CEFB INTEGRATIVE LIFE COACHING
  • Home
    • Programs
    • About >
      • Contact
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Programs

Introspection 101

4/5/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture

The word introspection means something simple but is something exceedingly difficult. If you look up introspection in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy states that it is, “a means of learning about one’s own ongoing, or perhaps recently past, mental states or processes.”

Looking at yourself, from a mental and emotional standpoint, and your actions in a mirror and analyzing them can be difficult and scary. Because of issues like your own biases, along with the almost vague nature of the word, this can become a burdensome task. But well worth it, as without introspection we can never have personal growth. Introspection and self-reflection lead to self-awareness and self-understanding and those to lead to personal development, should you choose to work on yourself following self-discovery.

I believe that introspection is a process that leads to an intuitive understanding of ourselves or greater insight into your life or mental state. At the University of Sydney, a psychologist Anthony M. Grant discovered that people who displayed greater personal insight “enjoy stronger relationships, a clearer sense of purpose and greater well-being, self-acceptance, and happiness.”

Along with his findings, another study showed that “people high in insight feel more in control of their lives, show more dramatic personal growth, enjoy better relationships, and feel calmer and more content.”

The benefits sound great, so just how does the average person navigate introspection?


Avoid Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias is your natural tendency to search for, interpret, and even favor information that confirms or supports your current beliefs without taking into consideration the big picture. This is almost default for most people because we want to be right. I believe it can stem from grandiosity, thinking it is your way or the highway.
Look for ways to challenge your conclusions. Seek information from a range of sources, not just ones that agree with you. This can create an echo chamber where all your biases will be reinforced. Try getting another’s opinion, discuss your thoughts with others. Ultimately, get the bigger picture before you decide.

Look At Your Part In Situations
It's helpful to make a list of your wrongdoing. Either where you were in the wrong or were hurt by someone else. Look at each interaction as subjectively as possible and write it out.
Separate it into parts. The who, the when, and the why. Then take a moment and look at your part in all of it. What could have been done better or differently, were you being spiteful or judgmental, or are you shifting blame?
Looking at yourself is never easy, even the Ph.D.’s admits that “introspection can sometimes cloud and confuse our self-perceptions, which can have a host of unintended consequences.”

Stay Calm
Taking a hard look at yourself and your actions can bring up some heavy stuff. Take it slow and easy. The last thing you want is to get all revved up and do something you regret. Anger, disappointment, and feelings of loss may come up. You are taking a hard look at your past and that can be ugly.

Have Support
I would recommend if you want to go all-in have a licensed therapist guide you through the rough times. If that is not an option, make sure you have people you can talk with who will be nonjudgmental.
 
The Practice of Introspection
 
Take A Daily Inventory
At the end of every day, look over your interactions. Anything you did good, keep doing that. Anything you feel you need to change, take steps in the direction to change it. Progress is all you’re looking for. If you chase perfection, you will never win.

Other Ways
There are different ways to practice introspection and self-reflection. The best way, however, is to ask yourself questions and record your responses in writing. So, find a comfortable, quiet spot, grab a drink, and sit down with a pen and paper. The questions you ask will depend on you and what you'd like to take from this process.

There are some basics you can start with, though. For example, think about five lessons life has taught you thus far and record each of them. Unless you enjoy writing and want to go deep, keep your response to a sentence or two. At least, as you get started. Once you have your five lessons recorded, it's time to dig in. For each lesson, ask how you learned the lesson, why you learned it, when you learned it, and exactly what you learned. Try to keep this to a paragraph.

This is simply a starting point. Where you take your reflection from here is up to you. However, to get you started I'd like you to think back on what you believe are some of the most defining moments of your life. Choose three to get started. Take each defining moment in turn and get to know more about each.

Think about your experience – what you did, what you were thinking, and how it felt at the time. What were you experiencing at that moment? What was going on inside you at that moment? Once you have done this you can reflect on what you have learned. What does the experience suggest to you and what can you learn from it? You can compare each experience to the values or principles you try to follow in life.

Finally, you have to take the lessons you have learned and apply them in practice. How can you deal with future situations? What has reliving this experience taught you about who you were and how has it shaped you as you are now? What would you do differently? What do you intend to do about this based on your period of reflection?
​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All
    Affirmations
    Health
    Journaling
    Mental Health
    Mindset
    Morning Pages
    Nutrition
    Self Care
    Self-care
    Self Discovery
    Self-Discovery
    Self Love

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2022, CEFB-LLC. All rights reserved. cheryl@cefbcoaching.com ~ (540)300-1163
Terms and Conditions
  • Home
    • Programs
    • About >
      • Contact
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Programs