It’s certainly a curious thing to read words from a past version of yourself, but what do you actually gain from this practice of writing letters to the future?
These moments of self-reflection play a crucial role in our ever-changing sense of self. In a world that has us constantly looking elsewhere for validation, developing our own self-awareness, and examining our predispositions can be truly empowering. Here are just some of the benefits of regular self-reflection.
An increased understanding of yourself
A greater appreciation of what you have
Increased empathy and new perspectives
A better relationship with yourself.
Let’s unpack those benefits a little…
AN INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF YOURSELF
Purposeful self-reflection and introspection challenge us to discover more and more about ourselves. What are our strengths, our weaknesses? Who and what influences the way we think and act? What are our inner demons or prejudices? What motivates and drives us?
We are all products of influence. No two people see any situation through the same lens. It’s all about developing your emotional intelligence. The more we can analyse why we feel the way we do and how we process those feelings, the better we’re able to express and appreciate ourselves.
A GREATER APPRECIATION OF WHAT YOU HAVE
Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude… Everybody’s talking about it. And for good reason. It’s the happy practice. Taking moments of stillness to reflect on the simple things that make us happy allows us to let go of situations and emotions that really aren’t benefitting us.
Write down 10 things you’re grateful for. Send them to yourself in 6 months’ time using FutureMe. You’re basically sending your future self a dose of happiness.
INCREASED EMPATHY AND NEW PERSPECTIVES
Situations that are highly emotional and personal can be challenging to navigate. The ability to separate those intense emotions from your own logic and reason — that’s some high-level life skills right there! Write down how you feel about situations now to reflect on at a later date. Give yourself the tools to look back with a fresh, calm state of mind to assess the situation.
You might find different perspectives. Maybe you’ll understand others who were involved a little more, in a different way. Maybe you’ll understand the deeper emotions that led you to reacting the way you did. And maybe that will inform how you react to similar situations in the future. Use self-reflection to develop your empathy, and gain fresh perspectives.
A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF
The most important relationship in your lifetime is the one you have with yourself! Use FutureMe letters to reflect on your own self-talk. Write about what you’re proud to have achieved. Think about which traits you might like to work on and which habits you’d like to develop (or break!). And finally, dig deep and send yourself some love. That’s the kind of self-reflection buzz we all need.
Excited to explore a bit of self-reflection? Excellent. Good call. Head to our homepage and use the tips above to write yourself a letter. Create a self-reflection tool for the future version of you. We humans are curious enigmas, wrapped in riddles. You’ve so much to learn about yourself, there’s no time like the present to get started!