The Importance of Self-Reflection and Journaling
Do you know yourself? At face value, this may seem a ridiculous question because you’ve spent every minute of every day with yourself. However, people can go through life without a well-defined sense of identity, and it causes problems for them. A person who doesn’t know who they are will often not know what they want, they will change their mind a lot, they find themselves changing depending on their company, and they have low self-esteem. This is where journaling comes in. Knowing yourself has many benefits, which makes it a worthwhile pursuit. Self-reflection and journaling are two ways of understanding and knowing yourself better, and they are effective tools in helping you achieve better mental and emotional well-being. Why It’s Hard to Know Yourself There are many reasons why it can be hard for a person to know themselves. For instance, if a person was raised in an environment where they were neglected, over-parented, abused, overly criticized, shamed, or didn’t receive adequate encouragement, it can be difficult for them to have a strong sense of identity. We are also shaped by our society, family, the roles we are expected to play, and the influences these communities have on us as we develop. It’s possible to receive conflicting messages from media, culture, religious institutions, and more about who you should be, what values you ought to hold, and how to feel about yourself. There can be a significant push and pull going on, which can make things quite confusing. From a Christian perspective, these and other reasons often influence our self-knowledge. However, Scripture also adds the dimension that we don’t know ourselves because our hearts – the center of our will, thoughts, and emotions – are heavily compromised by what is displeasing to God, and we can deceive ourselves [...]
