self discovery assignments

11 Self-Awareness And Self-Discovery Worksheets To Better Understand Yourself

Self-discovery is a fundamental part of a thriving, balanced life, and it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s impossible to live your best life without it.

Because when you don’t have a self-discovery journey, you’re less aware of triggers and other self-assessment deficiencies.

When that’s the case, your professional output and relationships suffer.

You’re not at your best, and your mind frequently wanders to destructive places.

But there’s a solution: self-discovery worksheets for adults.

What Are the Benefits of Using Self-Discovery Worksheets?

1. cognitive heights first instinct worksheet, 2. personal strengths coaching tool, 3. getting to know myself, 4. the wellness wheel, 5. happier mind journal, 6. personal growth worksheet, 7. how to make a killer personal development plan, 8. self-awareness checksheet, 9. self-care assessment therapist aid, 10. self-awareness interactive worksheet, 11. window of tolerance worksheet.

Self-discovery worksheets help pinpoint your talents, values, and good qualities. You can also use them to unsheath the faults lurking around your personality.

Reflection and honesty are the paths to self-awareness, and working on those things is beneficial. These worksheets can help you:

Improved Self-Awareness : Self-awareness is the backbone of self-discovery.
Increased Compassion : When we know ourselves, we’re more compassionate to others.
Road to Better Relationships : When you’re mentally aligned, you have the tools to develop better friendships.
Figure Out Goals: Pinpointing your goals is a much better way to go through life than by the seat of your pants.
In-the-Moment Self-Assessment: We all have seasons. Worksheets help you determine where you are now.

11 Self-Awareness Worksheets for Adults To Better Know Yourself

Self-awareness is an emotional management tool. It helps you uncover your motivations, how you think, and what triggers you — in addition to sussing out your goals and values.

Essentially, self-discovery worksheets can help you determine what you really want in life.

cognitive heights self awareness worksheets for adults

The Cognitive Heights program aims to help people rediscover their passions.

You’ll get the most out of this by just writing and not overthinking each question. Doing so will help you tap into your intuition, which can be very useful on the road to self-discovery.

personal strength self awareness worksheets for adults

We’d bet that every person reading these words is more capable than they think. We also bet that every person reading this feels like they’re “less than” at certain points in their lives.

Set up like a bingo card, the choices on this worksheet include personal strengths you may frequently forget about, like:

I’m articulate
I’m organized
I’m fun
I’m a good cook
I’m level-headed and logical
I’m stylish
I’m a supportive friend

If you have friends who also feel a bit icky, invite them over and play together.

getting to know myself self awareness worksheets for adults

The Getting To Know Myself self-discovery worksheet is a short, freeform, two-question exercise:

Am I truly happy?
How would you describe your higher self?

Let the words flow. You may be surprised at what comes out.

the wellness wheel self awareness worksheets for adults

The wellness wheel is a crowd favorite. It helps you outline a holistic well-being plan that includes eight sections:

Personal growth
Relationships
Physical and mental health
Environment

Essentially, it’s a snapshot of where you are at a specific moment in time and helps you map the journey. Many people do wellness wheels on a weekly or monthly basis to keep track of their progress.

happier mind self awareness worksheets for adults

This self-reflection worksheet from the Happier Mind Journal encourages you to be concise about how you’re doing on your self-development path.

It includes questions like:

What type of person are you today?
What three verbs would you use to describe yourself?

This work focuses on in-the-moment happiness, allowing you to assess exactly how you’re vibing at the time you’re doing it.

14 Powerful Self-Discovery Activities for Your Personal Journey

OVERVIEW : This comprehensive guide outlines the three stages of self-discovery as a developmental model, highlighting the common pitfalls along one’s journey and offering tools and methods for each stage.

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Know thyself— the famous aphorism from Ancient Greece.

No better phrase can capture the essence of self-discovery.

Let’s dive deeper into what this aphorism means …

What is Self-Discovery?

Self-discovery is the process of learning about and finding oneself.

There are many different facets of this discovery process. In the earlier stages, you learn about your personality type, what you value, your strengths, weaknesses, talents, dreams, shortcomings, aspirations, and interests.

In a later stage, self-discovery is about getting to know the parts of yourself that were “disowned” in childhood, commonly called the shadow.

The process of self-discovery is a continual movement from less conscious to more conscious, from less aware to greater awareness of oneself.

Similar to the hero’s journey motif, the self-discovery journey is the path toward mature adulthood.

Self-Discovery versus Self-Development

These two concepts are intrinsically linked together.

On its own, self-discovery is simply about revealing what’s always there: who you are on a conscious level.

Self-development is about molding and growing in various areas, including physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually.

Can you engage in self-discovery without self-development? Only on a very cursory level. Why?

In the act of getting to know yourself, you’re placing your attention on various aspects of your being. In doing so, development will likely take place.

Although there’s a large self-improvement industry that promotes ways of “bettering oneself,” the reality is that development is a natural process .

Early childhood trauma and conditioning hinder that process, but once it’s initiated in adulthood, it tends to take on a life of its own.

As such, self-development is an integral part of one’s self-discovery process.

What are the 3 Stages of Self-Discovery?

The common stages of self-discovery outlined here largely mirror the stages of human development from transpersonal psychology but in a very simplified format.

Stage 1: Discovering Your Conscious Self (Personality)

Stage 2: Exploring Your Personal Unconscious (Shadow)

Stage 3: Returning Home (The Self)

First, we’ll examine each of these stages in more detail. Then, we’ll explore the self-discovery activities commonly used at each stage.

Before we dive into these three stages, let’s examine where we start: the persona.

Stage 0: Wearing Our Social Masks

In early development, we are mostly focused on adjusting to our environments and “fitting in” at home, school, and anywhere else we find ourselves.

Our identities at this stage are largely defined by “others” in a social context. That is, our identity is mostly a series of personas (social masks) designed to help us “fit in.”

When we’re in the persona stage we’re not technically in the self-discovery process yet.

We create our personae unconsciously and subconsciously. It’s the starting point from which self-discovery can be initiated.

Self-Discovery Stage 1: Discovering Our Conscious Personality

Stage 1 can be a fun stage for many individuals. It’s the part of self-discovery that many people associate with the term “self-discovery journey.”

Stage 1 is marked by discovering one’s conscious personality including strengths, weaknesses, habitual patterns, drives, desires, and aspirations.

Self-discovery comes through our engagement with life. Like any good hero’s journey , life is filled with trials and tribulations. Setbacks and victories. Each experience provides a window into ourselves.

If we pay attention, we learn through our reactions and interactions with others and the world.

In this initial stage, we develop a strong curiosity about ourselves. It’s common at this stage to take a wide range of assessments.

Learning about your “personality type” is highly instructive: it highlights many of your greatest strengths and mortal weaknesses. It illuminates common behavior patterns that you may not have noticed.

You’ll discover a myriad of patterns that you spontaneously engage in without knowing why. At this stage, you’re also likely to inquire about your core values to clarify what you stand for and what’s most important to you.

You might take up journalling, and begin capturing your big life goals, dreams, and even a vision for yourself.

This stage usually goes on for many years. In fact, many individuals never move beyond this initial stage of self-discovery.

Self-Discovery Stage 2: Exploring Our Personal Unconscious

The second stage of self-discovery brings you toward your inner world where the meaning of “self-discovery” vastly changes.

Stage 2 often begins either at midlife or after a major life event that rattles you to the core. This event could be a divorce, the death of someone close to you, physical illness, or some other crisis.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung often said this inward turn should happen at midlife: after you’ve built a healthy ego in the world (career, home, family, etc.). That is, the first half of life is meant to be more externally oriented while the second half is internal.

In tribal cultures, at midlife, members of the tribe would go on extensive walkabouts or vision quests. They returned as different people, now taking up a more shamanic-type role as ritual elders of their tribe.

For us, this inward turn is more about engaging in inner work , addressing our childhood trauma, exploring our dream world, and getting to know our shadows . Here, internal observation, self-awareness , reflection, self-analysis, understanding, sensitivity, and inner honesty are required.

In stage 2 of self-discovery, we address our deep-seated internal tensions and splits within our psyche.

The self-identity that we created for ourselves in stage 1 becomes less codified and more fluid. As we move toward psychological integration, that self-identity moves further into the background.

This stage will also last many years depending on your life circumstances. For example, if you’re in midlife and still very active in the world, there may be less time available for self-reflection and inner discovery.

Self-Discovery Stage 3: Returning Home of the Self

In the third stage of self-discovery, an individual returns home to their Self (capital “S”).

The meaning of “self” changes greatly at this stage. The self in “self-discovery” when we set out on our path was our conscious personality. It starts to become a distant memory at this later stage.

This stage is marked by transcending an exclusive identification with the self (small “s”) and realizing one’s true Self (self-realization).

The ego we developed in the prior stages now must take a back seat so that the original Self can return.

In The Ego and the Dynamic Ground , professor of philosophy Michael Washburn called it “regression in the service of transcendence.”

This stage requires us to strip away everything we are not so that our Original Nature can take its rightful place in the Center.

In Taoist philosophy, they make a distinction between the conscious spirit and the Original Spirit.

The conscious spirit (ego or “acquired mind”) is what we develop in stage 1. This self-identity is a set of conditioning from the external world.

In contrast, the Original Spirit is our primordial Self that is unconditioned by the insanity of this world.

At this stage, the focus is on self-inquiry, self-observation, neutrality, stabilizing the mind, and moving toward inner stillness.

In transpersonal psychology, they often call this stage integration . Maslow called it self-transcendence . Jung referred to it as wholeness —the final stage of individuation .

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Now, let’s review a series of self-discovery activities and exercises you might use at each stage of your personal discovery journey.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 1

Here are seven self-discovery activities and exercises you can use for Stage 1 of your journey:

myers-briggs assessment self-discovery activities

Myers-Brigg Personal Assessment (Common Self-Discovery Activity)

Personality Assessments

Personality assessments are one of the most common self-discovery activities most people use.

Any quality personality assessment will reveal different aspects of your personality. They can be very insightful—especially when you’re in the beginning stages of self-discovery. Three popular ones include:

The Enneagram
Human Design Engineering
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

(Just do a quick search. There are many paid and free versions online.)

Values Assessment

Getting to know your core values is an essential self-discovery activity. Self-aware individuals tend to know what’s most important to them. Knowing your core values helps you make better decisions.

If you don’t know your values yet, you can go through my popular 7-Step Values Assessment .

Strengths Assessment

Getting clarity on your strengths and weaknesses is another excellent self-discovery activity..

While we learn our natural strengths and weaknesses by observing our life experiences, the VIA Character Institute offers a free survey to help you determine your strengths right away.

See my guide on authentic happiness for a primer on this topic from positive psychology.

Personal Vision Casting

A personal vision can help guide you through your self-discovery journey. It helps clarify what’s most important to you.

A compelling vision can also help you remove distractions and stay focused on your long-term self-development goals.

Get step-by-step instructions on how to craft your vision statement .

Wheel of Life Assessment

As you begin to flush out who you are and what you stand for, you’ll likely determine specific goals you have for self-development. It’s important to understand that we all have multiple lines of intelligence and areas of focus.

The Wheel of Life assessment is a good coaching tool to clarify your self-development goals for different areas of your life.

Active Journaling

Journalling can be a powerful aid in this stage and the next. A journal can be used to capture your dreams, ambitions, life lessons, and insights on the written page.

Self-Development Plan

Some individuals prefer to have more structure to help them proceed with their discovery process and self-development.

Creating even just a basic self-development plan with the data you gather above can help you reduce distractions and stay focused on your long-term objectives.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 2

What’s strange about Stage 2 is that it can seem like we’re going backward.

While we’re building our personalities and moving toward a vision in stage 1, in this stage, we need to take a step back and explore our past.

Getting to know our past is absolutely essential for deeper levels of self-discovery.

As such, the energetic striving we experienced in Stage 1 now gets replaced by a more self-reflective mind. We now have enough life experience behind us to observe major patterns that we couldn’t see before.

The self-discovery activities in Stage 2 different greatly from Stage 1. Overall, Stage 2 is less about tools and assessments and more about methods and exercises that support one’s inward discovery journey.

Observational Meditation

Many individuals will likely discover meditation in the first stage of their journey. However, the quality and function of meditation take on a different meaning in Stage 2.

Your journey through Stage 2 benefits from a reflective mind and a strong Inner Observer . To gain insight into one’s psyche, it helps to be able to carefully monitor one’s deepest thoughts, feelings, reactions, attitudes, moods, and impulses.

For some, developing this Inner Observer happens naturally. For others, it takes meditative training .

Shadow Work

One of the most remarkable aspects of Stage 2 is that you eventually realize that everything you built up in Stage 1 isn’t entirely accurate.

All prior personality growth and self-development were based on a sense of self (ego construct) that was never closely examined.

To function in the world in early life, we necessarily cut off and dissociate many parts of ourselves that get relegated to our personal unconscious. This creates a split in our psyche that leads to internal tension. This internal tension is the source of our moodiness, emotional instability, neurotic behaviors, and dis-ease .

Think of it like renovating an old house with lead paint. Sure you can paint over the lead with a new “eco-friendly” paint and add new furnishings, but you still have a house with lead paint.

When you reach the Inward Turn, you begin examining what’s been cut off and hidden inside of you.

Every aspect of yourself that was deemed “unacceptable” during childhood was relegated to your personal unconscious. Now, it’s time to bring the unconscious to consciousness. Shadow work becomes an indispensable self-discovery activity at this stage.

See my guide on shadow work here .

Inner Work (Active Imagination & Dream Analysis)

Getting to know your shadow is an integral part of inner work. Inner work is more of a general term for turning inward and examining aspects of one’s unconscious.

Jung used two primary methods for helping his patients harmonize the split within their psyche: dream analysis and active imagination.

Jung saw dreams as a primary means for the unconscious to speak to us—to our conscious minds. So by paying attention to our dreams, we bring to consciousness aspects of ourselves currently hidden from us.

Active imagination is another excellent self-discovery activity. It’s the process of inner dialogue with “parts” within our psyche.

The psyche is filled with a collection of semi-autonomous archetypes that constantly influence our behavior.

In the second stage of our self-discovery process, it becomes necessary to dialogue with or at least become conscious of these various subpersonalities operating within our psyche.

Trauma Release Exercises

In the course of exploring our past, we encounter numerous psychic wounds that need our attention.

Trauma plays a large role in our early development. Addressing this trauma is a necessary aspect of becoming whole.

While mental processes are useful, we also need to address the body directly where this past trauma is stored. (See Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score .)

I cover the topic of trauma more deeply in this guide on repressed emotions .

There are a range of methods available to use from David Berceli’s Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) to Alexander Lowen’s Bioenergetic Analysis. All of these self-discovery activities can be highly therapeutic at this stage.

Regardless of the modalities you use for your journey, the key thing is that you release this stored trauma and build a stronger connection to your physical body. This is called body-mind integration. In No Boundary (2001), integral theorist Ken Wilber labeled it the Centaur Level .

Cultivating deeper levels of body awareness is an important, often overlooked, part of one’s journey to self-discovery and healing.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 3

In Stage 2, we put our house in order. The more we harmonize the opposites within us, the more internal tension we resolve. We move, slowly and patiently, from fragmentation to greater wholeness.

As this unfolds, we can hold to the Center with greater ease.

From the Center, there’s no need to strive to become anything. Even the growth need of self-actualization begins to take a back seat.

The ego we’ve developed through the first two stages doesn’t go anywhere. But a different quality emerges from the Center. One’s true Self comes forth and gently guides us.

This stage takes us beyond Western psychology and into the realm of mysticism and sagehood .

This third stage is less about self-discovery activities and more about stabilizing one’s mind. Self-inquiry and the closer examination of one’s consciousness become more than just a daily sitting practice, but a continuous way of being.

Becoming versus Being

In the first stage of self-discovery, we’re in the process of becoming . The self-discovery activities above aid us in this developmental process.

Self-development and personal growth are integral to this stage as we do our best to cultivate healthy egos that can thrive in this crazy, chaotic world.

In developing our personalities, we are, as psychologist Abraham Maslow put it, actualizing our potential .

Some of us do this through our careers and vocations. Others do it through cultivating skills and various intelligences out of personal interest.

Eventually, however, there’s a shift in quality in one’s process of self-discovery.

The drive to “become” moves into the background while a quality of beingness wants to emerge. This represents the shift inward that marks stage 2 and reaches fruition in stage 3.

Self-Discovery Through the Three Gunas

In Yogic philosophy, they have what’s called the three gunas or qualities of consciousness:

Tamas : inertia, inactivity, darkness, and ignorance
Rajas : activity, passion, desire, energy
Sattva : purity, knowledge, beingness, truth

Those stuck in tamas (inertia) are unlikely to engage in their self-discovery journey. They sadly remain stuck in their personas. Self-discovery activities are likely uninteresting to them.

Stage 1 occurs when the active quality of rajas is present. Rajic energy is necessary for developing our personalities and fully engaging in life (the process of becoming).

The shift toward sattvic consciousness starts when we embrace our inner world in Stage 2. However, a sattvic state isn’t realized until we arrive home within the Self in Stage 3.

Self-Discovery Activities Roadmap

7 Factors that Hijack Self-Discovery

Keep in mind that self-discovery is a natural process. Sages often refer to it as the “play of consciousness.”

However, many common factors can potentially stall our development. Maslow called this aborted self-actualization . When this occurs, the self-discovery activities we highlighted above either don’t come into play or they hold no meaning.

Let’s take a look at some internal and external factors:

Internal Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Numerous potential internal hurdles can stall self-discovery. When this occurs, one does not fully engage in self-discovery activities

Here are four potential hurdles:

Early Childhood Trauma

This is probably the most common culprit. A series of psychic scars in early childhood cause various shadow archetypes to take the helm in our conscious mind.

Childhood trauma leads to neurosis like anxiety and depression. Under these conditions, the discovery and awakening process may be thwarted. Instead, life becomes an endless struggle to meet their basic human needs and/or the pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

Trauma often triggers the puer aeternus archetype (eternal child), leading to the Peter Pan syndrome.

However, once brought to consciousness, trauma can be a catalyst for engaging in self-discovery activities.

A Fixed Mindset

Psychologist Carol Dweck’s decades of research presented in her bestseller Mindset (2007) reveals that a fixed mindset, conditioned into us in childhood, can have lasting consequences if not addressed in adulthood.

With a fixed mindset, individuals fear growth and have fundamental blocks to learning in adolescence and adulthood. In contrast, with a growth mindset , one naturally engages in self-discovery activities.

Misaligned Values of Society

The unspoken values of society include image, attractiveness, wealth, material possessions, competition, and “success.” When these are one’s ideal standards, it leads to neurotic behaviors and excessiveness (a feeling of never having enough).

In fact, many people engage in self-discovery activities when they realize how empty these societal values truly are.

As J. Krishnamurti said in Commentaries on Living :

Is society healthy, that an individual should return to it? Has not society itself helped to make the individual unhealthy? Of course, the unhealthy must be made healthy, that goes without saying; but why should the individual adjust himself to an unhealthy society? If he is healthy, he will not be a part of it. Without first questioning the health of society, what is the good of helping misfits to conform to society?

This is why it’s vital to discover your personal values . Your values will naturally help guide you toward self-discovery instead of “following the pack.”

A Strong Drive for Comfort

We all like being comfortable, but for various reasons (two of which are listed above), many individuals avoid risk while clinging to comfort. They have an unhealthy drive for safety and aversion toward growth—the exact opposite of self-actualizing individuals .

An excessive drive for comfort often degrades into addictive tendencies that result in a downward spiral. Endless distractions replace the natural drive for self-discovery activities.

External Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Here are three common external factors that cause us to withdraw from self-discovery activities:

Financial Restraints

We all have basic human needs and when we have difficulty meeting these needs, it creates a great deal of tension.

For example, how are you supposed to invest energy and attention into learning about your personality, when you’re worried about paying rent next month?

You don’t need to be affluent to pursue self-discovery, but it does help to have your “house” in order first. You just need an internal space for psychological safety where you are calm enough to pursue self-discovery activities.

An Unsafe Environment

Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers points out in On Becoming a Person (1995) that psychological safety in our environment is an important condition for creativity and the development of positive mental health.

This lack of psychological safety can be due to an abusive relationship, socio-economic conditions, or some other factor. These days, just turn on the news: external psychological safety seems to be in short supply.

A Disempowering Peer Group

Being surrounded by destructive individuals or people with mental illness (including narcissism) can make it challenging to pursue self-development. Your peer group can act like “crabs in a bucket,” pulling you down if you try to get out.

This external factor is more of a concern at the early stages of discovery when you’re first building momentum.

When individuals first engage in self-discovery activities, for example, they often search for other like-minded individuals. Others, at least for some time, go it alone.

Self-Discovery: A Pathless Path

Ultimately, the path you take to self-discovery will be unique to you.

The above stages and self-discovery activities are mere guidelines, designed to capture the essence of the journey home.

Remember, too, that it’s normal to slide off your path at times and to experience major setbacks along the way. Tests, trials, and tribulations are a part of the journey.

As Jung often pointed out, the way is not without its dangers. As soon as you leave the conventional, ordinary world and enter the “special world,” you’re on your own. While this can be terrifying, it can also be liberating.

It’s only when you step back and view this self-discovery process from a 10,000-foot view that you can fully appreciate the play of consciousness expressing itself through a myriad of forms representing all of us. What a peculiar thing.

Travel safely. Or don’t.

Either way, stay alert.

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About the Author

Scott Jeffrey is the founder of CEOsage, a self-leadership resource publishing in-depth guides read by millions of self-actualizing individuals. He writes about self-development, practical psychology, Eastern philosophy, and integrated practices. For 25 years, Scott was a business coach to high-performing entrepreneurs, CEOs, and best-selling authors. He's the author of four books including Creativity Revealed .

Learn more >

Great Information! Thank YOU! BARB!

You’re most welcome, Barb.

Return to hOMe. Be Blessed.

Guía extensa, pero iluminadora. En mi caso, es un excelente enrutador, ya que me aclara situaciones que me agobian y me hacen detenerme sin rumbo definido. Esta guía me hace reflexionar y decidir qué camino debo seguir. Gracias Scott por tu valioso apoyo.

Sure thing, William.

Returning to Home and Self! The path is not without danger and suffering but it will be liberating. And I know I can do it.

Travel safety or not. Either way stay alert.

Thanks Scott a lot! Your writings and wisdom is making a lots of difference in the world, at least in my world.

Thank you for the feedback, Niimka.

Great to hear that the material is making a difference for you.

I have a a clarification regarding the content of this article , however, I might reference other articles on which my thought process is based. Please bear with me, as I try to make clearer sense of the “Sage Stage”.

In my view and based on experience/inner work it seems relevant to me to see three types of consciousness. Namely, Superconscious, Conscious, Subconscious, Unconscious.

In this article does the Sage stage refer to the “Consciousness arising from a leaning towards a Superconscious influence on an individual or is it coming from an archetypal “Sage” arising from the Subconscious/Unconscious?

I perceive inner work more aligning with Superconscious/Inner Guidance rather than Archetypal/SubConscious/Unconscious.

To seems to me, Spirit can interact with Soul-Ego(Human) only from a place of SuperConscious.

Please let me know how you perceive our internal construction that navigates self-discovery in relation to evolving consciousness? Thank you!

Personally, I don’t use terminology like “superconscious.” But I also don’t perceive that third stage in terms of a “Sage Stage.” I referenced “sagehood” as it links to the Sage archetype guide that’s relevant here. From a purely Jungian perspective, that’s accurate.

However, I’m not Jungian. To me, the Spirit isn’t an archetypal image as it is to Jungians.

“Returning home” doesn’t involve images. Navigating through images is the defining characteristic of Stage 2.

“Please let me know how you perceive our internal construction that navigates self-discovery in relation to evolving consciousness?”

So this is probably what may be different in our understanding. The transpersonal literature speaks about “evolving consciousness,” but wholeheartedly don’t agree with this. Sure, there’s the development of the ego. That’s why there are stages. But the “Return Home” is not evolutionary or developmental; it’s a function of stripping away what the Taoists call “mundane conditioning” to return what was there all along (hence, the “Original Spirit” or “Original Nature”).

Bringing order to the psyche (Stage 2) helps reduce mental illness. With less mental illness, there’s less neurosis. With less neurosis, the mind is more still. When the mind is still, one can be. If one can “just be” long enough, one’s energy stabilizes. As one’s energy stabilizes, the Spirit returns.

In this way, Stage 3 is more “alchemical” — not evolutionary or developmental.

Yes, I can now see the difference in views.

I had a very unique and personal experience in getting to come to know about the work of Sri Aurobindo. Although I am Indian, I did not know anything about him at all and his work on human evolution. It was through a personal sequence of synchronistic events in the last few years that were totally unexplainable that I came to know of him. In exploring his work I found a deep connection with my own personal “evolution of consciousness” making sense. The way he describes the process of moving from ego-centric mind to a higher mind has been very resonant with me at a personal level.

It fits accurately even within what you refer to as “sagehood”.

Because my personal experience is very valuable to me, I might like to perceive it as my consciousness is continuously evolving. Offers me the necessary motivation to stay on track even though inner work is hard.

Thank you for the clarifications.

It seems that the process on inner work being so non-linear in nature adequately covers the areas of de-conditioning and addressing neurosis as long as I stay dedicated to the discipline needed for inner work. It seems like the end is similar but being addressed in different ways.

To clarify, I did not suggest that “inner work” is non-linear. Sure, the psyche can be messy, and establishing order doesn’t necessarily follow a step-by-step process. Stage 2 of the self-discovery process is where inner work takes place. Stage 3 is more about contemplative practices that enable stabilization.

“The way he describes the process of moving from ego-centric mind to a higher mind has been very resonant with me at a personal level.”

Sure. But what I’m saying is that it’s incorrect to call this “evolution.” It’s the wrong word.

In the way I view inner work, I am considering messy and non-linear to be similar. In my mind it is similar to “not a step-by-step process”. I used the word non-linear to imply not in a straight line, sometimes straight, other times with repeats and new situations to navigate and explore…I see this as the “messy psyche” I am trying to “order” at some level.

The Indian word “Sadhana” that seems to align with Spiritual Contemplative practice to me is really what is most useful to me (as I have mentioned before I have a strong inclination towards spiritual contemplation). It could be different from other contemplative practices so sure. What is achievable through Sadhana is difficult for me to put into a few words. It is a state of being to which stabilization is definitely arriving. Also I’m over-simplifying everything here just to be concise.

The use of the word evolution is present in his literature aligning with a progressive movement. I think “awakening” applies here too. Is there a better word to describe the process?

“The Indian word “Sadhana” that seems to align with Spiritual Contemplative practice to me is really what is most useful to me”

Yes, Sadhana is the pathway of Stage 3.

“What is achievable through Sadhana is difficult for me to put into a few words. It is a state of being to which stabilization is definitely arriving.”

In the Indian tradition, especially the nondual schools, the focus is primarily on a transformation of consciousness — transcending the identification with the body-mind organism and moving beyond the “I am” (primary Maya). In the Taoist tradition, especially the Southern Reality School, the emphasis is on the stabilization of the energy within the body first. Then, they move to a transformation of consciousness.

“The use of the word evolution is present in his literature aligning with a progressive movement. I think “awakening” applies here too. Is there a better word to describe the process?”

Transformation and development both work.

Thank you for your time to clarify my questions and comments. It is very much appreciated.

Is the practice that is proposed by Jung for working with the unconscious mind “Active Imagination” suitable for all individuals?

The reason I ask is that some people have a predisposition towards “fantasy thinking” that utilizes imagination actively (not is terms of Jungian Active Imagination).

What I mean by fantasy thinking could be divided into two kinds, what I refer to as “Magical thinking, that goes like : I wish things would magically happen” or “Wishful thinking which is a active conscious thought process involving romanticizing reality, looking at life through rose-colored glasses or in some cases even dark fantasy that involves getting back at someone for wrong doing (even if it be in the realm of thought). The first two is something I seem to indulge in more easily. But I know people around me who indulge in (dark fantasy/more violent type) the later frequently. What I have described in this paragraph is a conscious active mental process.

I would say that based on knowing and studying myself as well as studying and observing others, some types (Enneagram in particular) have a greater predisposition towards fantasy thinking.

In fact I could even say that some “guided visualizations” that take people on mental journeys fall into a form of fantasy thinking process, that are more unproductive than useful. I find such guided visualizations very ungrounding and airy experiences. Please correct me if I wrong.

Makes me wonder if this is why hypnosis that takes a creative-imagination driven format with its practical applications works well only for some people.

Since active imagination is a way to tap into the unconscious would a person prone to fantasy thinking feel more ungrounded by engaging in it, without a clear sense of whether they have shifted into pointless imaginations or real useful work with their unconscious “parts”?

Is there a grounding practice that accompanies active imagination would support an individual to stay on track with “active imagination” vs. getting lost in imaginary conversations with parts (that they might be accustomed to given their fantasy-driven tendencies) that might produce useful, meaningful and desired results that tap into their psyche?

I hope my questions and background I have provided is clear enough.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

“In fact I could even say that some “guided visualizations” that take people on mental journeys fall into a form of fantasy thinking process, that are more unproductive than useful. I find such guided visualizations very ungrounding and airy experiences. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”

Yes, I generally discourage guided visualizations, despite how popular they are. Guided instructions can be useful as a learning aid, but guided visualizations serve little value in my experience.

“Since active imagination is a way to tap into the unconscious would a person prone to fantasy thinking feel more ungrounded by engaging in it, without a clear sense of whether they have shifted into pointless imaginations or real useful work with their unconscious “parts”?”

Not necessarily. Someone prone to fantasy may find active imagination very instructive as it can add a useful structure to their fantasies.

“Is there a grounding practice that accompanies active imagination would support an individual to stay on track with “active imagination” vs. getting lost in imaginary conversations with parts (that they might be accustomed to given their fantasy-driven tendencies) that might produce useful, meaningful and desired results that tap into their psyche?”

Yes. See these two guides: https://scottjeffrey.com/how-to-ground-yourself/ https://scottjeffrey.com/center-yourself/

Hi Scott, I’ve been considering the statement you mention “Not necessarily. Someone prone to fantasy may find active imagination very instructive as it can add a useful structure to their fantasies.” As someone who has not benefited in anyway in indulging in fantasy, I have not been able to use many of the practices that have been outlined by Jung. I don’t mean to dismiss or disqualify the validity and use of the practices…it might be extremely useful for certain individuals. I think I am very driven to focus on reality as it occurs and then try to connect it to fields of study. There is a neat distinction made by John Vervaeke (he may not be the originator), between “imagination” and “imaginal”. A website definition of this distinction goes as follows … Here it is important to differentiate between the imaginary (fantasy) and the imaginal, with the latter being seen as a crucial bridge between subjective and objective experience, as well as between perceptual and conceptual domains.” … It seems to me that Inner Work aligns well with “Imaginal” rather than “Imagination”. Personally, inner work continues to breakdown the hold of fantasy in my life…which continues to make inner work very useful. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to think through this via this discussion.

To clarify, inner work and active imagination are not about engaging in fantasy as such. What you’re doing is actively engaging in dialogue with semi-autonomous subpersonalities within the psyche. There’s no need to get hung up on definitions of “imagination.” You don’t have to “imagine” these inner voices. They are already there. It’s just a matter of whether or not you tune into them.

Also to clarify, inner work is not the same thing as sadhana. With inner work, you engage with the images in the psyche. With sadhana, you don’t. That is, Eastern practices are focused on going beyond the images (because, as you observed, focusing on the images can lead to fantasy — i.e. delusion).

The integral movement (including transpersonal psychology) places inner work practices at a lower stage as it relates more specifically to the personality and contemplative practices (sadhana) at a higher stage of development. Overall, I would agree with this structure.

Thank you for the clarifications Scott.

It definitely sounds more honest to tune into inner voices. I can relate to that. I don’t think I make a clear distinction for myself about the stages of development. I tend to use a broad term as “Inner Work” that is simply ongoing, placing awareness onto various aspects of my life.

I don’t even have any specific affiliation with people who call themselves “integral” or “transpersonal psychologists”. When something resonates and seems to match something in my reality it offers a little more clarity. Thank you for sharing your time and guidance with me.

Sure thing, Roopa. I also don’t have any affiliations with these various groups. I mentioned integral here in this context because before this “fifth wave of psychology” there wasn’t really a language or understanding to differentiate these different schools of thought — both East and West — and the levels of development they represent. And without this differentiation, there tends to be a lot of internal confusion. This type of differentiation itself is a function of developing cognitive consciousness.

Scott, your portrait shows you becoming more distinguished, retaining the handsomeness.

Forgive me if I seem to be repeating what you have said. I think writing it down helps me understand.

“Stage 1: Discovering Your Conscious Self (Personality)”.

Is this how people see you? Is this the unconscious that acts in your conscious? Is this the personality enneagram types and are they archetypes?

So far, I’ve asked about the persona as an unconscious part. Is it possible for our persona to be consciously developed? As a boy I emulated my father, then later years became an image (perhaps the persona mask). Can I say that I made my image and is this my archetype making me believe it’s me? What archetype I don’t know, you might have an idea which it is? Thank-you.

How people see you is a function of numerous factors that don’t necessarily align with Stage 1.

Yes, the Enneagram types are ultimately expressions of archetypes as I explain here: https://scottjeffrey.com/archetypes-list/

“Can I say that I made my image and is this my archetype making me believe it’s me?”

Not really. No. The psyche is a collection of archetypes — not just one. And there are a host of factors involved here.

Also, you don’t really consciously develop your persona. It’s more of a reaction to your environment.

That said, we all do learn by observing the behavior of those around us — especially those we project onto like parents and other authority figures.

My understanding of the persona; is an Image we relate to others. Do you think we would rather be our true personality to others?

I think the persona is not far off compared with our personality. As you can see from this quote”The list shows how likely it is that you are each enneagram type.

Most people will be the type at the top of the list, however, your actual personality type might be somewhat lower in it (usually it’s in the top 3).

This is from an enneagram test, which tells my we are not willing to show our true personality. Don’t you think we would be more contented with ourselves if we were able to incorporate the persona with personality? Thank-you.

The social mask is something that’s subconsciously created as a response to one’s environment. It’s a reaction.

One’s true personality is not known until the individual builds consciousness via processes like shadow work. Until then, they are divorced from many qualities about themselves (positive and negative) and engaged in self-deception. The goal of individuation is to bring the individual to a sense of wholeness.

The persona falls away during this process.

Thank-you Scott for your patient reply. However, from the quote on the enneagram test “Most people will be the type at the top of the list, however, your actual personality type might be somewhat lower in it (usually it’s in the top 3)” and your comment quote “One’s true personality is not known until the individual builds consciousness via processes like shadow work”.

There seems to be a conflict, are you suggesting the enneagram test people are wrong?

Perhaps there is not a conflict, I may be seeing the comments in a black and white perspective. I would like you to detail both quotes for me. Thank-you.

There’s no conflict here. The Enneagram is a typing system. Like any personality typing system, it can only highlight general predispositions of particular “types.” If you read any good book on the Enneagram, for example, you’ll resonate with many of the type descriptions. That’s why many individuals have difficulty zeroing in on their type. Their singular type represents a “center of gravity” — it’s not codifying who they are. Plus, there are nine levels of development for each type — from least healthy (9) to healthiest (1). Most people are in the mid to lower range (unhealthy to average mental health). Finally, as you develop your personality through inner work, you actually move toward a different type in the Enneagram (“path of integration”). Ultimately, the more one moves toward individuation the less any of these types become relevant. That’s part of the reason Jung didn’t approve of Myers-Briggs (MBTI). In his view, it missed the point of what psychological types represent.

Ilike the expression you used “center of gravity”. You have answered where the enneagram fits in to the individuation process. It does seem useful to consciously stay in your enneagram type. Thank-you. Perhaps you might elaborate on the phrase “center of gravity” …

“Center of gravity” is a term used in the developmental literature. There are all kinds of developmental stage models, including the Enneagram’s 9 levels, Loevinger’s ego development, Erikson’s psychosocial development, spiral dynamics integral, Maslow’s needs, etc. It’s a mistake to pigeonhole someone at a certain stage of any model. It’s more accurate to say that a person’s “center of gravity” is at a particular stage as it reflects the reality that we are complex beings with many parts. For example, with spiral dynamics, a person’s center of gravity value structure may be “green” (sensitive self) but that doesn’t mean they don’t they don’t also express orange (achievement) and blue (right-wrong morality) under different conditions.

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Tap into self-discovery with these 77 therapist-approved journaling prompts.

We all have thousands of thoughts running around our head on a given day—so many that it can require intention and attention to self-reflect and integrate what you're going through.

Putting pen to paper and giving those thoughts somewhere to go, also known as journaling, is one of the best ways you can get in touch with yourself and learn something about who you are in the process. Here's why, plus 77 journaling prompts for self-discovery to help you get started.

How (& why) to work with journaling prompts

Journaling allows us to explore our own mind, reflect, and discover things about ourselves we may not have known otherwise. As artist and author of the Create Your Own Calm guided journal, Meera Lee Patel , previously told mindbodygreen, "The purpose of journaling is to awaken conscious thinking, which is simply having an honest conversation with yourself."

She adds that it's a great way to get to know yourself a little better, noting, "Through journaling, I have learned how to organize my thoughts, alleviate stress, and challenge certain ideas and habits I previously believed were inherent parts of me."

And research on journaling backs this up, too. Numerous studies show that journaling can help with everything from boosting your own emotional awareness to increasing your mental well-being. As one 2018 study 1 notes, in a web-based journaling protocol, participants showed less depressive symptoms and anxiety after one month of journaling along with greater resilience after the first and second month, relative to usual care.

Journaling prompts are simply questions or statements meant to help inspire you to write. If you're unsure where to start or what to write about, they're a great way to get your gears turning, with virtually limitless prompts to choose from. (That said, here are our favorite guided journals if you're in the market for one.)

77 journal prompts for self-discovery

All of the following prompts are approved by experts, including Patel, licensed marriage and family therapist Tiana Leeds, M.A., LMFT , and board-certified clinical psychologist Kristina Hallett, Ph.D., ABPP . We've grouped them into a few different categories depending on what's on your mind, from your relationships to your future goals.

Journal prompts to warm up & get started

If you were a natural landscape, what would you be?
Describe your childhood bedroom using all five senses.
Write a love letter to yourself.
When do you feel most alive?
Write down the best three things that happened to you today, five beautiful things you saw today, three little habits you want to do tomorrow, and/or a goal you're excited to work toward in the future.
What about your home do you love?
What have you recently introduced into your life that's brought you peace, joy, or comfort?
Name 10 things you like about yourself.
What about your health are you thankful for?
What are your quirks, talents, and skills, and why are you grateful to have them?

Self-reflection

When do you feel most free and alive? Describe the moments or activities that have helped you tap into a sense of profound vitality.
What are some little things you used to stress about that you now realize are not so important?
Reflect on the qualities you admire about yourself. Which of your strengths or attributes do you like most?
What are your top five values?
Are they aligned with your actions and choices in life? If not, how can you make any necessary adjustments?
Make a list of the major events that have shaped your life. Then, write down the struggles that have shaped who you are today.
Write a letter to your past self at an age that was especially difficult for you. Give yourself the advice and encouragement this younger version of you needed to hear.
Paint a vivid picture of your ideal day, both on a weekday and a weekend. Walk through the entire day, from the moment you wake up until you fall asleep at night. Explore the activities, environments, people, and interactions that would create a fulfilling day for you.
Imagine five alternative lives you would like to lead, each exploring different passions, purposes, or paths.
What were your interests and favorite activities from childhood? How can you infuse elements of that childlike joy into your present life?
Which of your accomplishments evoke a sense of pride in you? Reflect on the lessons, strengths, and personal growth that resulted from these achievements.
Reflect on your preference for consistency versus spontaneity. How does this preference shape your experiences, relationships, and personal growth? To cultivate balance and self-growth, do you need to lean more into one versus the other?
Identify the circumstances, activities, or environments that spark your creativity. How can you create more space for these moments in your life?
If you were to write a book, what subject would it revolve around? Explore the stories, knowledge, or experiences you might like to dive into in written form.
What powerful lessons have you learned?
What's something your past self did that you're grateful for today?
What's a challenge you've overcome to get where you are today?
What do you appreciate about your current life circumstances?
Picture a wise, loving, and more evolved version of you. Not someone else but the you you're meant to be. Imagine becoming that you. Describe yourself.
What values did your parents have, and do you hold those same values?
How would you describe yourself without any titles? (i.e. without any roles like "mom" or jobs like "writer."
What are 10 everyday occurrences that make you happy?
What emotion do you tend to experience the most?
Is there anything you're currently working on changing or shifting in your life?
What would you like to stay the same?
Who is your hero and why?

Love & relationships

Who in your life makes you feel the most at home? Identify the qualities they embody that bring you comfort and a sense of belonging.
Which traits or qualities in others do you admire most? In what ways do these traits already exist within you?
Reflect on how the biases you hold shape your worldview and relationships. Which bias is your top priority to shift?
In which ways have you remained compassionate and giving to others despite finding yourself in a stressful situation?
Write a thank you letter to someone you care about.
How comfortable are you with expressing your emotions?
How do you feel when others express their emotions?
In what ways do you show up for others?
In what ways do others show up for you?
Is there anyone in your life you need to forgive?
Is there anyone in your life who you want to forgive you?

Career path

What does success mean to you?
What about your financial situation are you grateful for?
What about the way you make money brings you joy?
What problems do you usually run into in the workplace?
How do these issues reflect your inner values possibly not being met?
What is your dream job and why?
Do you think career and purpose are intertwined?
What is your relationship to your purpose?

Shadow work

Explore the traits or aspects of yourself that you have a hard time embracing . How can you cultivate self-acceptance and wholeheartedly embrace these parts of yourself?
Examine the limiting beliefs that get in the way of your growth. How can you reframe these beliefs so they are more empowering?
Reflect on the age when you started doubting your worth. Identify the experiences or influences that may have contributed to this shift and explore ways to reclaim your self-belief.
Reflect on the parts of you that evoke shame or guilt . How can you shift into a place of greater self-forgiveness and self-compassion regarding these aspects of who you are?
What makes you feel anxious? What does that anxiety feel like? What are you afraid will happen? What action will you take if this happens?
Is there something you've had to sacrifice so something of greater value could be born?
In the past, when you experienced a crisis, what are some healthy and unhealthy ways you coped?
Is there some way you have a similar trait to the person who is triggering you , but it is more minor or suppressed in yourself and more obvious in this other person?
What dreams do you shy away from within yourself? What holds you back from embracing these desires?
Can you apologize when your role has resulted or may have resulted in a negative impact on another?
What emotions do you find most challenging and why?
What have you not forgiven myself for?
What have you not forgiven someone else for?
Which emotion do you avoid the most?
What kind of self-destructive habits or behaviors do you exhibit?
When you are disappointed in the way you handle something or react, how can you practice more radical self-love?

Life plans & goals

What do you want your life to look like in five to 10 years ? Even more importantly, how do you want to feel?
Write a letter to your current self from your future self envisioning where you want to be in five years and what it would have taken to get there.
What are you doing today, as far as plans and actionable steps, to take good care of your future self?
What's one thing you'd like to be proud of by the end of this week/month/year?
Envision your own funeral and contemplate the impact you wish to have had on others. Who do you hope is there? What values, contributions, and qualities do you hope to be remembered for?
Write out your bucket list.

What are journal prompts for self-identity?

Journal prompts for self identity include any prompts that help you get curious, explore, and learn about yourself. (i.e. What would your ideal day look like? or What are your favorite things about yourself?)

Does journaling help with self-discovery?

Yes, journaling allows you to sort through your thoughts, reflect on and learn from past experiences, and get to know yourself on a deeper level.

What are journal prompts for self-acceptance?

Journal prompts for self acceptance include any prompts that help learn to accept and embrace yourself as you are. (i.e. What do you appreciate about your health? What advice would you give a friend who was facing what you're facing?)

The takeaway

Whether you've been journaling for years or you're just getting started, sometimes the right prompt is just what you need to ask yourself the important questions. With just a few minutes of journaling a day, you can continue to learn more about yourself on a deeper level.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6305886/

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Self-Discovery Through Stretch Assignments: Real-Life Examples

Posted Feb 16, 2024

In the journey of personal and professional growth, individuals often find a transformative bridge to self-discovery through self-assigned projects known as stretch assignments. This article delves into real-life examples of individuals who have taken the initiative to embark on self-assigned projects, showcasing the pivotal role of stretch assignments in fostering self-discovery.

Learn about Asure’s HR solutions that save you time and money while staying compliant with ever-changing HR laws .

The Essence of Stretch Assignments

Stretch assignments, whether initiated by employers or self-assigned, present individuals with opportunities to step outside their comfort zones and tackle challenges that go beyond their usual scope of work. These projects catalyze skill enhancement, career development, and, perhaps most importantly, self-discovery.

Real-Life Examples

Learning a new industry .

An individual employed in the technology sector who took on a self-assigned stretch assignment to delve into a completely different industry – the renewable energy sector. By actively seeking projects and responsibilities related to renewable energy, the individual not only acquired new industry-specific skills but also unearthed a genuine interest in sustainability and environmental issues.

Creating a Niche Blog

In a creative endeavor, an individual with a background in marketing undertook a self-assigned stretch assignment to create a niche blog focusing on a specific industry trend. This project not only honed writing skills but also uncovered a passion for content creation and thought leadership. The blog eventually gained recognition, opening doors to new opportunities in the individual’s professional journey.

Skill Development in Coding

A professional in a non-technical role decided to take on a self-assigned stretch assignment to learn coding. Through online courses, dedicated practice, and personal projects, the individual developed a proficiency in coding. This unexpected foray into the technical realm not only enhanced their skill set but also broadened their career horizons.

Leading a Community Initiative

In a community-oriented example, an individual within a company took the initiative to lead a community service project. This stretch assignment involved organizing volunteers, coordinating activities, and managing resources for a local charity event. Through this experience, the individual discovered leadership qualities and a passion for community engagement that transcended their daily work responsibilities.

The Role of Stretch Assignments in Self-Discovery

Uncovering Hidden Passions: Stretch assignments provide a platform for individuals to explore areas beyond their routine tasks, uncovering hidden passions and interests that may have remained dormant.
Building Confidence: Taking on challenges outside one’s comfort zone through self-assigned projects contributes to building confidence. The ability to navigate unfamiliar territories fosters a sense of self-assurance and adaptability.
Expanding Skill Sets: Engaging in self-assigned stretch assignments naturally leads to skill development. Whether it’s learning a new industry, acquiring technical skills, or honing creative abilities, individuals expand their skill sets through hands-on experience.
Opening Career Pathways: The self-discovery prompted by stretch assignments often opens unexpected career pathways. Individuals may find themselves drawn to entirely new fields or uncover potential career trajectories that align more closely with their newfound passions.

Conclusion

The real-life examples of individuals embracing self-assigned stretch assignments underscore the profound impact these projects can have on self-discovery. Whether driven by a desire for entrepreneurship, a curiosity about different industries, or a passion for community service, these examples demonstrate that stretch assignments serve as a dynamic pathway to personal and professional growth. As individuals venture beyond the familiar, they not only enhance their skill sets but also embark on a journey of self-discovery that can shape the trajectory of their careers.

Unlock your growth potential

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A therapy and mental health resource site

75+ Free Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts

75+ free mental health worksheets, handouts, and forms for mental health professionals or self-help.

(Updated 2/13/24) This is a list of nearly 100 mental health worksheets, handouts, forms, and more for substance use, mental health, and wellness.

Please repost and share with anyone who might benefit! New resources are added on a regular basis.

For more free downloads, click here for a list of PDF workbooks, manuals, and self-help guides.

For free mental health worksheets and resources from other sites, check out TherapistAid , GetSelfHelpUK , and Taking the Escalator .

Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts

Group ideas & topics.

A 3-page handout for group facilitators with strategies for managing resistance, disruptive behaviors, and a lack of engagement in group therapy.

A list of topics for substance use groups.

A 2-page handout for clinicians who facilitate group therapy with (adult) clients and their families. The questions were developed for an inpatient SUD setting.

A list of specific topics for substance use groups, such as refusal skills, the difference between a lapse and a relapse, and fun in recovery.

A list of group openers for substance use groups; can also be used in individual counseling sessions.

A list of questions for exploring the following topics: Conversation starters, mental health, addiction, personal development, values, family, relationships, and emotions. These questions can be used in a group setting, individually, or as journal prompts.

Group Activities

A worksheet with prompts for writing a short autobiography to be presented to the group.

Intended audience: Adults

A worksheet for clients to pass around to group members so each person can write a positive affirmation.

Intended audience : Adolescents, Teens, Adults

Good for newly formed groups. Each group member writes down their “first impression” of other group members. The facilitator then reads off the different categories and group members have the opportunity to share their answers.

Intended audience : Adults

An icebreaker activity, good for new groups. Give group members 15-20 minutes to collect signatures. The first person to collect all signatures wins.

Clinical Film Discussion Questions

Ben Is Back -Discussion Questions
Girl, Interrupted -Discussion Questions
Pay It Forward -Discussion Questions
The Perks of Being a Wallflower -Discussion Questions
Rachel Getting Married -Discussion Questions
When a Man Loves a Woman -Discussion Questions

A printable deck of cards with 128 coping skills for managing stress, anxiety, and other difficult emotions. Each card includes one simple coping skill.

Print/cut the cards, fold, and place in a container. Group members take turns drawing the cards and answering the questions.

A printable deck of cards with 40 positive quotes that can be used as affirmations.

A printable card deck with 27 affirmations for healing and empowerment.

These cards can be used in a SUD inpatient or outpatient setting to facilitate group discussions about recovery. Group members take turns drawing a card and answering questions. The facilitator can vary things up by letting group members pick someone else to answer their question once they’ve finished sharing. Alternatively, group members can take turns drawing cards, but all group members are encouraged to share their answers. This activity works best with a working group.

This is a revised version of the Recovery Question Cards.

Rumi Quote Cards

25 cards with Rumi quotes on love, suffering, and healing.

A card deck with 104 cards with thought-provoking questions intended to promote discussion. Topics include goals, values, emotions, relationships, spirituality, and more.

These cards can be used in a group or individual setting. The last page of the PDF includes additional values exercises for journaling, clinical supervision, couples, and groups. Tip: Print the cards on patterned scrapbook paper (blank on one side).

Mental Health Handouts

4 ways to stay calm before a stressful event.

A 1-page handout with simple “in-the-moment” calming strategies for anxiety-provoking events.

A simple 1-page handout that shows the 6 basic emotions.

A comprehensive list of 12-step and other support groups , such as AA, NA, SMART Recovery, Dual Recovery Anonymous, NAMI, etc.

A 1-page DBT-based handout with 25 examples of dialectics (i.e., two things that seem opposite and are at the same time both true).

These journal prompts can also be used in a group setting. The prompts include questions about values, potential, expectations, and more.

Instructions for Living from the Dalai Lama

A 1-page handout with 25 quotes from the Dalai Lama on topics such as kindness and happiness. Can be used in a group setting.

A 1-page handout that debunks five common grief myths and provides the truth about each one.

A 2-page handout with nine creative and soothing outlets for grief , such as music, dance, light therapy, and aromatherapy.

A 2-page handout with journal prompts for recovery, based on material from The Sober Survival Guide (created with the author’s permission).

Kindness To-Do List

A to-do list of kind deeds with blank spaces to write in your own ideas for spreading kindness.

A colorful 3-page handout with ideas for hobbies that fall under the following categories: Animals/nature, arts/crafts, collections, cooking/baking, entertainment, home improvement/DIY, outdoor/adventure, self-improvement, sports, travel, and misc.

A list with links to online grief support groups, forums, and communities.

A 1-page handout on PTG and how it may impact a person’s life, and the factors that contribute to PTG.

A 1-page handout with resources for suicide , including recommended books, apps, crisis lines, and suicide warning signs.

A 2-page handout that describes seven uncommon grief experiences, such as delayed or disenfranchised grief.

A list of 38 unique coping skills for managing difficult emotions.

A 2-page handout that lists values. Can be used as a standalone handout or with the values card deck .

A 2-page handout with two exercise routines, one designed for beginners and the other for more advanced exercisers.

Mental Health Worksheets

A 1-page worksheet for identifying things to be grateful for in different life areas.

A 1-page checklist with 30 ideas for spreading kindness.

A 1-page worksheet for exploring what makes someone a good friend.

Art Activity: H-T-P Test

In the House-Tree-Person Test, the picture of the house is supposed to represent how the individual feels about their family. The tree elicits feelings of strength or weakness. The person represents how the individual feels about themselves. (Source: How Projective Tests Are Used to Measure Personality – Simply Psychology )

Art Activity: Outer & Inner Masks

This art activity can be done in a group setting or individually. Clients design both outer – what the world sees – and inner – the hidden self – masks. The third page has questions for discussion. This activity can be used to target all sorts of issues from body image to values to character defects (in addiction) and more.

Art Activity: Self-Portraits

This worksheet can be used in groups or as a homework assignment. Encourage clients to be creative; instead of just drawing or coloring, they can use magazine cutouts, stickers, photos, etc. Suggested questions for discussion: How did you decide which identities to portray? Which portrait best represents your true self? Which portrait do others see the most? What, if anything, would you like to change about your portraits?

A 2-page worksheet for exploring the consequences of addiction.

Coping with Cravings

A 3-page worksheet with DBT-based skills for coping with cravings.

Coping with Jealousy

A worksheet for understanding jealousy, its impact, whether it’s pathological, and how to manage jealous feelings.

Couples Exercise: Affirmations

A 3-page worksheet for sharing self-affirmations and partner affirmations, including suggested questions for discussion.

Couples Exercise: Our Bucket List

A 3-page worksheet for couples to create a shared list of meaningful “bucket list” items to do together.

Couples Exercise: Our Bucket List (with dates)

A shared bucket list that includes spaces to write in when an item was added to the list and when it was completed.

A 1-page worksheet for affirmations, positive self-talk, and problem-solving strategies for daily challenges.

A basic mood tracker with emoji faces.

A blank schedule with hourly slots starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. Can be used as part of a relapse prevention, for depression management, or as a planner.

A 3-page worksheet for substance use recovery for planning leisure activities and enhancing wellness/spirituality.

A letter template for individuals entering long-term residential treatment for substance use, to be opened and read at treatment completion.

An 8-page goal-setting worksheet for health/wellness, relationships/social health, emotional wellness, intellectual wellness, education/career, financial health, spirituality, and leisure.

A 3-page worksheet for identifying and managing substance use relapse triggers.

A 1-page worksheet for identifying things that promote addiction and ways to get rid of or avoid these things.

A 3-page goal-setting worksheet for short-term and long-term goals.

A 12-step-based worksheet for identifying and exploring resentments.

A worksheet for creating poetry; print, laminate, and cut out the words.

A 1-page worksheet for examining past substance use relapses and strategies for avoiding future relapses.

A 5-page template for creating a substance use relapse prevention plan.

A 1-page worksheet for exploring ways to resist urges to use in early recovery.

A 1-page checklist with quick tips, self-soothing, and indulgent ideas for self-care.

A 3-page worksheet for developing a colorful self-care “map” to explore patterns and identify new practices.

A 3-page template for creating a self-care “menu.”

A 2-page writing assignment for self-discovery and awareness.

A 2-page worksheet for developing self-esteem.

A 1-page worksheet for exploring motivation for substance use recovery.

A fun worksheet for creating a bucket list of things that are only possible in sobriety.

Stress Management Worksheet

This 6-page worksheet helps with identifying and exploring stressors. From there, the worksheet can be used to build a stress management plan.

7 pages of feelings words.

A 6-page worksheet for describing problem areas, identifying goals, and exploring what has (and has not) been helpful in the past. This worksheet can be used to develop a collaborative treatment plan.

A 2-page worksheet for identifying and exploring wants and needs.

A simple form for tracking daily meals and snacks for one week.

A 2-page worksheet for identifying things that are controllable versus things that can’t be controlled.

A 3-page narrative therapy worksheet for exploring a past substance use relapse.

Laminate and use with fine-tip dry erase markers.

Workbooks & Bonus Materials

100-page printable workbook for working through grief and loss.

A companion workbook meant to be used with the book Staying Sober Without God (created with the author’s permission).

Daily Self-Inventory for Mental Health Professionals

A 10th step-based inventory for self-reflection for counselors and other mental health workers.

Free Coloring Pages for Adults

Links to 15 websites with free printable coloring sheets for adults.

Miscellaneous Printables

A list of 20 openers for individual therapy sessions.

A 2-page form for case conceptualization with sections for demographics, key findings, background info, case formulation, interventions/plans, and requested feedback or suggestions.

A list of interventions (action words) for clinical documentation.

A template for tracking attendance, cases discussed, and any other group topics.

A foldable coloring book with eight different designs.

29 thoughts on “75+ Free Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts”

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Thank you for giving away this valuable information. I am a Adult Mental Health Case Manager and I use things from here in my weekly group meetings!

I do also, but for juveniles. These tools are extremely helpful.

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Thank you so much for providing these free handouts. During these tough times, I find these handouts to be extremely useful. A million thank you’s!

These valuable materials are so much of a blessing, thank you so much for the gracious kindness!!!

I’m a drug and alcohol counselor and I find this site very helpful!

It is great to see that someone else wants to promote better care for clients and therapists alike using comprehensive resources (that are free!). Thank you!!!

I love this site i am a Mental Health Professional and I find these very helpful with my group sessions.

Thank you very much!! I have a son struggling with depression and suicide. This will help very much.

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This is a wonderful site. I deeply appreciate the effort and time it took to put this together. Thank you very much.

I can’t tell you how fortunate I am to have stumbled onto this. I am a Behavioral Health PSS in a drug and alcohol treatment facility and am looking forward to sharing some of these materials with our clients. I love the group activities and discussion prompts and will be using some in my next group. Fantastic resource! There is something for everyone here! Thank you so much for this. Be well 🙂

Hope you guys add a Domestic Violence section

Thank you for giving us free worksheets. It’s really helpful.

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Thank you!!

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I am a mental health therapist and I really struggle for group therapy ideas. Thank you for sharing. Your site has been very helpful for me to find new ideas.

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33 Self-Awareness Activities for Adults and Students

There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.

This is a guest post by Niklas Goeke — adapted from his original blog post on 27 self-awareness activities . To learn more, I encourage you to check out his article, which provides detailed explanations for many of the strategies covered in this following blog post. Also, Nik is a writer, editor, and the owner of Four Minute Books .

Having self-awareness means that you have a clear recognition of your overall personality.

This includes your strengths and weaknesses, thoughts and beliefs, emotions, and sources of motivation. Having self-awareness helps you understand other people and how they view you and your actions.

Many people assume that self-awareness comes easily and naturally , but this sense of heightened awareness can actually be hard to come by.

With practice, however, you can learn to increase your emotional intelligence and self-knowledge and find new ways to interpret your thoughts, actions, feelings, and conversations that you have with other people.

Achieving self-awareness gives you the opportunity to make positive changes in your behavior and increase your self-confidence.

Sidenote : If you don't have the time to read the whole article, take a few minutes to watch this video to learn about five of our favorite self-awareness activities for adults:

Here are 33 self-awareness activities that can help increase self-awareness in adults and students.

( Side note: Another positive way to improve your life is to read and learn something new every day. A great tool to do this is to join over 1 million others and start your day with the latest FREE, informative news from this website .)

Table of Contents

What is Self-Awareness (and Five Ways to Increase It)

Not sure about how to be more self-aware? In this video, we define self-awareness and five proven strategies that can help you increase it. And for more actionable, habit-related videos, be sure to subscribe to our brand new YouTube Channel .

Self-Awareness Activities – Written Exercises

Written exercises to increase self-awareness

1. Write morning pages.

This exercise comes from Julia Cameron’s An Artist’s Way , which teaches readers techniques to gain self-confidence by harnessing their creative talents and skills.

For this exercise, compose three pages of longhand stream-of-consciousness writing every morning as soon as you wake up. Not only does this help declutter your mind, but it also helps you recognize the things that are in the forefront of your brain that you may need to address that day.

2. Keep a journal.

Keeping a journal creates a permanent record of your thoughts, feelings, and events in your life. This will allow you to look back on important life events and rediscover how you felt at the time.

This can be a learning experience because, as you grow and live through new trials and tribulations, the way that you react to certain situations may change.

By reading about your past experiences, you can see how you have grown or matured, and put things into perspective. It’s also nice to have a written record of your past.

3. Use feedback analysis.

When you are faced with an important decision, write down exactly how and why you came up with your decision. What factors motivated you, and what steps did you take to come to your conclusion?

After a set time (usually nine months), go back and reflect on your decision-making process. Assess the outcome of your choice in detail and analyze your ability at the time to make the best decision based on your self-awareness at the time.

4. Create a life vision-mission.

In an organization, vision & mission statements serve three important roles. They state the purpose of the organization, they inform people of strategy development, and they display measurable goals and objectives to gauge the success of the organization.

Creating a vision/mission statement for your life can define your clear direction and rank your priorities. It will help set measurable goals and provide a tactical way to measure success.

5. Write a personal manifesto.

A personal manifesto describes your core values and beliefs, the specific ideas and priorities that you stand for, and how you plan to live your life. This acts as both a statement of personal principles and a call to action.

A personal manifesto can help frame your life, point you in the right direction to help achieve your goals, and act as a tool to remind you of your primary concerns.

To get started, ask yourself questions such as:

What things do you stand for?
What are your strongest beliefs?
How do you want to live your life?
How do you want to define yourself?
What words do you want to live by?

A personal manifesto can be a powerful tool for bringing about your best life. Refer to your personal manifesto often.

Don't know where to start? The video below explores the two ways you can find your life purpose. Watch to learn about practical strategies you can use for these two options, so you can find more purpose with your daily routine.

6. Record your ABCs.

This is a good activity to do after you experience an adverse event. It is a helpful way to debrief yourself and get a chance to reflect and discover your beliefs after a big, negative incident occurs in your life.

A – Activating event that triggers your inner dialogue
B – Belief you formed after the event
C – Consequences or how your new belief makes you feel

Doing this can help you understand your response to stress. While many people can experience the same activating adverse event, their thought processes about it can have a great impact on their lives moving forward.

Using the ABC model can help people recognize their automatic thoughts when they're upset or mad, and change those thoughts into positive things.

For example, imagine you are stuck in a long line, but you are in a rush. You may become very anxious at the thought of possibly being late to your next obligation, causing you to complain out loud to the people around you about how long the line is taking to move.

Alternatively, you may decide to relax and put on your headphones to listen to some calming music while you wait. Either way, the “A” remains the same, but the “B” and “C” show how you respond to the stress.

This can help you look at things more positively and lead you to find alternatives to solving problems and staying calm. ( Read this post on more examples of self-awareness. )

7. Write a regret letter.

Write a letter to your younger self. This is a surprisingly cathartic exercise that is more than simply listing what you wish you’d known. Tell your younger self about the regrets you’ve had in your life so far, and apologize for any mistakes that you may have made and opportunities that you let pass by.

Aside from gaining a feeling of empowerment from accepting your vulnerable younger self, your words can also help others who are in similar situations as you faced in the past.

Your newfound wisdom can let readers know that they are not alone in their struggles, and provide them with advice on how to move forward.

Use these self awareness games activities such as writing a regret letter, to discover more about being self aware and why you do what you do.

Writing a letter to your younger self is a surprisingly cathartic exercise that is more than simply listing what you wish you’d known.

8. Do the funeral test.

This exercise was made popular by Stephen Covey in his book, T he 7 Habits of Highly Effective People .

To do this, write your own eulogy and answer questions such as:

How do I want people to speak of me at my funeral
What should they remember me for?
Which kind of person will people think I was when I’m gone?

Doing this will help you add more purpose to your everyday activities and how you live your life. It may also help you think twice before reacting to a situation harshly or making a decision before thinking about its possible outcomes first.

9. Record your personal narrative.

How would you tell the story of your life to yourself? What would your autobiography look like?

One essential component of our personalities are our life stories, so mapping out what yours is may help you make some positive changes for the future.

10. Write down your most important tasks regularly.

Your most important tasks (MITs) are the things that you need to accomplish each day to help you achieve your long-term goals. Every night, write a to-do list of your three priority tasks for the following day.

This will allow you to start your day with a purpose and keep you aware of where your focus should be. It will help set a precedent for the day if you are able to accomplish your main goals first and get them out of the way to make room for other items on your to-do list.

11. Create a bucket list.

Having a bucket list will help you identify your personal and professional goals. When the daily routines of your life begin to set in, you are likely to let the days pass by without thinking too much about your long-term goals and desires.

Use a bucket list to keep yourself focused, and make an effort every day to accomplish at least one small task that will lead you towards crossing things off of your bucket list.

Self-Awareness Tests You Can Take By Yourself

12. Know and understand your personality type.

Knowing your personality type will help you understand why you're different or similar to other people, help you manage your time and energy better, and help you recognize your emotions.

When you are armed with this information, you will be better equipped to view other people as being different rather than wrong. It will also help you understand what you need to be able to thrive and allow you to structure your days accordingly.

Read this post to learn more about our recommended self awareness tests.

There are many free psychometric tests you can take online, including:

16Personalities
Jung Typology Test™
Character Strengths Test
Entrepreneurial Aptitude Test (E.A.T)
Online Psychometric Testing

13. Discover your Eulerian Destiny.

Filling out the Eulerian Destiny circles provokes critical thinking and self-reflection.

Doing this requires you to look at four areas of your life by answering the following questions:

What did you grow up around?
What do strangers say about you?
What have you done for the past 5 to 10 years?
What can you talk about endlessly and effortlessly for hours?

Take a while to write these things down in four overlapping circles and see where they all meet. This may take time and serious thinking, but it can result in defining and refining your purpose in life. This will provide you with a framework to form your future and a basis of self-awareness.

14. Utilize The Freedom Diagram.

The Freedom diagram is one of the fun self-awareness activities. It is a short and practical guide to help figure out where you should use your energy in life, you can use the Freedom Diagram.

The three components of The Freedom Diagram are talent , fun , and demand . Talent refers to what you just happen to be good at doing. The fun component is what you wish you could do all the time, even if you weren’t paid to do it. Demand is what people in the world actually need or want, and will pay for.

Creating this guide for you will help you decide what skill you should focus on building so you have a higher chance of success.

Self-Awareness Activities – Thought Process Exercises

15. Ask the “Three Whys.”

Many self-awareness activities simply asking yourself difficult questions and trying to answer as honestly as possible. The “three whys” is the perfect example of that.

The “Three Whys” are exactly what they sound like. Before making a big decision, or if you are trying to get to the root of an issue, ask yourself “why?” three times. This will help to reveal deep and specific issues that you may not otherwise consider.

It's not coincidental that “why?” is a rather simple question. It is an important realization that you must go a few layers deeper before making any critical decision.

Whether you are trying to create a new business, hire a new employee, add a new feature to an existing product, or buy something expensive, you always have to dig a bit deeper to reveal the truth behind your motives.

16. Put a name to your feelings and emotions.

Expanding your emotional vocabulary will allow you to articulate yourself better. Once you are able to specifically identify what you are feeling, it will allow you to release stress and resentment that may be building up inside of your mind.

Here is a list of feeling words that are better able to describe your emotions than simply “good” or “bad”. Getting more specific to explain how you feel is a cathartic way to relieve stress and anxiety.

Learn why why is self awareness important and discover more about being self aware and why you do what you do using these self awareness activities.

17. Pay attention to your self-talk.

Have you ever noticed how we are quick to praise other people in the same instances where we often criticize ourselves ?

When we fall just short of achieving a goal or we don’t live up to some high expectations, we tend to judge ourselves and dismiss our efforts.

How you talk to yourself in response to your successes and failures affects how you view yourself, and how you think others view you as well.

Rather than focusing on small things that you are not able to accomplish at a given moment, think about how far you have come, or your successes up to that point. Focus on the positive rather than the negative.

18. Question your assumptions.

Assumptions are a natural thing that people use to help make quick sense of the world. You probably expect people who are in a certain place to look and dress in a particular way. If your expectations do not meet reality, you make assumptions that can be absolutely wrong.

James Altucher suggests putting a question mark instead of a period after each of your opinions. This helps you create an argument with yourself on some of your beliefs and worldviews , which can prevent you from falling prey to irrational thoughts.

19. Ask questions about yourself.

The Proust Questionnaire is a self-exploration questionnaire that is designed to help you uncover your outlook on life and get clarity on how you think. This questionnaire is about one's personality and will make you think about what you want out of life and the things that you appreciate the most.

You can also check out our post about questions to ask yourself to find out who you are .

20. Observe your stream of consciousness.

Your stream of consciousness is unpredictable, and not always influenced by the world around you. For example, you may be at work trying to focus on a project when all of a sudden you start thinking about a memory you made years ago on a family vacation.

Be an observer of your own thoughts and feelings, especially those that are negative. Let these thoughts simply pass you by as you move on.

21. Build the Pause-and-Plan Response habit.

We are all well aware of the fight-or-flight mode that we tend to find ourselves in during stressful situations. During these times, it is common to stop thinking rationally and just go with your initial urge. If you act in the moment, you likely will not make the best decision.

How can you overcome your natural fight-or-flight response and reactivate the rational thinking areas of your brain? The key is to engage the pause-and-plan response habit. Here, your brain is able to connect with your body to accomplish your goals and pause your impulses.

The pause-and-plan response is able to lead you in the opposite direction of where the fight-or-flight response takes you. Rather than speeding up, your pulse slows down and your muscles relax. This will help set you up to make positive choices.

Self-Awareness Activities – Physical Exercises

22. Be aware of your body language.

Sometimes self-awareness activities are not about what you do or say but how you go about doing it. Body language is an example of this.

Not only will your posture and gestures affect how you perceive yourself, they will also have a great impact on how others perceive you . Your body language will also set the tone for how others act around you.

For example, if people feel that your body language is showing that you are uncomfortable, they may try to look for the cause of your discomfort so they can remove it. Alternatively, if someone feels that you are relaxed, they are likely to be able to relax as well and enjoy their interaction with you.

While few people have actually trained themselves to deliberately analyze people's body language, everyone still subconsciously reacts to it.

For instance, if your body language demonstrates that you are bored or disinterested in what is going on around you, others will think twice before engaging in conversation with you.

Evaluate your own body language by studying a video of yourself so you can find ways to improve.

23. Practice grounding techniques.

Grounding techniques can be used to help keep you in the present. People who have anxiety about future events often forget to live in the moment and take things as they come.

Practicing techniques to keep you grounded will help relieve anxiety and make future tasks seem easier to do.

24. Observe other people.

Just as we can use our bodies to communicate how we want other people to perceive us, we can also observe other people to try to figure them out.

Observing other people can be a fun and potentially worthwhile hobby. If you stop to watch the behavior, postures, and mannerisms of the people around you, it can help you learn about how similar or different you are from them.

While you don't want to constantly compare yourself to others, it is something that you will naturally do when you are faced with other people in your environment.

Some traits that you are likely to notice are someone's appearance, their self-esteem, their emotional state, their warmth, and their extroversion. Knowing that other people are observing you as well will certainly help you be more self-aware.

25. Take a morning walk.

Taking a walk first thing in the morning can help you connect with your senses and examine your thoughts and feelings. Take this time to meditate about what is going on in your life and your goals for the day. Sort through your feelings and make an action plan to be productive with your time.

Best walking shoes for women
Best walking shoes for men
Hiking boots for men
Hiking boots for women

26. Practice Zhan Zhuang.

Zhan Zhuang is a simple yet effective tai chi standing practice that helps you gain mental clarity and energy.

While practicing Zhan Zhuang, you keep your body still and mostly upright, and become aware of your body as it stabilizes itself. Doing this will help you gain control over your health, posture, and muscle stability. Here’s how you can start practicing it .

27. Read more books.

One thing that all successful people have in common is their tendency to read. Reading a variety of materials on a regular basis will help improve your thinking skills and expand your vocabulary. It will keep you up to date with current events and trends, and force you to continue to learn.

Reading various books will also help you identify and narrow down the topics and ideas you are drawn to. You will find yourself going back to read more about the same topic multiple times, which will lead you in the direction of pursuing that topic in some way in your life.

For example, if you find yourself drawn to books about exercising and endurance, it may motivate you to train for a marathon or start a new exercise regimen. Reading is something that will always benefit you, no matter the topic.

Here are lists of some of the books that I highly recommend:

21 Best Personal Development & Self Improvement Books
14 Best Books on Learning and Building Great Study Habits
29 Best Books on Building Good Habits
9 Best Books on Finding Your Purpose in Life
31 Best Motivational Books to Inspire Your Reading

28. Engage in solo exercise and individual sports.

Athletes in individual sports are able to learn how to be self-reliant. When engaging in a solo exercise, your success is entirely dependent on your own efforts, and you don't have anyone else to blame if you fail.

This helps teach people responsibility and decision-making skills. Solo sports and exercises also allow you to become more aware of your body-mind connection, and how you use your physical prowess to achieve a goal.

29. Practice conscious breathing.

Breathing is what connects the body and mind. Conscious breathing is a practice that can be developed to optimize health and wellness and improve overall function. It can relax the mind and spirit while helping you overcome anxiety and negative thoughts.

The goal of conscious breathing is to redirect your focus to your breath instead of your thoughts. It helps you become more aware of your body as you focus on nothing besides the breath entering and leaving your body. Check out this quick guide on conscious breathing.

30. Meditate.

The quest for self-awareness requires you to stop thinking and stop doing for a period of time in order to listen to and understand your inner workings. With the hectic pace of modern life, many people experience stress and tiredness, which leads to frustration. This can have a negative effect on overall health.

Meditation is the perfect practice to help you calm your mind and become more focused. Meditation can also help you understand your mind and learn how to transform your thoughts from negative to positive.

Overcoming negative thoughts and turning them into constructive ideas is the focus of meditation. This practice can help you enjoy your entire day, not just the few minutes that you take to meditate.

Self-Awareness Activities – with Help from Others

31. Ask for constructive feedback at work.

Regularly asking for constructive feedback from people you trust at work, such as mentors and capable colleagues, helps you identify the blind spots in your behavior and thinking at work.

Look at this constructive criticism as an opportunity to see where you have room to grow and improve. Use this feedback to build better habits at work .

32. Ask trusted friends or family for feedback.

To increase your self-awareness, ask people you trust and who know you the best to provide feedback, be it positive or negative, on different aspects of your life.

This could be about the way you dress, how you talk, how you interact with others or even the unconscious body language that you display. This may help you learn something about yourself that you would never otherwise notice.

33. Apologize.

Once you are aware of your flaws and are able to accept accountability for your actions, you can engage in self-reflection. ( Here are self-reflection questions you can use to understand yourself better. )

This will help prevent hypocrisy in the future, and give you the chance to improve. In order to get closure on these issues, take the time to make sincere apologies to people who may deserve them from you, and learn from your mistakes.

As you develop self-awareness, you will be able to make positive changes in your thoughts and actions.

Changing the way that you interpret things will also allow you to change your emotions for the better. Self-awareness is an important attribute of emotional intelligence and a large factor in being successful.

Final Thoughts on Self-Awareness Activities

Developing self-awareness is a huge step in creating the life you want. Where you choose to focus your attention, emotions, behaviors, and personality will determine where you go in life.

Until you are aware of yourself in the moment, you will have a hard time making the necessary changes in your life to be happy and productive.

Please share your thoughts on self-awareness and self-awareness activities in the comments below. Don't forget to share it on your favorite social media channels, like Pinterest!

Finally, if you want another positive way to improve your life, then read and learn something new every day. A great tool to do this is to join over 1 million others and start your day with the latest FREE, informative news from this website .

Learn 33 activities that can help increase self-awareness #infographic #psychology #mentalhealth #mindset #conciousness #spirituality #awareness #meditate #meditation

3 thoughts on “33 Self-Awareness Activities for Adults and Students”

Thanks, great tips. The Eulerian Destiny led me to a 8 word statement that summarized what I will do and the direction I am headed. ” Helping People Recover From The Injuries Of Life “. Shared on my Pinterest pin “Individuality”

After some trial and errors while rebuilding my self, finally i can say this one works for me effectively and efficiently. Thank you 🙂

This is such an amazing resource that gives you all the ways we can be more self-aware. We just need to make sure that we get feedback from the outside world and not just do introspection for more self-awareness.

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50 Self Awareness Activities (For Yourself, Adults & Students)

On a scale of 1 to 10, how self-aware are you?

How well do you understand your own thoughts, emotions and core values? Can you recognize how these factors influence your success?

If you answered 10, good for you! Sharp self-awareness skills can not only help you recognize where you are in life, but also where you want to go and how to get there.

But if you answered on the lower scale of things, you’ve come to the right place. Today, we’re breaking down what self-awareness is and why it’s so important.

We’ve also got 50 (yes, fifty!) self-awareness activities that can help you, your kids, your students and your peers become more self-aware.

Let’s get started!

What is Self-Awareness and Why is it Important?

Self-awareness is the ability to understand your thoughts, emotions and core values, as well as realize how these elements impact your behavior. It requires emotional intelligence, and it’s about objectively evaluating yourself and aligning your actions with your internal standards.

To be self-aware is to be able to realistically assess your strengths and weaknesses while maintaining a positive mindset . It’s the ability to judge where you are in life, determine where you would like to be and set goals to achieve your vision.

Self-aware people recognize their skills and the skills they’re lacking while maintaining their confidence, drive and desire to grow. They keep an open mind about who they are and where they’re going. The more self-aware they become, the more they connect with their unique identity.

To become self-aware, you must be able to:

See yourself honestly, flaws and all
Identify and control your emotions
Realize your strengths and weaknesses
Take strides toward growth

Self-awareness is majorly important, both in life and in business. It can influence how you interact with others and how you set personal goals. But like all important things, no one ever said it was easy.

If you want to become more self-aware, take a look at these self-reflection activities.

Self-Awareness Activities for Entrepreneurship

If you’re currently sitting back and thinking, “Man, I don’t even know where I’m at in life!” — self-awareness activities can help.

Self-awareness activities are simple forms of self-improvement. They’re a method to better your behavior, harness your emotions and learn how to apply your core values in life and business.

To understand (and improve!) where you are in life, you first need to acknowledge all of the factors that surround you. Are you happy with your current behavior? Are negative thoughts holding you back from your goals?

As you focus on your current behavior and emotions, weigh them against your internal standards and core values. Are they reflective of where you want to be in life?

Recognize patterns in how you think, feel and behave to help form a roadmap from where you are now to where you want to be in the future. The more self-aware you are, the easier it will be to picture your life path.

There are dozens of activities you can do right now to build self-confidence in your self-awareness and map your next move. Take a look at some of our favorites!

Activities to Find Your Purpose

What are your life skills? How does what you do in your free time support your life goals? If you don’t have answers to these questions, it can be hard to act intentionally.

But to act intentionally, you must figure out who you are and what you want. These self-awareness activities will help you dig deep, so you can discover your purpose and take the first steps to a better you.

1. 7 Levels Deep

One of Dean’s favorite self-awareness exercises, 7 Levels Deep is a prompt to get you closer to your ultimate why .

Start with one question, like what you want out of life or what’s the next goal you want to accomplish. Then, challenge whatever answer comes next with another question.

For example, let’s say you ask yourself what you want in life. If your answer is money, ask yourself why you want money. What would money solve? Keep digging until you can find your why —the core value that’s driving you forward and the thing that matters most to you, whether you realize it or not.

2. Intentional Journaling

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend just to step back and think, “Wow, I’ve never said that out loud before…” So many times in life, we find ourselves revealing secrets we didn’t even know existed simply by talking through them.

When you’re working to become more self-aware, intentional journaling can have that exact same effect, but on pen and paper. Your journal is your chance to be honest with yourself and have a heart-to-heart with your subconscious.

Journaling can reveal the blind spots in your skillset or places where your emotional intelligence has been lacking. It points out areas where you’ve been holding yourself back.

3. Time vs. Importance

You, Dean, Tony Robbins—everybody has the same 24 hours in a day. It’s up to you to decide how you use them and whether or not your choices align with your core values.

For this self-awareness activity, rank 5 to 10 of the most important things in your life, including your career, family and relationships. Use a scale of 1–5, with 1 being the most important.

Now, think about how much time you dedicate to each of these things. If you’re spending the bulk of your time on your least important items, it might be best to make some adjustments.

4. Me or Them

This activity is simple, but it’s designed to make you think. Ask yourself who you treat better: yourself or others. Be honest. There is no right or wrong answer here, just self-reflection.

In a perfect world, you would treat yourself with the same patience and kindness you use with others. However, you shouldn’t treat yourself so much better that your friends and family begin to feel slighted.

Self-Awareness Activities to Find Your Path

Self-awareness is all about gaining the self-confidence to determine where you are in life, where you want to be and what you need to get there. But self-awareness exercises alone can’t open a magical stream of consciousness that spells out these details for you.

Instead, you’re going to need to do some soul searching yourself.

Avoid taking the easy way out, such as taking a personality test like the Myers-Briggs questionnaire. While personality type quizzes may help you identify your strong suits, they’re largely unreliable and usually a major waste of your time.

If you’re on a mission to find your path, your time is better suited with these eye-opening self-awareness activities.

5. Dial into Your True Calling

Before you doze off to sleep, what’s the last thing you think about? We’re not talking about unpaid bills or strategy calls. We’re talking about your hopes and dreams.

What’s your true calling? The thing you wake up each morning wishing you could do? Maybe it’s setting up an art studio or sharing your knowledge with others.

Whatever makes your heart beat fast and your palm sweat, start outlining a plan on how to get there.

6. Turn Off Auto-Pilot

People who aren’t self-aware tend to run on auto-pilot, and they respond with knee-jerk reactions. In comparison, those who are self-aware pause to assess situations objectively, without letting emotions or biases cloud their judgment.

This self-awareness activity will help you turn off auto-pilot and start thinking independently. The next time a situation triggers fear, anger or sadness, pause and take a deep breath. If you need space, take a quick walk.

Give yourself time to re-assess and plan your next move, instead of acting off of instinct.

7. Practice Saying “No” 5 Times a Day

When you say yes to everything, you really commit to nothing. The ability to say no, both to yourself and to others, is one of the most underrated tools for connecting with your true life path.

Think of it this way: When you say yes to every task or responsibility someone else asks of you, you leave no time for your personal goals. While you might think you’re being an asset to other people, you leave nothing for yourself. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

On the flip side, when you say yes to all of your personal temptations—from junk food to procrastinating on social media—you stunt your own growth.

Make it a goal to say “no” to 5 different temptations each day, whether that be over-extending yourself for someone else or spending your own time scrolling mindlessly on Facebook. Practice this type of self-regulation to help you stay on your own path.

8. Question Your Absolutes

We all have certain default beliefs about ourselves and the world around us. For instance, if you’re strong in math, you might be absolutely certain that your career must involve math to highlight your skills.

Realistically, there may be a ton of other things you can do better—or enjoy doing more! It’s healthy to argue against yourself from time to time and question what you think are absolutes. You might find there are other avenues you haven’t explored yet.

9. Build a Positive Feedback Loop

In the quest to find your true path, the non-stop commentary in your head can be brutal. Those negative thoughts can send you spiraling down an unproductive and discouraging road.

Think about how you respond to your failures and successes. Do you beat yourself up after a mishap? And pass off your success as dumb luck? Always being so tough on yourself can build a negative feedback loop that will never allow you to be truly happy.

Be sure to celebrate your wins and always look for the silver lining in failure. Every loss is a lesson. And more than anything, remember to balance your tough love with some self-compassion—you deserve it

10. WWFMD? (What Would Future Me Do?)

Picture yourself 50 years from now, giving advice to someone your own age. What 3 pieces of advice would future-you give them about life? How would future-you guide them to be more self-aware or discover their purpose in business?

While you might not know as much now as future-you will in another 50 years, trusting your gut is almost always the best advice.

Self-Awareness Activities for Adults

Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you’re “too old” to build self-awareness skills. You’re never too old to be self-aware!

Self-awareness exercises can help you learn more about yourself, your emotions and your values, as well as how those factors impact your success. Start working in at least one of these activities each week.

Exercises to Improve Communication & Reaction

Communication is at the heart of everything you do. From your internal dialogue to the conversations you have with others, you need to be self-aware to communicate effectively and get where you want in life.

Take a look at these self-awareness activities to help better your communication and learn how to control your reactions, like anger or frustration.

11. Eye Contact

Eye contact is a self-awareness hack to help you stay in the moment and build your self-confidence. The next time you’re speaking with someone, look directly into their eyes, and try to not be first to look away. By all means, please blink and smile—you’re still a human being! But, maintaining eye contact in conversation shows attentiveness and assertiveness.

12. Body Language Awareness

Sometimes it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Body language plays a massive role in how other people perceive you, and as such, it’s a significant component of self-awareness.

Pay attention to your own body language to identify how you deal with stress or anxiety, such as touching your forehead or wringing your hands. Likewise, watch others as they talk and engage to recognize other physical cues you might be missing.

13. 90-Day Sprint

The 90-day sprint is a self-awareness exercise that Dean suggests to help those struggling in their romantic relationships. In the exercise, you treat the next 90 days of your relationship the exact same way you did the first 90 days. It should be the same in how you communicate, how you treat each other and how you show your feelings to one another.

Think back to how you were with each other in the very beginning—at the honeymoon stage. Try it for 90 days to see how it can improve your relationship and your communication.

14. The 3 Whys

A slightly less-robust take on 7 Levels Deep, the 3 Whys prompts you to ask why 3 times when something irritates you or makes you happy. Acknowledge the emotion, then lean into it.

Why are you feeling this way?

How can you feel like this more or less often?

How does this emotion impact your communication skills?

15. Triggers Worksheet

The Triggers worksheet helps you identify the culprits behind anger, depression and anxiety in life and business. Then, you’re asked to reflect on those triggers by asking 3 major questions:

Why does this trigger you?
What is your reaction to this trigger?
What do you need to stay in control when you are confronted with this trigger?

You can find the Triggers worksheet here .

16. Grounding Techniques

Grounding techniques are exactly what they sound like—exercises to help bring you back to Earth when emotions get the best of you. One of the most simple grounding techniques is to shift your focus on your 5 senses. Turn your attention to whatever is physically happening around you—like smells or sounds—instead of being trapped within your thoughts.

Sit still in a chair or on the ground and focus on the things around you. Feel what you’re sitting on—is it hard or soft? What can you hear? Are the noises quiet or loud? What can you smell? Focus on these elements to calm yourself down in the heat of the moment.

Activities to Trigger a Change

Change can happen at any time in your adult life, whether you’re changing careers or finding new hobbies. If you’re looking to make a change in your life, but don’t know where to start, the answer might be within.

Consider these self-awareness activities to trigger a change.

17. Feedback Analysis

Sometimes we make the same mistakes over and over again simply because we haven’t given ourselves a chance to learn from them. Feedback analysis is a method to strengthen your self-awareness, and it can help you avoid situations with repeatedly negative outcomes.

To conduct your own feedback analysis, write down the expected outcome every time you make a major decision or change. Then, return to your prediction 6 to 9 months down the line and compare your results to your expectations.

18. Setting Life Goals Worksheet

Deciding on life goals can help you become more self-aware. Putting goals to paper will help you get an idea of what you need to achieve your goals , whether that be life changes or further education.

Once you identify your goal, ask yourself:

What do I need to know to achieve this life goal?
What kinds of qualities do I have that can help me?
What kind of challenges do I anticipate?
Do I have a sound support system?
Why do I want to achieve this goal?
How will achieving this goal add to my sense of purpose or happiness?

The answers to these questions can help inform your next steps.

19. Start a New Hobby

Hopping straight from setting goals to finding a hobby might sound counterintuitive, but hear us out: Sometimes you need to do things just for fun, not because they’re advancing you closer to your goals. Finding a hobby—like painting, jogging or gardening—can fill your spare time with activities you actually want to do. And doing things you love will bring you closer to your true purpose.

20. Describe Yourself in 3 Words

Sometimes all you need to make a big change is a push in the right direction. Describe yourself in just 3 words to highlight what you think are your most important attributes. Chances are, those are the skills you should lean into when making your next move.

21. Record Your ABC’s

No, not the ABC’s you learned in elementary school. In this case, your ABC’s are:

The Adverse Event , which triggers an internal conversation
The Beliefs you form after the event
The Consequences of what your beliefs make you do

This activity allows you to grow from negative experiences by reflecting on how that moment shaped your beliefs and how those beliefs impacted your actions.

22. Eulerian Destiny Circles

Eulerian Destiny Circles may sound mystical, but they’re really just a simple way to build a framework for your future. To complete this activity, draw 4 overlapping circles and write one question in each circle:

What did you grow up around?
What do strangers say about you?
What have you done for the past 5 to 10 years?
What can you talk about endlessly and effortlessly for hours?

Write out your answers and see where the significant ones meet. This process may take awhile, but this exercise in self-reflection can reveal your true purpose in life.

23. The Freedom Diagram

The Freedom Diagram or TFD is an acronym for 3 components: talent, fun and demand. For this exercise, you’ll ask yourself 3 main questions.

Talent : Where do you naturally shine?
Fun : What do you enjoy doing?
Demand : What can you make money doing?

Where your answers overlap is where your biggest chances of success in business lie—and that’s the ticket to securing true freedom.

24. Drucker’s 5 Questions

As you get closer to figuring out your ideal path, get a bit more granular with Drucker’s 5 Questions. Management guru Peter Drucker always positioned his consulting advice based on these questions:

What is your mission?
Who is your customer?
What does your customer value?
What results do you seek?
What is your plan?

Decide on the answers to these 5 questions, and you have a roadmap for what you need to do in business—based on what works best for your unique skills.

25. Write Your Most Important Tasks (MITs) Nightly

This simple tip for self-awareness can take the shape of a plain to-do list. Each night, write out the 3 most important tasks (MITs) you have in store for the next day. In the morning, this list can help keep you focused.

In a few week’s time, return to your MITs to judge whether or not you’re actually completing them. If not, you may need to address your priorities.

Self-Awareness Activities for Students

Students can be some of the most malleable people—they’re already looking to learn and grow! But beyond what they can learn in a technology-based mastermind course, students need to be taught soft skills, like emotional intelligence, critical thinking and positive inner dialogues.

If you’re a classroom educator or virtual knowledge broker, check out these self-awareness activities for students.

Emotional Learning Exercises

Emotion can spark movement. But while positive emotions can lead to amazing life changes, negative emotions may do more harm than good. It’s important for students to learn that they can have emotions in business—but their emotions need to fuel productive activities that drive them further down their life path.

These emotional learning exercises can help your students hone their self-awareness skills and become better communicators, collaborators and creators.

26. Sparks: Peer-to-Peer Interview Worksheet

The Sparks: Peer-to-Peer Interview Worksheet is a 6-question prompt that explores students’ interests, passions and talents.

What is one of your sparks (passions, interests, talents)?
How did you discover that this is one of your sparks?
How do you feel when you are doing your spark?
Think of somebody who is really into their spark/passion. Describe what you see.
Do you have a spark champion (a person who helps you explore and develop your self-awareness skills)? If yes, describe how this person helps you.
Do you set goals and make plans to get better at your spark/talent? If yes, give me an example.

You can download the worksheet template here .

27. Discuss the Thoughts-Feelings-Actions Circle

In life and in business, how your students respond to their thoughts and feelings can impact both their productivity and overall success. The Thoughts-Feelings-Actions Circle describes to students how thoughts can lead to feelings and how feelings can lead to actions, which can lead back to thoughts.

Reinforce the importance of maintaining a positive mindset , because actions taken with negative thoughts can derail success.

You can find a Thoughts-Feelings-Actions worksheet template here .

28. Keep an Emotions Journal

Emotions—like anger, sadness and joy—can spark some serious life changes in your students. After you discuss how thoughts and feelings can impact actions, make time for a daily emotion assessment.

What are students feeling right now? What’s making them frustrated?

This opportunity to explore their emotions allows students to funnel feelings like pent-up anger or bottled-up excitement into productive life changes.

29. Establish and Work Toward Goals

Accomplishing self-awareness goals gives students milestones to celebrate, strengthening their belief in themselves. Ask students to set a realistic goal and write out the steps they can take to meet their objectives. As the curriculum progresses, you can even consider making overarching goals for those taking your course to strive for improved self-awareness.

30. Self-Compliment List

Help your students identify their strengths by establishing a self-compliment list. What do students like most about themselves? What are their top skills? Working to identify these things reinforces a positive sense of self-esteem , helping to build confidence and set students on a path to success.

Activities to Build a Personal Manifesto

A personal manifesto captures your students’ aspirations, attitudes and values neatly into one file. Whether it’s a journal entry or video diary, have your students create a reviewable, documented personal manifesto, and be sure that it includes their core values. Then, encourage them to refer back to it when life gets murky, to help them stay true to who they are.

These self-awareness activities for students can help.

31. Passion Show and Tell

A spin on a classic show and tell performance, open the floor to your students to discuss something they’re passionate about in a passion show and tell. This can be a hobby, a new skill or a tangible object. Whatever it is, have the student describe why they care so deeply about it and how it will help them grow in the future.

32. Weekly Goals and Dreams Conversation

There’s no way to tell if a student’s actions are in-line with their internal standards if they’re not touching base with themselves regularly. Instruct your students to have a weekly 1:1 with themselves where they review their short- or long-term goals and dreams. During this meeting, they should detail what they’re doing to make those dreams come true.

33. Career Research Assignments

If you’re teaching a mastermind course, chances are, your students already know the type of career they’d like to dive into. However, that doesn’t mean they’re prepared for the hurdles that may stand in their way. Have your students research everything about their chosen career, including pain points and common hiccups, to better prepare them for the future.

34. Social Identity Wheel

The Social Identity Wheel is an exercise that motivates students to identify various social identities—such as race, gender or ability—and how those identities influence the way others see them. This activity can help students understand how others perceive them, and how their actions and emotions can influence this perception.

Find the Social Identity Wheel worksheet here .

35. Personal Advice

Lastly, ask students to give their past and future selves a bit of advice. What do they know now that they would’ve loved to know 5 years ago? What do they want to be sure not to forget 5 years from now? The answers to these questions can help shape how students approach problem-solving and goal-setting.

Self-Awareness Group Activities

Becoming more self-aware doesn’t mean you have to embark on this journey alone. Self-exploration can be completed in a group, where you can feel motivated to keep digging deeper into your true self. Consider these self-reflection activities you can do with friends, colleagues or students.

36. The Funeral Test

How do you want people to speak about you at your funeral? You might be in no rush to find out any time soon, but you can figure out how people would remember you with the funeral test.

Go around in a circle, and allow your peers to say a few words about the type of person you are and what they would remember you for. Then, do the same for yourself, as if you were giving your own eulogy.

Though this might feel morbid at first, this activity can shine a light on your positive attributes and reveal any accomplishments you haven’t gotten to yet but definitely want to complete pre-funeral.

37. Constructive Criticism Sessions

Constructive criticism is exactly what it sounds like—tough love that can help you improve. Gather your group and have each individual select something that they’ve been working towards and want feedback on. Or, they can say something they have been thinking of but haven’t started yet.

Then, go around in a circle, each giving constructive feedback. Remember that whatever you say should be productive and actionable.

38. Accountability Teams

We all need a good kick in the caboose every now and then. Set up accountability teams who hold you to your self-awareness goals. Check-in bi-weekly to discuss how each person is progressing and share tools to help everyone reach their self-reflection objectives.

39. Compare Adjectives

Looking for a more light-hearted way to gain insight into yourself? Have your peers write out a list of adjectives that they think describes them best, like loyal, humble, hard-working or funny. Once each person has a personal list, create a list of adjectives for everyone else in the group. One by one, take turns comparing your personal lists with the lists others wrote about you.

This self-awareness activity is very helpful. It can not only show you how others perceive you, but it can also teach you how self-aware you are compared to others’ opinions of you.

40. Honesty Hour

The people who know you the best likely refrain from telling you the whole truth because they fear hurting your feelings. Once you feel ready for truly honest feedback, create a safe space for friends and family to be fully upfront with you. To kick things off, designate 5 minutes to remain totally silent while your friends or loved ones think out loud with total honesty.

Self-Awareness Exercises for Kids

Self-awareness is an important skill for everyone—especially children! However, self-awareness may not be something your child’s educator has on their lesson plan. That’s why we suggest supplementing with activities of your own. Consider using these exercises to help your little ones become self-aware people, in tune with their critical thinking skills and decision-making processes.

Emotional Intelligence Activities

A term first coined by author and science journalist Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand emotions—how emotions can impact thoughts and how to control emotions. Self-awareness activities for kids can help enhance their emotional intelligence, so they can learn to navigate their feelings, connect with others and maintain high self-esteem.

41. Same vs. Different Activity

Children should learn early on that it’s okay to be different—and that having differences is what makes the world a great place. To do that, they need to have the self-awareness to recognize when things are different in the first place. At home, you can help children recognize similarities and differences in the things around them.

Choose a toy, like a stuffed animal or toy car, and place it on a table. Then, fill a bag with other toys that are a variety of colors and textures. Have your children take turns pulling toys out of the bag and deciding if it’s the same or different from the toy on the table. Remember to reiterate that just because the toys look or feel different, they can still like them equally.

42. Emotion Vocabulary List

Kids have just as many emotions as adults do. The difference is, they just can’t communicate their emotions as well. This self-awareness activity can change that.

Work with your child, sibling, niece or nephew to expand their emotional vocabulary. Instead of “happy” or “sad,” teach them words that can specifically describe how they’re feeling:

Excited
Disappointed

Building this emotion vocabulary list can help children share what they’re feeling to prevent frustration, tantrums or lashing out at others.

43. Self-Responsibility Activity

Have you ever seen a 5-year-old who lost their favorite toy? It’s not pretty.

Instances like these are great opportunities to build both emotional intelligence and self-awareness through self-responsibility activities. Young kids often leave their toys around the house in areas where they can get trampled, destroyed or accidentally tossed. Obviously, those outcomes make them very sad.

Teach your child that they’re responsible for their possessions in a fun, interactive way. It not only shows them responsibility but also that they can have a say over their own emotions.

44. Bug and Wish Exercise

Children can have a hard time expressing what’s bothering them. The Bug and Wish exercise is a super simple way to help them communicate. It provides kids a deeper understanding of their own feelings, and it helps the other person understand what they might have done wrong.

Teach your kids to say:

It bugs me when _____(what the other person did)_____.

I wish you would _____(the action they would like the other person to take)_____.

45. How to Use “I” Statements

A massive part of emotional intelligence is understanding how you’re feeling and what caused you to feel that way. Help children find words for their emotions and work through what caused those emotions by teaching them to use this statement:

I feel _____(emotion)_____ when _____(the cause of the feeling)_____.

For example, “I feel sad when we don’t read together before bed.” By communicating the cause of the feeling, your child will have a better understanding of what they can do to feel better.

Exercises to Expand Self-Reflection

To build self-awareness, children must be able to self-reflect. Take a look at these simple exercises you can do at home to help your child better understand how they fit into the world around them.

46. Wants and Needs Worksheet

Does your child need a new toy or want a new toy? Wanting nice things is a great drive to pass along to your kids, but you have to teach them the difference between wants and needs.

Draft a worksheet using a simple T-chart template. Title one side with “Wants” and put “Needs” on the other. Then, with your child, go through various wants—like a new toy or party dress—and needs—like food and clothing.

47. Self-Awareness Picture Books

Every parent, guardian or teacher needs a little help from books sometimes. Check out interactive self-awareness picture books for kids, like I Am Enough by Grace Byers or The Bad Seed by Jory John.

48. What Would ___ Do?

When kids face a problem, they typically look to us to fix it—and 9 times out of 10, we do. Instead of diving in to save the day right away, try to encourage your child to work it out themselves.

A great way to do this is to use your child’s favorite TV character or superhero. Try asking, “What would Batman do in this situation?”

49. Chore Charts

Incorporate a chore chart at home that includes simple jobs, like picking up dirty clothes, putting away toys or making the bed. As your child completes these tasks, give them specific verbal encouragement to let them know they did well—like, “I love how you made your bed today! Awesome job!” Over time, your child will learn that helping out can make others happy, and it can make them feel good about themselves, too.

50. What’s Stumping You?

When your child doesn’t know how to do something, ask them what’s stumping them or where the hard part is. By having them break down the situation, kids can process why they can’t come to a solution. Then, they can ask for specific guidance to solve the problem independently.

Which Self-Awareness Activity Will You Try?

Self-awareness is a major factor in understanding where you are in life, where you want to be and how to get there. Learning to be self-aware isn’t easy, but with practice, you can become more in-tune with your emotions and values—and learn how to reach greater success .

Which of these activities will you try out first?

Text Dean at 480-400-9019 with your next self-awareness exercise, and let him know you found it here on this blog.

Your text will go straight to dean’s personal cell, related posts.

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The Path to Self-Discovery: Effective Therapy Homework for Self-Expression

The role of therapy homework.

Therapy homework plays a crucial role in the therapeutic process, especially when it comes to fostering self-expression and personal growth. By assigning specific tasks or exercises to clients outside of therapy sessions, therapists provide opportunities for individuals to delve deeper into their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. This section will explore the importance of therapy homework and how it supports self-expression.

Understanding the Importance of Therapy Homework

Therapy homework serves as an extension of the therapeutic work done during sessions. It allows individuals to actively engage with the therapeutic process and take ownership of their healing journey. Here are a few key reasons why therapy homework is important:

Continuity of Progress : Therapy sessions are typically scheduled at regular intervals, leaving gaps between sessions. Homework assignments bridge these gaps and allow for ongoing progress. By consistently working on tasks outside of sessions, individuals can maintain momentum and build upon the insights gained during therapy.
Deepening Self-Exploration : Therapy homework provides an avenue for individuals to explore their emotions, experiences, and patterns in more depth. Through journaling, creative expression, or self-reflection exercises, clients can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their inner world.
Enhanced Self-Awareness : Engaging in therapy homework encourages individuals to pay attention to their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This increased self-awareness helps to identify patterns, triggers, and areas for growth. By becoming more aware of themselves, individuals can make more conscious choices and enact positive changes.
Empowerment and Agency : Therapy homework empowers individuals to take an active role in their own healing process. By engaging in assigned tasks, individuals become agents of their own change, fostering a sense of control and self-efficacy.
Integration of Learning : Therapy homework facilitates the integration of therapeutic concepts and skills into daily life. Practicing techniques, applying insights, and experimenting with new behaviors outside of therapy sessions allows individuals to apply what they have learned in real-life situations.

How Therapy Homework Supports Self-Expression

Self-expression is a vital component of personal growth and emotional well-being. Therapy homework offers various avenues for individuals to express themselves authentically. Here are some ways in which therapy homework supports self-expression:

Journaling Prompts : Writing down thoughts, feelings, and experiences through journaling prompts allows individuals to express themselves freely and reflect on their inner world. This form of self-expression can be insightful and therapeutic. For more ideas on journaling prompts, check out our article on therapy homework for journaling .
Artistic Expression : Engaging in creative activities such as visual art, music, dance, photography, or collage provides individuals with alternative means of self-expression. These mediums allow for the release of emotions, exploration of personal narratives, and the communication of inner experiences.
Mindfulness and Meditation : Mindfulness practices, such as mindful meditation, breathwork exercises, and guided visualization, can create a safe space for individuals to connect with their emotions, thoughts, and sensations. This self-reflective practice facilitates self-expression and enhances self-awareness.
Self-Reflection Exercises : Therapy homework that involves self-reflection exercises, such as identifying personal values, exploring strengths and limitations, and setting personal goals, encourages individuals to deeply reflect on their values, desires, and aspirations. This process supports self-expression by allowing individuals to align their actions with their authentic selves.

By incorporating therapy homework into the therapeutic process, individuals are provided with valuable opportunities for self-expression, self-reflection, and personal growth. The assigned tasks or exercises serve as gateways for individuals to explore their inner worlds, experiment with new behaviors, and foster positive change. Through consistent engagement with therapy homework, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of themselves, enhance their self-expression, and ultimately, lead more fulfilling lives.

Journaling Prompts

Journaling is a powerful therapeutic tool that can aid in self-expression and self-discovery. It provides a safe space for individuals to explore their emotions, reflect on personal experiences, and even indulge in creative writing. Here are three journaling prompts that can be effective therapy homework for self-expression:

Exploring Emotions and Feelings

One way to enhance self-expression through journaling is by exploring emotions and feelings. Encourage individuals to write about their current emotional state, identifying and describing the emotions they are experiencing. This can help them gain a deeper understanding of their emotional landscape and provide an outlet for expressing and processing their feelings. They can also explore the possible triggers or causes of these emotions, allowing them to gain insight into their emotional patterns.

Reflecting on Personal Experiences

Reflecting on personal experiences is another therapeutic journaling prompt that encourages self-expression. People can write about significant events, milestones, or challenges they have faced. By reflecting on these experiences, they can gain a better understanding of how these events have shaped them and their emotions. This process of self-reflection can help individuals gain insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and personal growth.

Writing Creative Stories or Poems

Engaging in creative writing, such as storytelling or poetry, can be a powerful way to express oneself. Encourage individuals to write fictional stories or poems that reflect their emotions, experiences, or inner thoughts. This creative outlet allows for artistic expression and can provide a cathartic release. It also encourages individuals to tap into their imagination and find unique ways to express themselves.

Using these journaling prompts, individuals can delve into their thoughts, emotions, and experiences, fostering self-expression and self-discovery. This process can be further enhanced by seeking guidance from a professional therapist or counselor who can provide support and help individuals navigate their personal journey. For more therapy homework ideas and resources, visit our article on therapy homework assignments .

Artistic Expression

Artistic expression can be a powerful tool for self-expression and exploration. Engaging in creative activities allows individuals to tap into their inner thoughts, emotions, and experiences. When it comes to therapy homework for self-expression, artistic activities can play a significant role. Here are three artistic methods that can help individuals express themselves:

Creating Visual Art

Visual art encompasses various forms, such as painting, drawing, and sculpting. These mediums provide individuals with a means to visually represent their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. Through the use of colors, shapes, and textures, individuals can communicate and process their inner world.

Creating visual art can be a therapeutic process, allowing individuals to explore their creativity and tap into their subconscious. It provides a safe space for self-expression, allowing for the release of emotions that may be difficult to express verbally. Whether it’s creating abstract paintings, sketching portraits, or molding clay, visual art can be a powerful therapy homework assignment for self-expression.

Engaging in Music or Dance

Music and dance offer unique avenues for self-expression. Through rhythm, melody, and movement, individuals can convey emotions, tell stories, and connect with their inner selves. Music therapy and dance therapy are established practices that utilize these mediums to promote emotional well-being and self-expression.

Engaging in music or dance as therapy homework can involve activities such as listening to music that resonates with one’s emotions, playing a musical instrument, or learning dance routines. These activities provide an outlet for individuals to express themselves non-verbally and connect with their bodies and emotions.

Using Photography or Collage

Photography and collage are visual mediums that can be used as therapy homework for self-expression. Photography allows individuals to capture moments, perspectives, and symbols that hold personal meaning. By focusing on specific subjects or themes, individuals can explore and express their emotions and experiences through the lens of a camera.

Collage, on the other hand, involves combining various images, textures, and materials to create a cohesive visual representation. It offers a collage of personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Through the process of selecting and arranging images, individuals can explore their inner world and communicate their unique narrative.

Both photography and collage provide opportunities for self-reflection, creativity, and self-expression. They offer individuals a means to visually communicate their emotions and experiences, allowing for a deeper understanding and connection with oneself.

By engaging in artistic expression as therapy homework, individuals can tap into their creativity and explore their inner world. Whether through visual art, music, dance, photography, or collage, these activities offer powerful channels for self-expression and self-discovery. Remember to tailor these activities to your personal interests and preferences, allowing yourself to fully immerse in the process of artistic expression.

Mindfulness and Meditation

In the journey of self-discovery, mindfulness and meditation can be powerful tools for self-expression and personal growth. These practices help individuals cultivate a deeper sense of awareness and connect with their inner selves. Here are some therapy homework exercises that focus on mindfulness and meditation:

Practicing Mindful Meditation

Mindful meditation involves focusing one’s attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment. This practice can be beneficial for individuals looking to enhance self-expression and self-awareness. By regularly engaging in mindful meditation, individuals can develop a greater understanding of their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.

To practice mindful meditation as therapy homework, individuals can set aside a few minutes each day to sit in a quiet space, close their eyes, and direct their attention to their breath. They can observe the sensations of each inhale and exhale, letting go of any distractions that arise. Encouraging clients to incorporate this practice into their daily routine can help them develop a stronger connection with themselves and their emotions.

Engaging in Breathwork Exercises

Breathwork exercises are another effective way to promote self-expression and relaxation. By consciously controlling the breath, individuals can regulate their emotions and access a state of calm and centeredness. Deep, intentional breathing can help release tension, reduce anxiety, and enhance self-awareness.

Therapy homework can include various breathwork exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing, or 4-7-8 breathing. By guiding clients through these exercises, therapists can encourage them to explore the power of breath in connecting with their inner selves and expressing their emotions.

Trying Guided Visualization

Guided visualization is a technique that involves creating vivid mental images to promote relaxation, self-reflection, and self-expression. During guided visualization exercises , individuals are guided through a journey in their imagination, exploring various landscapes, scenarios, or symbolic representations.

As a therapy homework assignment, individuals can engage in guided visualization exercises tailored to their specific needs. Therapists can provide recordings or scripts that guide clients through visualization exercises focused on self-discovery and self-expression. These exercises can help individuals tap into their creativity, emotions, and desires.

By incorporating mindfulness and meditation practices into therapy homework, individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery with a greater sense of self-expression and awareness. It’s important for therapists to provide guidance and support throughout this process, encouraging clients to explore these practices and discover their own unique paths to self-expression.

Self-Reflection Exercises

Self-reflection exercises are an essential part of therapy homework for self-expression. These exercises encourage individuals to delve deeper into their thoughts, emotions, and personal experiences. By engaging in self-reflection, individuals can gain a better understanding of themselves and foster personal growth. Here are three self-reflection exercises that can be beneficial:

Identifying Personal Values

Identifying personal values is a powerful exercise that helps individuals clarify what is truly important to them. Personal values are the guiding principles that shape our actions and decisions. By identifying and understanding these values, individuals can align their lives with what truly matters to them.

To begin this exercise, individuals can create a list of values that resonate with them. These values may include concepts such as integrity, compassion, growth, or creativity. Once the list is complete, individuals can reflect on each value and consider how it manifests in their lives. This exercise can help individuals gain clarity about their priorities and make choices that align with their values.

Exploring Strengths and Limitations

Exploring strengths and limitations is a valuable exercise for self-reflection. By understanding our strengths, we can build upon them and leverage them in our personal and professional lives. Similarly, acknowledging our limitations allows us to identify areas for growth and development.

One way to explore strengths is to make a list of personal qualities, skills, or talents that one excels in. This exercise can help individuals recognize their unique strengths and appreciate their value. On the other hand, exploring limitations involves acknowledging areas in which individuals may face challenges or areas that require improvement. This exercise can provide insight into areas for personal growth and identify opportunities for further development.

Setting Personal Goals

Setting personal goals is an effective self-reflection exercise that allows individuals to envision and work towards their desired outcomes. Goal setting provides direction, motivation, and a sense of purpose. By setting meaningful and achievable goals, individuals can experience personal fulfillment and growth.

To set personal goals, individuals can start by considering what they would like to achieve in various aspects of their lives, such as career, relationships, health, or personal development. It’s important to make goals specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This ensures that the goals are realistic and can be broken down into actionable steps. Regularly reviewing and revising goals keeps individuals on track and motivated to pursue their aspirations.

Engaging in self-reflection exercises like identifying personal values, exploring strengths and limitations, and setting personal goals can promote self-expression and personal growth. These exercises encourage individuals to delve deep within themselves, gaining a better understanding of who they are and what they want to achieve. By incorporating these self-reflection exercises into their therapy homework, individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-expression.

Incorporating Therapy Homework into Daily Life

To make the most of therapy homework and support self-expression, it’s important to create a routine , track progress , and seek professional guidance . By implementing these strategies, individuals can enhance their therapeutic journey and foster personal growth.

Creating a Routine

Establishing a consistent routine for therapy homework can help individuals stay committed and engaged in their self-expression journey. Setting aside dedicated time each day or week allows for focused reflection and exploration. Whether it’s journaling, engaging in artistic expression, or practicing mindfulness, having a structured routine provides a sense of stability and accountability.

To create an effective routine, consider the following steps:

Set realistic goals : Determine the frequency and duration of therapy homework sessions that align with your schedule and availability.
Designate a specific time and space : Choose a time when you can fully engage in the homework without distractions. Create a comfortable and calming environment to facilitate concentration and self-reflection.
Incorporate variety : Incorporate a variety of therapy homework activities to keep the routine interesting and prevent monotony.
Stay flexible : Adapt the routine as needed to accommodate changes in your schedule or personal circumstances. Flexibility allows for a sustainable and enjoyable routine.

Tracking Progress

Tracking progress is an essential aspect of therapy homework. It provides individuals with tangible evidence of their growth and serves as a source of motivation and encouragement. By regularly monitoring progress, individuals can observe patterns, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate achievements along the way.

Consider the following methods for tracking progress:

Keep a journal : Maintain a journal to document thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to therapy homework. This allows for reflection and comparison over time.
Use a progress tracker : Utilize a progress tracker, such as a spreadsheet or a dedicated app, to record completed therapy homework tasks, set goals, and track milestones.
Seek feedback : Engage in regular discussions with your therapist or counselor to review your progress. Their professional guidance and insights can provide valuable feedback and help you navigate any challenges that arise.

Seeking Professional Guidance

While therapy homework can be a beneficial tool for self-expression, seeking professional guidance from a therapist or counselor is crucial. They can provide personalized recommendations, offer insights, and guide individuals through their therapeutic journey. A trained professional can tailor therapy homework assignments to specific goals and circumstances, ensuring the most effective and appropriate approaches are used.

By working with a therapist or counselor, individuals can benefit from their expertise in various self-expression techniques and receive support in overcoming obstacles or resistance that may arise during therapy homework. They can also help individuals explore deeper aspects of self-expression and provide guidance on integrating therapy homework into their overall treatment plan.

Remember to communicate openly with your therapist or counselor about your experiences with therapy homework. They can offer guidance on adjusting assignments, provide additional resources, or suggest alternative approaches to enhance your self-expression journey.

Incorporating therapy homework into daily life requires commitment, consistency, and professional support. By creating a routine, tracking progress, and seeking guidance from a therapist or counselor, individuals can maximize the benefits of therapy homework and embark on a transformative path of self-discovery and self-expression.

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52 Powerful Journal Prompts for Self Discovery {+ Free Printable}

If you’re working on knowing yourself better and doing some inner work, you can use these journal prompts for self discovery to help you on your mission (should you choose to accept it :p)..

I’ve been keeping a journal for decades now, but it took me a long time to figure out that my journal could be more than just a place to rant and rave. Most of my journal entries from my teenage years were just angry scribbles of how everything sucks. Over time, I started using my journal mostly as a record of the day-to-day.

Sometime in the last 3-odd years, however, I felt a shift happening in the way I used my journal. It started becoming a certain kind of sanctuary and guide for me. Sure, I’ve still had moments where I’ve angry-cried as I’ve written my way through certain incidents, but more than that, I found myself digging deeper within myself. Asking hard questions. Trying to observe things from a distance. To get to the heart of the matter. And ultimately, learning things about myself through some not-always-pleasant self-reflection.

Anyway, all this to say, as I’ve grown older, I’ve truly begun to appreciate that journaling can be an amazing tool for self discovery and personal growth .

If you’re at a stage of life where you want your journaling practice to go deeper, I’ve put together this list of 52 journal prompts for self discovery which you can refer to anytime. At the end of the post, there is also a handy printable available for easy reference.

52 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery

What kind of person do you want to be?
Whose approval are you really seeking in all that you do?
What are you tolerating in your life?
Do you believe that there is a divine force guiding you?
What are your priorities in life?
What are you wasting your time and energy on right now?
What sets your soul on fire?
How have you changed in the last 5 years?
Are you proud of the person that you are today?
What do you need to accept about your life?
Where do you see yourself in 1/2/5 years?
What do you need to do to make your dreams come true?
Who do you need to forgive in your life?
What are you really afraid of?
Who are you? What is your identity?
Write your eulogy in 5 sentences.
If you change nothing about yourself and your life, where would you be one year from now?
What are the things you feel guilty about?
Is there anything you can do to simplify your life right now?
What would you like to get better at?
Describe your dream life in as much detail as you can. Include details on where are you, who are you with, what are you doing, how are you feeling.
Are you making decisions from a place of abundance or scarcity?
Are you playing safe? Is that making you happy?
What is holding you back in life? What are your limiting beliefs ?
What would you rather be doing if money and time were no object?
If you could, would you change anything about your life as it is today?
What baggage from your past do you need to stop carrying?
What lights you up and makes you truly happy from the inside?
Write 3 of your happiest memories from the last year.
What are 3 things you want to do more of? And 3 things you want to do less of?
What is your self love language ? Have you been practicing self love lately?
Are your habits and routines supporting the vision that you have for yourself and your life?
What brings you the most joy?
What do you worry about the most?
If you could bucket your life into categories – relationships, family, work, spiritual, creative, health, and whatever else you’d like to add – how would you rate each of those categories out of 10? What are your top 3 goals/intentions for each category?
What are the things you wish you could say no to more?
Write about something nice you’ve done for someone else lately.
What dreams of yours have you let go of over the years?
What is your biggest insecurity?
Do you take complete responsibility for yourself and your life, as it is today?
Can you laugh at your own self?
What have been the darkest moments of your life? Have you learned what you needed to from those moments?
Are you living in the past, present, or future?
Write down 5 unassailable truths that you know today.
If a genie grants you 3 wishes right now, what would you wish for?
What is your attachment style? (Anxious, Avoidant or Secure)
What is your vibe at the moment? Are you giving out low energy or high energy vibes right now?
Is there a phrase, a word, a quote that gives you strength in tough times?
What is your definition of success? By your definition, do you feel successful in your life?
Is your inner voice a helpful cheerleader or a mean girl?
What do you need most in your life right now? How can you give that to yourself?
Do you feel like you’re living your life up to your true potential?

How to Use These Journal Prompts for Self Discovery?

Well, the most honest (and probably unhelpful) answer is “however you’d like to”. Because there is really no right or wrong way to journal. Nonetheless, here are a few ideas to help you out:

Project52: There are 52 prompts listed above. Treat this as a year-long project. Set aside some time once a week to go through each of these questions, and write down whatever comes to your mind.
30 Day Challenge : Use these journaling prompts to set up your own 30 day challenge . Preselect 30 questions from the list, and do some journaling for 30 straight days. By the end of it, you will definitely know yourself better, and will have a better grasp on your hopes and dreams and your grand vision for your life.
Social media engagement booster : I know, I know, social media doesn’t technically count as journaling, but what can I say – I am rebel (of sorts!). But in all seriousness, you can use these questions to drive some engagement on your preferred social media channel, and you know, be social with your followers! A lot of these questions can make for some amazing conversation starters.

However you end up using these prompts, I’d definitely recommend that you set aside some time for self-reflection . Once you’ve gotten through a few of these journal prompts, it would be helpful to go over your responses and make specific observations. After all, the point of this exercise would be not just to know yourself, but to use that knowledge to return you to your true self.

I’ve put all these prompts together in a free printable workbook that you can reference anytime or use as your own exclusive self discovery journal.

Happy journaling, friends, and I hope you enjoy this process of getting to know yourself better. You’re you, and that is your superpower. I hope you have the courage to accept that about yourself.

Let me know if you end up using any of these journal prompts for your self discovery practice. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Image via Styled Stock Society .

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18 Comments

This is a great list of journal prompts, I’m going to have to borrow some of these for my journal! Thank you so much for sharing!

Thank you, Anna! Glad you found these helpful. :)

Love this list, some many thought-provoking prompts, I love it! Thank you for sharing this, I’m definitely coming back to it when I need some journalling ideas ?

Anika | chaptersofmay.com

Thank you, Anika! Glad you found it useful. :)

These are some great prompts! I never kept a journal as a teenager but I’ve had a Bullet Journal for a couple of years and while I use it more to plan my days, I always make an effort to record one positive thing a day which I find really helpful. Thanks for sharing ☺️

That sounds like a lovely practice. I’ve been meaning to get into bullet journaling, but already have too many things on my plate. I get the feeling like a bullet journal is just too much work which is why I’ve avoided it all this while! ?‍♀️

I have never really thought much about journaling for self-reflections. I usually just keep a gratitude journal but this might be something I will look into. Thank you for the food for thought.

Glad you found this useful. I’ve been doing a lot more of this kind of journaling this past year because I feel like I am at a certain kind of crossroads and need to figure things out. The journal prompt – what kind of person do I want to be – has been something that I’ve come back to quite a lot of times in these past few months.

I love this Shirsha! I have been doing some self discovery of my own lately, and it’s really empowering! I love the quote you included from Carl Jung at the beginning of the post. So true!

Yes, have been following your posts, and loving your journey. This year has forced me to confront my deepest, darkest self, and I can say that I am so much better for all this self reflection. Better late than never, I guess. :)

Excited to journal.

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i would like to make a journal with your 52 Powerful Journal Prompts For Self Discovery {+ Free Printable} and then I was going to get your 52 Powerful Journal Prompts For Self Discovery {+ Free Printable} write the questions down then answer them then when I am fdoone answering your promps make a journal and enter it into the fair I just need permission to do this I am so excited

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105 Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery

Writing prompts to help you explore your depression gently

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!

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The Joys of Writing and Reflecting + 4 Writing Prompts

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Writing Has Changed My Life

15 of the best ever articles on writing.

150 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery

When I was in high school, I met a great man named Dr. Earl Reum. Dr. Reum gave inspirational speeches at schools and leadership events, impacting people at this critical juncture in their lives. I was intrigued by what he said and diligently went through the workbook he handed out, filled with self-discovery questions. The things he said perfectly matched what I knew to be true and the process of writing, based on the self-discovery prompts he provided, changed my life. I now realize that I can trace my confidence and path in life, back to the personal writing work he inspired and nuggets of advice he shared, including the following:

“Wishing will not bring success, but planning, persistence and burning desire will accomplish anything.” —SUCCESS by Barbara Smallwood & Steve Kilborn, 1981.

Define Yourself

Through his self-discovery writing prompts, I defined my self. I developed a great appreciation for who I was and clarified what I wanted to do with my life. Not that my life has been constantly glorious since, but that process sure helped. People can do this at any stage of life and revisit the self-discovery process many times through out life. We are constantly changing and getting better so how a person answered these questions at 17 is very different from how one would at 47.

Now, it is time for you to begin writing. Write about yourself. It is you who identifies who you are and where you want to go with your life . No matter where you have been, who you grew up with, what your circumstances are or were, it is YOU who can stand strong and move forward any way you choose. Identify your dream or perfect life; write it down and define it physically, and then spread the word about your new self and intention. Really own it. Define. Refine. Move. Announce.

150 Writing Prompts

Here are 150 writing prompts that will help with the process of self-discovery. They are in no specific order and are not intended to work you through a dynamic process of thought. These are just for fun, to get you thinking and help you begin to write and define yourself. Have fun with these prompts.

Why am I here?

Where am I from?

Where am I going?

Clearly define your goals. Write them out. Develop a detailed action plan for achieving them. Set deadlines, visualize the results.

Do “your thing” expertly. Describe “your thing.” What you are really “good” at?

What really moves you? What speaks to you from deep within?

What you are going to do to answer that deep calling and share those talents with the world?

When I am alone, I feel . . .

If I were a boss, would I hire me?

How can I improve the outer me? (Appearance, clothes, speaking voice, mannerisms, posture)

What does the inner me look like?

Sometimes I pretend to be . . .

Quick answers:

If I were an animal, this is what I would be . . .
If I were a banner, I would read . . .
If I were a tree, I would be . . .
If I were sound, I would be . . .
If I were a color, I would be . . .
If I were a taste, I would be . . .
If I were a super hero, I would be . . .
If I were a country, I would be . .
If I were a food, I would be . . .
If I were a bird, I would be . . .

Now, here is what I am already . . .

Here is what others see me as . . .

Seven of my finer qualities, gifts, talents and characteristics, are . . .

I have a few limitations right now, they include . . .

I am going to overcome these limitations by . . .

Something I have done lately that really turned someone off is . . .

Something I have done recently that really inspired or energized someone is . . .

Identifying the problem often gets us very close to finding the answer to the problem. Today, my biggest problems include:

Write a message in a bottle that you would like someone to find.

Quick answers to:

Mission in life:
Dreams for someday:
Best advice received:
Best advice given:
Most valued idea:
Urgent challenges:
Most fun day ever:
Happiest moment lately:
Who am I really?

Yesterday, I was:

Tomorrow, I will be:

If I give my life purpose, what purpose will I give it?

What I need to become is the real me, in the real world, making a real difference. What does this look like?

My parents would like me to be . . .

A stranger’s first impression of me is . . .

I typically base my decisions on . . .

Record here memories of embarrassing moments. How might I handle this situation differently next time?

Record here memories of magnificent moments:

People I will never forget include:

Here is a description of the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me:

This was the worst experience ever:

The most significant event of my life:

The single, most significant learning experience of my entire life was . . .

How I handle crisis:

A crisis I am now facing and what I am doing about it:

My dreams for the future:

Who or what inspired these dreams?

Who can help me achieve my dreams (teacher, friend, relative, pastor, mentor):

In what ways have I brought peace or joy into the my world so far?

In what ways have I brought frustration and sorrow to the world so far?

My accomplishments so far include:

What must you do before it is too late?

The three best things about school:

The three best things about my relationship:

The three best things about my job:

These are the people around me that bring out the very best of me:

If those around me reflect back something in myself, what is it about that other person that I see in myself?

These are the people around me that bring out the worst of me:

Why am I choosing to keep these people in my life?

If everyone around me reflects back something in myself, what is it about me I do not like that keeps these toxic people around me?

Three things I wish people knew about me:

Three significant things I need to accomplish

Seven things I love to do:

A listing of my favorite things:

These things I value . . .

If I should lose this precious thing, I do not know what I would do.

These are my most treasured possessions:

“The real secret to success is to actually use every bit of advice we give to other people.” – paraphrasing of Sherman Jackson. What advice do we most often give to others?

These are the people I trust:

My field of interest for the future is . . .

Acquired skills of mine that would help another are . . .

Failures that have ensured my future victories include . . .

If there is such a thing as a “next life,” what do you want to do in the next round? How would you do things differently?

Here is how I will transcend my limitations and be better than those who have come before me . . .

Best advice from my mom . . .

Best advice from my dad . . .

Title of my book:

“If you can’t do great things, do small things great.” — Dr. Earl Reum. Here are the small things I can do great:

The best advice I ever received was . . .

Three things I desperately want to know more about:

If I was the star of a TV show, it would be about . . .

This person makes me the happiest . . .
This person understands me best . . .
This person listens to me completely . . .
This person is truly my best friend . . .

What famous person would you like as a friend?

Will I want my children to love me the way I love my parents?

My parent’s greatest strengths are . . .

What do my parents expect from me?

I expect from my parents . . .

Am I as considerate of my parents as I am of my friends?

Do I treat my family as the most important people in my life?

Are they deserving of that?

This is what I will never say to my kids . . .

The person I wish to be like most is . . .

My heros include . . .

Sometimes we need others to help us find our glory, who are those people that will help you find what is best about you?

Superhuman qualities and the people who represent that to me:

Creativity:
Efficiency:
Dedication:
Intelligence:
Discipline:
Decisiveness:
Compassion:
Sense of humor:
Personality:
Dependability:

When I am with close friends, I am . . .

Here is what I would like to change about me . . .

When I am with adults, I am . . .

During discussions, I am . . .

I probably need to do this . . .

When I am alone, I am . . .

If people depend on me, I need to be . . .

When I enter a new group, I feel . . .

When I meet new people, I feel . . .

When I am in the car by myself, I . . .

When I am really at ease, I . . .

I feel most helpful and needed when . . .

The last time I complemented someone was . . .

The last time I received a complement was and how did it make me feel?

Some of my personal gifts and talents I can share to show someone that I love them are:

If I were in charge of the world, this is the problem I would solve . . .

If I were in charge of the world, these are the people I would help first:

I spend my spare time doing the following:

I spend too much time . . .

I don’t spend enough time . . .

And now, here it is, what I am seriously resolving to accomplish . . .

What do I spend my money on that is irresponsible . . .

If I could have one talent gifted to me by the universe, it would be . . .

Now that I have contracted with the universe to accomplish this, here are the first steps to get me there:

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A Drag Queen’s Journey Toward Self-Discovery and Stardom

I n the world of drag where outward flamboyance masks inner complexity, we find a young performer’s quest for identity amidst the shimmering chaos. Sophie Dupuis’ insightful film, Solo , offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a drag artist who uses performance as a platform for self-expression, even as he battles to carve out his own space both on stage and in life.

We are introduced to Simon, who performs as Glory Gore (portrayed by Théodore Pellerin), bursting onto the Montreal drag circuit, oozing charisma and vulnerability in equal measure. Drag serves as Simon’s expression and escape, amplifying a confidence that seems more tentative when he isn’t donned in his splendid array of costumes and makeup. Glory Gore’s allure attracts Olivier, also known as La Dragona (Félix Maritaud), who sees in Simon the prospect of a lover and a muse.

Their relationship blossoms both on and off the stage, as Simon risks being overshadowed by the more experienced Oli’s punk-style drag. Simon’s life becomes entwined with Oli’s both artistically and personally, to the point where his own identity, family ties, and drag persona are all eclipsed. The film also delves into Simon’s complicated emotions towards his absent opera singer mother (Anne-Marie Cadieux).

The heart of Solo beats in its drag sequences set to music such as “Work it” by Marie Davidson and “Amazing” by Hi Fashion, which mirror Simon/Glory Gore’s self-exploration. He and Oli dazzle audiences with their palpable chemistry on stage, but their intense connection brings forth issues of jealousy, insecurity, and ownership.

The crucial question Solo examines is what Simon, as an individual separate from Glory Gore, aspires to achieve by himself. As Oli aggravates Simon’s insecurities, we’re compelled to question whether their relationship is symbiotic or toxic. Despite its lively start, the film’s intensity cannot be consistently maintained, leaving viewers to ponder if the narrative’s climax reaches a satisfying conclusion.

FAQ Section

Prof. Malcolm Campbell Wraps a Career of Launching Pioneers of Discovery

Professor Malcolm Campbell with handprint wall

Handprints of former students decorate a wall in Prof. Malcolm Campbell’s lab, a place where students overcame self-doubt and delighted in scientific discovery for more than 30 years.

At the end of his three decades at Davidson College, a symposium in April honored Malcolm Campbell, an academic Eras Tour where colleagues and former students saluted the retiring biology professor and told tales of his impact.

Prof. Malcolm Campbell and student examine a test tube together in a lab

“Malcolm for me was the spark for my career,” said one former student, Sallie Permar ’97 , pediatrician-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

“I often wonder if I didn’t have him for a professor and mentor whether I’d have been able to achieve what I’ve achieved.”

Many of his former students at the symposium told of the tough conversations Campbell had with them, necessary, uncomfortable but compassionately executed. Others said he’d simply transformed their lives.

“I heard a lot of compliments about the match that lit the bonfire,” Campbell said. “But the spark isn’t the reason the fire gets big. No one gives you an education. You earn it.”

Permar’s remarkable career – after getting a doctoral degree in immunology from Johns Hopkins University and a medical degree from Harvard University, she has led research into prevention of infections, like HIV in newborns – was one of many that have sprung from Campbell’s laboratory.

He estimates he’s taught about 2,400 students since he arrived in 1994, many continuing on to earn advanced degrees, and 157 research advisees conducted research in his labs. He has co-authored research papers with 190 undergraduates. Some grads have started their own companies.

Student painting handprint on wall of Prof. Malcolm Campbell's lab

“He spent his entire career inspiring students,” Permar said. “They achieve what Malcolm thought they could achieve.”

Along the way, the Herman Brown Professor of Biology helped rewrite the rules on how best to help students learn.

With two other faculty members, Campbell has written biology textbooks that challenge the paradigm of memorization and regurgitation.

Each topic is presented as a question and offers data for students to analyze, as scientists do in the laboratory. Students reach their own conclusions, not someone else's interpretation of it. And key metrics, including scores on the Medical College Admission Test, show students learn better this way.

Julie McConnell, an Advanced Placement Biology teacher at Hough High School in Cornelius, North Carolina, and a participant in the symposium, said the book revolutionized the way she teaches.

A Seasonable Place

Campbell, now 62, grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and looked at three liberal arts colleges. Davidson had the best weather and got the nod. He arrived in 1980.

He received the prestigious Watson Fellowship, working on lungfish anatomy in Australia, then traveling through South East Asia for a year. It was a transformative event in his life, he said, broadening his horizons.

“I’ve been laughed at in a lot of languages around the world,” said Campbell. Which was fine. It was a lesson he learned from the Watson year: Sometimes things don’t work out. Have the courage to try things out, even if they flop.

“I don’t mind failing,” Campbell said, “as long as I give it a good try.”

After graduation and a teaching stint in Kenya, he went to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore for his doctoral degree. He knew he wanted to teach, but Hopkins is primarily a research institution and he faced resistance.

“‘Don’t go into teaching. You’ll go brain dead,’ my advisor told me,” Campbell said. But he stuck to his plan and while doing postdoctoral work at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, learned from biology professor Jan Serie, the most impressive teacher he’d ever seen.

If she had 120 students in the room, she knew every name, Campbell said. He studied her techniques, eventually borrowing many for his own courses.

“She would put things in the context of a question,” he said, “in a story about something they wanted to learn.”

And it was in her classes he learned what “cold calling” is: Not posing a question to the whole class, but picking out a student at random and putting them on the spot.

He said he tells his students on their first day to expect that. Sometimes there is a long silence while the student has to find the answer to something that was in the class assignment.

“Everyone gets called on,” he said. “If it's a class of 30 students, there could be 50 questions in the class. My record of silence is nine-and-a-half minutes. I timed it. Students come to class prepared because they’re going to have to answer the questions.”

Drawn by Campbell

Laurie Heyer, the associate dean for data & computing and chair of genomics, was drawn to Davidson in part because of Malcolm Campbell. After earning her doctorate at the University of Colorado, she was looking for a teaching position that would let her use computing skills with a connection to genomics.

It was 2000 and she researched possible schools on the then-nascent Internet. She saw Campbell was doing research in the field and wrote a cover letter to Davidson suggesting that she’d be a perfect fit with his research.

They met when she came for an interview, hit it off immediately and have been research partners for 24 years. Heyer co-authored two of the biology textbooks.

At the symposium, Heyer told how Campbell got into the emerging science of genomics. A power failure in Davidson had wiped out his frozen biological samples, so he began looking for something new to do.

“If you’re Malcolm,” she said, “you look around for the next most important thing and march toward that.”

She and Campbell worked on a bold project that attracted national attention and National Science Foundation grants – using E. coli bacteria to solve complex computing problems by engineering their genetic codes. They were basically building biological computers.

“We had a ball with that research,” she said. “Of course, it got students excited.”

She said there are three rules for working with Campbell: Everybody has to learn every day, everyone must have fun and everyone tries to contribute to science.

Prof Malcolm Campbell seated in conference room

Approach to Teaching

Campbell said he treats every student the way he would treat one of his two daughters. Even if it’s a difficult conversation, it will be done with respect.

“Teaching is a joy and a privilege,” he said. “Choices for life are made here. We watch children grow into adults.”

Campbell has developed a national reputation for his work at Davidson. In 2012, the American Association for the Advancement of Science elected him a fellow in education.

He won the Excellence in Education Award from the Genetics Society of America in 2013. In 2018, it was the College Teaching Award from the National Association of Biology Teachers.

Among his Davidson-born honors are the 2023 Omicron Delta Kappa Teacher of the Year Award and the 2019 Most Valuable Professor Award, chosen by student athletes. In 2008, he received the Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award, the college’s highest teaching honor.

“Malcolm has always taken the approach when thinking about curriculum, departmental policy, research and his courses of asking what is best for the students?,” said Chris Paradise, chair of Environmental Studies, and a collaborator on the texts.

“I have attended ecology conferences, where I wouldn’t expect anyone to know Malcolm as it's not his field, and I’ve often been surprised when people say something like, ‘Oh, you’re from Davidson, you must work with Malcolm Campbell,’” Paradise said.

“So he’s nationally known in the biology education community. If you’re an ecologist, for instance, and are also involved in biology education research, you’re likely to know Malcolm.”

Paradise said that when their textbook was written, the editor wanted to change it radically to be more like a traditional introduction to biology text. Campbell stuck to their vision and they eventually wound up with another publisher.

“I’ve always respected Malcolm’s principled approach to education and life,” Paradise said.

May 31, 2024
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Follow now: DI baseball regionals

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NCAA | May 26, 2024

Sixteen regional sites selected for the 2024 ncaa di baseball championship.

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee announced the 16 regional sites for the 77th annual NCAA Division I Baseball Championship.

The 16 regional sites, with host institutions and records are as follows:

Athens, Georgia – Georgia (39-15)
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – North Carolina (42-13)
Charlottesville, Virginia – Virginia (41-15)
Clemson, South Carolina – Clemson (41-14)
Bryan-College Station, Texas – Texas A&M (44-13)
Corvallis, Oregon – Oregon State (42-14)
Fayetteville, Arkansas – Arkansas (43-14)
Greenville, North Carolina – East Carolina (43-15)
Knoxville, Tennessee – Tennessee (50-11)
Lexington, Kentucky – Kentucky (40-14)
Norman, Oklahoma – Oklahoma (37-19)
Raleigh, North Carolina – NC State (33-20)
Santa Barbara, California – UC Santa Barbara (42-12)
Stillwater, Oklahoma – Oklahoma State (40-17)
Tallahassee, Florida – Florida State (42-15)
Tucson, Arizona – Arizona (36-21)

By being awarded a regional, all 16 host institutions have also been selected to the 64-team championship field.

Each regional field features four teams, playing in a double-elimination format. All 16 regionals are scheduled to be conducted from Friday, May 31 to Monday, June 3 (if necessary).

UC Santa Barbara is hosting for only the second time and for the first time in Santa Barbara (it hosted at a neutral site at Lake Elsinore in 2015).

Florida State is hosting a baseball regional for the 36th time in tournament history, the most by any school. Oklahoma is hosting for the first time since 2010.

Arkansas, Clemson, Kentucky, Oklahoma State and Virginia each hosted regionals in 2023 and Oklahoma State is hosting for a third consecutive season.

The full 64-team field, top-16 national seeds, first-round regional pairings and site assignments will be announced at Noon (ET), on Monday, May 27. The one-hour program will be shown live on ESPN2. The committee will set the entire 64-team bracket through both the super regionals and the first round of the Men’s College World Series and will not reseed the field after play begins.

Selection of the eight super regional hosts will be announced on www.NCAA.com/mcws , Tuesday, June 4 at 10 a.m. (ET).

There are 30 Division I Conferences which will receive an automatic berth in the field of 64, along with 34 at-large selections. The Men’s College World Series begins play Friday, June 14, at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

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87 Self-Reflection Questions for Introspection [+Exercises]

Introspection in Psychology: 87 Self-Reflection Questions, Exercises & Worksheets

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 .

introspection self-reflection worksheets and tools

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.

What is the Importance of Introspection? 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.

Self-Reflective Questions introspection psychology

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.

Download 3 Free Self-Compassion Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you to help others create a kinder and more nurturing relationship with themselves.

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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.).

Self-Awareness Worksheet

This worksheet is a treasure trove of exercises and ideas to help you think about yourself, including your talents, qualities, values, and perceptions.

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.).

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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

Question Your Life: Naikan Self-Reflection and the Transformation of Our Stories by 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: A Book of Daily Reflections by 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 .

Bates, S. M. (2012, November 11). Check yo’ self: An exercise in self-reflection. Hello Giggles. Retrieved from https://hellogiggles.com/fashion/check-yo-self-an-exercise-in-self-reflection/
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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Self-deploying officers and a leaked bulletin complicated Maine mass shooting response, police say

Maine State Police Col. William Ross answers questions from the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston during a hearing at Lewiston City Hall, Friday, May 24, 2024 in Lewiston, Maine. (Russ Dillingham /Sun Journal via AP)

Col. Bill Ross, Maine state police chief, far right,prepares to address an independent commission investigating a mass shooting along with Lt. Col. Brian Scott, left, and Lt. Lucas Hare, middle, on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Lewiston, Maine. A bulletin about the deadliest mass shooting in Maine history that was sent to police agencies had been leaked on social media early on, complicating an already difficult search for the shooter, the state’s top law enforcement official said Friday. (AP Photo/David Sharp)

FILE - A body is wheeled out on a stretcher at Schemengees Bar and Grille, Oct. 26, 2023, in Lewiston, Maine. An independent commission investigating the deadliest shooting in Maine history plans to hear more testimony from law enforcement sources on communications and coordination problems. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

FILE - Law enforcement officers stand near armored and tactical vehicles in Bowdoin, Maine, following a mass shooting, Oct. 26, 2023. An independent commission investigating the deadliest shooting in Maine history plans to hear more testimony from law enforcement sources on communications and coordination problems. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

Dr. Debra Baeder, a member of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston listens to Maine State Police Col. William Ross answer a question during a hearing at Lewiston City Hall, Friday, May 24, 2024 in Lewiston, Maine. (Russ Dillingham /Sun Journal via AP)

Members of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston, back, listen to testimony during a hearing at Lewiston City Hall, Friday, May 24, 2024 in Lewiston, Maine. (Russ Dillingham /Sun Journal via AP)

Daniel E. Wathan, Chair of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston listens to Maine State Police Col. William Ross answer a question during a hearing at Lewiston City Hall, Friday, May 24, 2024 in Lewiston, Maine. (Russ Dillingham /Sun Journal via AP)

Daniel E. Wathan, Chair of the Independent Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Tragedy in Lewiston, center listens to Maine State Police Col. William Ross, foreground left, answer a question during a hearing at Lewiston City Hall, Friday, May 24, 2024 in Lewiston, Maine. (Russ Dillingham /Sun Journal via AP)

Maine State Police Col. William Ross holds up an internal document that was leaked to the media during the manhunt for Robert Card during a hearing at Lewiston City Hall, Friday, May 24, 2024 in Lewiston, Maine. (Russ Dillingham /Sun Journal via AP)

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LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Maine’s top police leader addressed the chaos caused by officers arriving without assignments after the state’s deadliest mass shooting , saying Friday that he was glad so many officers were eager to help, even though it was difficult to manage at times.

Col. William Ross, the state police chief, said there’s no “overarching policy” on self-dispatching police officers and said that it’s actually a good thing in an active shooter situation such as Lewiston’s, in which police were responding to multiple locations.

“Keep ’em coming. Because that’s what we need,” Ross said. But, he added, it’s important for officers to be disciplined once a command structure is established.

Ross also spoke about how leaks of investigatory details including an early bulletin, which was distributed moments later on social media, and news media reports of a note discovered at the gunman’s home complicated an already difficult search for the shooter.

Law enforcement officials, including Ross, returned for more testimony at the request of an independent commission, which was focusing Friday on problems with police communication and coordination in the fraught hours after Maine’s deadliest mass shooting Oct. 25.

FILE - Multiple law enforcement vehicles respond in the neighborhood where several officers on a task force trying to serve a warrant were shot in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, April 29, 2024. Police in North Carolina's largest city planned to update the public on the investigation into the fatal shootings of four law enforcement officers a month ago that occurred during an attempt to serve a warrant on a suspect in a residential neighborhood, Friday, May 31, 2024. (Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez/The Charlotte Observer via AP, File)

Eighteen people were killed and 13 injured by an Army reservist at a bowling alley and a bar. The shooter, 40-year-old Robert Card, fled in a vehicle that was abandoned in a nearby town.

Chair Daniel Wathen previously noted “disturbing allegations” were contained in a Portland special response team after-action report that criticized officers who were showing up unannounced. That report also included allegations that some officers arrived intoxicated, but the commission said allegations of misconduct should be handled by the agencies themselves.

The commission previously heard testimony from law enforcement officials about that evening, when law enforcement agencies mobilized for a search as additional police officers poured into the region. State police took over coordination of the search for the gunman, who was found dead from suicide two days later.

There were tense moments when law enforcement located the gunman’s vehicle near the Androscoggin River several hours after the shooting.

State police used a cautious approach, angering some officers who wanted to immediately search the nearby woods. Officers without any official assignment began showing up, raising concerns of police firing on one another in the darkness. The arrival of so many officers also contaminated the scene, making it all but impossible to use dogs to track the gunman.

At one point, a tactical vehicle from the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office nearly crashed into another tactical vehicle from the Portland Police Department near that scene.

Ross said the fact that so many officers responded to put themselves in harm’s way was a “proud moment,” but he acknowledged that having so many officers arriving from different agencies caused confusion. The problem of well-meaning officers improvising on the fly diminished once a command post was set up, he added.

“As the hours went by, less and less of that happened,” he said. “And then there’s outliers. There will always be someone who operates outside the norm or the command post. And you deal with those things as they come up.”

Ross said the combination of multiple scenes, the gunman’s disappearance and the manhunt made the tragedy different from other mass shootings around the country.

“This is something that I think is very unique,” Ross said.

As for the leaks, Ross said that they were frustrating but that the agency is not focused on trying to find those who leaked information, calling it a “needle in a haystack.” He also noted that leaks are common in large law enforcement actions involving multiple agencies.

The commission investigating the events leading up to the shooting and its aftermath was appointed by the governor and is composed of seven members, including mental health professionals and former prosecutors and judges. Wathen is a former Maine chief justice.

Prior meetings of the panel, which is expected to issue a final report in summer, have focused on victims, Army personnel and members of Card’s family, in addition to law enforcement officials.

Card’s relatives said during a hearing last week that they struggled to get help for him as his mental health declined and his behavior became more erratic . At another hearing, a fellow reservist detailed his attempts to flag Card’s decline for their superiors.

An interim report issued by the panel in March said law enforcement should have seized Card’s guns and put him in protective custody before he committed the shooting.

Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.

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Nyma Tang Embraced Vibrancy and Displayed Self-Confidence During SI Swim Feature in Florida

Martha zaytoun | may 29, 2024.

Nyma Tang was photographed by Ben Watts in Hollywood, Fla.

Nyma Tang has always been unapologetically confident. As a beauty content creator with an extensive following on YouTube, self-confidence has never been hard to come by. “It was only the outside world telling me that I shouldn’t have had that confidence,” she said during her 2021 SI Swimsuit Issue photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla .

Though she contends with people trying to diminish that sort of assurance that comes so naturally to her, they haven’t been successful. “I [have] always had it,” she said , and there’s no doubt she always will.

It is, in part, that confidence which has allowed Tang to build her impressive following. She has established herself as a voice of inclusivity in the beauty space, creating content that encourages the industry to make products fit for all skin tones.

That confidence was evident on the beaches of Florida several years ago. For her feature with SI Swimsuit, the model posed for photographer Ben Watts in stunning swimwear and chic knitwear. She was—as she always is—brimming with confidence.

In many respects, “I used to be such a people pleaser,” she admitted while on set, “and now I don’t do this for anyone else. It’s for me.” That could be said of both her YouTube and social media content and her SI Swimsuit debut. It was, primarily, for her. It was a show of that self-confidence.

While there are far too many beautiful photos to choose just a few favorites, here are a handful of the spectacular snaps from Tang’s feature.

MARTHA ZAYTOUN

Martha Zaytoun is a Lifestyle & Trending News writer for SI Swimsuit. Before joining the team, Martha worked on the editorial board of the University of Notre Dame’s student magazine and on the editorial team at Chapel Hill, Durham and Chatham Magazines in North Carolina. When not working, Martha loves to watercolor and oil paint, run or water ski. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a huge Fighting Irish fan.

IMAGES

How to Figure Out What You Truly Want in Life + Free Self Discovery
55 Self-Discovery Journal Prompts for Mindfulness and Growth
The 6 Best Self-Discovery Activities
Self Discovery: Questions for your Self-Discovery (2022)
33 Self Discovery Journal Prompts for Teens
3 Stages of Self-Discovery to Find Yourself in 2022

VIDEO

Union|Misfits S1E19 Pulsar: Lost Colony
Self Discovery S2 EP 2
"Discovering Destinations: Solo Travel Enthusiast's Diary"
Video Assignment #1: An Introduction of Self
Self-Discovery, Homesickness, Struggles & Pandemic
NPTEL answers for Product design and manufacturing week 2

COMMENTS

11 Self-Awareness And Self-Discovery Worksheets To Better Understand
Essentially, self-discovery worksheets can help you determine what you really want in life. 1. Cognitive Heights First Instinct Worksheet. The Cognitive Heights program aims to help people rediscover their passions. You'll get the most out of this by just writing and not overthinking each question.
17 Self-Awareness Activities and Exercises (+Test)
There are many techniques you can practice to develop self-awareness. Some common techniques include: Mindfulness Meditation. Grounding techniques, and reconnecting to the Earth. Tai Chi, Qigong, or Yoga. Strength Assessments, such as the Values in Action Strength Test, from the University of Pennsylvania. Journaling.
64 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery
Ready, Set, Journal! 64 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery. How to start. The journal prompts. Getting unstuck. Takeaway. Your journal creates an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and ...
30 Best Self-Exploration Questions, Journal Prompts, & Tools
23 May 2024. 1. 30 Best Self-Exploration Questions, Journal Prompts, & Tools. 11 Jul 2023 by Jeremy Sutton, Ph.D. Scientifically reviewed by Maike Neuhaus Ph.D. Life is constantly in flux; our environment and "self" change continually. Self-exploration helps us make sense of who we are, where we are, and how we fit into the situation in ...
14 Powerful Self-Discovery Activities for Your Journey
Stage 1: Discovering Your Conscious Self (Personality) Stage 2: Exploring Your Personal Unconscious (Shadow) Stage 3: Returning Home (The Self) First, we'll examine each of these stages in more detail. Then, we'll explore the self-discovery activities commonly used at each stage.
How to Begin Your Self-Discovery Journey: 16 Best Questions
Here are some of our favorite books and apps to support greater self-insight and discovery. 1. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment - Eckhart Tolle. A critical first step toward greater self-insight involves ceasing to confuse your true self with the endless stream of thoughts flowing through your mind.
77 Journaling Prompts For Self-Discovery, From Therapists
77 journal prompts for self-discovery. All of the following prompts are approved by experts, including Patel, licensed marriage and family therapist Tiana Leeds, M.A., LMFT, and board-certified clinical psychologist Kristina Hallett, Ph.D., ABPP. We've grouped them into a few different categories depending on what's on your mind, from your ...
55+ Self-Discovery Questions for Personal Growth
Weekly Self-Discovery Questions. To help spark your practice of self reflection, we've put together a list of 57 self discovery questions to ask yourself. Start with one each day and, after a couple of weeks, increase this to 10 to 15 per week. You can do self exploration and find answers in a self discovery journal, in your head, or by ...
PDF USE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO NARRATE
Self-Discovery Assignment Author: Cassie Slattery Keywords: DAD7WH0pTBw,BAC2O97LqHM Created Date: 5/25/2020 8:12:05 PM ...
Self-Exploration: Benefits and Tips for Getting Started
Self-exploration can help improve self-awareness, self-esteem, communication, empathy, emotional self-regulation, and more. A great deal of therapy involves some degree of self-exploration. You ...
Self-Discovery Through Stretch Assignments: Real-Life Examples
The Role of Stretch Assignments in Self-Discovery. Uncovering Hidden Passions: Stretch assignments provide a platform for individuals to explore areas beyond their routine tasks, uncovering hidden passions and interests that may have remained dormant. Building Confidence: Taking on challenges outside one's comfort zone through self-assigned ...
75+ Free Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts
75+ free mental health worksheets, handouts, and forms for mental health professionals or self-help. (Updated 2/13/24) This is a list of nearly 100 mental health worksheets, handouts, forms, and more for substance use, mental health, and wellness. Please repost and share with anyone who might benefit!
33 Self-Awareness Activities for Adults and Students
14. Utilize The Freedom Diagram. The Freedom diagram is one of the fun self-awareness activities. It is a short and practical guide to help figure out where you should use your energy in life, you can use the Freedom Diagram. The three components of The Freedom Diagram are talent, fun, and demand.
50 Self Awareness Activities (For Yourself, Adults & Students)
This self-awareness activity will help you turn off auto-pilot and start thinking independently. The next time a situation triggers fear, anger or sadness, pause and take a deep breath. If you need space, take a quick walk. Give yourself time to re-assess and plan your next move, instead of acting off of instinct. 7.
The Path to Self-Discovery: Effective Therapy Homework for Self
Homework assignments bridge these gaps and allow for ongoing progress. By consistently working on tasks outside of sessions, individuals can maintain momentum and build upon the insights gained during therapy. ... individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery with a greater sense of self-expression and awareness. It's important for ...
Values: Self-Exploration
This worksheet will guide your clients through the self-exploration of their values by asking questions about several topics, such as family, career, and spirituality. Each question is designed to get clients thinking about what matters the most, to them. This worksheet is intended to be a prompt for further discussion.
52 Powerful Journal Prompts for Self Discovery {+ Free Printable}
Project52: There are 52 prompts listed above. Treat this as a year-long project. Set aside some time once a week to go through each of these questions, and write down whatever comes to your mind. 30 Day Challenge: Use these journaling prompts to set up your own 30 day challenge.
105 Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery
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. With stream-of-consciousness writing, you write ...
PDF Self Discovery Assignment
Self Discovery Assignment LifeSmart Publishing, LLC OVERVIEW We all need to know we matter. This is especially true during the teen and young adult years when we experience the greatest period of self discovery in our lifetime. Whether intentionally or not, we
18 Best Self-Esteem Worksheets and Activities (Incl. PDF)
Here are PDF self-esteem worksheets, activities, and exercises for kids, teens, and adults. Use these resources to build up self-worth! ... leading to discovery and understanding of the self (Kaczmarek et al., 2015). The worksheet begins with a short paragraph about the potential benefits of journaling, including improved self-esteem and ...
Self-Esteem Worksheets
Customizable and fillable worksheets. Unlimited access to interactive therapy tools. Support the creation of new tools for the entire mental health community. Ad-free browsing. Download self-esteem building worksheets and activities. Topics include gratitude exercises, strength-building, self-care, journaling and more.
150 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery
150 Writing Prompts. Here are 150 writing prompts that will help with the process of self-discovery. They are in no specific order and are not intended to work you through a dynamic process of thought. These are just for fun, to get you thinking and help you begin to write and define yourself. Have fun with these prompts.
SI Swimsuit Model Lauren Chan Talks Journey of Self-Discovery
Earrings by AGMES. / Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated. She also shared that her photo shoot for the 2024 SI Swimsuit Issue in Mexico with Yu Tsai was not only fun, but an incredibly transformative experience. "I think it healed a small part of me," Chan stated of her time on location in Cancún. "It healed the teenage self that watched America ...
A Drag Queen's Journey Toward Self-Discovery and Stardom
In the world of drag where outward flamboyance masks inner complexity, we find a young performer's quest for identity amidst the shimmering chaos. Sophie Dupuis' insightful film, Solo, offers ...
Prof. Malcolm Campbell Wraps a Career of Launching Pioneers of Discovery
Handprints of former students decorate a wall in Prof. Malcolm Campbell's lab, a place where students overcame self-doubt and delighted in scientific discovery for more than 30 years. At the end of his three decades at Davidson College, a symposium in April honored Malcolm Campbell, an academic ...
Sixteen regional sites selected for the 2024 NCAA DI baseball
The full 64-team field, top-16 national seeds, first-round regional pairings and site assignments will be announced at Noon (ET), on Monday, May 27. The one-hour program will be shown live on ESPN2.
87 Self-Reflection Questions for Introspection [+Exercises]
The 3 Best Books on Self-Reflection and Introspection. 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.
Self-deploying officers and a leaked bulletin complicated Maine mass
LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Maine's top police leader addressed the chaos caused by officers arriving without assignments after the state's deadliest mass shooting, saying Friday that he was glad so many officers were eager to help, even though it was difficult to manage at times.. Col. William Ross, the state police chief, said there's no "overarching policy" on self-dispatching police ...
Nyma Tang Embraced Vibrancy and Displayed Self-Confidence ...
Nyma Tang has always been unapologetically confident. As a beauty content creator with an extensive following on YouTube, self-confidence has never been hard to come by. "It was only the outside world telling me that I shouldn't have had that confidence," she said during her 2021 SI Swimsuit Issue photo shoot in Hollywood, Fla.. Though she contends with people trying to diminish that ...
Lenny Kravitz reflects on his love life
Lenny Kravitz is single and ready to mingle. As the rock star celebrates his 60th birthday and the release of new album "Blue Electric Light," he's also opening up about his personal life ...

11 Self-Awareness And Self-Discovery Worksheets To Better Understand Yourself

What Are the Benefits of Using Self-Discovery Worksheets?

11 Self-Awareness Worksheets for Adults To Better Know Yourself

14 Powerful Self-Discovery Activities for Your Personal Journey

What is Self-Discovery?

Self-Discovery versus Self-Development

What are the 3 Stages of Self-Discovery?

Stage 0: Wearing Our Social Masks

Self-Discovery Stage 1: Discovering Our Conscious Personality

Self-Discovery Stage 2: Exploring Our Personal Unconscious

Self-Discovery Stage 3: Returning Home of the Self

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 1

Personality Assessments

Values Assessment

Strengths Assessment

Personal Vision Casting

Wheel of Life Assessment

Active Journaling

Self-Development Plan

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 2

Observational Meditation

Shadow Work

Inner Work (Active Imagination & Dream Analysis)

Trauma Release Exercises

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 3

Becoming versus Being

Self-Discovery Through the Three Gunas

7 Factors that Hijack Self-Discovery

Internal Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Early Childhood Trauma

A Fixed Mindset

Misaligned Values of Society

A Strong Drive for Comfort

External Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Financial Restraints

An Unsafe Environment

A Disempowering Peer Group

Self-Discovery: A Pathless Path

About the Author

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How (& why) to work with journaling prompts

77 journal prompts for self-discovery

Journal prompts to warm up & get started

Self-reflection

Love & relationships

Career path

Shadow work

Life plans & goals

What are journal prompts for self-identity?

Does journaling help with self-discovery?

What are journal prompts for self-acceptance?

The takeaway

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

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Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

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Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

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