Reflection
Every day we have the choice to be intentional and purposeful or to let life happen to us. Reflection is a process of exploring and examining ourselves, our perspectives, attributes, experiences, and actions/interactions. It helps us gain insight and see how to adjust and move forward with intention.
The following gives suggestions for incorporating times of reflection in your daily life.
Morning Reflection
Stretch
Before your feet hit the floor, take some time to stretch. It is important to wake up your body as well as your mind and spirit. Even basic stretches have been shown to relieve aches and pains, increase mobility, and even prevent injury. In addition, it feels good, and improves your balance and overall function - bending, reaching, and moving!
Quietly stretching can also work your body while freeing your mind - giving you time to think about your day ahead.
Check out these suggestions from Harvard Health:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/try-these-stretches-before-you-get-out-of-bed
Be Still
During my time as a high school teacher, we always started our classes with two minutes of silence. Two minutes (for me, it was 12 minutes since I taught six classes). While students were allowed to pray, think about their day, or think about nothing (I wonder if that is even possible)... they were NOT allowed to talk or distract. Once the two minutes were over, we began class. Most of the students were thankful for the time.
On one occasion I introduced the exercise and started the timer. After our two minutes were up, a young lady looked at me and said, "Never do that to me again!" In my mind, I thought, "We're going to do this again tomorrow." I approached her privately and asked what the problem was. She went on to explain that she couldn’t stand silence. She always had something on - music, TV, video games - anything to keep from dealing with silence. I asked her to try just the two minutes at the beginning of class and she agreed to ‘TRY’.
We began class the next day with two minutes of silence. As soon as I checked in with her, she replied, rather sheepishly, "I'm fine".
Our two minutes became increasingly important to this student over the semester. Whenever I said anything other than, "Let's take two minutes", she would quickly remind me to set the timer!
Over the years, she has told me many times that those two minutes changed her life. She said that she learned how to be still. It is now valuable to her to take some quiet time at the beginning of every day to enjoy the quiet and be still.
Each day, it is so important to take some quiet time to collect yourself and your thoughts before moving into the next 8 - 12 hours (even if it is just 10 minutes). During this time, some people pray. Some read. Some mentally go through what the day is expected to bring.
There is a phrase dating back to the 19th century; ‘Center Down’ - becoming quiet, still, and silent. In today's fast-paced world, we could all benefit from this.
Mid-Day Reflection
Siesta - what a GREAT concept. 'Siestas' are believed to have originated during the early Roman Empire, though they are commonly associated with Spain and other warm climates today. In the middle of the day, take a break to rest. There are those of us who are able to take a nap in the middle of the day, then return to work or our daily routines. It is not the case for others. BUT most have some kind of break in the middle of the day.
Even though a nap sounds heavenly, a BREAK and time of REFLECTION is essential for continuing to take control of your day! Perhaps you can spend a few minutes writing or 'Being Still' again. (More on that later)
Take a moment to reflect on your busy day so far. What are the things you want to remember? Are there any tasks that need your attention? Make some notes to yourself about these things as you think about them.
According to The Sleep Foundation, if you are lucky enough to take a nap every once in a while, you should consider the following:
Taking a siesta or a daily nap might be a beneficial way to add rest to your daily routine. If you’re looking to start taking lunchtime power naps, here are a few tips:
Find a comfortable place to nap. While the couch might be more convenient, you may find that napping in bed is more comfortable and may help you fall asleep faster.
Ensure you have an alarm clock set for about 20 minutes to reap the benefits of your nap without feeling groggy or drowsy.
Set your bedroom temperature to a comfortable level a few hours before your nap.
If you struggle with acid reflux or heartburn, try napping before your lunch instead of after.
Find a relaxing guided meditation or music to help you fall asleep faster, especially if you’re not used to napping during the day.
Evening Reflection
Reflection is a powerful habit. We'll move forward with less purpose and fulfillment if we don't take the time to reflect on where we've come from.
There are so many tools that can help us wind down after a long day. Here are just a few:
Silence
Screen-Free time
A glass of wine - great at the end of the workday but could sabotage your sleep if you drink too late
Quiet Music
Reading
All have been researched and proven to help you sleep at the end of your day. BUT, consider an actual time of REFLECTION.
My go-to reflection tool is Journaling!
JOURNALING
There is a lot to learn about this subject and it is worth exploring. Up until about 10 years ago, I had upwards of 50 journals with a few pages in each. To document my days, I had lofty goals of writing down my thoughts and feelings every day.
It wasn't until I was introduced to art journaling through a friend that I started writing regularly. For me, it was in very small part ‘art’ but creating small pages in a journal that might have a sticker or two and sometimes just water-colored paint that I would write over.
Some journaling prompts I use:
What happened today?
Was I productive - did I use my time wisely?
Was I able to put time and effort into my relationships?
What was challenging?
What is my spiritual condition?
Journaling is one tool for the habit of reflection. There are many prompts that can be found online to help you get started.
Check out my blog on Journaling for more in-depth information and ideas.
Whatever you do, try to mix in a little Reflection to your day - it’s how we learn!
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
—Søren Kierkegaard
