Personal reflection necessary to healthy mentality

Ashley Marie Lardizabal, Reporter

Today people lead such busy lives that they too often neglect to care for themselves and reflect on their day.

Reflection is important in maintaining good emotional health as well as preparing for what the future may bring.

Taking a look back on one’s day helps realize what may have gone wrong. Examining one’s mistakes will provide ways to correct errors or flaws or tackle the situation better if it occurs again.

Not only does reflection help one’s negative attributes become positive but it also helps one maintain consistency with already positive attributes. Taking note of how one is already doing the right thing brings joy and overall confidence in how the day was productive.

Reflection doesn’t only account for one’s actions but also accounts for the action of those in one’s environment. In reflecting on one’s day, one can assess why a person may have acted in such a way and see why that person may have taken that approach. Reflection brings perspective.

Some may argue that reflection takes up a lot of time and is useless. After all, it doesn’t change anyone else.

Although reflection doesn’t necessarily need to be an hour long, five minutes can give enough time to think and what one can do better in the next day or two.

Another argument may be that the habit of daily reflection can lead one to over-think, generating more stress. The first step to fixing a problem, however, is admitting to the problem. This can be achieved through consistent reflection and a careful thought process.

Personal reflection is necessary to keep oneself in check. If one fails to think back on what was done throughout the day, how will one avoid doing the same mistakes over and getting through the next day?