Looking Back at 2020: 3 Ways to Self-Reflect
2020 has been a year that we’ll all remember for a long, long time. It hasn’t been easy for any of us and has put us through some of the most unexpected things in life.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t reflect on the year and assess your personal growth. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself when self-reflecting.
How Did You Handle Difficult Situations?
2020 may just have been one of the most, if not the most, challenging years. There was so much that went wrong, resulting in a lot of uncertainty, distress, and fear. While thinking of the different difficult situations you had to encounter this year, also reflect on your post-traumatic growth. This refers to the positive personal changes that come out of facing extremely challenging life events.
This doesn’t mean you romanticize the difficult days. However, whether you noticed it then or not, there was some form of growth involved even during those challenging times. How did you respond to these stressful situations? Looking back, how satisfied are you with the way you handle things? Have you been too hard on yourself? Do you think you did the best you could to handle those situations, even if your best was simply living one day at a time?
Remember, you made it this far. Take this time to reflect upon your personal growth, no matter how trivial it may seem to you.
What Moments Did You Enjoy the Most?
Amid all the chaos, there were a few moments you felt happy or content. Think back to these moments and ask yourself what brought you the most joy this year? Was it visiting your favorite restaurant after months of a lockdown or watching your favorite band to Instagram Live sessions? Maybe the most enjoyable moments this year were when you were around your loved ones or receiving a care package from a friend halfway across the country? Or perhaps it was during those quiet walks in the park or those extra minutes of sleep you got each morning during the work-from-home days that you found the most joy.
Your happiness and enjoyment don’t have to be determined by supposedly “huge” life events. By reflecting on every aspect of your life this year, you’ll be able to see what really mattered to you this year.
What Did You Learn About Yourself?
2020 has also been the year people learned more about themselves. Some discovered new talents; some learned more about their capabilities; some re-assessed their roles in different settings and relationships. Whatever was the case, this year has given us all a lot of time to self-reflect and discover parts of ourselves we weren’t aware of or sure about.
Whether you learned a new skill or realized you have a particular thought pattern, no finding is too small or unimportant. Reflect on the minor and major things you learned about yourself this year and determine how you wish to approach this finding.
Therapy and mental health counseling services can help you be more cognizant of your personal growth and development. At Comprehensive Counseling Services, LLC, we offer mental health therapy sessions in Winder to help you self-reflect.
Learn more about our services here.
