It is important to recognize that self-reflection may not always be just about self. You may prefer talking with someone else on a regular basis–your significant other, a friend, or even another couple. Sometimes it’s easier to be open and reflective with those who aren’t part of your immediate family. As an example, it may be helpful to reflect with other couples or extended family members.

Make Time for Rituals Which Include Friends & Family

Even though we live in different states, my wife and I have visited with our long-term friends, the Gordon‘s, on a regular basis. With the advent of Covid, we began to visit each other regularly on zoom. Eventually, we got into the habit of having Sunday night dinners together via zoom. This became a good time for us to talk about our lives in our adjustment to the world during the Covid crisis.

This ritual has been very helpful over the years as we go through life’s ups and downs, including Covd and other health challenges . It’s not all serious talk either. We laugh a lot as well. Barry and Eileen have become part of our extended family.

Using Zoom to Find a Bigger & Broader Perspective

The zoom revolution has enabled us to connect with other friends and extended family, some of whom we have not seen for almost 50 years. These meetings have also been very valuable in enabling us to reflect on our lives: raising children, maintaining a healthy marriage, aging, loss of parents, and careers and retirement.

Through my wife, Pat’s interest in ancestry.com, during the Covid crisis we have organized large gatherings, on zoom, with extended family from throughout the world, including Ireland, Canada and Israel. These gatherings have taught us to reflect on life from a bigger and broader perspective.

These connections and conversations have taught us that self-reflection is just not about self. It’s about family, changes in the world, and the bigger picture of life cycles and our perspectives about the meaning of life.

YOUR PLAYBOOK

• Set time for reflection with other people and family who know you well and can provide you a basis for reflecting on the big things in life

• Find an activity–meditation, yoga, writing that allows you to express your inner life

• Keep a daily journal

• Find a book or an online site, to help you and give you encouragement

• Take advantage of faith-based spiritual retreats and study groups

• Talk to a therapist

• Take a class to learn ways to stimulate self-reflection

• Reflect while running or walking

• Record daily gratitudes

• Record daily your “lessons learned” about yourself

• Pray

• Get out in nature (Maybe even try talking to the trees)