101 Self Reflection Questions You Need to Be Asking Yourself

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Last Updated on January 15, 2023

Learning about ourselves is a lifelong process. No matter your age, you’re always evolving and developing into new stages and phases of life. This means there’s a lot to unpack when it comes to, well, you!

But with soooo much to learn, where do you even start?! Asking yourself self reflection questions is your best bet. You might not know what to ask yourself in the first place, so using the guidance of journal prompts makes the process easier!

As you get some practice with self reflection, it’ll be easier to pick up on the little details: your thought processes, personality traits, the way you interact with the world, and so much more! The self reflection questions in this post will cover all the things you need to ask yourself in many areas of your life.

You’ll come out feeling way more well-versed in all things YOU!

Table of Contents

What is self reflection, really?

To self reflect means to evaluate your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions. Observing and analyzing yourself in this way is how you experience growth as a person. Becoming self-aware of who you truly are, inside and out, unlocks so many doors to improving yourself and your life!

We’re always learning, growing, and changing. But we don’t get to notice these changes unless we’re tuning in. Gaining a deeper understanding of yourself internally can help you make decisions in your external life that best align with your goals and values!

What are self reflection questions?

So then, what are self reflection questions? These are questions that are tailored to uncover those deep thoughts, emotions, and behaviors you may have. They get you one step closer to learning ALL about yourself.

These questions can deep-dive into things like: work, mental health, personal growth, your relationships, the way you look at the world, and so on…

Really insightful stuff! It’s best to use self reflection questions like the ones in this post every year or so, because chances are you’ll learn even more as time goes on!

Why is self reflection important?

Think about how much you do in a day that’s just on autopilot. Activities you do without giving them much thought. You don’t really think about why you drive to work, or why you bought the thing you always buy at the store.

Instead of carrying on doing things as you’ve always done them, whether that be something as simple as driving to work or as complicated as struggling with your self-image, assess your thoughts and actions.

Self reflection is all about questioning what you do and why you do it. It’s being intentional and evaluating if things should continue as is, or change for the better.

Self reflection is important because not only does it teach you who you currently are, but helps you identify who you want to become.

**What are some good self-reflection questions?**

Now, self reflection can be about practically anything that’s going on in your mind or in your life. But to give you some direction, self reflection questions can be about things like:

What do you want to achieve interpersonally and how are you going to get there?
How is your mental health going? (How well are you regulating your emotions? How healthy are your coping skills?)
How is your professional life going and what are your thoughts surrounding it? (unhappy in your current job? Have a deeper desire to do something greater?)
How do you interact in relationships? (attachment style, friendship preferences, love language)
How has your past shaped you into the person you are today?
What’s currently happening in your life right now and how are you responding to it?
How do you envision your life to be in the next 1, 3, 5, or 10 years?

These are just some examples we’ll be focusing on in today’s post. But, again, self-reflection is a super expansive concept to explore!

101 Self Reflection Questions to Ask Yourself

Alright, are ya ready to dive in? These self reflection questions are everything you’ve been looking for literally just about every area of your life, like…

Self Reflection Questions for Personal Growth
Self Reflection Questions for Mental Health
Self Reflection Questions for Work
Self Reflection Questions for Relationships
Self Reflection Questions About Your Past
Self Reflection Questions Daily
Self Reflection Questions About Your Future

Let’s get to it!

Self Reflection Questions for Personal Growth

In what ways have you grown as a person over the last 1-2 years?
Is there anything you’re taking for granted?
Are you happy with the way you’re spending your time? If not, what improvements can be made?
How is your outlook on life/the world? Is it a healthy perspective?
What are your personal values? Are you living in alignment with them?
Are you taking care of yourself physically?
Are you currently working toward any goals? How are things going?
Why do you matter?
What have you given up on?
What do you need to change about your habits and/or behaviors?
What are 3 traits you admire about yourself?
Do you think it’s better to try and fail or never try at all? Which option have you been picking?
Do you think it really matters what others think of you?
What is something others misunderstand about you that you wish they knew?

Self Reflection Questions for Mental Health

Are you taking care of yourself mentally?
What is one self care activity you currently do?
What is one self care activity you’d like to start doing? How will you make it happen?
When negative thoughts creep in, how do you react?
Do you tend to “dwell” on the bad things that happen during the day?
How stressed/triggered do you feel by things that are outside your control?
When you’re in emotional pain, what is the best thing you can do for yourself?
If you struggle with any mental illnesses, how are you managing them right now?
What do you need to remind yourself of most right now?
What’s been distracting you lately before you go to sleep?
What is the most frequent negative thought you have about yourself?
How can you reframe that negative thought into something more realistic/positive?
What is a limiting belief you currently hold about yourself and your abilities?
Think of a time when your mental health was in a relatively good place. What contributed to that?

Grab this must-have journal for an even better way to reflect on your mental health!

self reflection questions to ask yourself

Of all these categories for self reflection, trust me when I say that mental health is one of the most important areas to focus on. My printable mental health journal will guide you through the specifics of reflecting (and improving!) your mental health.

It’s jam-packed with 33 pages of writing prompts and mental activities for understanding your emotions, overcoming unhelpful behaviors, and reframing negative thoughts. You’ll wanna have it!

GET THE MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL

Self Reflection Questions for Work

Has your work ever felt fulfilling for you? Why or why not?
Are you a workaholic or do you prioritize work-life balance?
Think about your employment over the course of your life. How has the way you’ve felt about work changed?
Be honest: do you like your job?
How do you feel about work/corporate life/etc as a whole?
Do you have a “dream job”? If so, what is it? Do you think you’ll get there?
Are you career-oriented? Why or why not?
How do you feel about your current income?
Do you feel valued by the people you work with?
Do you like your work environment?
What are the warning signs you notice when you’re close to burnout?
What’s the best thing you can do for yourself to prevent burnout?
Is there anything causing you stress at your job? How badly are you impacted by this stress?
Is there anything causing you stress about your career path as a whole?

Self Reflection Questions for Relationships

Are you nurturing your relationships/giving enough effort into them?
Do you tend to be introverted or extroverted?
Describe your friend circle. Are you happy with it?
Is there anything you need that you’re not getting out of your friendships?
What does unconditional love look like to you?
When in a romantic relationship, do you typically feel securely, anxiously, or avoidantly attached?
Of the 5 love languages (words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, physical touch), which one resonates with you most?
What is a nice way you’ve supported a friend recently? How can you extend that same support to yourself?
Write a paragraph about your first love. Who was it? How did things go?
What are the things you will not tolerate in a significant other?
What are the things you will not tolerate in a friend?
Do you consider yourself a good friend? What makes that so?
Have you ever had any toxic relationships? How did they end?
Describe your relationship with your family. Has it affected you to this day?

Self Reflection Questions About Your Past

Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? What stops you?
Describe a time where something did work out for you, so you can remember it the next time you’re worried about something working out.
If you could speak with your teenage self, what would you say?
If you could speak with your childhood self, what would you say?
What have you learned from your biggest mistakes?
What is the hardest thing you had to overcome and how did you make it out in the end?
What are some of the biggest highlights of your life so far?
Name 5 past experiences you’re most thankful for.
What was a really defining moment that shaped you into the person you are today?
What would you do differently if given the chance to go back in time?
Think of a time where you did something spontaneous but it turned out to be a great decision.
What encouragement would you give to yourself a year ago?
Do you have any past traumas? How are you working on healing from them?
Do you still maintain any relationships from your childhood? What’s made you stay in touch?

Journaling is super useful for learning more about yourself (and maybe even your past traumas), but you’ll find the most benefit if you pair it with therapy. Talking to an online therapist can really help you out. It’s helped me tremendously! I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit at an affordable monthly cost. Get 20% off your first month with the link below!

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Self Reflection Questions to Ask Daily

What matters most in your life?
When was the last time you pushed yourself out of your comfort zone? How did it feel?
What is your life asking of you right now?
What has surprised you the most about yourself?
What makes you feel the most energized?
Brain-dump a list of everything that inspires you.
What are your top priorities right now?
Describe the season of life you’re in at the moment.
What takes up most of your time? How do you feel about it?
How do you wish you could spend your time?
What aspects of your life can you control? What can’t you control?
How can you learn to accept the things you can’t control?
How do you feel, overall, about the last week, month, and year?
What things in your life are you loving the most right now?
What is something you wish you could change right now?

Self Reflection Questions About Your Future

What worries you most about your future?
What excites you most about your future?
What are you truly scared of?
What does your ideal life look like?
What does your ideal home look like?
What do you need to do to eventually get to your ideal life? Ideal home?
Are you on track to accomplish the things you want to achieve in the future?
What advice do you think your future self would give you right now if you met them?
What makes you feel optimistic and/or hopeful about the future?
Where do you see yourself in 1, 3, 5, and 10 years?
What is something you currently struggle with that you hope to handle better in the future?
What do you want to be remembered for?
What are your feelings on marriage and children? Do you want either?
What are your thoughts on getting older?
If you could only accomplish one major thing in the next year, what would it be and why?
Overall, what is your honest outlook on the future of your life?

Why ask self reflection questions?

Alright, but why should you ask yourself self reflection questions?

The biggest benefit is that by being fully in tune with yourself and who you are as a person, you’re likely to lead a more fulfilling, intentional, and engaged life.

Understanding who you are and what you really want out of life is vital to steering your life in the direction that fits you best. Not only are you exposing yourself to your strengths, but you’re uncovering areas of weakness and things you may struggle with.

Identifying the full picture of yourself, for better or worse, will guide you in where to spend your effort and energy to best support you and your needs!

How to answer self reflection questions

Let’s be honest: self reflection involves some BIG questions. There won’t always be a clear-cut, simplified answer. To prevent you from feeling intimidated, here are my best tips for answering self reflection questions so you can reap the most benefit from them.

Tip #1: Follow your answers as they flow

Basically, write whatever comes to mind. Think through the question fully, yes, but see where your thought process takes you instead of crafting a perfectly controlled response. Sometimes we feel influenced to answer a question a certain way, but there is no “right way” when it comes to self reflection and your honest thoughts!

Tip #2: Be open, honest, and vulnerable

Remember that the goal is to dig deep and gain a stronger self awareness. Don’t hold back, and don’t shy away from uncomfortable topics or concepts. Self-discovery can be a little difficult at times, but facing the deeper parts of yourself is how you grow! Your journal is a place for you and you alone, so it’s not like you need to share your thoughts with anyone else.

Tip #3: No judgment!

Go through these self reflection questions with a lens of self love. If you realize something about yourself you feel unhappy with and want to change, be kind about it. Change is best accomplished through self-support and compassion, not putting yourself down. You can work on change while simultaneously meeting yourself with acceptance where you’re currently at!