to who you are. Having a visual representation of self-reflection can be motivating.

You may avoid self-reflection if it brings up difficult emotions and makes you feel uncomfortable, says Francis. She recommends preparing yourself to get comfortable with the uncomfortable before you start.

Think of your time in self-reflection as a safe space within yourself. “Avoid judging yourself while you explore your inner thoughts, feelings, and motives of behavior,” says Francis. Simply notice what comes up and accept it. Instead of focusing on fears, worries, or regrets, try to look for areas of growth and improvement.

“Practice neutrality and self-compassion so that self-reflection is a positive experience that you will want to do regularly,” says Wilson.

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

• Dedicate time to it: it’s important to dedicate time to self-reflection and build it into your routine. Find a slot that works for your schedule—it could be five minutes each morning while drinking coffee or 30 minutes sitting outside in nature once per week.
• Pick a quiet spot: It can be hard to focus inward if your environment is busy or chaotic. Choose a calm and quiet space that is free of distractions so you can hear your own thoughts.
• Pay attention to your senses: Pay attention to your senses. Sensory input is an important component of self-awareness.

Nowak A, Vallacher RR, Bartkowski W, Olson L. Integration and expression: The complementary functions of self-reflection . J Pers . 2022;10.1111/jopy.12730. doi:10.1111/jopy.12730

American Psychological Association. Self-concept .

Dishon N, Oldmeadow JA, Critchley C, Kaufman J. The effect of trait self-awareness, self-reflection, and perceptions of choice meaningfulness on indicators of social identity within a decision-making context . Front Psychol . 2017;8:2034. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02034

Drigas AS, Papoutsi C. A new layered model on emotional intelligence . Behav Sci (Basel) . 2018;8(5):45. doi:10.3390/bs8050045

American Psychological Association. Rumination .

By Sanjana Gupta Sanjana is a health writer and editor. Her work spans various health-related topics, including mental health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

• Relationships

40 Self-Reflection Questions For Looking Behind & Ahead

Updated 06/17/2022

Published 06/12/2020

Erika Krull, MSEd, LMHP

Licensed Mental Health Practitioner

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

Self-reflection is a mental activity we don’t think about very often. We talk to ourselves and ask questions in our mind, but much of it can seem like background noise. Instead of glossing over your thoughts, ask yourself some thoughtful questions, and get your mind buzzing.  

Jump ahead to these sections:

Self-reflection questions for school or work, self-reflection questions to look at the past year, daily self-reflections to ask yourself, self-reflection questions about your future.

It helps to put yourself in a certain frame of mind when you do this. Pretend you are your future self journaling a year from now. Or imagine a mental photo album as you remember events from the last twelve months. Whatever your method, use the following questions to stretch your brain and increase self-awareness.  

School and work environments are made for teamwork. Ask yourself these questions to find out what works for you and where you need support.

1. “What were some of my most challenging learning moments, and what made them so?”

Some of the most important learning experiences can be the most challenging. Think about learning situations that made you step up your game.

2. “What were some of the most interesting discoveries I made in this class/at school this year?”

Think back to the projects and conversations that sparked your interest the most. These discoveries could inspire your next book selection or hobby interest.

3. “What were some of my most important learning moments and what made them so?”

Look back at your classroom experience and list a few critical moments. Think about why those stand out and how they affected you.

4. “Recall a time you had difficulty learning something. How did that experience affect you?”

Remember how you felt and what your obstacles were when you struggled. If you come up with more than one experience, think about how these might be related.

5. “What are some things your classmates do that help you learn?”

Sometimes teamwork is the best teacher. Think back to your most cooperative learning moments in class, who was there, and what each person did.

6. “How could my current job be changed so it matches what I really want in my career?”

Maybe you’d like to shift your focus, go into leadership, or learn a new set of skills. Brainstorm some ideas and make time to speak to your supervisor.

7. “What do I do in everyday life that I can bring to this work?”

The skills you use at home or in your hobbies may be invaluable at your job. Think of ways your talents and abilities can cross over into your work environment. 

8. “What qualities of my job can help me balance my work with my life?”

Your answer depends on how flexible you think your job is already. Highlight what’s working now and consider aspects that could be more helpful.

9. “What do my coworkers and I do to help each other learn or overcome obstacles?”

It’s easy to take good teamwork for granted when things go smoothly. Pay more attention how you and your team work through challenges together.

10. “What are three directions your career could go in five years? Ten years? Twenty?”

Brainstorm a few different ways your future could unfold. Consider how you value job stability, variety, career advancement, and new opportunities.

Looking back on a year can be like creating a mental scrapbook. You’ll find moments of regret, things to be grateful for , and memories you’ll never want to forget.

11. “What have I done this past year that I am especially proud of?”

It’s easy to forget to pat yourself on the back when you’re getting important work done. Take time to notice and appreciate your accomplishments.

12. “What would I do differently if I were to live the same year again?”

Hindsight is 20/20, and sometimes you wish you did things differently. Instead of feeling regret, focus on what you learned that you can take into this year.

13. “What habits did I learn that I want to keep doing?”

If you’ve developed a good habit, hang on to it. Notice what you’ve learned and make adjustments in your day to encourage more of your new behavior.

14. “What do I know now that I didn’t a year ago?”

Think back to this time last year and remember what worried you, what you anticipated, and what you wanted to know. What’s changed since then?

15. “How have my priorities changed in the past year, and why?”

Think about your top priorities today. Reflect back and notice any subtle or more obvious changes over the year. What was behind the changes you saw?

16. “What’s the most difficult thing I have been through, and why did it feel that way?”

Your definition of a difficult thing makes a big difference. Consider your emotions, how your body felt, and how you got through it.

17. “How has my self-perception changed over this year?”

Self-perception is a key part of how you view the world each day. Notice how situations and relationships affected the way you saw yourself through the year.

18. “What did I let go of that I really needed to?”

Letting go can take a lot of time and mental effort. When you finally let go of something significant, take a moment to acknowledge that step and thank yourself.

19. “What brought me the most happiness this year?”

Your definition of happiness evolves, so looking at your happiness this year may mean something different at the beginning than at the end. Bring back the positive feelings and soak them up.

20. “What’s a habit I picked up that I need to drop?”

Bad habits can be hard to break, even if they hurt you. Consider how or why you started, and think of ways to interrupt the patterns now.

Daily self-reflections are a way to take a snapshot of your behaviors and mindset. Take a look each day and watch how you evolve.

21. “What am I excited about, and enjoying most in my life right now?”

Take a look at the positives in your life. Even if you know you look forward to certain things each day, name them specifically to give them more weight in your mind.

22. “How am I lining up my actions with my values?”

Integrity is about matching up your actions with your words and values. The more you reflect on them, the easier it is to keep them in sync.

23. “When does time disappear for me? What does this tell me about my passions and values?”

Time slips by quickly when you lose yourself in an important or enjoyable activity. Take note of these moments and define what this means to you.

24. “Where can I find joy today?”

Put a spark in your day by purposely looking for joy and excitement. By checking daily, you can develop a habit of seeking enjoyable moments.

25. “What are my self-care needs today?”

Make self-care a priority by checking with yourself each day. This question can help you be more mindful of your physical, emotional, and psychological needs.

26. “What good can I put into the world today?”

Put this question in front of you and you’ll change your outlook. You’ll see opportunities to make a positive impact on others each day.  

27. “What will I daydream about today?”

Go ahead, it’s OK to daydream. This activity can get your creative juices going or can be a mini-vacation in your mind. Do this on purpose as a fun mental escape.

28. “What am I looking forward to today?”

You can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can shift your perspective. It’s always easier to see the bright spot in the day when you’re already looking for it.

29. “What challenges will I need to face today?”

You’ll face challenges every day of your life, so take a moment to anticipate bumps in the road ahead of you. A little mental prep can make challenges easier to deal with.

30. “How honest am I with myself right now?”

Give yourself a taste of daily honesty, even if it isn’t pretty. Be kind and loving to yourself, but don’t allow yourself to hide from reality. 

The future is impossible to predict. But by asking yourself these questions, you’ll learn how to look forward and create the life you want to lead.

31. “What kind of financial habits do I want or need to develop?”

Financial habits are some of the most important behaviors you’ll ever develop. Think about your financial goals and some actions you could take every day to get there.

32. “What's the one thing about myself I would like to work to improve?”

Maybe you have low confidence or you always feel disorganized. Think about one thing you could focus on that can make the biggest impact on your life. 

33. “What am I never willing to do again?”

Once you draw the line in the sand, make it a deep one. Think about choices you don’t want to be faced with again or would choose differently. Remember the reasons why.

34. “What are my personal growth opportunities for the next year?”

What kind of accomplishment do you want to look back on for yourself? Maybe there’s a leadership opportunity, a skill you want to learn, or an interest you’d like to explore.

35. “What’s something I’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet? Why not?”

Consider something new you’ve wanted to learn or an experience you’ve never had. Brainstorm ways to get around barriers like cost, fear, or training needs.

36. “What or who do I really need to let go of that I haven’t yet?”

When something or someone keeps dragging you down, it’s time to consider letting them go. Acknowledging a chronic problem is the first step toward releasing it.

37. “What are my mental and physical health priorities in the next year? Five years? Ten years?”

Consider your current needs as well as good aspects of your health you want to preserve. Think about actions you can take to stay healthy and active.

38. “If I could retire early, how would I spend my time?”

Saving money for retirement is smart, but how will you spend your time? Start brainstorming now and get a vision for life after work. 

40. “What impact do I want to leave behind with my loved ones?”

If you died tomorrow, your loved ones will only have their memories of you to cherish. Think about what you hope they’d remember most, and how you can be true to that each day.

Self-Reflections Are Food for Thought

Your inner dialogue has a strong effect on how you see the world. Strengthen your outlook on life by asking yourself questions that make you think . These mental habits can help you shape your viewpoint on yourself and the world.

If you're looking for more on self-reflection, read our guide on self-reflection quotes .

• “25 Self-Reflection Questions to Get Students Thinking About Their Learning.” Wabisabi Learning , wabisabilearning.com/blogs/critical-thinking/25-self-reflection-questions
• “35 Questions for Student Reflection.” Edunators , www.edunators.com/becoming-the-edunator/step-6-self-care-reflection-for-learning/35-questions-for-student-reflection
• “5 Self-Reflection Exercises to Start Your Year Off Right.” GW School of Engineering and Applied Science , January 8, 2020, careers.seas.gwu.edu/blog/2020/01/08/5-self-reflection-exercises-to-start-your-year-off-right/
• “Career Reflection Questions for Staff.” Human Resources, University of Michigan, hr.umich.edu/sites/default/files/career-reflection.pdf

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