self discovery assignments

11 Self-Awareness And Self-Discovery Worksheets To Better Understand Yourself

Self-discovery is a fundamental part of a thriving, balanced life, and it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s impossible to live your best life without it.

Because when you don’t have a self-discovery journey, you’re less aware of triggers and other self-assessment deficiencies. 

When that’s the case, your professional output and relationships suffer.

You’re not at your best, and your mind frequently wanders to destructive places. 

But there’s a solution: self-discovery worksheets for adults.

What Are the Benefits of Using Self-Discovery Worksheets? 

1. cognitive heights first instinct worksheet, 2. personal strengths coaching tool, 3. getting to know myself, 4. the wellness wheel, 5. happier mind journal, 6. personal growth worksheet, 7. how to make a killer personal development plan, 8. self-awareness checksheet, 9. self-care assessment therapist aid, 10. self-awareness interactive worksheet, 11. window of tolerance worksheet.

Self-discovery worksheets help pinpoint your talents, values, and good qualities. You can also use them to unsheath the faults lurking around your personality.

Reflection and honesty are the paths to self-awareness, and working on those things is beneficial. These worksheets can help you:

• Improved Self-Awareness : Self-awareness is the backbone of self-discovery. 
• Increased Compassion : When we know ourselves, we’re more compassionate to others.
• Road to Better Relationships : When you’re mentally aligned, you have the tools to develop better friendships.
• Figure Out Goals: Pinpointing your goals is a much better way to go through life than by the seat of your pants.
• In-the-Moment Self-Assessment: We all have seasons. Worksheets help you determine where you are now.

11 Self-Awareness Worksheets for Adults To Better Know Yourself 

Self-awareness is an emotional management tool. It helps you uncover your motivations, how you think, and what triggers you — in addition to sussing out your goals and values.

Essentially, self-discovery worksheets can help you determine what you really want in life.

The Cognitive Heights program aims to help people rediscover their passions.

You’ll get the most out of this by just writing and not overthinking each question. Doing so will help you tap into your intuition, which can be very useful on the road to self-discovery.

We’d bet that every person reading these words is more capable than they think. We also bet that every person reading this feels like they’re “less than” at certain points in their lives. 

Set up like a bingo card, the choices on this worksheet include personal strengths you may frequently forget about, like:

• I’m articulate 
• I’m organized 
• I’m fun 
• I’m a good cook 
• I’m level-headed and logical 
• I’m stylish 
• I’m a supportive friend

If you have friends who also feel a bit icky, invite them over and play together.

The Getting To Know Myself self-discovery worksheet is a short, freeform, two-question exercise:

• Am I truly happy?
• How would you describe your higher self?

Let the words flow. You may be surprised at what comes out. 

The wellness wheel is a crowd favorite. It helps you outline a holistic well-being plan that includes eight sections:

• Personal growth
• Relationships
• Physical and mental health
• Environment

Essentially, it’s a snapshot of where you are at a specific moment in time and helps you map the journey. Many people do wellness wheels on a weekly or monthly basis to keep track of their progress.

This self-reflection worksheet from the Happier Mind Journal encourages you to be concise about how you’re doing on your self-development path.

It includes questions like:

• What type of person are you today?
• What three verbs would you use to describe yourself?

This work focuses on in-the-moment happiness, allowing you to assess exactly how you’re vibing at the time you’re doing it.

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This one-week challenge helps you keep track of:

• Daily journaling 
• Sleep 
• Fruit and veggie consumption 
• Water consumption

At the bottom are four boxes for brainstorming what did and didn’t work and why. 

This option is excellent for people who like tracking their progress and posting thoughts on the page.

The key to personal development is having a plan of action. This worksheet asks you to answer questions like:

• What is my goal?
• What’s the timeframe?
• What are the success milestones you must overcome to meet your goal?

Do one worksheet for each goal you have.

This self-awareness checklist helps you evaluate the current state of your physical and mental health.

It lists many questions about your well-being and uses a never-rarely-sometimes-often scale. Questions range from standing up for yourself and eating well.

Like the wheel, this type of worksheet helps track progress.

The Self-Care Assessment Therapist Aid uses a four-star rating system and encourages you to evaluate how much you exercise, eat healthily, go to preventative medical care appointments, have fun, and get restorative sleep.

This worksheet is similar to what therapists may use when assessing a new client.

This simple self-awareness worksheet is a confidence booster. There’s a simple statement in the middle: I am awesome because…

Conversation bubbles surround the statement. Complete it by filling out the bubbles with positive comments about yourself.

This may be uncomfortable initially because we’re trained not to boast about ourselves. But push yourself; you deserve to bask in your own glory.

Hyperarousal and hypoarousal are similar sounding words with opposite meanings. When we’re hyperaroused, you blow your top. Hypoarousal, however, is a chilling effect that makes you feel detached, shut off, and restricted. 

This worksheet challenges you to pinpoint what triggers these two extremes in your life.

Getting to know yourself worksheets can be a source of pride and lead to self-satisfaction. Using them can open doors of self-awareness to improve your well-being, relationships, and career. 

14 Powerful Self-Discovery Activities for Your Personal Journey

OVERVIEW : This comprehensive guide outlines the three stages of self-discovery as a developmental model, highlighting the common pitfalls along one’s journey and offering tools and methods for each stage.

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Know thyself— the famous aphorism from Ancient Greece.

No better phrase can capture the essence of self-discovery.

Let’s dive deeper into what this aphorism means …

What is Self-Discovery?  

Self-discovery is the process of learning about and finding oneself.

There are many different facets of this discovery process. In the earlier stages, you learn about   your personality type, what you value, your strengths, weaknesses, talents, dreams, shortcomings, aspirations, and interests.

In a later stage, self-discovery is about getting to know the parts of yourself that were “disowned” in childhood, commonly called the shadow.

The process of self-discovery is a continual movement from less conscious to more conscious, from less aware to greater awareness of oneself.

Similar to the hero’s journey motif, the self-discovery journey is the path toward mature adulthood.

Self-Discovery versus Self-Development

These two concepts are intrinsically linked together.  

On its own, self-discovery is simply about revealing what’s always there: who you are on a conscious level.

Self-development is about molding and growing in various areas, including physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually.

Can you engage in self-discovery without self-development? Only on a very cursory level. Why?

In the act of getting to know yourself, you’re placing your attention on various aspects of your being. In doing so, development will likely take place.

Although there’s a large self-improvement industry that promotes ways of “bettering oneself,” the reality is that development is a natural process .

Early childhood trauma and conditioning hinder that process, but once it’s initiated in adulthood, it tends to take on a life of its own.  

As such, self-development is an integral part of one’s self-discovery process.

What are the 3 Stages of Self-Discovery?

The common stages of self-discovery outlined here largely mirror the stages of human development from transpersonal psychology but in a very simplified format.

Stage 1: Discovering Your Conscious Self (Personality)

Stage 2: Exploring Your Personal Unconscious (Shadow)

Stage 3: Returning Home (The Self)

First, we’ll examine each of these stages in more detail. Then, we’ll explore the self-discovery activities commonly used at each stage.

Before we dive into these three stages, let’s examine where we start: the persona.

Stage 0: Wearing Our Social Masks

In early development, we are mostly focused on adjusting to our environments and “fitting in” at home, school, and anywhere else we find ourselves.

Our identities at this stage are largely defined by “others” in a social context. That is, our identity is mostly a series of personas (social masks) designed to help us “fit in.”

When we’re in the persona stage we’re not technically in the self-discovery process yet.

We create our personae unconsciously and subconsciously. It’s the starting point from which self-discovery can be initiated.

Self-Discovery Stage 1: Discovering Our Conscious Personality

Stage 1 can be a fun stage for many individuals. It’s the part of self-discovery that many people associate with the term “self-discovery journey.”  

Stage 1 is marked by discovering one’s conscious personality including strengths, weaknesses, habitual patterns, drives, desires, and aspirations.

Self-discovery comes through our engagement with life. Like any good hero’s journey , life is filled with trials and tribulations. Setbacks and victories. Each experience provides a window into ourselves.

If we pay attention, we learn through our reactions and interactions with others and the world.

In this initial stage, we develop a strong curiosity about ourselves. It’s common at this stage to take a wide range of assessments.

Learning about your “personality type” is highly instructive: it highlights many of your greatest strengths and mortal weaknesses. It illuminates common behavior patterns that you may not have noticed.

You’ll discover a myriad of patterns that you spontaneously engage in without knowing why.   At this stage, you’re also likely to inquire about your core values to clarify what you stand for and what’s most important to you.

You might take up journalling, and begin capturing your big life goals, dreams, and even a vision for yourself.

This stage usually goes on for many years. In fact, many individuals never move beyond this initial stage of self-discovery.

Self-Discovery Stage 2:   Exploring Our Personal Unconscious  

The second stage of self-discovery brings you toward your inner world where the meaning of “self-discovery” vastly changes.

Stage 2 often begins either at midlife or after a major life event that rattles you to the core. This event could be a divorce, the death of someone close to you, physical illness, or some other crisis.

Psychiatrist Carl Jung often said this inward turn should happen at midlife: after you’ve built a healthy ego in the world (career, home, family, etc.). That is, the first half of life is meant to be more externally oriented while the second half is internal.  

In tribal cultures, at midlife, members of the tribe would go on extensive walkabouts or vision quests. They returned as different people, now taking up a more shamanic-type role as ritual elders of their tribe.

For us, this inward turn is more about engaging in inner work , addressing our childhood trauma, exploring our dream world, and getting to know our shadows . Here, internal observation, self-awareness , reflection, self-analysis, understanding, sensitivity, and inner honesty are required.

In stage 2 of self-discovery, we address our deep-seated internal tensions and splits within our psyche.

The self-identity that we created for ourselves in stage 1 becomes less codified and more fluid. As we move toward psychological integration, that self-identity moves further into the background.

This stage will also last many years depending on your life circumstances. For example, if you’re in midlife and still very active in the world, there may be less time available for self-reflection and inner discovery.  

Self-Discovery Stage 3: Returning Home of the Self

In the third stage of self-discovery, an individual returns home to their Self (capital “S”).

The meaning of “self” changes greatly at this stage. The self in “self-discovery” when we set out on our path was our conscious personality. It starts to become a distant memory at this later stage.

This stage is marked by transcending an exclusive identification with the self (small “s”) and realizing one’s true Self (self-realization).

The ego we developed in the prior stages now must take a back seat so that the original Self can return.

In The Ego and the Dynamic Ground , professor of philosophy Michael Washburn called it “regression in the service of transcendence.” 

This stage requires us to strip away everything we are not so that our Original Nature can take its rightful place in the Center.  

In Taoist philosophy, they make a distinction between the conscious spirit and the Original Spirit.

The conscious spirit (ego or “acquired mind”) is what we develop in stage 1. This self-identity is a set of conditioning from the external world.

In contrast, the Original Spirit is our primordial Self that is unconditioned by the insanity of this world.

At this stage, the focus is on self-inquiry, self-observation, neutrality, stabilizing the mind, and moving toward inner stillness.  

In transpersonal psychology, they often call this stage integration . Maslow called it self-transcendence . Jung referred to it as wholeness —the final stage of individuation .  

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Now, let’s review a series of self-discovery activities and exercises you might use at each stage of your personal discovery journey.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 1

Here are seven self-discovery activities and exercises you can use for Stage 1 of your journey:

Myers-Brigg Personal Assessment (Common Self-Discovery Activity)

Personality Assessments

Personality assessments are one of the most common self-discovery activities most people use.

Any quality personality assessment will reveal different aspects of your personality. They can be very insightful—especially when you’re in the beginning stages of self-discovery. Three popular ones include:

• The Enneagram
• Human Design Engineering
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

(Just do a quick search. There are many paid and free versions online.)

Values Assessment

Getting to know your core values is an essential self-discovery activity. Self-aware individuals tend to know what’s most important to them. Knowing your core values helps you make better decisions.

If you don’t know your values yet, you can go through my popular 7-Step Values Assessment .

Strengths Assessment

Getting clarity on your strengths and weaknesses is another excellent self-discovery activity..

While we learn our natural strengths and weaknesses by observing our life experiences, the VIA Character Institute offers a free survey to help you determine your strengths right away.

See my guide on authentic happiness for a primer on this topic from positive psychology.

Personal Vision Casting

A personal vision can help guide you through your self-discovery journey. It helps clarify what’s most important to you.

A compelling vision can also help you remove distractions and stay focused on your long-term self-development goals.

Get step-by-step instructions on how to craft your vision statement .

Wheel of Life Assessment

As you begin to flush out who you are and what you stand for, you’ll likely determine specific goals you have for self-development. It’s important to understand that we all have multiple lines of intelligence and areas of focus.

The Wheel of Life assessment is a good coaching tool to clarify your self-development goals for different areas of your life.

Active Journaling

Journalling can be a powerful aid in this stage and the next. A journal can be used to capture your dreams, ambitions, life lessons, and insights on the written page.

Self-Development Plan

Some individuals prefer to have more structure to help them proceed with their discovery process and self-development.

Creating even just a basic self-development plan with the data you gather above can help you reduce distractions and stay focused on your long-term objectives.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 2

What’s strange about Stage 2 is that it can seem like we’re going backward.

While we’re building our personalities and moving toward a vision in stage 1, in this stage, we need to take a step back and explore our past.

Getting to know our past is absolutely essential for deeper levels of self-discovery.

As such, the energetic striving we experienced in Stage 1 now gets replaced by a more self-reflective mind. We now have enough life experience behind us to observe major patterns that we couldn’t see before.

The self-discovery activities in Stage 2 different greatly from Stage 1. Overall, Stage 2 is less about tools and assessments and more about methods and exercises that support one’s inward discovery journey.

Observational Meditation

Many individuals will likely discover meditation in the first stage of their journey. However, the quality and function of meditation take on a different meaning in Stage 2.

Your journey through Stage 2 benefits from a reflective mind and a strong Inner Observer . To gain insight into one’s psyche, it helps to be able to carefully monitor one’s deepest thoughts, feelings, reactions, attitudes, moods, and impulses.

For some, developing this Inner Observer happens naturally. For others, it takes meditative training .

Shadow Work

One of the most remarkable aspects of Stage 2 is that you eventually realize that everything you built up in Stage 1 isn’t entirely accurate.

All prior personality growth and self-development were based on a sense of self (ego construct) that was never closely examined.

To function in the world in early life, we necessarily cut off and dissociate many parts of ourselves that get relegated to our personal unconscious. This creates a split in our psyche that leads to internal tension. This internal tension is the source of our moodiness, emotional instability, neurotic behaviors, and dis-ease .

Think of it like renovating an old house with lead paint. Sure you can paint over the lead with a new “eco-friendly” paint and add new furnishings, but you still have a house with lead paint.

When you reach the Inward Turn, you begin examining what’s been cut off and hidden inside of you.

Every aspect of yourself that was deemed “unacceptable” during childhood was relegated to your personal unconscious. Now, it’s time to bring the unconscious to consciousness. Shadow work becomes an indispensable self-discovery activity at this stage.

See my guide on shadow work here .

Inner Work (Active Imagination & Dream Analysis)

Getting to know your shadow is an integral part of inner work. Inner work is more of a general term for turning inward and examining aspects of one’s unconscious.

Jung used two primary methods for helping his patients harmonize the split within their psyche: dream analysis and active imagination.

Jung saw dreams as a primary means for the unconscious to speak to us—to our conscious minds. So by paying attention to our dreams, we bring to consciousness aspects of ourselves currently hidden from us.

Active imagination is another excellent self-discovery activity. It’s the process of inner dialogue with “parts” within our psyche.

The psyche is filled with a collection of semi-autonomous archetypes that constantly influence our behavior.

In the second stage of our self-discovery process, it becomes necessary to dialogue with or at least become conscious of these various subpersonalities operating within our psyche.

Trauma Release Exercises

In the course of exploring our past, we encounter numerous psychic wounds that need our attention.

Trauma plays a large role in our early development. Addressing this trauma is a necessary aspect of becoming whole.

While mental processes are useful, we also need to address the body directly where this past trauma is stored. (See Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score .)

I cover the topic of trauma more deeply in this guide on repressed emotions .

There are a range of methods available to use from David Berceli’s Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) to Alexander Lowen’s Bioenergetic Analysis. All of these self-discovery activities can be highly therapeutic at this stage.

Regardless of the modalities you use for your journey, the key thing is that you release this stored trauma and build a stronger connection to your physical body. This is called body-mind integration. In No Boundary (2001), integral theorist Ken Wilber labeled it the Centaur Level .

Cultivating deeper levels of body awareness is an important, often overlooked, part of one’s journey to self-discovery and healing.

Self-Discovery Activities for Stage 3

In Stage 2, we put our house in order. The more we harmonize the opposites within us, the more internal tension we resolve. We move, slowly and patiently, from fragmentation to greater wholeness.

As this unfolds, we can hold to the Center with greater ease.

From the Center,  there’s no need to strive to become anything. Even the growth need of self-actualization begins to take a back seat.

The ego we’ve developed through the first two stages doesn’t go anywhere. But a different quality emerges from the Center. One’s true Self comes forth and gently guides us.

This stage takes us beyond Western psychology and into the realm of mysticism and sagehood .

This third stage is less about self-discovery activities and more about stabilizing one’s mind. Self-inquiry and the closer examination of one’s consciousness become more than just a daily sitting practice, but a continuous way of being.

Becoming versus Being

In the first stage of self-discovery, we’re in the process of becoming . The self-discovery activities above aid us in this developmental process.

Self-development and personal growth are integral to this stage as we do our best to cultivate healthy egos that can thrive in this crazy, chaotic world.

In developing our personalities, we are, as psychologist Abraham Maslow put it, actualizing our potential .

Some of us do this through our careers and vocations. Others do it through cultivating skills and various intelligences out of personal interest.

Eventually, however, there’s a shift in quality in one’s process of self-discovery.

The drive to “become” moves into the background while a quality of beingness wants to emerge. This represents the shift inward that marks stage 2 and reaches fruition in stage 3.

Self-Discovery Through the Three Gunas

In Yogic philosophy, they have what’s called the three gunas or qualities of consciousness:

• Tamas : inertia, inactivity, darkness, and ignorance
• Rajas : activity, passion, desire, energy
• Sattva : purity, knowledge, beingness, truth

Those stuck in tamas (inertia) are unlikely to engage in their self-discovery journey. They sadly remain stuck in their personas. Self-discovery activities are likely uninteresting to them.

Stage 1 occurs when the active quality of rajas is present. Rajic energy is necessary for developing our personalities and fully engaging in life (the process of becoming).

The shift toward sattvic consciousness starts when we embrace our inner world in Stage 2. However, a sattvic state isn’t realized until we arrive home within the Self in Stage 3.

Self-Discovery Activities Roadmap

7 Factors that Hijack Self-Discovery

Keep in mind that self-discovery is a natural process. Sages often refer to it as the “play of consciousness.”

However, many common factors can potentially stall our development. Maslow called this aborted self-actualization . When this occurs, the self-discovery activities we highlighted above either don’t come into play or they hold no meaning.

Let’s take a look at some internal and external factors:

Internal Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Numerous potential internal hurdles can stall self-discovery. When this occurs, one does not fully engage in self-discovery activities

Here are four potential hurdles:

Early Childhood Trauma

This is probably the most common culprit. A series of psychic scars in early childhood cause various shadow archetypes to take the helm in our conscious mind.

Childhood trauma leads to neurosis like anxiety and depression. Under these conditions, the discovery and awakening process may be thwarted. Instead, life becomes an endless struggle to meet their basic human needs and/or the pursuit of fleeting pleasures.

Trauma often triggers the puer aeternus archetype (eternal child), leading to the Peter Pan syndrome.

However, once brought to consciousness, trauma can be a catalyst for engaging in self-discovery activities.

A Fixed Mindset

Psychologist Carol Dweck’s decades of research presented in her bestseller Mindset (2007) reveals that a fixed mindset, conditioned into us in childhood, can have lasting consequences if not addressed in adulthood.

With a fixed mindset, individuals fear growth and have fundamental blocks to learning in adolescence and adulthood. In contrast, with a growth mindset , one naturally engages in self-discovery activities.

Misaligned Values of Society

The unspoken values of society include image, attractiveness, wealth, material possessions, competition, and “success.” When these are one’s ideal standards, it leads to neurotic behaviors and excessiveness (a feeling of never having enough).

In fact, many people engage in self-discovery activities when they realize how empty these societal values truly are.

As J. Krishnamurti said in Commentaries on Living :

Is society healthy, that an individual should return to it? Has not society itself helped to make the individual unhealthy? Of course, the unhealthy must be made healthy, that goes without saying; but why should the individual adjust himself to an unhealthy society? If he is healthy, he will not be a part of it. Without first questioning the health of society, what is the good of helping misfits to conform to society?

This is why it’s vital to discover your personal values . Your values will naturally help guide you toward self-discovery instead of “following the pack.”

A Strong Drive for Comfort

We all like being comfortable, but for various reasons (two of which are listed above), many individuals avoid risk while clinging to comfort. They have an unhealthy drive for safety and aversion toward growth—the exact opposite of self-actualizing individuals .

An excessive drive for comfort often degrades into addictive tendencies that result in a downward spiral. Endless distractions replace the natural drive for self-discovery activities.

External Factors That Can Hinder Self-Discovery

Here are three common external factors that cause us to withdraw from self-discovery activities:

Financial Restraints

We all have basic human needs and when we have difficulty meeting these needs, it creates a great deal of tension.

For example, how are you supposed to invest energy and attention into learning about your personality, when you’re worried about paying rent next month?

You don’t need to be affluent to pursue self-discovery, but it does help to have your “house” in order first. You just need an internal space for psychological safety where you are calm enough to pursue self-discovery activities.

An Unsafe Environment

Humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers points out in On Becoming a Person (1995) that psychological safety in our environment is an important condition for creativity and the development of positive mental health.

This lack of psychological safety can be due to an abusive relationship, socio-economic conditions, or some other factor. These days, just turn on the news: external psychological safety seems to be in short supply.

A Disempowering Peer Group

Being surrounded by destructive individuals or people with mental illness (including narcissism) can make it challenging to pursue self-development. Your peer group can act like “crabs in a bucket,” pulling you down if you try to get out.

This external factor is more of a concern at the early stages of discovery when you’re first building momentum.

When individuals first engage in self-discovery activities, for example, they often search for other like-minded individuals. Others, at least for some time, go it alone.

Self-Discovery: A Pathless Path

Ultimately, the path you take to self-discovery will be unique to you.

The above stages and self-discovery activities are mere guidelines, designed to capture the essence of the journey home.

Remember, too, that it’s normal to slide off your path at times and to experience major setbacks along the way. Tests, trials, and tribulations are a part of the journey.

As Jung often pointed out, the way is not without its dangers. As soon as you leave the conventional, ordinary world and enter the “special world,” you’re on your own. While this can be terrifying, it can also be liberating.

It’s only when you step back and view this self-discovery process from a 10,000-foot view that you can fully appreciate the play of consciousness expressing itself through a myriad of forms representing all of us. What a peculiar thing.

Travel safely. Or don’t.

Either way, stay alert.

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About the Author

Scott Jeffrey is the founder of CEOsage, a self-leadership resource publishing in-depth guides read by millions of self-actualizing individuals. He writes about self-development, practical psychology, Eastern philosophy, and integrated practices. For 25 years, Scott was a business coach to high-performing entrepreneurs, CEOs, and best-selling authors. He's the author of four books including Creativity Revealed .

Learn more >

Great Information! Thank YOU! BARB!

You’re most welcome, Barb.

Return to hOMe. Be Blessed.

Guía extensa, pero iluminadora. En mi caso, es un excelente enrutador, ya que me aclara situaciones que me agobian y me hacen detenerme sin rumbo definido. Esta guía me hace reflexionar y decidir qué camino debo seguir. Gracias Scott por tu valioso apoyo.

Sure thing, William.

Returning to Home and Self! The path is not without danger and suffering but it will be liberating. And I know I can do it.

Travel safety or not. Either way stay alert.

Thanks Scott a lot! Your writings and wisdom is making a lots of difference in the world, at least in my world.

Thank you for the feedback, Niimka.

Great to hear that the material is making a difference for you.

I have a a clarification regarding the content of this article , however, I might reference other articles on which my thought process is based. Please bear with me, as I try to make clearer sense of the “Sage Stage”.

In my view and based on experience/inner work it seems relevant to me to see three types of consciousness. Namely, Superconscious, Conscious, Subconscious, Unconscious.

In this article does the Sage stage refer to the “Consciousness arising from a leaning towards a Superconscious influence on an individual or is it coming from an archetypal “Sage” arising from the Subconscious/Unconscious?

I perceive inner work more aligning with Superconscious/Inner Guidance rather than Archetypal/SubConscious/Unconscious.

To seems to me, Spirit can interact with Soul-Ego(Human) only from a place of SuperConscious.

Please let me know how you perceive our internal construction that navigates self-discovery in relation to evolving consciousness? Thank you!

Personally, I don’t use terminology like “superconscious.” But I also don’t perceive that third stage in terms of a “Sage Stage.” I referenced “sagehood” as it links to the Sage archetype guide that’s relevant here. From a purely Jungian perspective, that’s accurate.

However, I’m not Jungian. To me, the Spirit isn’t an archetypal image as it is to Jungians.

“Returning home” doesn’t involve images. Navigating through images is the defining characteristic of Stage 2.

“Please let me know how you perceive our internal construction that navigates self-discovery in relation to evolving consciousness?”

So this is probably what may be different in our understanding. The transpersonal literature speaks about “evolving consciousness,” but wholeheartedly don’t agree with this. Sure, there’s the development of the ego. That’s why there are stages. But the “Return Home” is not evolutionary or developmental; it’s a function of stripping away what the Taoists call “mundane conditioning” to return what was there all along (hence, the “Original Spirit” or “Original Nature”).

Bringing order to the psyche (Stage 2) helps reduce mental illness. With less mental illness, there’s less neurosis. With less neurosis, the mind is more still. When the mind is still, one can be. If one can “just be” long enough, one’s energy stabilizes. As one’s energy stabilizes, the Spirit returns.

In this way, Stage 3 is more “alchemical” — not evolutionary or developmental.

Yes, I can now see the difference in views.

I had a very unique and personal experience in getting to come to know about the work of Sri Aurobindo. Although I am Indian, I did not know anything about him at all and his work on human evolution. It was through a personal sequence of synchronistic events in the last few years that were totally unexplainable that I came to know of him. In exploring his work I found a deep connection with my own personal “evolution of consciousness” making sense. The way he describes the process of moving from ego-centric mind to a higher mind has been very resonant with me at a personal level.

It fits accurately even within what you refer to as “sagehood”.

Because my personal experience is very valuable to me, I might like to perceive it as my consciousness is continuously evolving. Offers me the necessary motivation to stay on track even though inner work is hard.

Thank you for the clarifications.

It seems that the process on inner work being so non-linear in nature adequately covers the areas of de-conditioning and addressing neurosis as long as I stay dedicated to the discipline needed for inner work. It seems like the end is similar but being addressed in different ways.

To clarify, I did not suggest that “inner work” is non-linear. Sure, the psyche can be messy, and establishing order doesn’t necessarily follow a step-by-step process. Stage 2 of the self-discovery process is where inner work takes place. Stage 3 is more about contemplative practices that enable stabilization.

“The way he describes the process of moving from ego-centric mind to a higher mind has been very resonant with me at a personal level.”

Sure. But what I’m saying is that it’s incorrect to call this “evolution.” It’s the wrong word.

In the way I view inner work, I am considering messy and non-linear to be similar. In my mind it is similar to “not a step-by-step process”. I used the word non-linear to imply not in a straight line, sometimes straight, other times with repeats and new situations to navigate and explore…I see this as the “messy psyche” I am trying to “order” at some level.

The Indian word “Sadhana” that seems to align with Spiritual Contemplative practice to me is really what is most useful to me (as I have mentioned before I have a strong inclination towards spiritual contemplation). It could be different from other contemplative practices so sure. What is achievable through Sadhana is difficult for me to put into a few words. It is a state of being to which stabilization is definitely arriving. Also I’m over-simplifying everything here just to be concise.

The use of the word evolution is present in his literature aligning with a progressive movement. I think “awakening” applies here too. Is there a better word to describe the process?

“The Indian word “Sadhana” that seems to align with Spiritual Contemplative practice to me is really what is most useful to me”

Yes, Sadhana is the pathway of Stage 3.

“What is achievable through Sadhana is difficult for me to put into a few words. It is a state of being to which stabilization is definitely arriving.”

In the Indian tradition, especially the nondual schools, the focus is primarily on a transformation of consciousness — transcending the identification with the body-mind organism and moving beyond the “I am” (primary Maya). In the Taoist tradition, especially the Southern Reality School, the emphasis is on the stabilization of the energy within the body first. Then, they move to a transformation of consciousness.

“The use of the word evolution is present in his literature aligning with a progressive movement. I think “awakening” applies here too. Is there a better word to describe the process?”

Transformation and development both work.

Thank you for your time to clarify my questions and comments. It is very much appreciated.

Is the practice that is proposed by Jung for working with the unconscious mind “Active Imagination” suitable for all individuals?

The reason I ask is that some people have a predisposition towards “fantasy thinking” that utilizes imagination actively (not is terms of Jungian Active Imagination).

What I mean by fantasy thinking could be divided into two kinds, what I refer to as “Magical thinking, that goes like : I wish things would magically happen” or “Wishful thinking which is a active conscious thought process involving romanticizing reality, looking at life through rose-colored glasses or in some cases even dark fantasy that involves getting back at someone for wrong doing (even if it be in the realm of thought). The first two is something I seem to indulge in more easily. But I know people around me who indulge in (dark fantasy/more violent type) the later frequently. What I have described in this paragraph is a conscious active mental process.

I would say that based on knowing and studying myself as well as studying and observing others, some types (Enneagram in particular) have a greater predisposition towards fantasy thinking.

In fact I could even say that some “guided visualizations” that take people on mental journeys fall into a form of fantasy thinking process, that are more unproductive than useful. I find such guided visualizations very ungrounding and airy experiences. Please correct me if I wrong.

Makes me wonder if this is why hypnosis that takes a creative-imagination driven format with its practical applications works well only for some people.

Since active imagination is a way to tap into the unconscious would a person prone to fantasy thinking feel more ungrounded by engaging in it, without a clear sense of whether they have shifted into pointless imaginations or real useful work with their unconscious “parts”?

Is there a grounding practice that accompanies active imagination would support an individual to stay on track with “active imagination” vs. getting lost in imaginary conversations with parts (that they might be accustomed to given their fantasy-driven tendencies) that might produce useful, meaningful and desired results that tap into their psyche?

I hope my questions and background I have provided is clear enough.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

“In fact I could even say that some “guided visualizations” that take people on mental journeys fall into a form of fantasy thinking process, that are more unproductive than useful. I find such guided visualizations very ungrounding and airy experiences. Please correct me if I’m wrong.”

Yes, I generally discourage guided visualizations, despite how popular they are. Guided instructions can be useful as a learning aid, but guided visualizations serve little value in my experience.

“Since active imagination is a way to tap into the unconscious would a person prone to fantasy thinking feel more ungrounded by engaging in it, without a clear sense of whether they have shifted into pointless imaginations or real useful work with their unconscious “parts”?”

Not necessarily. Someone prone to fantasy may find active imagination very instructive as it can add a useful structure to their fantasies.

“Is there a grounding practice that accompanies active imagination would support an individual to stay on track with “active imagination” vs. getting lost in imaginary conversations with parts (that they might be accustomed to given their fantasy-driven tendencies) that might produce useful, meaningful and desired results that tap into their psyche?”

Yes. See these two guides: https://scottjeffrey.com/how-to-ground-yourself/ https://scottjeffrey.com/center-yourself/

Hi Scott, I’ve been considering the statement you mention “Not necessarily. Someone prone to fantasy may find active imagination very instructive as it can add a useful structure to their fantasies.” As someone who has not benefited in anyway in indulging in fantasy, I have not been able to use many of the practices that have been outlined by Jung. I don’t mean to dismiss or disqualify the validity and use of the practices…it might be extremely useful for certain individuals. I think I am very driven to focus on reality as it occurs and then try to connect it to fields of study. There is a neat distinction made by John Vervaeke (he may not be the originator), between “imagination” and “imaginal”. A website definition of this distinction goes as follows … Here it is important to differentiate between the imaginary (fantasy) and the imaginal, with the latter being seen as a crucial bridge between subjective and objective experience, as well as between perceptual and conceptual domains.” … It seems to me that Inner Work aligns well with “Imaginal” rather than “Imagination”. Personally, inner work continues to breakdown the hold of fantasy in my life…which continues to make inner work very useful. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to think through this via this discussion.

To clarify, inner work and active imagination are not about engaging in fantasy as such. What you’re doing is actively engaging in dialogue with semi-autonomous subpersonalities within the psyche. There’s no need to get hung up on definitions of “imagination.” You don’t have to “imagine” these inner voices. They are already there. It’s just a matter of whether or not you tune into them.

Also to clarify, inner work is not the same thing as sadhana. With inner work, you engage with the images in the psyche. With sadhana, you don’t. That is, Eastern practices are focused on going beyond the images (because, as you observed, focusing on the images can lead to fantasy — i.e. delusion).

The integral movement (including transpersonal psychology) places inner work practices at a lower stage as it relates more specifically to the personality and contemplative practices (sadhana) at a higher stage of development. Overall, I would agree with this structure.

Thank you for the clarifications Scott.

It definitely sounds more honest to tune into inner voices. I can relate to that. I don’t think I make a clear distinction for myself about the stages of development. I tend to use a broad term as “Inner Work” that is simply ongoing, placing awareness onto various aspects of my life.

I don’t even have any specific affiliation with people who call themselves “integral” or “transpersonal psychologists”. When something resonates and seems to match something in my reality it offers a little more clarity. Thank you for sharing your time and guidance with me.

Sure thing, Roopa. I also don’t have any affiliations with these various groups. I mentioned integral here in this context because before this “fifth wave of psychology” there wasn’t really a language or understanding to differentiate these different schools of thought — both East and West — and the levels of development they represent. And without this differentiation, there tends to be a lot of internal confusion. This type of differentiation itself is a function of developing cognitive consciousness.

Scott, your portrait shows you becoming more distinguished, retaining the handsomeness.

Forgive me if I seem to be repeating what you have said. I think writing it down helps me understand.

“Stage 1: Discovering Your Conscious Self (Personality)”.

Is this how people see you? Is this the unconscious that acts in your conscious? Is this the personality enneagram types and are they archetypes?

So far, I’ve asked about the persona as an unconscious part. Is it possible for our persona to be consciously developed? As a boy I emulated my father, then later years became an image (perhaps the persona mask). Can I say that I made my image and is this my archetype making me believe it’s me? What archetype I don’t know, you might have an idea which it is? Thank-you.

How people see you is a function of numerous factors that don’t necessarily align with Stage 1.

Yes, the Enneagram types are ultimately expressions of archetypes as I explain here: https://scottjeffrey.com/archetypes-list/

“Can I say that I made my image and is this my archetype making me believe it’s me?”

Not really. No. The psyche is a collection of archetypes — not just one. And there are a host of factors involved here.

Also, you don’t really consciously develop your persona. It’s more of a reaction to your environment.

That said, we all do learn by observing the behavior of those around us — especially those we project onto like parents and other authority figures.

My understanding of the persona; is an Image we relate to others. Do you think we would rather be our true personality to others?

I think the persona is not far off compared with our personality. As you can see from this quote”The list shows how likely it is that you are each enneagram type.

Most people will be the type at the top of the list, however, your actual personality type might be somewhat lower in it (usually it’s in the top 3).

This is from an enneagram test, which tells my we are not willing to show our true personality. Don’t you think we would be more contented with ourselves if we were able to incorporate the persona with personality? Thank-you.

The social mask is something that’s subconsciously created as a response to one’s environment. It’s a reaction.

One’s true personality is not known until the individual builds consciousness via processes like shadow work. Until then, they are divorced from many qualities about themselves (positive and negative) and engaged in self-deception. The goal of individuation is to bring the individual to a sense of wholeness.

The persona falls away during this process.

Thank-you Scott for your patient reply. However, from the quote on the enneagram test “Most people will be the type at the top of the list, however, your actual personality type might be somewhat lower in it (usually it’s in the top 3)” and your comment quote “One’s true personality is not known until the individual builds consciousness via processes like shadow work”.

There seems to be a conflict, are you suggesting the enneagram test people are wrong?

Perhaps there is not a conflict, I may be seeing the comments in a black and white perspective. I would like you to detail both quotes for me. Thank-you.

There’s no conflict here. The Enneagram is a typing system. Like any personality typing system, it can only highlight general predispositions of particular “types.” If you read any good book on the Enneagram, for example, you’ll resonate with many of the type descriptions. That’s why many individuals have difficulty zeroing in on their type. Their singular type represents a “center of gravity” — it’s not codifying who they are. Plus, there are nine levels of development for each type — from least healthy (9) to healthiest (1). Most people are in the mid to lower range (unhealthy to average mental health). Finally, as you develop your personality through inner work, you actually move toward a different type in the Enneagram (“path of integration”). Ultimately, the more one moves toward individuation the less any of these types become relevant. That’s part of the reason Jung didn’t approve of Myers-Briggs (MBTI). In his view, it missed the point of what psychological types represent.

Ilike the expression you used “center of gravity”. You have answered where the enneagram fits in to the individuation process. It does seem useful to consciously stay in your enneagram type. Thank-you. Perhaps you might elaborate on the phrase “center of gravity” …

“Center of gravity” is a term used in the developmental literature. There are all kinds of developmental stage models, including the Enneagram’s 9 levels, Loevinger’s ego development, Erikson’s psychosocial development, spiral dynamics integral, Maslow’s needs, etc. It’s a mistake to pigeonhole someone at a certain stage of any model. It’s more accurate to say that a person’s “center of gravity” is at a particular stage as it reflects the reality that we are complex beings with many parts. For example, with spiral dynamics, a person’s center of gravity value structure may be “green” (sensitive self) but that doesn’t mean they don’t they don’t also express orange (achievement) and blue (right-wrong morality) under different conditions.

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What Is The Purpose of Self-Exploration?

Developing a sense of self can be a powerful tool for living intentionally. You can try self-exploration on your own or in therapy.

Who are you? What drives you? What do you value?

If you’re not sure of your answers, there’s no need to fret. The answers to questions like these take time to uncover and often require deep reflection.

Self-exploration is the practice of “taking a look at your own thoughts, feelings, behaviors and motivations and asking why. It’s looking for the roots of who we are — answers to all the questions we have about [ourselves],” explains Ryan Howes, Ph.D , a psychologist, writer and professor in Pasadena, California.

It can be hard to find time for introspection and self-reflection in our busy schedules, but deepening our self-understanding can bring peace and meaning to our lives.

You can begin your self-exploration journey in therapy or on your own.

What’s the purpose of self-exploration?

At its core, self-exploration is about better understanding who you are and what makes you you .

“[Self-exploration] helps people understand and accept who they are and why they do what they do, which improves self-esteem , communication, and relationships,” Howes explains.

Additionally, self-exploration can increase our self-awareness , which is the ability to self-evaluate and recognize how we take up space. Self-awareness can allow us to deepen our understanding of our emotional triggers, sensitivities, and best self-care practices. This can lead to stronger emotional regulation and greater empathy .

Once you understand why you feel the way you feel, you may also be better able to communicate your needs and feelings to others, which can strengthen relationships and help you preserve better boundaries .

What does self-exploration look like in therapy?

“What did you notice about yourself this week?” is what Howes usually asks at the start of each session. Every thought, interaction, or experience can be an opportunity for self-examination. He also noted that an incredible amount of information is “revealing itself all the time.”

Therapy often involves examining your emotions and understanding where those emotions come from. According to Howes, therapists may explore with their clients:

• what they are feeling
• how it feels
• why they are feeling it
• when they have felt it before

Self-exploration features prominently in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) , a commonly practiced form of psychological treatment. CBT centers around the idea that many of our problems stem from flawed thinking patterns , and that we can learn to change those patterns.

CBT aims to change those patterns through learning to recognize them, better understanding where they came from, and evaluating them. Many CBT exercises are essentially exercises in self-exploration.

Self-exploration is also common in psychodynamic therapy, where you explore how your past has influenced your present. Whereas CBT focuses more on your present experiences, psychodynamic therapy emphasizes the past and where you have come from.

Both therapy options can be effective in getting to know yourself and developing greater self-awareness.

Why can self-exploration be challenging?

Howes says people typically encounter three main challenges to self-exploration:

• distraction
• past trauma

It’s easy to get wrapped up in work, school, or the lives of others, which can lead to neglecting ourselves. “Our external environment is so busy, so full of stimulation, it’s a real challenge to pry ourselves away long enough to take a good look inside,” Howes explains.

Howes encourages people to “unplug, stop, and just be ” every once in a while. You could even make self-exploration part of your self-care routine . Take ten minutes to sit with your thoughts, “not doing anything, not falling asleep, not watching TV, not whistling a tune.”

Self-exploration can be draining, “it’s hard to go back and recall painful memories, confront the realities of our limitations or take the risk of making a difficult decision,” Howes says. However, practice can help.

“Self-exploration is like working out; it gets easier when you’re consistent,” Howes says. He suggests readers check in with themselves once a day and ask, “what am I noticing about myself today?”

Finally, for some, past trauma can stall self-discovery: “sometimes, the psyche locks the door to traumatic memories, and, push as we might, we can’t get in,” Howes explains. Healing from past trauma can be difficult, but you can work with a mental health professional who specializes in trauma .

How to practice self-exploration on your own

You don’t have to sit in silent thought to practice self-exploration. There are many ways to expand your self-knowledge that are active. These activities include:

• pen your memoir
• compose a letter for a time capsule
• write your own obituary
• create a family tree
• reflect on your best and worst days
• start a dream journal
• start a personal journal
• enlist the help of others, like a friend, mentor, spiritual advisor, or therapist

Questions for getting to know yourself

How do you get to know yourself? It can be hard to know where to begin. One easy way to start is to try asking yourself “why?” more often. You can start with everyday choices and decisions, like “why toast?” or “why a shower instead of a bath?” Gradually broaden the scope of your questions.

If that doesn’t appeal to you, you can consider some of the following questions:

• What do you like best about yourself?
• What’s something that’s always been important to you and why?
• What makes you feel loved?
• What makes you cry?
• What’s your favorite thing to do?
• What childhood dreams do you still hold onto and what have you let go?
• How do you want others to see you?
• What kinds of self-care work best for you?
• Where’s your safe space?

Let’s recap

Self-exploration is the practice of examining your own thoughts, feelings, values, beliefs, identity, background, views, and emotions, with the purpose of better understanding yourself.

You might engage in self-exploration for self-improvement, as part of therapy, out of curiosity, or for its own sake. Self-exploration can help improve self-awareness, self-esteem, communication, empathy, emotional self-regulation, and more.

A great deal of therapy involves some degree of self-exploration. You can also engage in self-exploration on your own or with someone from your support network. Self-exploration can come with challenges, including distractions, exhaustion, and reliving past trauma.

An easy way to start practicing self-exploration is to ask yourself more questions.

Last medically reviewed on September 28, 2022

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Self-Discovery Through Stretch Assignments: Real-Life Examples

Posted Feb 16, 2024

In the journey of personal and professional growth, individuals often find a transformative bridge to self-discovery through self-assigned projects known as stretch assignments. This article delves into real-life examples of individuals who have taken the initiative to embark on self-assigned projects, showcasing the pivotal role of stretch assignments in fostering self-discovery.  

Learn about Asure’s HR solutions that save you time and money while staying compliant with ever-changing HR laws .  

The Essence of Stretch Assignments  

Stretch assignments, whether initiated by employers or self-assigned, present individuals with opportunities to step outside their comfort zones and tackle challenges that go beyond their usual scope of work. These projects catalyze skill enhancement, career development, and, perhaps most importantly, self-discovery.  

Real-Life Examples  

Learning a new industry  .

An individual employed in the technology sector who took on a self-assigned stretch assignment to delve into a completely different industry – the renewable energy sector. By actively seeking projects and responsibilities related to renewable energy, the individual not only acquired new industry-specific skills but also unearthed a genuine interest in sustainability and environmental issues.  

Creating a Niche Blog  

In a creative endeavor, an individual with a background in marketing undertook a self-assigned stretch assignment to create a niche blog focusing on a specific industry trend. This project not only honed writing skills but also uncovered a passion for content creation and thought leadership. The blog eventually gained recognition, opening doors to new opportunities in the individual’s professional journey.  

Skill Development in Coding  

A professional in a non-technical role decided to take on a self-assigned stretch assignment to learn coding. Through online courses, dedicated practice, and personal projects, the individual developed a proficiency in coding. This unexpected foray into the technical realm not only enhanced their skill set but also broadened their career horizons.  

Leading a Community Initiative  

In a community-oriented example, an individual within a company took the initiative to lead a community service project. This stretch assignment involved organizing volunteers, coordinating activities, and managing resources for a local charity event. Through this experience, the individual discovered leadership qualities and a passion for community engagement that transcended their daily work responsibilities.  

The Role of Stretch Assignments in Self-Discovery

• Uncovering Hidden Passions: Stretch assignments provide a platform for individuals to explore areas beyond their routine tasks, uncovering hidden passions and interests that may have remained dormant.  
• Building Confidence: Taking on challenges outside one’s comfort zone through self-assigned projects contributes to building confidence. The ability to navigate unfamiliar territories fosters a sense of self-assurance and adaptability.  
• Expanding Skill Sets: Engaging in self-assigned stretch assignments naturally leads to skill development. Whether it’s learning a new industry, acquiring technical skills, or honing creative abilities, individuals expand their skill sets through hands-on experience.  
• Opening Career Pathways: The self-discovery prompted by stretch assignments often opens unexpected career pathways. Individuals may find themselves drawn to entirely new fields or uncover potential career trajectories that align more closely with their newfound passions.  

Conclusion  

The real-life examples of individuals embracing self-assigned stretch assignments underscore the profound impact these projects can have on self-discovery. Whether driven by a desire for entrepreneurship, a curiosity about different industries, or a passion for community service, these examples demonstrate that stretch assignments serve as a dynamic pathway to personal and professional growth. As individuals venture beyond the familiar, they not only enhance their skill sets but also embark on a journey of self-discovery that can shape the trajectory of their careers.  

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105 Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection and Self-Discovery

Writing can be the perfect tool for self-reflection.

Reflective writing  is personal in nature – it’s all about you, your thoughts and your ideas.

There is no right or wrong way to write.

However, when you throw writer’s block into the mix – something that hits me often – it can hamper any efforts to get things out of your head, process and reflect on them, and take the next steps (whatever they may be).

Writing Tips – Getting Started

Writing is more than having an idea. It’s also about the process.

Here are a few ideas to help with the writing process:

Stream of consciousness

One method to help you start writing is streams of consciousness:

Stream of consciousness writing  is a method of writing that captures the myriad of thoughts and feelings that pass through the mind. This method’s purpose is to allow these thoughts to pass through without any inhibitors. It’s quite literally capturing the “stream” of your consciousness. studiobinder

With stream-of-consciousness writing, you write freely without thinking or stopping, letting the thoughts, ideas and words flow.

Don’t worry about grammar, structure, editing, format or even sense.

Free yourself to just write.

Ditch perfection.

Whenever you sit down to write, there’s no need to write war and peace (unless that is your goal).

Start small.

Choose an idea from the above list of writing prompts, let your thoughts flow, and your hand move over the paper or laptop, and write whatever flows from your mind!

Write what you want, how you want, without a care in the world about spelling or grammar.

That can always come later through the editing process.

Invest in things that make the writing process enjoyable

Buy some lovely pens in different colours that sit well in your hand and move over the paper nicely. Nice pens will make the writing process so much more enjoyable.

Invest in an inspiring journal or notebook filled with quality paper to write on. I don’t think you can ever have too many notebooks!

Splash out on a laptop that feels good under your fingers. personally, I love writing on my Macbook as the keys feel soft and smooth under my fingers, making the process so much more seamless.

Investigate writing software. I tend to stick to Word these days but have dabbled in various writing programs, including Scrivener , the go-to app for writers, Ommwriter for distraction-free writing, and Hemingway App to hone my writing style.

Here is a list of 105 writing prompts for self-reflection and self-discovery

I hope this extensive list provides you with ideas and inspiration to help you explore and reflect on your thoughts via writing, blogging, journaling, or some other creative form.

Self-development

• What is your life motto, or what words do you live by?
• List the top life hacks you swear by?
• What is/are your greatest strength/s?
• Do you have a routine, or are you a person who hates routine?
• What does success mean to you?
• How have you grown this year? And what have you learned?
• We are all unique individuals. What makes you uniquely you?
• How do you define success? What do you consider your greatest personal success?
• What are your hobbies, and why do you do them? If you don’t have a hobby, what would hobby you like to take up?
• What are your top self-care tips? Stuck for ideas? Here are 64 .
• How are you feeling right now? Physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially?
• Is anything causing you stress at the moment? Explore what you can do to decrease it.
• How do you maintain balance in your life? Are there any changes you need to make in your life?
• When you are feeling down, what picks you up?
• How do you look after your mental health ?
• Are you addicted to social media? Assess yourself honestly and explore how it impacts your life and what changes you can make.
• How do you look after your physical health?
• Do a digital detox for a weekend, and then write about how it went. The positives, the challenges, and any changes you would like to make in future.
• Head out to a cafe or somewhere public, sit, and people-watch. Write about what or who you see. Let your imagination run free. Write about the history of the people you see, what is happening, what they are thinking, and what their future will be.
• Where is your favourite place in the world? It could be a country, town, place, room in your house or something else!
• Write about the place you grew up. How has it shaped you?
• Go for a walk with your phone/camera and take some photos. Afterwards, sit down and reflect on one of the photos you took.
• My dream vacation is …
• Pretend you are a tourist in your hometown. Head out for a road trip with your camera, take some pics, and write about it.
• What is your earliest childhood memory?
• Choose three photos of yourself across your lifetime and write about how you feel looking at them. On reflection, what were you doing in the photo, and what were you like at the time?
• What is the best gift you have ever given or received?
• Reminisce about your wedding day.
• Write about the first time you saw/held your newborn. How/what did you feel?
• My favourite childhood memory is …
• What memory do you cherish the most?
• If you could relive one experience in your life, what would it be?
• What has been the most defining moment in your life?
• Reminisce about your first love. P.S. It could be a person, a pet, a car, or something else.
• What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

Relationships

• What do you love most about your partner? Write it all down.
• How has a member of your immediate family helped shape your life?
• Who inspires you?
• Write a letter to your child.
• Who do you look up to, and what do you admire most about them?
• Do you have a pet? Write about them!
• Write a love letter to someone – it could even be to yourself.
• What are the traits you look for in a friend? Why are they important to you?
• Write about  five things you are grateful for this week . In addition, you can write a monthly, quarterly and yearly gratitude list!
• What is something that has impacted positively on your life?
• List five things you love about your home .
• What brings you joy?
• Name three things you couldn’t live without.
• What friends are you most grateful for? List what makes each friend so special.
• Write a list of 99 things you love. I love this prompt.  Here’s an example .
• My favourite way to spend the day is …
• What is the best advice someone has ever given you? Furthermore, what impact did this have on your life?
• I feel amazing when …
• What are four little things that make you happy, i.e. coffee in the morning, hugs, puppies, and a good book?
• If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
• What makes you laugh out loud?
• List ten things that make you smile
• What was the funniest thing you saw or heard this week?
• If you could invent something, what would it be? Personally, I’d go with a teleportation device
• Dad jokes, rude jokes, riddles and puns. What are your favourites?
• What is the best concert you have ever been to?
• If you had a theme song, what would it be? If it doesn’t exist yet, write your theme song!
• What is the cringe-iest song you just love?

Self-reflection

• How was your day today?
• What is one thing no one knows about you?
• Are you a spiritual person? Describe your beliefs and how they affect and define how you live your life.
• What advice would you give your 20-something self?
• If you were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing and the one person you would want to have with you and why?
• Write a letter to your teenage self.
• Write about a cause close to your heart and why it is so important to you
• What does it mean to live an authentic life ?
• When do you feel happiest in your skin?
• Write about something you have never told anyone about before.
• What does growing older mean to you?
• Sit down and do a life audit. Work through every section of your life and assess what is working well, what isn’t, and any changes you could make
• What is your favourite season, and why?
• Are you an introvert or an extrovert? How has it shaped your life?
• What scares you?
• How does it feel to be the age you currently are?
• What is your favourite way to spend the weekend?
• List all of the things you enjoy doing on your time off, so you have a go-to list of ideas for when you have time off!
• Write the words you need to hear right now.
• What makes you feel sexy?

Career, Goals & Dreams

• What is on your bucket list?
• List the things you need/want to achieve in the next week.
• What is something you would love to learn how to do?
• Write about your top three goals. What are they, how will you feel when you achieve them, and what will your life look like?
• What do you consider your greatest professional success?
• Describe your dream life.
• What excites you about the future?
• Write a life admin list, and then try ticking those items off your list!
• Are you a city, a country or a beach person?
• What do you want to be remembered for?
• Where do you see yourself five years from now?
• If you won the lotto tomorrow, what would you do? Where would you go?
• What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
• Try your hand at writing a poem or a song. Use one of these prompts to guide you.
• Interview an older person and write their story.
• If you could write anything, what would it be? Fiction, non-fiction, biography, fantasy, YA novel, comic book, manga novel, a song, or something else?
• Of all the books you have read this year, which has been your favourite, and why?
• Write the opening chapter of your autobiography.
• Do you prefer to read fiction or non-fiction? Why?
• Write about a book, movie or song that has greatly impacted you.
• Develop a list of writing prompts just like this one !
• If you could meet a character, who would it be and why? What would you do when you met them?

I hope you enjoy the reflection prompts and that they help you in your journey of self-discovery. Happy reflecting!

More writing prompts

82 writing prompts to inspire your next blog post

23 Insightful Journal Writing Prompts Perfect for Self-Reflection

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Further Reading...

The Benefits of Journaling PLUS Some Journal Writing Tips & Prompts

99 Things I Love – A Reflective Writing Prompt

Here’s How to Use Expressive Writing for Depression

The Path to Self-Discovery: Effective Therapy Homework for Self-Expression

The role of therapy homework.

Therapy homework plays a crucial role in the therapeutic process, especially when it comes to fostering self-expression and personal growth. By assigning specific tasks or exercises to clients outside of therapy sessions, therapists provide opportunities for individuals to delve deeper into their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. This section will explore the importance of therapy homework and how it supports self-expression.

Understanding the Importance of Therapy Homework

Therapy homework serves as an extension of the therapeutic work done during sessions. It allows individuals to actively engage with the therapeutic process and take ownership of their healing journey. Here are a few key reasons why therapy homework is important:

• Continuity of Progress : Therapy sessions are typically scheduled at regular intervals, leaving gaps between sessions. Homework assignments bridge these gaps and allow for ongoing progress. By consistently working on tasks outside of sessions, individuals can maintain momentum and build upon the insights gained during therapy.
• Deepening Self-Exploration : Therapy homework provides an avenue for individuals to explore their emotions, experiences, and patterns in more depth. Through journaling, creative expression, or self-reflection exercises, clients can gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their inner world.
• Enhanced Self-Awareness : Engaging in therapy homework encourages individuals to pay attention to their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This increased self-awareness helps to identify patterns, triggers, and areas for growth. By becoming more aware of themselves, individuals can make more conscious choices and enact positive changes.
• Empowerment and Agency : Therapy homework empowers individuals to take an active role in their own healing process. By engaging in assigned tasks, individuals become agents of their own change, fostering a sense of control and self-efficacy.
• Integration of Learning : Therapy homework facilitates the integration of therapeutic concepts and skills into daily life. Practicing techniques, applying insights, and experimenting with new behaviors outside of therapy sessions allows individuals to apply what they have learned in real-life situations.

How Therapy Homework Supports Self-Expression

Self-expression is a vital component of personal growth and emotional well-being. Therapy homework offers various avenues for individuals to express themselves authentically. Here are some ways in which therapy homework supports self-expression:

• Journaling Prompts : Writing down thoughts, feelings, and experiences through journaling prompts allows individuals to express themselves freely and reflect on their inner world. This form of self-expression can be insightful and therapeutic. For more ideas on journaling prompts, check out our article on  therapy homework for journaling .
• Artistic Expression : Engaging in creative activities such as visual art, music, dance, photography, or collage provides individuals with alternative means of self-expression. These mediums allow for the release of emotions, exploration of personal narratives, and the communication of inner experiences.
• Mindfulness and Meditation : Mindfulness practices, such as mindful meditation, breathwork exercises, and guided visualization, can create a safe space for individuals to connect with their emotions, thoughts, and sensations. This self-reflective practice facilitates self-expression and enhances self-awareness.
• Self-Reflection Exercises : Therapy homework that involves self-reflection exercises, such as identifying personal values, exploring strengths and limitations, and setting personal goals, encourages individuals to deeply reflect on their values, desires, and aspirations. This process supports self-expression by allowing individuals to align their actions with their authentic selves.

By incorporating therapy homework into the therapeutic process, individuals are provided with valuable opportunities for self-expression, self-reflection, and personal growth. The assigned tasks or exercises serve as gateways for individuals to explore their inner worlds, experiment with new behaviors, and foster positive change. Through consistent engagement with therapy homework, individuals can develop a deeper understanding of themselves, enhance their self-expression, and ultimately, lead more fulfilling lives.

Journaling Prompts

Journaling is a powerful therapeutic tool that can aid in self-expression and self-discovery. It provides a safe space for individuals to explore their emotions, reflect on personal experiences, and even indulge in creative writing. Here are three journaling prompts that can be effective therapy homework for self-expression:

Exploring Emotions and Feelings

One way to enhance self-expression through journaling is by exploring emotions and feelings. Encourage individuals to write about their current emotional state, identifying and describing the emotions they are experiencing. This can help them gain a deeper understanding of their emotional landscape and provide an outlet for expressing and processing their feelings. They can also explore the possible triggers or causes of these emotions, allowing them to gain insight into their emotional patterns.

Reflecting on Personal Experiences

Reflecting on personal experiences is another therapeutic journaling prompt that encourages self-expression. People can write about significant events, milestones, or challenges they have faced. By reflecting on these experiences, they can gain a better understanding of how these events have shaped them and their emotions. This process of self-reflection can help individuals gain insights into their strengths, weaknesses, and personal growth.

Writing Creative Stories or Poems

Engaging in creative writing, such as storytelling or poetry, can be a powerful way to express oneself. Encourage individuals to write fictional stories or poems that reflect their emotions, experiences, or inner thoughts. This creative outlet allows for artistic expression and can provide a cathartic release. It also encourages individuals to tap into their imagination and find unique ways to express themselves.

Using these journaling prompts, individuals can delve into their thoughts, emotions, and experiences, fostering self-expression and self-discovery. This process can be further enhanced by seeking guidance from a professional therapist or counselor who can provide support and help individuals navigate their personal journey. For more therapy homework ideas and resources, visit our article on  therapy homework assignments .

Artistic Expression

Artistic expression can be a powerful tool for self-expression and exploration. Engaging in creative activities allows individuals to tap into their inner thoughts, emotions, and experiences. When it comes to therapy homework for self-expression, artistic activities can play a significant role. Here are three artistic methods that can help individuals express themselves:

Creating Visual Art

Visual art encompasses various forms, such as painting, drawing, and sculpting. These mediums provide individuals with a means to visually represent their emotions, thoughts, and experiences. Through the use of colors, shapes, and textures, individuals can communicate and process their inner world.

Creating visual art can be a therapeutic process, allowing individuals to explore their creativity and tap into their subconscious. It provides a safe space for self-expression, allowing for the release of emotions that may be difficult to express verbally. Whether it’s creating abstract paintings, sketching portraits, or molding clay, visual art can be a powerful therapy homework assignment for self-expression.

Engaging in Music or Dance

Music and dance offer unique avenues for self-expression. Through rhythm, melody, and movement, individuals can convey emotions, tell stories, and connect with their inner selves. Music therapy and dance therapy are established practices that utilize these mediums to promote emotional well-being and self-expression.

Engaging in music or dance as therapy homework can involve activities such as listening to music that resonates with one’s emotions, playing a musical instrument, or learning dance routines. These activities provide an outlet for individuals to express themselves non-verbally and connect with their bodies and emotions.

Using Photography or Collage

Photography and collage are visual mediums that can be used as therapy homework for self-expression. Photography allows individuals to capture moments, perspectives, and symbols that hold personal meaning. By focusing on specific subjects or themes, individuals can explore and express their emotions and experiences through the lens of a camera.

Collage, on the other hand, involves combining various images, textures, and materials to create a cohesive visual representation. It offers a collage of personal experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Through the process of selecting and arranging images, individuals can explore their inner world and communicate their unique narrative.

Both photography and collage provide opportunities for self-reflection, creativity, and self-expression. They offer individuals a means to visually communicate their emotions and experiences, allowing for a deeper understanding and connection with oneself.

By engaging in artistic expression as therapy homework, individuals can tap into their creativity and explore their inner world. Whether through visual art, music, dance, photography, or collage, these activities offer powerful channels for self-expression and self-discovery. Remember to tailor these activities to your personal interests and preferences, allowing yourself to fully immerse in the process of artistic expression.

Mindfulness and Meditation

In the journey of self-discovery,  mindfulness and meditation  can be powerful tools for self-expression and personal growth. These practices help individuals cultivate a deeper sense of awareness and connect with their inner selves. Here are some therapy homework exercises that focus on mindfulness and meditation:

Practicing Mindful Meditation

Mindful meditation involves focusing one’s attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment. This practice can be beneficial for individuals looking to enhance self-expression and self-awareness. By regularly engaging in mindful meditation, individuals can develop a greater understanding of their thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.

To practice mindful meditation as therapy homework, individuals can set aside a few minutes each day to sit in a quiet space, close their eyes, and direct their attention to their breath. They can observe the sensations of each inhale and exhale, letting go of any distractions that arise. Encouraging clients to incorporate this practice into their daily routine can help them develop a stronger connection with themselves and their emotions.

Engaging in Breathwork Exercises

Breathwork exercises are another effective way to promote self-expression and relaxation. By consciously controlling the breath, individuals can regulate their emotions and access a state of calm and centeredness. Deep, intentional breathing can help release tension, reduce anxiety, and enhance self-awareness.

Therapy homework can include various breathwork exercises such as diaphragmatic breathing, alternate nostril breathing, or 4-7-8 breathing. By guiding clients through these exercises, therapists can encourage them to explore the power of breath in connecting with their inner selves and expressing their emotions.

Trying Guided Visualization

Guided visualization is a technique that involves creating vivid mental images to promote relaxation, self-reflection, and self-expression. During guided visualization exercises , individuals are guided through a journey in their imagination, exploring various landscapes, scenarios, or symbolic representations.

As a therapy homework assignment, individuals can engage in guided visualization exercises tailored to their specific needs. Therapists can provide recordings or scripts that guide clients through visualization exercises focused on self-discovery and self-expression. These exercises can help individuals tap into their creativity, emotions, and desires.

By incorporating mindfulness and meditation practices into therapy homework, individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery with a greater sense of self-expression and awareness. It’s important for therapists to provide guidance and support throughout this process, encouraging clients to explore these practices and discover their own unique paths to self-expression.

Self-Reflection Exercises

Self-reflection exercises are an essential part of therapy homework for self-expression. These exercises encourage individuals to delve deeper into their thoughts, emotions, and personal experiences. By engaging in self-reflection, individuals can gain a better understanding of themselves and foster personal growth. Here are three self-reflection exercises that can be beneficial:

Identifying Personal Values

Identifying personal values is a powerful exercise that helps individuals clarify what is truly important to them. Personal values are the guiding principles that shape our actions and decisions. By identifying and understanding these values, individuals can align their lives with what truly matters to them.

To begin this exercise, individuals can create a list of values that resonate with them. These values may include concepts such as integrity, compassion, growth, or creativity. Once the list is complete, individuals can reflect on each value and consider how it manifests in their lives. This exercise can help individuals gain clarity about their priorities and make choices that align with their values.

Exploring Strengths and Limitations

Exploring strengths and limitations is a valuable exercise for self-reflection. By understanding our strengths, we can build upon them and leverage them in our personal and professional lives. Similarly, acknowledging our limitations allows us to identify areas for growth and development.

One way to explore strengths is to make a list of personal qualities, skills, or talents that one excels in. This exercise can help individuals recognize their unique strengths and appreciate their value. On the other hand, exploring limitations involves acknowledging areas in which individuals may face challenges or areas that require improvement. This exercise can provide insight into areas for personal growth and identify opportunities for further development.

Setting Personal Goals

Setting personal goals is an effective self-reflection exercise that allows individuals to envision and work towards their desired outcomes. Goal setting provides direction, motivation, and a sense of purpose. By setting meaningful and achievable goals, individuals can experience personal fulfillment and growth.

To set personal goals, individuals can start by considering what they would like to achieve in various aspects of their lives, such as career, relationships, health, or personal development. It’s important to make goals specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This ensures that the goals are realistic and can be broken down into actionable steps. Regularly reviewing and revising goals keeps individuals on track and motivated to pursue their aspirations.

Engaging in self-reflection exercises like identifying personal values, exploring strengths and limitations, and setting personal goals can promote self-expression and personal growth. These exercises encourage individuals to delve deep within themselves, gaining a better understanding of who they are and what they want to achieve. By incorporating these self-reflection exercises into their therapy homework, individuals can embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-expression.

Incorporating Therapy Homework into Daily Life

To make the most of therapy homework and support self-expression, it’s important to  create a routine ,  track progress , and  seek professional guidance . By implementing these strategies, individuals can enhance their therapeutic journey and foster personal growth.

Creating a Routine

Establishing a consistent routine for therapy homework can help individuals stay committed and engaged in their self-expression journey. Setting aside dedicated time each day or week allows for focused reflection and exploration. Whether it’s journaling, engaging in artistic expression, or practicing mindfulness, having a structured routine provides a sense of stability and accountability.

To create an effective routine, consider the following steps:

• Set realistic goals : Determine the frequency and duration of therapy homework sessions that align with your schedule and availability.
• Designate a specific time and space : Choose a time when you can fully engage in the homework without distractions. Create a comfortable and calming environment to facilitate concentration and self-reflection.
• Incorporate variety : Incorporate a variety of therapy homework activities to keep the routine interesting and prevent monotony.
• Stay flexible : Adapt the routine as needed to accommodate changes in your schedule or personal circumstances. Flexibility allows for a sustainable and enjoyable routine.

Tracking Progress

Tracking progress is an essential aspect of therapy homework. It provides individuals with tangible evidence of their growth and serves as a source of motivation and encouragement. By regularly monitoring progress, individuals can observe patterns, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate achievements along the way.

Consider the following methods for tracking progress:

• Keep a journal : Maintain a journal to document thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to therapy homework. This allows for reflection and comparison over time.
• Use a progress tracker : Utilize a progress tracker, such as a spreadsheet or a dedicated app, to record completed therapy homework tasks, set goals, and track milestones.
• Seek feedback : Engage in regular discussions with your therapist or counselor to review your progress. Their professional guidance and insights can provide valuable feedback and help you navigate any challenges that arise.

Seeking Professional Guidance

While therapy homework can be a beneficial tool for self-expression, seeking professional guidance from a therapist or counselor is crucial. They can provide personalized recommendations, offer insights, and guide individuals through their therapeutic journey. A trained professional can tailor therapy homework assignments to specific goals and circumstances, ensuring the most effective and appropriate approaches are used.

By working with a therapist or counselor, individuals can benefit from their expertise in various self-expression techniques and receive support in overcoming obstacles or resistance that may arise during therapy homework. They can also help individuals explore deeper aspects of self-expression and provide guidance on integrating therapy homework into their overall treatment plan.

Remember to communicate openly with your therapist or counselor about your experiences with therapy homework. They can offer guidance on adjusting assignments, provide additional resources, or suggest alternative approaches to enhance your self-expression journey.

Incorporating therapy homework into daily life requires commitment, consistency, and professional support. By creating a routine, tracking progress, and seeking guidance from a therapist or counselor, individuals can maximize the benefits of therapy homework and embark on a transformative path of self-discovery and self-expression.

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75+ Free Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts

75+ free mental health worksheets, handouts, and forms for mental health professionals or self-help.

(Updated 2/13/24) This is a list of nearly 100 mental health worksheets, handouts, forms, and more for substance use, mental health, and wellness.

Please repost and share with anyone who might benefit! New resources are added on a regular basis.

For more free downloads, click here for a list of PDF workbooks, manuals, and self-help guides.

For free mental health worksheets and resources from other sites, check out TherapistAid , GetSelfHelpUK , and Taking the Escalator .

Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts

Group ideas & topics.

A 3-page handout for group facilitators with strategies for managing resistance, disruptive behaviors, and a lack of engagement in group therapy.

A list of topics for substance use groups.

A 2-page handout for clinicians who facilitate group therapy with (adult) clients and their families. The questions were developed for an inpatient SUD setting.

A list of specific topics for substance use groups, such as refusal skills, the difference between a lapse and a relapse, and fun in recovery.

A list of group openers for substance use groups; can also be used in individual counseling sessions.

A list of questions for exploring the following topics: Conversation starters, mental health, addiction, personal development, values, family, relationships, and emotions. These questions can be used in a group setting, individually, or as journal prompts.

Group Activities

A worksheet with prompts for writing a short autobiography to be presented to the group.

Intended audience: Adults

A worksheet for clients to pass around to group members so each person can write a positive affirmation.

Intended audience : Adolescents, Teens, Adults

Good for newly formed groups. Each group member writes down their “first impression” of other group members. The facilitator then reads off the different categories and group members have the opportunity to share their answers.

Intended audience : Adults

An icebreaker activity, good for new groups. Give group members 15-20 minutes to collect signatures. The first person to collect all signatures wins.

Clinical Film Discussion Questions

• Ben Is Back -Discussion Questions
• Girl, Interrupted -Discussion Questions
• Pay It Forward -Discussion Questions
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower -Discussion Questions
• Rachel Getting Married -Discussion Questions
• When a Man Loves a Woman -Discussion Questions

A printable deck of cards with 128 coping skills for managing stress, anxiety, and other difficult emotions. Each card includes one simple coping skill.

Print/cut the cards, fold, and place in a container. Group members take turns drawing the cards and answering the questions.

A printable deck of cards with 40 positive quotes that can be used as affirmations.

A printable card deck with 27 affirmations for healing and empowerment.

These cards can be used in a SUD inpatient or outpatient setting to facilitate group discussions about recovery. Group members take turns drawing a card and answering questions. The facilitator can vary things up by letting group members pick someone else to answer their question once they’ve finished sharing. Alternatively, group members can take turns drawing cards, but all group members are encouraged to share their answers. This activity works best with a working group.

This is a revised version of the Recovery Question Cards.

Rumi Quote Cards

25 cards with Rumi quotes on love, suffering, and healing.

A card deck with 104 cards with thought-provoking questions intended to promote discussion. Topics include goals, values, emotions, relationships, spirituality, and more.

These cards can be used in a group or individual setting. The last page of the PDF includes additional values exercises for journaling, clinical supervision, couples, and groups. Tip: Print the cards on patterned scrapbook paper (blank on one side).

Mental Health Handouts

4 ways to stay calm before a stressful event.

A 1-page handout with simple “in-the-moment” calming strategies for anxiety-provoking events.

A simple 1-page handout that shows the 6 basic emotions.

A comprehensive list of 12-step and other support groups , such as AA, NA, SMART Recovery, Dual Recovery Anonymous, NAMI, etc.

A 1-page DBT-based handout with 25 examples of dialectics (i.e., two things that seem opposite and are at the same time both true).

These journal prompts can also be used in a group setting. The prompts include questions about values, potential, expectations, and more.

Instructions for Living from the Dalai Lama

A 1-page handout with 25 quotes from the Dalai Lama on topics such as kindness and happiness. Can be used in a group setting.

A 1-page handout that debunks five common grief myths and provides the truth about each one.

A 2-page handout with nine creative and soothing outlets for grief , such as music, dance, light therapy, and aromatherapy.

A 2-page handout with journal prompts for recovery, based on material from The Sober Survival Guide (created with the author’s permission).

Kindness To-Do List

A to-do list of kind deeds with blank spaces to write in your own ideas for spreading kindness.

A colorful 3-page handout with ideas for hobbies that fall under the following categories: Animals/nature, arts/crafts, collections, cooking/baking, entertainment, home improvement/DIY, outdoor/adventure, self-improvement, sports, travel, and misc.

A list with links to online grief support groups, forums, and communities.

A 1-page handout on PTG and how it may impact a person’s life, and the factors that contribute to PTG.

A 1-page handout with resources for suicide , including recommended books, apps, crisis lines, and suicide warning signs.

A 2-page handout that describes seven uncommon grief experiences, such as delayed or disenfranchised grief.

A list of 38 unique coping skills for managing difficult emotions.

A 2-page handout that lists values. Can be used as a standalone handout or with the values card deck .

A 2-page handout with two exercise routines, one designed for beginners and the other for more advanced exercisers.

Mental Health Worksheets

A 1-page worksheet for identifying things to be grateful for in different life areas.

A 1-page checklist with 30 ideas for spreading kindness.

A 1-page worksheet for exploring what makes someone a good friend.

Art Activity: H-T-P Test

In the House-Tree-Person Test, the picture of the house is supposed to represent how the individual feels about their family. The tree elicits feelings of strength or weakness. The person represents how the individual feels about themselves. (Source: How Projective Tests Are Used to Measure Personality – Simply Psychology )

Art Activity: Outer & Inner Masks

This art activity can be done in a group setting or individually. Clients design both outer – what the world sees – and inner – the hidden self – masks. The third page has questions for discussion. This activity can be used to target all sorts of issues from body image to values to character defects (in addiction) and more.

Art Activity: Self-Portraits

This worksheet can be used in groups or as a homework assignment. Encourage clients to be creative; instead of just drawing or coloring, they can use magazine cutouts, stickers, photos, etc. Suggested questions for discussion: How did you decide which identities to portray? Which portrait best represents your true self? Which portrait do others see the most? What, if anything, would you like to change about your portraits?

A 2-page worksheet for exploring the consequences of addiction.

Coping with Cravings

A 3-page worksheet with DBT-based skills for coping with cravings.

Coping with Jealousy

A worksheet for understanding jealousy, its impact, whether it’s pathological, and how to manage jealous feelings.

Couples Exercise: Affirmations

A 3-page worksheet for sharing self-affirmations and partner affirmations, including suggested questions for discussion.

Couples Exercise: Our Bucket List

A 3-page worksheet for couples to create a shared list of meaningful “bucket list” items to do together.

Couples Exercise: Our Bucket List (with dates)

A shared bucket list that includes spaces to write in when an item was added to the list and when it was completed.

A 1-page worksheet for affirmations, positive self-talk, and problem-solving strategies for daily challenges.

A basic mood tracker with emoji faces.

A blank schedule with hourly slots starting at 6:00 a.m. and ending at 10:00 p.m. Can be used as part of a relapse prevention, for depression management, or as a planner.

A 3-page worksheet for substance use recovery for planning leisure activities and enhancing wellness/spirituality.

A letter template for individuals entering long-term residential treatment for substance use, to be opened and read at treatment completion.

An 8-page goal-setting worksheet for health/wellness, relationships/social health, emotional wellness, intellectual wellness, education/career, financial health, spirituality, and leisure.

A 3-page worksheet for identifying and managing substance use relapse triggers.

A 1-page worksheet for identifying things that promote addiction and ways to get rid of or avoid these things.

A 3-page goal-setting worksheet for short-term and long-term goals.

A 12-step-based worksheet for identifying and exploring resentments.

A worksheet for creating poetry; print, laminate, and cut out the words.

A 1-page worksheet for examining past substance use relapses and strategies for avoiding future relapses.

A 5-page template for creating a substance use relapse prevention plan.

A 1-page worksheet for exploring ways to resist urges to use in early recovery.

A 1-page checklist with quick tips, self-soothing, and indulgent ideas for self-care.

A 3-page worksheet for developing a colorful self-care “map” to explore patterns and identify new practices.

A 3-page template for creating a self-care “menu.”

A 2-page writing assignment for self-discovery and awareness.

A 2-page worksheet for developing self-esteem.

A 1-page worksheet for exploring motivation for substance use recovery.

A fun worksheet for creating a bucket list of things that are only possible in sobriety.

Stress Management Worksheet

This 6-page worksheet helps with identifying and exploring stressors. From there, the worksheet can be used to build a stress management plan.

7 pages of feelings words.

A 6-page worksheet for describing problem areas, identifying goals, and exploring what has (and has not) been helpful in the past. This worksheet can be used to develop a collaborative treatment plan.

A 2-page worksheet for identifying and exploring wants and needs.

A simple form for tracking daily meals and snacks for one week.

A 2-page worksheet for identifying things that are controllable versus things that can’t be controlled.

A 3-page narrative therapy worksheet for exploring a past substance use relapse.

Laminate and use with fine-tip dry erase markers.

Workbooks & Bonus Materials

100-page printable workbook for working through grief and loss.

A companion workbook meant to be used with the book Staying Sober Without God (created with the author’s permission).

Daily Self-Inventory for Mental Health Professionals

A 10th step-based inventory for self-reflection for counselors and other mental health workers.

Free Coloring Pages for Adults

Links to 15 websites with free printable coloring sheets for adults.

Miscellaneous Printables

A list of 20 openers for individual therapy sessions.

A 2-page form for case conceptualization with sections for demographics, key findings, background info, case formulation, interventions/plans, and requested feedback or suggestions.

A list of interventions (action words) for clinical documentation.

A template for tracking attendance, cases discussed, and any other group topics.

A foldable coloring book with eight different designs.

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28 thoughts on “75+ Free Mental Health Worksheets & Handouts”

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Thank you for giving away this valuable information. I am a Adult Mental Health Case Manager and I use things from here in my weekly group meetings!

I do also, but for juveniles. These tools are extremely helpful.

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Thank you so much for providing these free handouts. During these tough times, I find these handouts to be extremely useful. A million thank you’s!

These valuable materials are so much of a blessing, thank you so much for the gracious kindness!!!

I’m a drug and alcohol counselor and I find this site very helpful!

It is great to see that someone else wants to promote better care for clients and therapists alike using comprehensive resources (that are free!). Thank you!!!

I love this site i am a Mental Health Professional and I find these very helpful with my group sessions.

Thank you very much!! I have a son struggling with depression and suicide. This will help very much.

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This is a wonderful site. I deeply appreciate the effort and time it took to put this together. Thank you very much.

I can’t tell you how fortunate I am to have stumbled onto this. I am a Behavioral Health PSS in a drug and alcohol treatment facility and am looking forward to sharing some of these materials with our clients. I love the group activities and discussion prompts and will be using some in my next group. Fantastic resource! There is something for everyone here! Thank you so much for this. Be well 🙂

Hope you guys add a Domestic Violence section

Thank you for giving us free worksheets. It’s really helpful.

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Thank you!!

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I am a mental health therapist and I really struggle for group therapy ideas. Thank you for sharing. Your site has been very helpful for me to find new ideas.

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52 Powerful Journal Prompts for Self Discovery {+ Free Printable}

If you’re working on knowing yourself better and doing some inner work, you can use these journal prompts for self discovery to help you on your mission (should you choose to accept it :p)..

I’ve been keeping a journal for decades now, but it took me a long time to figure out that my journal could be more than just a place to rant and rave. Most of my journal entries from my teenage years were just angry scribbles of how everything sucks. Over time, I started using my journal mostly as a record of the day-to-day.

Sometime in the last 3-odd years, however, I felt a shift happening in the way I used my journal. It started becoming a certain kind of sanctuary and guide for me. Sure, I’ve still had moments where I’ve angry-cried as I’ve written my way through certain incidents, but more than that, I found myself digging deeper within myself. Asking hard questions. Trying to observe things from a distance. To get to the heart of the matter. And ultimately, learning things about myself through some not-always-pleasant self-reflection.

Anyway, all this to say, as I’ve grown older, I’ve truly begun to appreciate that journaling can be an amazing tool for self discovery and personal growth .

If you’re at a stage of life where you want your journaling practice to go deeper, I’ve put together this list of 52 journal prompts for self discovery which you can refer to anytime. At the end of the post, there is also a handy printable available for easy reference.

52 Journal Prompts for Self-Discovery

• What kind of person do you want to be?
• Whose approval are you really seeking in all that you do?
• What are you tolerating in your life?
• Do you believe that there is a divine force guiding you?
• What are your priorities in life?
• What are you wasting your time and energy on right now?
• What sets your soul on fire?
• How have you changed in the last 5 years?
• Are you proud of the person that you are today?
• What do you need to accept about your life?
• Where do you see yourself in 1/2/5 years?
• What do you need to do to make your dreams come true?
• Who do you need to forgive in your life?
• What are you really afraid of?
• Who are you? What is your identity?
• Write your eulogy in 5 sentences.
• If you change nothing about yourself and your life, where would you be one year from now?
• What are the things you feel guilty about?
•  Is there anything you can do to simplify your life right now?
• What would you like to get better at?
• Describe your dream life in as much detail as you can. Include details on where are you, who are you with, what are you doing, how are you feeling.
• Are you making decisions from a place of abundance or scarcity?
• Are you playing safe? Is that making you happy?
• What is holding you back in life? What are your limiting beliefs ?
• What would you rather be doing if money and time were no object?
• If you could, would you change anything about your life as it is today?
• What baggage from your past do you need to stop carrying?
• What lights you up and makes you truly happy from the inside?
• Write 3 of your happiest memories from the last year.
• What are 3 things you want to do more of? And 3 things you want to do less of?
• What is your self love language ? Have you been practicing self love lately?
• Are your habits and routines supporting the vision that you have for yourself and your life?
• What brings you the most joy?
• What do you worry about the most?
• If you could bucket your life into categories – relationships, family, work, spiritual, creative, health, and whatever else you’d like to add – how would you rate each of those categories out of 10? What are your top 3 goals/intentions for each category?
• What are the things you wish you could say no to more?
• Write about something nice you’ve done for someone else lately.
• What dreams of yours have you let go of over the years?
• What is your biggest insecurity?
• Do you take complete responsibility for yourself and your life, as it is today?
• Can you laugh at your own self?
• What have been the darkest moments of your life? Have you learned what you needed to from those moments?
• Are you living in the past, present, or future?
• Write down 5 unassailable truths that you know today.
• If a genie grants you 3 wishes right now, what would you wish for?
• What is your attachment style? (Anxious, Avoidant or Secure)
• What is your vibe at the moment? Are you giving out low energy or high energy vibes right now?
• Is there a phrase, a word, a quote that gives you strength in tough times?
• What is your definition of success? By your definition, do you feel successful in your life?
• Is your inner voice a helpful cheerleader or a mean girl?
• What do you need most in your life right now? How can you give that to yourself?
• Do you feel like you’re living your life up to your true potential?

How to Use These Journal Prompts for Self Discovery?

Well, the most honest (and probably unhelpful) answer is “however you’d like to”. Because there is really no right or wrong way to journal. Nonetheless, here are a few ideas to help you out:

• Project52: There are 52 prompts listed above. Treat this as a year-long project. Set aside some time once a week to go through each of these questions, and write down whatever comes to your mind.
• 30 Day Challenge : Use these journaling prompts to set up your own 30 day challenge . Preselect 30 questions from the list, and do some journaling for 30 straight days. By the end of it, you will definitely know yourself better, and will have a better grasp on your hopes and dreams and your grand vision for your life.
• Social media engagement booster : I know, I know, social media doesn’t technically count as journaling, but what can I say – I am rebel (of sorts!). But in all seriousness, you can use these questions to drive some engagement on your preferred social media channel, and you know, be social with your followers! A lot of these questions can make for some amazing conversation starters.

However you end up using these prompts, I’d definitely recommend that you set aside some time for self-reflection . Once you’ve gotten through a few of these journal prompts, it would be helpful to go over your responses and make specific observations. After all, the point of this exercise would be not just to know yourself, but to use that knowledge to return you to your true self.

I’ve put all these prompts together in a free printable workbook that you can reference anytime or use as your own exclusive self discovery journal.

Happy journaling, friends, and I hope you enjoy this process of getting to know yourself better. You’re you, and that is your superpower. I hope you have the courage to accept that about yourself.

Let me know if you end up using any of these journal prompts for your self discovery practice. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Image via Styled Stock Society .

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17 Comments

This is a great list of journal prompts, I’m going to have to borrow some of these for my journal! Thank you so much for sharing!

Thank you, Anna! Glad you found these helpful. :)

Love this list, some many thought-provoking prompts, I love it! Thank you for sharing this, I’m definitely coming back to it when I need some journalling ideas ?

Anika | chaptersofmay.com

Thank you, Anika! Glad you found it useful. :)

These are some great prompts! I never kept a journal as a teenager but I’ve had a Bullet Journal for a couple of years and while I use it more to plan my days, I always make an effort to record one positive thing a day which I find really helpful. Thanks for sharing ☺️

That sounds like a lovely practice. I’ve been meaning to get into bullet journaling, but already have too many things on my plate. I get the feeling like a bullet journal is just too much work which is why I’ve avoided it all this while! ?‍♀️

I have never really thought much about journaling for self-reflections. I usually just keep a gratitude journal but this might be something I will look into. Thank you for the food for thought.

Glad you found this useful. I’ve been doing a lot more of this kind of journaling this past year because I feel like I am at a certain kind of crossroads and need to figure things out. The journal prompt – what kind of person do I want to be – has been something that I’ve come back to quite a lot of times in these past few months.

I love this Shirsha! I have been doing some self discovery of my own lately, and it’s really empowering! I love the quote you included from Carl Jung at the beginning of the post. So true!

Yes, have been following your posts, and loving your journey. This year has forced me to confront my deepest, darkest self, and I can say that I am so much better for all this self reflection. Better late than never, I guess. :)

Excited to journal.

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i would like to make a journal with your 52 Powerful Journal Prompts For Self Discovery {+ Free Printable} and then I was going to get your 52 Powerful Journal Prompts For Self Discovery {+ Free Printable} write the questions down then answer them then when I am fdoone answering your promps make a journal and enter it into the fair I just need permission to do this I am so excited

Discovering Yourself: 25 Journal Prompts for Identity Exploration

Exploring the depths of our identity is a profound journey that shapes our lives. It is an act of self-reflection that holds immense significance, offering us the opportunity to understand and embrace our true selves. In this blog post, we will embark on this transformative quest by providing a collection of journal prompts for identity. These prompts are designed to aid in self-discovery and self-expression. Let us delve into the rich tapestry of our identities and unlock the treasures hidden within.

The Profound Journey of Self-Discovery

The journey of self-discovery shapes our lives, unraveling our identity and fostering personal growth . It’s a profound odyssey of introspection, reflection, and revelations, guiding us to understand ourselves deeply. Let’s explore this transformative journey and its significance.

Embracing the Call of Self-Reflection

Seeking Authenticity : In a world that often demands conformity, the journey of self-discovery becomes an act of rebellion, a courageous step towards embracing our authentic selves. It is a call to shed societal expectations, masks, and facades, and instead, unravel the raw and genuine aspects of our being.

Nurturing Self-Awareness : Self-reflection serves as a mirror that reflects our innermost thoughts, emotions, and desires. It allows us to observe ourselves with clarity and compassion, fostering a deeper understanding of our values, beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses. Through this heightened self-awareness, we gain insights that lead to personal growth and a greater sense of purpose.

Unveiling the Layers of Identity

Understanding the Multidimensionality : Our identity is a tapestry woven from countless threads—experiences, cultural background, relationships , beliefs, and aspirations. The journey of self-discovery involves unraveling these layers, exploring the interplay between different aspects of our identity, and recognizing the diverse influences that have shaped who we are today.

Embracing Complexity : As we peel back the layers, we may encounter contradictions, conflicts, and paradoxes within ourselves. The journey of self-discovery is not a linear path but a dynamic and evolving process that requires us to embrace and reconcile these complexities. It challenges us to navigate the subtleties and intricacies of our identity, allowing us to fully embrace the depth of our being.

The Power of Introspection and Reflection

Cultivating Inner Wisdom : Through introspection, we tap into our inner wisdom, accessing insights and perspectives that may have remained hidden. It is in the stillness and solitude of self-reflection that we gain clarity, unlock our creative potential, and connect with our intuition . By actively engaging in this process, we develop a stronger sense of self and become more attuned to our needs and desires.

Healing and Transformation : The journey of self-discovery is not always comfortable or easy. It requires us to confront past wounds, challenge limiting beliefs, and let go of what no longer serves us. In this process, we find healing and transformation, as we release emotional baggage and make way for personal growth, resilience , and self-empowerment.

Embracing the Continual Journey

Lifelong Exploration : Self-discovery is not a destination but a lifelong journey. It is a commitment to ongoing growth and self-improvement. As we evolve and experience new phases of life, our identity continues to unfold, inviting us to explore uncharted territories and adapt to changing circumstances. The profound journey of self-discovery is a dynamic process that accompanies us throughout our lives, offering new insights and revelations at every turn.

Discovering Identity Through Journal Prompts

Journaling aids self-exploration and growth, providing a safe space to delve into thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Specifically designed prompts prompt introspection, guiding us to understand and uncover our true identity. Let’s explore how prompts catalyze self-discovery, fostering connection and unveiling our identity’s layers.

Igniting Self-Exploration

Provoking Thought : Journal prompts act as gentle nudges, encouraging us to delve into the recesses of our minds and explore aspects of our identity that may have remained dormant. They invite us to ask thought-provoking questions and prompt us to reflect on our beliefs, values, dreams, and desires.

Unearthing Hidden Realizations : Through the process of journaling, guided by prompts, we unearth hidden realizations and insights about ourselves. By engaging with targeted questions, we are prompted to connect the dots, discover patterns, and gain a clearer understanding of the elements that shape our identity.

Nurturing Self-Awareness

Reflecting on Experiences : Journal prompts prompt us to reflect on significant life events, both positive and challenging. By revisiting these experiences, we gain a deeper understanding of their impact on our identity, values, and beliefs. This heightened self-awareness helps us recognize our strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth.

Exploring Core Values : Journal prompts can guide us to examine our core values and the principles that guide our decisions and actions. By contemplating what truly matters to us, we align our choices with our authentic selves, fostering a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Uncovering Authenticity

Challenging Assumptions : Journal prompts encourage us to question societal norms, expectations, and conditioning. By challenging assumptions and exploring alternative perspectives, we peel back the layers of external influences to reveal our true, authentic selves

Embracing Vulnerability : Through journal prompts, we can embrace vulnerability, allowing ourselves to express our deepest fears, hopes, and desires. By writing openly and honestly, we shed the masks we may wear in our daily lives, paving the way for self-acceptance and authentic self-expression.

Integrating Identity Elements

Cultural Reflection : Journal prompts can prompt us to explore our cultural background and heritage, shedding light on how these aspects have shaped our identity. By examining the traditions, customs, and values passed down to us, we gain a deeper appreciation of our roots and a stronger sense of belonging.

Envisioning the Future : Journal prompts can help us envision our ideal future selves. By visualizing our aspirations, goals, and dreams, we align our actions with our desired identity, empowering us to manifest the changes and growth we seek.

Celebrating Growth and Transformation

Tracking Progress : By regularly engaging with journal prompts, we create a documented journey of our self-discovery. We can reflect on past entries, observe patterns, and witness our growth and transformation over time.

Empowering Self-Expression : Journal prompts provide an outlet for self-expression, allowing us to celebrate the unique aspects of our identity. By embracing our authentic selves and articulating our thoughts and emotions, we cultivate self-confidence and empower our voice.

25 Journal Prompts for Identity

Self-reflection:.

• What are the three values that are most important to you, and why?
• Describe a significant event or experience that shaped your sense of self.
• What are your top five strengths, and how do they contribute to your identity?
• Reflect on a time when you faced adversity and how it influenced your personal growth.
• How do you define success , and how does it align with your identity?

Cultural Identity:

• How does your cultural background shape your identity and influence your beliefs and values?
• Describe a tradition or custom from your culture that is meaningful to you and explain why.
• How do you navigate the intersectionality of your cultural identity with other aspects of your identity?
• Discuss a cultural icon or role model who has had a significant impact on shaping your identity.
• Reflect on a time when you felt a strong connection to your cultural identity.

Dreams and Aspirations:

• What are your biggest dreams and aspirations in life, and how do they contribute to your sense of identity?
• Describe your ideal future self and the qualities you aspire to embody.
• Reflect on a passion or talent that brings you joy and contributes to your identity.
• How do your goals align with your values and help shape your identity?
• What steps can you take to align your actions with your aspirations and forge the path to your desired identity?

Personal Growth and Transformation:

• Reflect on a significant personal growth journey you have experienced and how it has shaped your identity.
• What are some limiting beliefs or self-perceptions you would like to overcome to further develop your identity?
• Describe a book, movie, or piece of art that has had a profound impact on your personal growth and identity.
• How do you navigate and embrace change in your life, and how has it influenced your identity?
• Reflect on a time when you stepped out of your comfort zone and how it contributed to your personal growth and sense of self.

Relationships and Identity:

• How do your relationships with family and friends influence your identity?
• Reflect on a significant relationship that has impacted your sense of self and explain why.
• How do you balance your individual identity with the dynamics of your romantic relationship?
• Describe a mentor or role model who has played a significant role in shaping your identity.
• How do you express your authentic self within your relationships, and how does it contribute to your overall identity?

Book Suggestions for Finding Your Identity

“man’s search for meaning” by viktor e. frankl.

Synopsis : “Man’s Search for Meaning” is a profound and thought-provoking book written by psychiatrist Viktor E. Frankl. Based on his experiences as a Holocaust survivor, Frankl explores the search for meaning in life. He discusses the power of finding purpose, even in the face of unimaginable suffering, and highlights the significance of personal responsibility and choice in shaping our identity.

Review : “Man’s Search for Meaning” is a philosophical and introspective book that challenges readers to examine their own lives and search for deeper meaning. Frankl’s profound insights, derived from his harrowing experiences, provide a unique perspective on the human condition and the pursuit of identity. The book emphasizes the importance of personal values, resilience, and the ability to find meaning in life’s most challenging moments. It is a compelling read that encourages introspection and self-discovery.

“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho

Synopsis : “The Alchemist” follows the journey of Santiago, a young shepherd boy who dreams of finding a hidden treasure. In his quest, he encounters various characters and experiences transformative adventures that lead him to a deeper understanding of himself and his purpose in life. The book is a philosophical tale that explores themes of destiny, personal legend, and self-discovery.

Review : “The Alchemist” is a timeless masterpiece that captivates readers with its enchanting storytelling and profound insights. Coelho weaves a beautiful narrative that resonates with the longing for self-discovery and the pursuit of one’s dreams. The book serves as a reminder to listen to our hearts, trust the journey, and embrace the lessons that come our way. It is a compelling read that sparks introspection and inspires readers to embark on their own personal quests.

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

Synopsis : In “Becoming,” former First Lady Michelle Obama shares her deeply personal and inspiring journey, from her childhood in Chicago to her time in the White House. With candid reflections on her experiences, challenges, and triumphs, she invites readers to explore their own stories and the forces that shape their identity. The book delves into themes of authenticity, resilience, and self-empowerment.

Review : “Becoming” is a heartfelt and empowering memoir that resonates with readers from all walks of life. Michelle Obama’s honest storytelling and vulnerability create a powerful connection, making the book relatable and inspiring. Through her experiences, she encourages readers to embrace their uniqueness, overcome obstacles, and find their voice. “Becoming” is a compelling read that encourages self-reflection and offers valuable insights on personal growth and identity.

These three books offer diverse perspectives and powerful insights into the journey of self-discovery and identity. Each one has the potential to inspire and guide you on your path to understanding yourself more deeply and embracing your authentic identity.

Final Thoughts

Embarking on the journey of self-discovery through journal prompts for identity is a profound and transformative endeavor. Through self-reflection, introspection, and exploration, we peel back the layers of our being, unraveling the intricate tapestry that forms our identity. Each prompt serves as a guiding light, inviting us to delve into the depths of our thoughts, emotions, and experiences.

As we engage with these prompts, we gain a deeper understanding of our values, beliefs, strengths, and weaknesses. We uncover the influences that have shaped us, from cultural backgrounds to significant life events. The process of journaling allows us to embrace vulnerability, challenge assumptions, and align our actions with our authentic selves.

The power of journal prompts lies in their ability to ignite self-exploration, nurture self-awareness, and foster personal growth. They provide a safe space for us to express our thoughts, dreams, and aspirations, cultivating a deeper connection with ourselves. Through journaling, we track our progress, celebrate our growth, and empower our self-expression.

Remember, the journey of self-discovery is a lifelong path. As we continue to evolve and experience new phases of life, our identity continually unfolds. Journal prompts act as lifelong companions, guiding us through the ever-changing landscape of our identity.

So, take a pen and a notebook, find a quiet moment, and embark on this transformative journey of self-discovery. Embrace the power of journal prompts and allow them to illuminate the path that leads you to a deeper understanding of your authentic self. Celebrate the unique tapestry of your identity, and let it shape the way you navigate the world with authenticity, purpose, and fulfillment.

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Destiny's Odyssey

Self Awareness Worksheet

Our Self-Awareness worksheet (Who am I?) is the first worksheet in a series of worksheets we use for Self Discovery and Goal Setting.  This Self-Awareness worksheet focuses on discovering “Who am I?”  It is an all-encompassing worksheet that addresses talents, qualities, values, perception, and self-reflection.  The other worksheets in the series focus on a specific aspect of self-Discovery. 

The other Self Discovery Workshops/worksheets in the series include:

• Personal Attributes
• Values and Principles
• Emotional Awareness
• Tendencies and Habits
• Needs Assessment

Self-Awareness Worksheet

Self-Awareness happens through reflection.  You can have numerous experiences in your life, but still lack self-awareness.  You need to take the time to step outside of your experiences and reflect on them.  The key areas for self-awareness include our personality traits, personal values, emotions, habits, and the psychological needs that motivate our behaviors.

Self-awareness and/or Self Discovery is about knowing and understanding:

• · your beliefs and principles
• · What you value and what is important to you
• · what motivates you
• · your own emotions
• · your thinking patterns
• · your tendencies to react to certain situations
• · what you want out of life

To get you thinking about your personal development plan and your mission statement, spend some time contemplating the following:

What are your greatest talents or skills?

Which of your talents or skills gives you the greatest sense of pride or satisfaction?

What talents or skills do you admire most in others?

What talent or skill do you wish to develop for yourself?

TRAITS/QUALITIES

What are your five greatest strengths?

What do you feel are your two biggest weaknesses?

What are your best qualities/characteristics?

What qualities do you wish you had?

What qualities or traits do you most admire in others?

What behaviors, traits, or qualities do you want other people to admire in you?

What are ten (10) things that are really important to you?

What are the three most important things to you?

Do you spend enough time on/with the things you most value?  Why or why not?

What are the values that you hold most near to your heart? 

How is the “public you” different from the “private you”?

What makes it hard to be yourself with others?

How are you trying to please others with the way you live your life?

What do you want people to think and say about you?

How do your behaviors and actions support what they think or say?

What do you least want people to think about you?

Is it more important to be like by others or to be yourself? Why?

Who are the people who allow you to feel fully yourself?

What places allow you to feel fully yourself?

What activities allow you to feel fully yourself?

How do you want people to remember you when you are gone?

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

What three things are you most proud of in your life to date?

What do you hope to achieve in life?

If you were to receive an award, what would you want that award to represent?   Why?

If you could accomplish only one thing during the rest of your life, what would it be?

What do you believe you are here to accomplish or contribute to the world? 

List three (3) things that you are:

List three (3) things that you are not:

What is something that represents you?  (e.g. song, animal, flower, poem, symbol, jewelry, etc…)  why?

What do you like best about yourself?

What do you like least about yourself?

What three things would you like to change most about yourself?

Who are two people you most admire?

What do you admire about them?

What are five things you love to do?

What matters to you most in my life?

What makes you happy?

What are three things you believe you need in order to have a great life?

Why are those things important to you?

What do you stand for (Principles)?

How do you want to impact the lives of others?

Finish the sentence

I do my best when…

I struggle when…

I am comfortable when…

I feel stress when…

I am courageous when…

One of the most important things I learned was…

I missed a great opportunity when…

One of my favorite memories is…

My toughest decisions involve…

Being myself is hard because…

I can be myself when…

I wish I were more….

I wish I could…

I wish I would regularly….

I wish I had…

I wish I knew…

I wish I felt…

I wish I saw…

I wish I thought…

Life should be about…

I am going to make my life about…

PDF Printable version of Self Awareness worksheet

Self Awareness Workshop

Author:  James Kelly,  August 2011

Unlock Self-Discovery: 120 Reflective Writing Prompts

By: Author Paul Jenkins

Posted on September 3, 2023

Categories Writing , Journaling

You’re ready to explore your thoughts, but don’t know where to start? Reflective writing prompts can help. They’ll guide you into deep thought, sparking self-discovery and personal growth.

In this article, we’ll show you how to use these prompts effectively and even create your own. Let’s dive in and unlock the power of reflective writing!

Key Takeaways

• Reflective writing prompts help in personal growth and enhance critical thinking skills.
• Prompts trigger introspection and make you ponder experiences and emotions.
• Reflective writing prompts uncover layers of the psyche and aid personal growth.
• Regular practice of reflective writing can significantly boost critical thinking skills.

120 Reflective Writing Prompts

Here are 120 reflective writing prompts to encourage introspection and self-awareness:

• Describe a time when you stood up for someone else. How did it make you feel about yourself?
• What are your best qualities? How do they shape who you are?
• Who has been the biggest influence in your life? How have they impacted you?
• What’s the most thoughtful gift you’ve ever received? What did it mean to you?
• Recall a time when you failed at something. How did you grow from that experience?
• What motivates you to keep trying when things get difficult?
• What are you most grateful for in your friendships? Why?
• Describe a moment when you felt proud of yourself or your accomplishments.
• What is your biggest dream for the future? What steps can you take to achieve it?
• What is the greatest obstacle you’ve overcome? How did you do it?
• What is one of your best memories from childhood? What made it special?
• Who do you look up to? Why?
• What are your core values? How do they shape your actions?
• When have you felt completely accepted by another person? What contributed to that feeling?
• What is one thing you’d like to improve about yourself? Why?
• Describe a time you learned an important life lesson. What wisdom did you gain?
• What is your best personality trait? How has it served you?
• What makes you feel most confident? How can you channel that more?
• What has been the most meaningful experience in your life so far?
• What are you passionate about? How does this passion positively impact others?
• What is one accomplishment you’re really proud of? Why does it stand out?
• Describe a situation when you had to be brave. What gave you courage?
• What is your biggest regret? What would you do differently?
• How do you define success? Do you consider yourself successful?
• What makes you feel truly fulfilled? Are those needs being met?
• What is your best skill? How have you cultivated it over time?
• Who do you enjoy collaborating with? Why do you work well together?
• What was the most defining moment of your life so far? How did it shape your perspective?
• What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger? Why?
• Where do you find inspiration? How does it motivate you?
• Describe a time you felt completely carefree. What contributed to that feeling?
• What makes someone a good friend? Do you have important friendships like that?
• Of your accomplishments, which one was the most rewarding? Why?
• What is one thing you’d love to learn this year? What steps will you take?
• Where would you most like to travel? Why?
• What makes you laugh uncontrollably? Why is laughter so important?
• What was your most memorable birthday? What made it special?
• Describe your perfect day. What would you do and how would you feel?
• Who has taught you an important life lesson? What wisdom did you gain from them?
• What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? How has it impacted you?
• Describe a difficult period in your life. How did you grow from the experience?
• What positive habits have you developed recently? What motivated you?
• What are you most passionate about? Where does this passion come from?
• What has been your biggest disappointment? How did you recover?
• What is your favorite way to spend a day off? Why do you find it so refreshing?
• Describe a time you felt unconditional love. What contributed to this feeling?
• What is one of your favorite songs? Why does it resonate with you?
• Who do you think of as a hero? Why do they inspire you?
• What is your favorite family tradition? Why is it meaningful to you?
• Describe a powerful spiritual/religious experience. How did it impact you?
• What is the most courageous thing you’ve done? What gave you the courage?
• Describe a time you felt free from worry. What contributed to that feeling?
• What has shaped you into the person you are today?
• What is your biggest insecurity? How has it impacted you?
• Describe a painful experience that taught you an important lesson. What wisdom did you gain?
• What brings you genuine joy? How can you cultivate more of it?
• What do you value most in your friendships? Do your current friendships embody this?
• When have you felt the most supported or encouraged? Who contributed to this feeling?
• What is one dream you have yet to accomplish? What steps can you take toward it?
• Describe a situation when you felt respected by someone important to you. What contributed to this feeling?
• What are you most thankful for in your life right now?
• What is your biggest worry for the future? How are you working to overcome it?
• What’s the most significant risk you’ve taken in your life so far? Was it worth it?
• Describe a fun adventure that you look back on fondly. What made it exciting?
• What is one important value you try to live by? Where does this value come from?
• What inspires you to be a better person? How do you act on this inspiration?
• Describe a sad experience that actually made you stronger. How did you grow from it?
• What makes you feel calm and grounded? How can you cultivate more of this?
• What is the most spontaneous thing you’ve done? What did you learn?
• What are you most proud of so far in life? Why does this stand out?
• Who do you love unconditionally? Why are they so special to you?
• What is one of the best compliments you’ve ever received? How did it make you feel?
• Name a time you felt appreciated by someone you care about. What contributed to this feeling?
• What is your happiest childhood memory? What made it so joyful?
• How have you positively impacted someone else’s life? How did it make you feel?
• What have you learned about yourself in the past year? How will this shape your future?
• When did you first feel like an adult? What contributed to this realization?
• What energizes and excites you? How can you incorporate more of this into your life?
• What makes you feel centered? How can you lean into this state more?
• Describe a time you felt completely content. What contributed to this feeling?
• What are you addicted to? How might this addiction be impacting your life?
• When have you felt the deepest connection with nature? Describe the experience.
• What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced? How did you overcome it?
• Describe a situation where you had to draw on your inner strength. What helped you persevere?
• What spikes your anxiety? What helps you find calm when anxious?
• When have you felt completely invested in an activity or project? What motivated this investment?
• Describe a situation where you had to set a clear boundary. How did this make you feel?
• What is one thing you do just for yourself? Why is this important?
• What helps you feel grounded when life feels chaotic? How can you tap into this?
• What makes someone trustworthy? Do you have people like that in your life?
• When have you felt unconditional love for someone else? What encourages this feeling?
• What is one small thing that brings you joy each day? How can you incorporate more little joys?
• Describe a time when patience paid off for you. What did you learn?
• What motivates you each day? How can you foster more of this motivation?
• What is one small way you treat yourself? What prompts you to practice self-care?
• What is your greatest hope for the planet? How can you contribute to that vision?
• What have you done that you feel was morally right, even if difficult? What gave you strength?
• When have you felt completely accepted by someone? What allows you to be vulnerable?
• How do you define a good life? Are you living a good life by your definition?
• What is one thing you’re grateful for today? How can you cultivate more daily gratitude?
• Describe a time you felt genuinely engaged in your work. What contributed to this feeling?
• What makes you feel alive? How can you incorporate more of that into each day?
• Think of a prominent figure you admire. What traits do you appreciate in them? Why do they inspire you? Consider how you can cultivate these qualities in yourself.
• What is your favorite way to spend free time? Why do you enjoy this activity?
• What is one accomplishment you worked hard for? Looking back, was it worth the effort?
• What is your family heritage? What traditions are you most proud to carry on?
• What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done? Would you do it again?
• What is your love language? How do you best express and receive love?
• When did you first feel responsible for yourself? What prompted this transition?
• What is your greatest extravagance? What value does it add to your life?
• What boundaries do you set in relationships? Why are these important to you?
• What is the most spontaneous thing you have done recently? Did you enjoy it?
• Describe a time you had to be resilient in the face of challenges. What kept you going?
• What is your biggest regret when it comes to how you spend your time? How can you improve this?
• What small moments bring you the most joy in life? How can you be more present for them?
• When have you felt completely in sync or connected to a group? What contributed to this feeling?
• What is your idea of a perfect day? Where would you be, who with, and what would you do?
• What is one new belief or value you have adopted recently? What led to this change?
• If you had an unexpected free day, what would you choose to do? Why?
• What is one creative activity that enlivens you? How does it spark your imagination?

Understanding Reflective Writing

You’ve got to understand that reflective writing isn’t just about recounting events; it’s about analyzing and learning from those experiences. It’s a tool for emotional catharsis through reflection, allowing you to unlock hidden feelings or thoughts.

The benefits of reflective journaling are multifold. It not only helps in personal growth but also enhances critical thinking skills. As you pen down your thoughts and emotions, you’re able to see patterns, identify areas of improvement, and recognize your strengths.

You’ll find that by practicing this self-exploration method, you can gain deeper insights into your actions and their consequences. Remember, the goal here isn’t perfection but progress towards a more aware and understanding version of yourself.

The Purpose of Reflective Writing Prompts

Reflective writing prompts are designed to help you delve deeper into your thoughts and feelings, enhancing self-awareness. They are tools that open the door to emotional catharsis, guiding you towards reflective journaling benefits like clarity, understanding, and growth.

Here’s how it works:

• Prompts trigger introspection: You’ll ponder over experiences and emotions that you might overlook otherwise.
• Promotes emotional catharsis: Writing about your feelings initiates healing.
• Enhances self-understanding: As you write, you’ll uncover layers of your psyche previously unknown.
• Aids personal growth: By identifying patterns in your behavior, you can work towards change.

Essential Elements of Reflective Writing Prompts

It’s vital to understand the key components of these introspective questions, as they’re pivotal for eliciting profound self-exploration.

Your prompt selection should encourage deep thought and personal examination. Choose queries that push you out of your comfort zone, yet resonate with your experiences or aspirations.

Incorporate reflection techniques to help crystallize thoughts into words. You can try free writing, where you let your thoughts flow uninhibited onto paper, or perhaps a more structured approach like keeping a reflection journal. Don’t shy away from expressing emotions; remember this is about understanding yourself better.

How to Use Reflective Writing Prompts Effectively

Let’s delve into the best ways to utilize introspective queries for effective self-exploration and discovery. You’ll find that prompt selection and writing techniques play a significant role in this process.

Now, follow these four steps:

• Identify your objectives: What do you want to discover about yourself?
• Choose reflective prompts carefully: These should align with your goals.
• Use dynamic writing techniques: These help reveal deeper insights.
• Review and revise frequently: This allows for continual self-discovery.

Remember, using introspective queries isn’t just about answering questions. It’s an exploration of your inner world – so be open and honest in your responses.

Reflective Writing Prompts for Personal Growth

You’re about to delve into the realm of reflective writing prompts for personal growth, a tool that can be incredibly transformative.

These prompts are designed to guide you on your journey of self-discovery, helping you uncover insights that may have eluded you in the hustle and bustle of daily life.

Through thoughtful reflection, you’ll not only gain a deeper understanding of yourself but also foster personal growth – an adventure that’s as fascinating as it is rewarding.

Prompts for Self-Discovery

Reflective writing prompts for self-discovery can really help you understand yourself better. They provide a chance for emotional catharsis, allowing you to confront and resolve your inner conflicts. You’ll gain deeper insight into your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

• Describe a time when you were overwhelmed by emotions. What triggered it? How did you react?
• Identify an internal conflict that makes decision-making difficult for you. Why is it so challenging?
• Write about a personal failure or setback. How has it shaped the person you are today?
• What are some patterns in your behavior that surprise or concern you?

Growth Through Reflection

Through honest self-assessment and contemplation, you’ll find growth and personal development possible. It’s vital to utilize reflection techniques for this purpose. Journaling, for instance, can provide a clear path to understanding your thoughts better.

Emotional intelligence is another crucial aspect of growth through reflection. By recognizing and managing your emotions effectively, you’ll gain insight into yourself and others around you. It’s not an overnight process but with patience, it’s achievable.

Reflective Writing Prompts for Professional Development

In your professional journey, it’s crucial to use reflective writing prompts for self-improvement and growth. These prompts can guide you towards career progression and offer insightful leadership reflections.

• Career Path Reflection: Assess the current state of your career. Where are you now? Where do you want to be?
• Leadership Skills Evaluation: Reflect on your leadership capabilities. What are your strengths and areas for improvement?
• Professional Relationships Analysis: Consider your interactions with colleagues and superiors. How do these relationships influence your work?
• Future Goals Planning: Contemplate on what steps need to be taken to reach your professional aspirations.

Reflective Writing Prompts for Creative Expression

Let’s dive into how to use introspective inquiries for fostering creative expression. You’re not just writing, you’re embarking on a journey of self-discovery and emotional catharsis. Reflective prompts can be your guide.

They can help you tap into your feelings, experiences, dreams – the raw material for artistic inspiration.

Imagine a prompt like ‘Describe a moment when you felt completely free.’ It’s not just about recalling that time; it’s an opportunity to relive it, feel it deeply and express it creatively. Maybe through painting or poetry, maybe through music or dance.

Remember, there are no wrong answers in this form of exploration. It’s all about honest reflection and allowing that introspection to spark creativity.

Reflective Writing Prompts for Academic Success

You’re about to delve into the significance of reflective writing, a powerful tool that enhances learning and critical thinking.

We’ll explore various prompts that are tailored to boost your academic success and how you can seamlessly integrate reflection into your studies.

Let’s get started on this exciting journey, shall we?

Importance of Reflective Writing

Reflective writing is crucial for your personal and professional growth as it helps you understand your thought processes better. It provides clear insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and areas where improvement is needed. Let’s delve deeper into the reflective writing benefits.

• It fosters critical thinking, allowing you to analyze experiences and learn from them.
• Reflective writing enables goal setting based on self-awareness.
• It enhances emotional intelligence by facilitating understanding of feelings and emotions.
• Lastly, it encourages continuous learning and personal growth.

However, overcoming reflection obstacles such as lack of time or fear of facing one’s shortcomings is essential for reaping these benefits. Remember to be honest with yourself during this process; the journey might be challenging, but its rewards are profound!

Prompts for Academic Success

To excel in your academic career, it’s beneficial to consider some thought-provoking questions that can guide you towards self-improvement and success. Reflect on your study techniques; are they effective? Do you allocate adequate time for each subject? How about your time management skills – do you use a planner or digital tool to stay organized?

It’s also important to evaluate how well you understand the material. Are there topics that consistently stump you? What actions could improve this? Also, ponder how often you participate in class discussions. Does it boost comprehension or distract from note-taking?

Lastly, think about exam prep – do cram sessions work for you or would steady review be more advantageous? Remember, self-reflection is a powerful tool for academic success!

Implementing Reflection in Studies

Implementing reflection in your studies isn’t just about looking back on what you’ve learned; it’s also about making adjustments to improve future learning outcomes. Mindful observations and reflective journaling are two key strategies that can help you evaluate your progress.

• Mindful Observations: Pay attention to not only what you’re studying, but how you’re studying. Are there methods that work better for you?
• Reflective Journaling: Write down your thoughts after each study session. What worked? What didn’t? How can you improve?
• Feedback Incorporation: Use feedback from professors or peers to refine your learning process.
• Goal Setting: Based on your reflections, set tangible goals for future improvement.

Strategies to Enhance Your Response to Reflective Prompts

It’s important to develop effective strategies that can enhance your responses to reflective prompts. A key part of this is prompt interpretation. This involves understanding what the question asks and how you’re expected to respond. Don’t just skim through; give it a careful thought.

Next, apply reflection techniques. Consider your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and reactions about the topic at hand. What did you learn? How has it affected or changed you? This isn’t merely recounting an event but examining its impact on you.

Sample Reflective Writing Prompts and Responses

Let’s dive into some examples of questions you might encounter and how you could respond in a thoughtful way. Reflective writing prompts often target emotional processing and aim for therapeutic impact.

Response: I recall feeling swamped at work last month. My judgement clouded, leading to poor decisions.

Response: When my proposal was rejected, disappointment flooded me, but it fueled my determination.

Response: I embrace stress as a growth catalyst, channeling it into productive actions like exercise or meditation.

Response: The realization that failure is not the end; rather, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow.

Challenges in Responding to Reflective Writing Prompts

You might find it tricky to answer introspective questions without getting caught up in your own emotions or straying off topic. This is a common reflection barrier when responding to reflective writing prompts. Don’t let this deter you, however; instead, view it as a chance to grow.

It’s all about prompt interpretation and finding the balance between self-reflection and staying relevant.

Remember that these prompts are tools designed to provoke thought and inspire deeper understanding about yourself or your experiences. Be mindful not to get lost in too many details but focus on the bigger picture.

The process is not always easy, but with practice, you’ll become more adept at navigating through these challenges with confidence and clarity.

Tips for Creating Your Own Reflective Writing Prompts

You’ve grappled with the challenges of responding to reflective writing prompts, now let’s flip the script and dive into creating your own!

How do you design an effective prompt that not only sparks introspection but also ensures personal relevance?

You’re about to discover some key techniques that’ll equip you to craft prompts that resonate on a deeply personal level, making the reflective writing process more engaging and meaningful.

Prompt Design Techniques

In designing your own reflective writing prompts, it’s crucial to consider the depth and breadth of the topics you’re tackling. Your Prompt Variations should challenge thought processes and cultivate Emotional Connections.

Here are a few techniques to enhance your design:

• Relevance : Ensure your prompts align with the topic at hand.
• Complexity : Don’t shy away from tough questions that push for deeper reflections.
• Variety : Mix up the format of your prompts – open-ended queries, statements to agree/disagree with, or hypothetical situations.
• Emotionally Engaging : Write prompts that stir emotions, as this can lead to more personal, profound reflections.

Ensuring Personal Relevance

Making sure your questions resonate on a personal level is key to fostering deeper engagement and introspection. Without understanding the importance of personal relevance, you’ll miss an opportunity to relate your experiences directly to the subject matter. This link is vital in reflective writing prompts as it encourages thoughtful exploration of one’s own perspectives and feelings.

The concept of ‘personal relevance importance’ implies that the more personally significant a topic is, the more likely you are to delve into profound reflection. It’s not just about asking questions, but crafting them so they touch upon aspects that matter most to you.

The Impact of Regular Reflective Writing Practice

Regularly practicing reflective writing can significantly boost your critical thinking skills. Not only does it help in honing your analytical abilities, but it also provides mental health benefits.

Reflective writing has therapeutic applications too. It acts as a stress-buster by allowing you to articulate your thoughts and feelings on paper. Consider the following:

• Reflective writing promotes self-awareness.
• It helps you address negative emotions effectively.
• Encourages personal growth and development.
• Aids in problem-solving by offering a fresh perspective.

In essence, regular practice of this form of introspective expression can be immensely beneficial for your mental well-being while simultaneously serving as a tool for intellectual growth. So why not incorporate it into your daily routine?

So, you’ve got the scoop on reflective writing prompts. They’re not just for personal growth but can seriously up your writing game.

Remember, it’s all about understanding, responding effectively, and even creating your own prompts.

Embrace the challenges and make this regular practice a part of your routine.

You’ll be amazed at the impact!

150 Writing Prompts for Self-Discovery

When I was in high school, I met a great man named Dr. Earl Reum. Dr. Reum gave inspirational speeches at schools and leadership events, impacting people at this critical juncture in their lives. I was intrigued by what he said and diligently went through the workbook he handed out, filled with self-discovery questions. The things he said perfectly matched what I knew to be true and the process of writing, based on the self-discovery prompts he provided, changed my life. I now realize that I can trace my confidence and path in life, back to the personal writing work he inspired and nuggets of advice he shared, including the following:

“Wishing will not bring success, but planning, persistence and burning desire will accomplish anything.” —SUCCESS by Barbara Smallwood & Steve Kilborn, 1981.

Define Yourself

Through his self-discovery writing prompts, I defined my self. I developed a great appreciation for who I was and clarified what I wanted to do with my life. Not that my life has been constantly glorious since, but that process sure helped. People can do this at any stage of life and revisit the self-discovery process many times through out life. We are constantly changing and getting better so how a person answered these questions at 17 is very different from how one would at 47.

Now, it is time for you to begin writing. Write about yourself. It is you who identifies who you are and where you want to go with your life . No matter where you have been, who you grew up with, what your circumstances are or were, it is YOU who can stand strong and move forward any way you choose. Identify your dream or perfect life; write it down and define it physically, and then spread the word about your new self and intention. Really own it. Define. Refine. Move. Announce.

150 Writing Prompts

Here are 150 writing prompts that will help with the process of self-discovery. They are in no specific order and are not intended to work you through a dynamic process of thought. These are just for fun, to get you thinking and help you begin to write and define yourself. Have fun with these prompts.

Why am I here?

Where am I from?

Where am I going?

Clearly define your goals. Write them out. Develop a detailed action plan for achieving them. Set deadlines, visualize the results.

Do “your thing” expertly. Describe “your thing.” What you are really “good” at?

What really moves you? What speaks to you from deep within?

What you are going to do to answer that deep calling and share those talents with the world?

When I am alone, I feel . . .

If I were a boss, would I hire me?

How can I improve the outer me? (Appearance, clothes, speaking voice, mannerisms, posture)

What does the inner me look like?

Sometimes I pretend to be . . .

Quick answers:

• If I were an animal, this is what I would be . . .
• If I were a banner, I would read . . .
• If I were a tree, I would be . . .
• If I were sound, I would be . . .
• If I were a color, I would be . . .
• If I were a taste, I would be . . .
• If I were a super hero, I would be . . .
• If I were a country, I would be . .
• If I were a food, I would be . . .
• If I were a bird, I would be . . .

Now, here is what I am already . . .

Here is what others see me as . . .

Seven of my finer qualities, gifts, talents and characteristics, are . . .

I have a few limitations right now, they include . . .

I am going to overcome these limitations by . . .

Something I have done lately that really turned someone off is . . .

Something I have done recently that really inspired or energized someone is . . .

Identifying the problem often gets us very close to finding the answer to the problem. Today, my biggest problems include:

Write a message in a bottle that you would like someone to find.

Quick answers to:

• Mission in life:
• Dreams for someday:
• Best advice received:
• Best advice given:
• Most valued idea:
• Urgent challenges:
• Most fun day ever:
• Happiest moment lately:
• Who am I really?

Yesterday, I was:

Tomorrow, I will be:

If I give my life purpose, what purpose will I give it?

What I need to become is the real me, in the real world, making a real difference. What does this look like?

My parents would like me to be . . .

A stranger’s first impression of me is . . .

I typically base my decisions on . . .

Record here memories of embarrassing moments. How might I handle this situation differently next time?

Record here memories of magnificent moments:

People I will never forget include:

Here is a description of the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me:

This was the worst experience ever:

The most significant event of my life:

The single, most significant learning experience of my entire life was . . .

How I handle crisis:

A crisis I am now facing and what I am doing about it:

My dreams for the future:

Who or what inspired these dreams?

Who can help me achieve my dreams (teacher, friend, relative, pastor, mentor):

In what ways have I brought peace or joy into the my world so far?

In what ways have I brought frustration and sorrow to the world so far?

My accomplishments so far include:

What must you do before it is too late?

The three best things about school:

The three best things about my relationship:

The three best things about my job:

These are the people around me that bring out the very best of me:

If those around me reflect back something in myself, what is it about that other person that I see in myself?

These are the people around me that bring out the worst of me:

Why am I choosing to keep these people in my life?

If everyone around me reflects back something in myself, what is it about me I do not like that keeps these toxic people around me?

Three things I wish people knew about me:

Three significant things I need to accomplish

Seven things I love to do:

A listing of my favorite things:

These things I value . . .

If I should lose this precious thing, I do not know what I would do.

These are my most treasured possessions:

“The real secret to success is to actually use every bit of advice we give to other people.” – paraphrasing of Sherman Jackson. What advice do we most often give to others?

These are the people I trust:

My field of interest for the future is . . .

Acquired skills of mine that would help another are . . .

Failures that have ensured my future victories include . . .

If there is such a thing as a “next life,” what do you want to do in the next round? How would you do things differently?

Here is how I will transcend my limitations and be better than those who have come before me . . .

Best advice from my mom . . .

Best advice from my dad . . .

Title of my book:

“If you can’t do great things, do small things great.” — Dr. Earl Reum. Here are the small things I can do great:

The best advice I ever received was . . .

Three things I desperately want to know more about:

If I was the star of a TV show, it would be about . . .

• This person makes me the happiest . . .
• This person understands me best . . .
• This person listens to me completely . . .
• This person is truly my best friend . . .

What famous person would you like as a friend?

Will I want my children to love me the way I love my parents?

My parent’s greatest strengths are . . .

What do my parents expect from me?

I expect from my parents . . .

Am I as considerate of my parents as I am of my friends?

Do I treat my family as the most important people in my life?

Are they deserving of that?

This is what I will never say to my kids . . .

The person I wish to be like most is . . .

My heros include . . .

Sometimes we need others to help us find our glory, who are those people that will help you find what is best about you?

Superhuman qualities and the people who represent that to me:

• Creativity:
• Efficiency:
• Dedication:
• Intelligence:
• Discipline:
• Decisiveness:
• Compassion:
• Sense of humor:
• Personality:
• Dependability:

When I am with close friends, I am . . .

Here is what I would like to change about me . . .

When I am with adults, I am . . .

During discussions, I am . . .

I probably need to do this . . .

When I am alone, I am . . .

If people depend on me, I need to be . . .

When I enter a new group, I feel . . .

When I meet new people, I feel . . .

When I am in the car by myself, I  . . .

When I am really at ease, I . . .

I feel most helpful and needed when . . .

The last time I complemented someone was . . .

The last time I received a complement was and how did it make me feel?

Some of my personal gifts and talents I can share to show someone that I love them are:

If I were in charge of the world, this is the problem I would solve . . .

If I were in charge of the world, these are the people I would help first:

I spend my spare time doing the following:

I spend too much time . . .

I don’t spend enough time . . .

And now, here it is, what I am seriously resolving to accomplish . . .

What do I spend my money on that is irresponsible . . .

If I could have one talent gifted to me by the universe, it would be . . .

Now that I have contracted with the universe to accomplish this, here are the first steps to get me there:

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Self-Discovery Assignment

Self-Discovery Assignment – (5-7 pages, double spaced)

‘The universe is made up of stories, not atoms’ as written by Muriel Rukseyser.  Our identities are best understood when expressed narratively – who we are in the world, how we became who we are, and how we make meaning of our experiences.  As a Social Psychologist, I believe people have many stories that constitute their-selves, stories evolve over time as the present constructs and reconstructs the past.  In this assignment, you are required to discover your-self, as you reconstruct your journey from your first psychology course to the last one (4884) ( Be sure to include the theories, theorists, concepts, paradigms, ideas and core learning from your psychology classes ). This paper is a narrative of your experiences that have contributed to who you are as you prepare to ‘face the real world’.  Be as detailed and inclusive as possible.

  *THE PAPER IS ABOUT ME… I can help you with key points about myself before writing the paper & give you the classes/theorists that I took up*

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Do you have an inner monologue? Here’s what it reveals about you.

While experts disagree on how common self-talk really is, they wholeheartedly agree that it’s a valuable tool for self-discovery.

While writing this, I caught myself talking to… myself. Between clicks on the keyboard, I realized I was having an internal conversation about an encounter I'd had the night before. Why, out of the blue, would I interrupt the work I was doing to chat with myself about something that seemed so inconsequential?

If you ask that question of experts in self-talk—colloquially, "talking to ourselves" or more formally the "inner monologue"—one clinical response might be that I wasn't avoiding the task at hand. Instead, and much more intriguingly, I was possibly experiencing a close encounter with the real "me" through a deeply personal internal dialogue.

Russell Hurlburt, psychologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, would say that the words I used in my inner conversation might've represented a “pristine inner experience" which would take me, in that instant, to the "footlights of [my own] consciousness." I was setting the stage for self-discovery, if this had been a professional appointment.

( What is ASMR—and why do only some people feel it? )

"I think people are totally interesting. And I think people find themselves totally interesting," says Hurlburt, who describes himself as "a researcher of inner experience."

"‘A penny for your thoughts?’ is probably the most interesting question in the world," he says.

For behavioralists, inner conversations can reveal repressed emotions, good or self-deprecating, that were stirred by a phone call or triggered by an event or encounter. Like the self-admonishing, "Oh, I sounded so stupid!" Or the self-affirming, "I always feel valued when she and I work together."

It's no surprise that self-talk generates “out loud” talk on social media platforms, where people have been having their own conversations about inner monologues, wondering what exactly they are and if everyone has one.

We asked the experts about this curious natural phenomenon and why you may or may not participate in this most intimate of conversations. While our experts disagree on the frequency of self-talk, they wholeheartedly agree that the inner dialogue is a valuable tool for self-discovery.

Who talks to themselves?

There is nothing new about talking to ourselves. Hamlet did it seven times, as soliloquies, in a play written four centuries ago. Talking to ourselves is joke-worthy, but socially taboo if we're caught talking out loud.

It wasn't until the 1970s that psychologists began to seriously embrace self-talk as a field of study, inspired by the work of psychiatrist Aaron Beck, the father of CBT.

Decades later, in 2009, psychologist Thomas Brinthaupt published one of the handful of analytical tools in use today for measuring self-talk in patients. Called the Self-Talk Scale (STS), it is a 22-item questionnaire aimed at identifying the frequency of self-talk and reflecting four categories of inner chatter: social assessment, self-criticism, self-reinforcement, and self-management.

STS has been used by "tens of thousands" of people in studies worldwide, says Brinthaupt, now a self-described "personality psychologist" at Middle Tennessee State University who works with CBT researchers on finding the deeper meaning to one's mental health as revealed by their inner voice. His questionnaire offers a means for gaining data and underwriting the credibility of research on a topic as ephemeral as thought.

( 9 simple ways to boost your mental health, according to science .)

He has found that in general, children talk to themselves as part of the learning process. Introverts are more likely to be self-talkers. "Only children" (those without siblings) talk to themselves more often and into adulthood. Children with "invisible" friends also are more likely to self-talk.

And people who are suddenly alone or lonely are more apt to self-talk. Although yet to be studied, Brinthaupt surmises that people began talking to themselves more—and more often out loud—during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) talk to themselves in ways that mirror the condition—over and over, repeatedly. The deaf or hard of hearing who use American Sign Language have been reported using their hands to self-talk, says Brinthaupt.

It's also been determined, but not yet studied further, that people who suffer brain damage or a stroke and have difficulty speaking "report that they have lost the sense of self-talk."

So does everyone really have an inner monologue?

But experts are divided over whether the experience is limited to people in these categories—or universal.

Brinthaupt argues that self-talk is a ubiquitous activity available to us all. "We talk to ourselves in response to specific events and stimuli in the social environment or imagined events," he says, adding that some people "don't know they have the ability."

Hurlburt takes the opposing view. In 2020, blogger Ryan Langdon wrote a piece in reply to a tweet by Hurlburt on his research. Langdon titled it " Today I Learned That Not Everyone Has an Internal Monologue and It Has Ruined My Day ." It generated more than a million responses within a month, says Hurlburt, who later met and interviewed Langdon .

( Does AI creep you out? You're experiencing the "uncanny valley." )

"People believe   that they talk to themselves," says Hurlburt, and "some people do sometimes talk to themselves. But of all the samples that I've collected over 50 years of sampling, maybe something like a quarter of them involve words or talking."

Rather than words, some people "see" themselves. One of Hurlburt's most memorable patients, whom he calls Fran, didn't self-talk. She used inner-imagery to visualize what turned out to be an emotionally devastating dialogue—caught in time. Now recovered, she was replaying an inner moving picture of her own suicide, step-by-detailed-step.

The benefits—and downsides—of self-talk

Brinthaupt's categories of inner chatter reflect primary inner concerns. For example, "social assessment" self-talk ("I really shouldn't have interrupted like I did") might seem self-critical but it can also help improve social interactions. Public speakers often self-talk for "self-reinforcement" and "self-management" before hitting the mic.

An inner monologue can also be a tool: Psychologists who practice popular cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) use self-talk as a treatment to reverse negative thinking that arises from conditions like depression. To CBT practitioners, depression is reinforced with self-talk that is critical and negative—but can be weakened when we give ourselves positive and supportive messages.

Hurlburt is not so much interested in self-talk as a behavioral tool but as a direct link to the inner self, a journey of discovery that he's been on since 1971. Using a sampling method and a wearable beeper that he designed and patented, Hurlburt instructs his clients to jot down what they were thinking the moment beeper goes off, hopefully to capture a pure thought.

To Hurlbert, standard surveys and questionnaires are subjective and pollute what should be an unadulterated personal response.

"If you really want to know about what's going on within you," he says, "you have to have a method that allows access to your inner experience without disturbing it."

But if you don’t think you have an inner monologue, Hurlbert says, there’s no reason for concern. "They are not part of being human,” he says. “Some people don't process life in words and sentences."

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16 Self-Concept Questionnaires, Activities and Tests (+PDF)

How do you answer such a complex question? It’s tough and one that psychologists have consistently sought to help us with.

‘Self-concept’ might not be a term you’re generally familiar with, but it’s one that’s well worth knowing about. It essentially refers to the way we think about ourselves, evaluate our appearance, thoughts, and behaviors, and perceive ourselves both as individuals and in comparison to others. It’s also linked to concepts of self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-image.

The term self-concept has grown in popularity owing to the way it encompasses a more robust idea of self, rather than individual terms.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Self-Compassion Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will not only help you increase the compassion and kindness you show yourself but will also give you the tools to help your clients, students or employees show more compassion to themselves.

This Article Contains:

Popular psychology definitions of self-concept, the personal self-concept questionnaire (psq), the self-concept questionnaire (scq), 3 more ways to map beliefs about the self, 3 self-concept activities & exercises, best online self-concept test, 3 more tests and assessments, handy pdf worksheets, a take-home message.

A popular definition is provided by Baumeister (1999):

The individual’s belief about himself or herself, including the person’s attributes and who and what the self is.

Rogers (1959) suggested that self-concept has three core aspects:

• Self-Image – The view you have of yourself
• Self-Worth – How much value you have in yourself
• Ideal-Self – Who you really wish you were

Lewis (1990) also theorized that the development of individual self-concept has two key components:

• The Existential Self – The realization that you exist as separate to others.
• The Categorical Self – The realization that you exist as an individual object in the world, with distinct properties, such as your age, hair color, and gender. As we grow older, this component also begins to include psychological traits.

The Personal Self-Concept Questionnaire (PSQ) was developed by Goñi, Madariaga, Axpe & Goñi (2011) in response to the plethora of self-concept tools available. The researchers wanted to create a shorter measurement that provided an accurate representation of self-concept overall.

The questionnaire is made up of 22 statements, divided into four subcategories:

• Self-fulfillment
• Emotional self-concept

Example statements from the questionnaire include:

• To do anything, I first need other people’s approval. (Autonomy)
• I consider myself to be a very uptight and highly strung person. (Emotional Self-Concept)
• I have yet to achieve anything I consider to be important in my life. (Self-Fulfilment)
• I am a man/woman of my word. (Honesty)

Download 3 Free Self-Compassion Exercises (PDF)

These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you to help others create a kinder and more nurturing relationship with themselves.

Download 3 Free Self-Compassion Tools Pack (PDF)

By filling out your name and email address below.

Initially developed by Saraswat (1984), the Self Concept Questionnaire is one of the more popular questionnaires when it comes to measuring self-concept.

The questionnaire itself contains 48 statements that aim to measure self-concept across six different aspects:

• Temperamental
• Educational
• Intellectual

Example statements include:

• I feel different from most people and wish I was more like them. (Social)
• I only partially believe in myself. (Temperamental)
• I feel I am a person of worth. (Moral)
• I have trouble taking criticism from other people. (Temperamental)

Participants rate their answers to the statements on a scale from 1 to 5, with one being ‘very unlike me’ and five being ‘very true of me.’ A higher score indicates a high sense of self-concept, with a lower score indicating a lower sense of self-concept.

Although the PSQ and SCQ are the two most commonly used questionnaires to measure and map self-concept, there are several other questionnaires and tools that aim to explore self-belief too.

Below are three I’ve come across in my research that might be of interest to you:

1. Academic Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents (ASCS)

The Academic Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents (Minchekar, 2019) was developed in response to the idea that many self-concept questionnaires and measures are quite broad. The researchers wanted to narrow this down and focused only on measuring self-concept concerning academic skills and performance.

The scale is broken down into eight distinct sub-categories that it measures:

• Self-Concept of Academic Ability
• Self-Concept of Academic Interests
• Self-Concept of Study
• Self-Concept of Examination
• Self-Concept of Academic Interactions
• Self-Concept of Academic Efforts
• Self-Concept of Curriculum
• Self-Concept of Academic Future

The scale contains 57 statements that ask participants to rate themselves from one to five, with one being ‘Never’ and five being ‘Always.’ Higher scores indicate a higher level of Academic Self-Concept, and participants with a higher score were found to be more confident in their academic capabilities.

The ASCS is still a relatively new tool, and you can read more about its development .

2. Harrill Self-Esteem Inventory

The Harrill Self-Esteem Inventory was developed by Counselor, Susan Harrill, as a measurement for self-esteem within self-concept. It is made up of 25 statements that participants are required to respond to.

Example statements from the inventory include:

• I feel of equal value to other people, regardless of my performance, looks, IQ, achievements, or possessions (or lack of them).
• I take responsibility for my feelings, emotions, thoughts, and actions. I do not give others credit or blame for how I feel, think, or what I do.
• I learn and grow from my mistakes rather than deny them or use them to confirm my unworthiness.
• I nurture myself with kind, supportive self-talk.

Participants respond with a score between zero and four as follows:

0 = I never think, feel, or behave this way. 1 = I do less than half the time. 2 = I do 50% of the time. 3 = I do more than half the time. 4 = I always think, feel, or behave this way.

After responding to all statements, participants tally their total score, with a higher score indicating a higher level of self-esteem .

3. The Twenty Statements Test

The Twenty Statements Test (Kuhn & McPartland, 1954) was developed to specifically measure self-image as a part of self-concept, although it covers other areas of self-concept too.

The twenty questions probe participants to respond to the question ‘Who am I’ with ‘I am …’ answers. The questions are broken down into five subcategories:

• Social groups and classifications
• Ideological beliefs
• Self-evaluations

Kuhn (1960) states that the majority of responses to the questions could be divided into three groups:

• Social Roles – Responses related to external aspects of the self, for example, ‘I am a mother/daughter/teacher/doctor.’
• Personality Traits – Responses related to internal aspects of the self, for example, ‘I am funny/patient/short-tempered/kind.’
• Physical Descriptions – Responses related to image aspects of the self, for example, ‘I am tall/short/fat/thin.’

Related: 21 Self-Image Examples and Activities to Use the Theory Today

Exploring self-concept can be a great learning and growth experience for individuals of all ages. Below are three easy to do activities for individuals or groups of any age to help learn more about self-concept.

1. ‘Who Am I?’ Exercise

This is a wonderful introductory exercise that can be used with individuals or groups. The premise is straightforward to replicate, and participants can take as long as they need to complete the initial statements, with plenty of encouragement for discussion.

You will need:

To encourage participants to think more deeply about the ideas and labels they have about themselves.

Provide each participant with a list of statements – suggested amount 15-20 – that ask them to think about who they are. Some example statements include:

• My favorite food is …
• My favorite music is …
• An important person in my life is …
• Something I dislike …
• An idea for my future I have is …

Encourage participants to answer all statements. Ask them to reflect on the answers they choose and why these are important to them. Remind them there are no wrong or right answers, just the opportunity to engage with their sense of self-concept.

2. ‘My Strengths’ Exercise

This exercise is great to encourage participants to start thinking about their self-concept of their strengths in critical areas of life. Again, it is very easy to set up and will enable some great conversations with individuals or groups.

To encourage participants to reflect on their strengths in different key areas.

Provide participants with pen and paper and ask them to divide their paper into four sections with the following headings:

• Interests/Sports
• School/Work

Next, read out some statements that could relate to each of the sections and ask participants to write down the ones they feel most relate to them. Aim for 5-6 statements for each of the four categories. Example statements include:

• I always try my best at school/work.
• I am a caring friend.
• I help out around the house.
• I like to be creative.
• I enjoy team sports.

Once participants get the idea, encourage them to reflect further on the four areas, and write down some of their unique strengths.

3. ‘Three Compliments Journal’ Exercise

This exercise is great for any individual who struggles with self-concept, and who has low self-esteem or low self-image in particular. Similar to many journal exercises; it is easy to implement and consistency is key to its success.

• Journal/notebook

To increase ideas of self-concept – in particular, self-esteem and self-image .

Participants are required to spend 5-10 minutes a day reflecting on three compliments they would give themselves about how they behaved, interacted, engaged, or looked during the day. The compliments can focus on anything they like. The idea is to reflect on the positives about themselves they might otherwise dismiss.

Example compliments could include things like:

• I liked my outfit today, and the compliments I received because of it.
• Today I was kind to the lady in the store and offered to help her with her bags.
• I’m proud of my school/work presentation. My teacher/boss said I did a great job.

Ask participants to repeat this exercise daily, for as long as they need to. Remind them it’s okay if they forget some days and it might be challenging to think of three things at first, but it will get easier over time.

How to build your self image – Proctor Gallagher Institute

There are many online self-concept tests you can take – some are paid, and some are free – and it’s important to know that these tests are only snapshots. Sampling a few different tests will give you a more robust sense of your self-concept.

One of the most popular online tests is the Self-Esteem Test from Psychology Today. This test contains a variety of statements that you will need to respond to. It should take no more than 15 mins to complete.

It is free to take, and you’ll receive a ‘snapshot’ of your results at the end. You can invest in a more in-depth result by paying a small fee.

Besides the previously mentioned assessments, we share three more tests below.

1. Robson Self-Concept Questionnaire

The Robson Self-Concept Questionnaire follows a similar pattern to the previous questionnaires explored in this article. It consists of 30 statements relating to different areas of self-concept. Example statements include:

• I’m glad I am who I am.
• I am reliable.
• It would be boring if I talked about myself.
• I have a pleasant personality.

Participants rate their responses to the statements on a scale of zero to seven with zero being ‘Completely Disagree,’ and seven being ‘Completely Agree.’ A higher score means a higher sense of self-concept.

2. Self Description Questionnaire (SDQ)

The Self-Description Questionnaire was developed by Marsh (1990), and has two formats:

• The SDQI, designed for use with primary school students.
• The SDQII, designed for use with secondary school students.

The SDQ contains 43 statements that participants are required to respond to on a scale of one to five, with one being ‘False’ and five being ‘True.’

• I worry about a lot of things.
• Overall I am a failure.
• I am honest.
• I get along well with my parents.

3. Social Style Questionnaire

This questionnaire follow a slightly different format in how to assess self-concept. Instead of singular statements that ask participants to rate their response, these questionnaire provide two statements and asks participants to select the one they feel is most like them.

The Social Style Questionnaire aims to measure how participants feel they interact with others daily.

Examples of a pair of statements from this questionnaire include:

A. I tend to tell people what is on my mind. B. I tend to keep things to myself.

A. I see myself as playful and fun-loving. B. I see myself as serious and thoughtful.

17 Exercises To Foster Self-Acceptance and Compassion

Help your clients develop a kinder, more accepting relationship with themselves using these 17 Self-Compassion Exercises [PDF] that promote self-care and self-compassion.

Created by Experts. 100% Science-based.

In researching this article, I came across a wealth of PDF worksheets and exercises to help you on your way to further exploring self-concept.

Below I’ve shared some of my favorite ones:

1. Therapist Aid – About Me Sentence Completion Worksheet

This is a great introductory worksheet to encourage initial thinking around self-concept. The Sentence Completion Worksheet contains a set of statements that asks participants to reflect and explore different scenarios that made them feel a certain way.

2. Therapist Aid – Strength Exploration Worksheet

This Strength Exploration Worksheet is slightly similar to the ‘My Strengths’ exercise so that it could be used as a great accompaniment. It asks participants to reflect on their strengths in three key areas of life: relationships, profession, and personal fulfillment. Additionally, it includes a more in-depth exploration of strengths under each of the specific headings.

3. Thought Diary for Negative Self-Evaluations Worksheet

The Thought Diary Worksheet can be used as a journal/diary insert and asks participants to reflect on negative self-evaluations they may have about themselves. The worksheet is comprehensive and laid out well to encourage a step by step process through evaluating the idea of self-concept being explored.

Additional reading material includes a selection of 27 books on self-esteem .

Self-concept is such a broad area of psychology, and yet it’s a fascinating one. It really hones in one of the deeper parts of answering that question ‘Who am I?’.

Some of the questionnaires and exercises we’ve visited in this article are more general, so I hope you’ll see these as a great starting point for further exploration and personal growth around your ideas of self-concept.

Have you tried any of these exercises, or know of others that you’ve found particularly beneficial? I’d love to hear about them! Please leave a comment below.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Self Compassion Exercises for free .

• Baumeister, R. F. (1990). The nature and structure of the self: An overview. In R. Baumeister (Ed.), The self in social psychology (pp. 1-20). Philadelphia, PA, US: Psychology Press (Taylor & Francis).
• Goñi, E., Madariaga, J. M., Axpe, I., & Goñi, A. (2011). Structure of the Personal Self-Concept (PSC) Questionnaire. Retrieved from: http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/337/33719289006.pdf
• Kuhn, M. H. & McPartland, T. S. (1954). An Empirical Investigation of Self-Attitudes.
• Kuhn, M. H. (1960). Self-attitudes by age, sex and professional training. Sociological Quarterly, 1 , 39-56.
• Lewis, M. (1990). Self-knowledge and social development in early life. In L. A. Pervin (Ed.), Handbook of personality (pp. 277-300). New York: Guilford.
• Marsh, H. W. (1990). Causal ordering of academic self-concept and academic achievement: A multi-wave, longitudinal panel analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82 , 646-656.
• Minchekar, V. S. (2019). Academic Self Concept Scale for Adolescents: Development, Reliability, and Validity of ASCS. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331873419_Academic_Self_Concept_Scale_for_Adolescents_Development_Reliability_and_Validity_of_ASCS
• Rogers, C. (1959). A theory of therapy, personality, and interpersonal relationships as developed in the client-centered framework. In (ed.) S. Koch, Psychology: A study of science. Vol. 3: Formulations of the person and the social context. New York: McGraw Hill.
• Saraswat, R. K. (1984). Manual for Self-Concept Questionnaire. Agra, India: National Psychological Corporation.

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Article feedback

What our readers think.

Hi! May I know what database is used for the automatic scoring system of Robson’s Self-concept Questionnaire? I was having a hard time understanding the manual one. Thank you!

you can use this automatic scoring system .

I hope it helps 🙂

Warm regards, Julia | Community Manager

Thank you so much for your response!

This is me again.

May I know what specifc scores the respondents should have in order to know that they have low or high self-concept?

Norms from different studies are provided for comparison. For example, a control group from Robson (1989) had a mean total score of 137.0 (SD = 20.2), while a group of patients with DSM-III Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) had a mean score of 108.0 (SD = 24.8). This information can be used to interpret individual scores in relation to these norms.

I hope this helps 🙂

Hai, how are you? I would like to have some suggestions on the questions which may help my leaners to realize their characters, their weaknesses and help them to formulate their studies. can i put those questins in MS forms in which the students will be answering themself find their Strengths and Weaknesses?

I recommend the VIA Survey of Character Strengths to assess strengths and weaknesses. It is available for free on the VIA Institute on Character website .

Hope this helps! Kind regards, Julia | Community Manager

Hi Nicole. Im Aishah.. Could u plz to advise me Self Concept Questionnaire focus on Activity Physical and Nutrition for Adolescent Student? And which website that I can get for more info? TQ so much

Thanks for your question. Unfortunately I was not able to find a Self-concept questionnaire which includes all the constructs you are looking for. However, this article dives into some of the most relevant self-concept and self-esteem questionnaires.

Additionally, this article explores some of the constructs you mentioned and their relations (self-concept, dietary patterns, and nutrition in adolescents).

I hope this helps!

Kind regards, -Caroline | Community Manager

Hi Nicole, the scales on broad positive psychology themes are very impressive. I would be happy if you could specify or share with me any self-concept scale specifically for teachers. This scale will help me to adapt or to bring out a similar scale on this topic.

Hi Baldwin,

Glad this was helpful for you! Definitely take a look at the Teacher Self-Concept Evaluation Scale by Villa and Calvete (2001): https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-491X(01)00028-1

You can download the paper with the items for free here: https://www.academia.edu/659520/Development_of_the_Teacher_Self_Concept_Evaluation_Scale_and_Its_Relation_to_Burnout

Hope this helps!

– Nicole | Community Manager

Hi Nicole Can you help me how to get permission for Robson self concept questionnaire. I am using this questionnaire for my research. I need permission. Kindly guide me

Thanks for your question. You can find the Robson Self-Concept Questionnaire here . As long as you properly reference the scale, you can use it for your research.

I hope this helps.

– Caroline | Community Manager

Do you have any on line courses which would help in building my self?

We offer a complete Masterclass series that covers themes like self-acceptance and strength development which may be of interest to you. These courses include a workbook, hours of video, and everything else you need to better understand yourself and also teach the material to others. You can find more information about these courses on our store page:

https://pro.positivepsychology.com/product/the-science-of-self-acceptance/ https://pro.positivepsychology.com/product/maximizing-strengths-masterclass/

Let me know if I can answer any questions.

Hello! Would you know if I could be given permission to use Academic Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents (ASCS)? Is there a scale intended for younger population? Can you please help me get in touch with the person/people concerned?

The ASCS can be used freely without permission from the author for research purposes.

If you’re looking for an alternative you can use with a younger crowd, Reynold’s (1988) scale has been used with youth 10 years and older: https://youthrex.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Academic-Self-concept-Scale-1.pdf

Where can I get the range for Robson Self concept questionnaire? to know if one falls in high or low self concept? thank you

Hi Cristine,

You’ll find some population norms for the scale here: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/robson-self-concept-questionnaire/

I’m not aware of any published information stating cut-offs for high and low levels on this measure, but this website indicates that an average score on this measure (within a non-clinical population) is 140. Hopefully that helps a little.

Thank you so much for your reply! Do you know a way where I can contact Robson or people who arebaccountable for the scale?

You’ll find Robson’s contact here: https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/team/phil-robson 🙂

Hii, Can I get the professional self concept scale? will be helpful..

Hi Christina,

Professional self-concept scales tend to be specific to the role type (e.g., nurse, teacher). So can you please let me know the sort of sample you will be administering it to? Then I’ll be happy to advise 🙂

Hii I am looking for theAcademic Self-Concept Scale for Adolescents (ASCS). May you help to needful?

I cannot seem to find this scale online, but you can contact the author of this scale (Vikas Minchekar) via ResearchGate to get a copy of the questionnaire items.

I hope this helps a little!

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Changelings In Star Trek: Discovery - Did Season 1 Burnham Know About DS9's Villains?

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange" Mutineer Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) calls her future self a "shapeshifter" during Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, but does this mean that she's aware of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Changeling villains? In Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange", Burnham, Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) and Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) are thrown backwards and forwards in time by a Krenim time bug. To return to the 32nd century, Burnham is forced to fight her younger self, who believes that she's a shapeshifting infiltrator determined to sabotage the USS Discovery .

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange" was written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose.

Changeling infiltrators caused many problems for Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) and the crew of Deep Space Nine during the Dominion War. However, DS9 's conflict with the Dominion and its Changeling Founders took place a century after the climactic scenes of Discovery season 5, episode 4 , during which the Federation was at war with the Klingon Empire. This makes it unlikely, but not impossible, for the season 1 version of Michael Burnham to be referring to one of DS9 's Changelings in Star Trek: Discovery .

Every Changeling In DS9 (Besides Odo)

Season 1 burnham probably isn't referring to ds9's changelings in discovery.

Official First Contact with the Changelings didn't take place until the 24th century , in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's two-part season 3 premiere "The Search". This means that it's unlikely that Season 1 Burnham wasn't referring to a DS9 Changeling while trying to foil Season 5 Burnham, Rayner, and Stamets' "sabotage" in Star Trek: Discovery . However, DS9 established that the Changelings had been exploring the galaxy for eons before the 24th century . This creates the outside chance that the season 1 version of Burnham had encountered one of DS9 's Changelings prior to joining the USS Discovery.

The Female Changeling, the species' spokesperson, was played by Salome Jens, who also played the Progenitor in Star Trek: The Next Generation 's "The Chase", to which Star Trek: Discovery season 5 is a sequel.

Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois) was one of 100 Changelings that were sent out into the galaxy, " centuries ago ". Odo only ever met one of the hundred Changelings, Laas (J.G. Hertzler), who arrived on the planet Varala in the 22nd century, 100 years before Star Trek: Discovery's timeline begins. Odo made it further than Laas, arriving in the Alpha Quadrant, where he was discovered by Bajoran scientists. It's possible, therefore, that other members of the Hundred Changelings were encountered by Burnham while she served aboard the USS Shenzhou. Alternatively, Burnham was referring to one of the many Star Trek shapeshifters that aren't Changelings .

Star Trek Shapeshifters That Aren't Changelings

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Changelings are just one of many aliens that have the ability to change their shape to imitate other forms . One of the most memorable shape-shifting alien species in the Star Trek canon was the Chameleoid, Marcia (Iman), who both kissed and impersonated Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . Another shape-shifting alien with romantic intentions was Species 8472 from Star Trek: Voyager , one of whom impersonated Valerie Archer (Kate Vernon) and romanced Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran).

Shape-shifting could even be taught, as seen in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Whom Gods Destroy" , in which Garth of Izar (Steve Ihnat) showed off the abilities he learned from the Antos natives. The Traveler from Star Trek: The Next Generation also had shapeshifting abilities, impersonating Wesley Crusher's father Jack in "Journey's End". Some members of Star Trek: Enterprise 's Suliban species had technology that enabled them to shape-shift, enabling them to infiltrate various situations. With so many shapeshifters in the Star Trek universe, it's no wonder that Burnham was so paranoid in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4.

Star Trek: Discovery streams Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

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Star trek: discovery’s biggest time travel shock is season 1 burnham.

Captain Michael Burnham faced her younger self in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, and it was shocking how much Michael has changed from season 1.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 4 - "Face The Strange"

• Specialist Michael Burnham's shocking return in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 reveals a stark contrast to her future self, Captain Burnham.
• The time travel adventure in Discovery season 5, episode 4 sends Captain Burnham and crew on a dangerous mission to face their past and possible future.
• Captain Burnham's evolution into a compassionate leader highlights her remarkable transformation, making her the most evolved Captain in Star Trek history.

The biggest shock of Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4's time travel was seeing Specialist Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) from Star Trek: Discovery season 1 again, and how much Michael has changed. Written by Sean Cochran and directed by Lee Rose, Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange," was a thrilling time travel adventure that sent Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), and Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) into key moments of the USS Discovery's past and possible future. And what Burnham dreaded came to pass: facing her younger self.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange," the villainous Moll (Eve Harlow) and L'ak (Elias Toufexis) smuggled a Krenim Chronophage, or a Time Bug, aboard the USS Discovery. The Time Bug trapped Discovery in a series of loops, sending the starship uncontrollably hurtling through time. However, Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner were able to operate independently in the time loops, and Stamets was also spared because his tardigrade DNA allows him to live outside of space-time. The Discovery trio went about destroying the Time Bug, but Burnham had to reveal herself to Discovery's bridge crew to save the ship. Further, Michael had to literally contend with herself from Star Trek: Discovery season 1.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Why michael burnham was shockingly different in star trek: discovery season 1, discovery season 1 michael was defined by her biggest mistake..

Captain Burnham confronting Specialist Michael Burnham from Star Trek: Discovery season 1 was as shocking for her as it was for the viewers at home. The contrast between both Michaels, who were 5 years of age and 935 years apart after the USS Discovery time traveled to the 32nd century, was stunning. Captain Burnham is physically different from Specialist Burnham, not just because her hair is longer, and she wears a Starfleet Captain's uniform. There is a warmth and compassion to Captain Burnham that is absent from her younger self , who was just weeks removed from the biggest mistake of her life.

Specialist Michael Burnham thought Captain Burnham was a changeling imposter, as she couldn't fathom herself as a Starfleet Captain.

At the point in Star Trek: Discovery season 1 that Captain Burnham arrived at, Specialist Michael Burnham was still mired in guilt and sorrow for her mutiny that ignited the Klingon War and led to the death of her mentor, Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Michael was resigned to spend the rest of her life in prison, and Discovery season 1's Burnham does not believe she deserves to be in Starfleet. The younger Michael's appearance is harsher than Captain Burnham's , and she is more prone to judgment and not looking before leaping into action. Captain Burnham beat Specialist Burnham in hand-to-hand combat because she was more centered and in control of herself, but also filled with empathy for the younger Michael.

Michael Burnham Is Star Trek's Best Captain Evolution

No captain has changed for the better as much as burnham..

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4 is a powerful reminder that Michael Burnham is the most evolved Captain ever in Star Trek . By comparison to some of her peers, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) did not change very much as he aged, except for facing his own regrets. Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in Star Trek: Prodigy is essentially the same as when she was the USS Voyager's Captain, just with a higher rank. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) isn't as stern as he was when he was Captain of the USS Enterprise-D, but Jean-Luc never had to overcome the obstacles to the Captain's chair that Michael Burnham did.

It was incredibly touching for Michael to see how much she changed for the better.

Seeing Star Trek: Discovery season 1's Specialist Michael Burnham again is a stark reminder of how far Burnham has come. By Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Captain Burnham is confidently at peace with herself, has reconciled her gravest mistakes, and has proven her worth by saving the galaxy multiple times. Burnham has also known true love with Cleveland Booker (David Ajala), and she has the friendship and support of her found family, the crew of the USS Discovery. Specialist Michael Burnham is only at the start of her long, hard road to redemption , and becoming Captain Michael Burnham is her destiny in Star Trek: Discovery. It was incredibly touching for Michael to see how much she has changed for the better.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

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Ryan Garcia Says He Made $10M Betting On Himself to Beat Devin Haney in Boxing Fight

Ryan Garcia appeared to confirm he cashed out a sizable bet on himself to beat Devin Haney.

In an Instagram post Monday, Garcia shared multiple screenshots referencing a $2 million wager he placed on the fight, which paid out $12 million.

"If you bet, BET ON YOURSELF," he wrote in the caption. "On top of what we made. EATING GOOD."

Michael Benson @ MichaelBensonn Ryan Garcia on Instagram today, confirming he bet $2million on himself to beat Devin Haney… <a href="https://t.co/a7ou1mDkyP">pic.twitter.com/a7ou1mDkyP</a>

Garcia was the clear underdog entering the fight, a status he earned in no small part thanks to his struggles on social media and in public leading up to the event. He was 3.2 pounds over the 140-pound limit at the weigh-in and drank from a beer bottle on the stage.

br_betting @ br_betting Ryan Garcia (+600 ML) chugged a beer during the ceremonial weigh-ins 😭<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/BOXINGnBBQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BOXINGnBBQ</a>)<a href="https://t.co/kKlOBlMGpE">pic.twitter.com/kKlOBlMGpE</a>

Failing to make weight cost Garcia $1.5 million because he had told Haney he would pay $500,000 for every pound he was over.

Devin Haney @ Realdevinhaney Ryan honored the 500k per pound..

In an interview with ESPN's Mike Coppinger , Haney called Garcia a "f--king clown" and sounded exasperated with how things were unfolding.

"We're here now. That's all that matters," he said. "The stuff he's doing is not normal. It's obvious that something is wrong with him. But what he does outside the ring does not matter. It won't change what I'm going to do to him inside the ring."

Now, given the betting, it's worth wondering how much of Garcia's behavior was intended to make people view him as an even bigger long shot. The general lack of focus he had shown in recent weeks was nowhere to be seen once he stepped into the ring.

He overwhelmed the previously unbeaten Haney and knocked down the lightweight champion three times. CompuBox had him landing more than twice as many power punches (95) as Haney (45).

Garcia scored the biggest victory of his career Saturday in Brooklyn, New York. Upsetting Haney figures yield major dividends in more ways than one; a $10 million profit from a $2 million bet is just the start.

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Sagittarius Daily Horoscope Today, April 22, 2024 predicts self-discovery

Read sagittarius daily horoscope for april 22, 2024, to know your astrological predictions. a journey of self-discovery and meaningful connections awaits you., sagittarius – (22nd november to 21st december), daily horoscope prediction says, energize your day, sagittarius.

A journey of self-discovery and meaningful connections awaits you. The universe is aligning to offer you clarity and purpose in your journey

Today is ripe with potential for Sagittarians looking to explore their inner selves and strengthen their relationships. A chance encounter may lead to a meaningful connection. In your pursuit of personal growth, remember to balance your adventurous spirit with moments of introspection.

Sagittarius Love Horoscope Today

Your romantic endeavors are looking promising today, Sagittarius. The stars are encouraging you to open your heart and express your true feelings to someone special. If you're in a relationship, planning a spontaneous adventure together could strengthen your bond. For the singles, don't shy away from putting yourself out there. A captivating conversation might just spark a new romance. Embrace vulnerability and honesty; they will guide you toward deep and fulfilling connections.

Sagittarius Career Horoscope Today

Today marks a turning point in your career path, Sagittarius. A project or task that you've been working on is set to reach a pivotal stage, bringing recognition from your peers. However, be wary of overcommitting as this could lead to unnecessary stress. Collaboration is your key to success. Look for opportunities to lead with your creativity and inspire those around you. Keep your end goals in sight, and don't hesitate to seek guidance when necessary.

Sagittarius Money Horoscope Today

Financial insight comes your way today, allowing for smart and calculated decisions regarding your finances. It's an ideal day for budgeting or planning investments. However, be mindful of impulse spending, as it could disrupt your financial harmony. A conversation with a financial advisor could offer new perspectives and growth opportunities. Focus on long-term benefits rather than immediate gratification to enhance your financial security.

Sagittarius Health Horoscope Today

Your energy levels are high today, Sagittarius, making it a perfect day to focus on your health and well-being. Incorporating a new exercise routine or revisiting a neglected hobby could bring you joy and revitalization. Be mindful of your dietary choices, as they play a crucial role in maintaining your energy throughout the day. Consider dedicating time to mindfulness or meditation practices to balance your physical and mental health, creating a harmonious sense of well-being.

Sagittarius Sign Attributes

• Strength: Wise, Practical, Audacious, Beautiful, Lively, Energetic, Lovely, Optimistic
• Weakness: Forgetful, Careless, Irritating
• Symbol: Archer
• Element: Fire
• Body Part: Thighs & Liver
• Sign Ruler: Jupiter
• Lucky Day: Thursday
• Lucky Color: Light Blue
• Lucky Number: 6
• Lucky Stone: Yellow Sapphire

Sagittarius Sign Compatibility Chart

• Natural affinity: Aries, Leo, Libra, Aquarius
• Good compatibility: Gemini, Sagittarius
• Fair compatibility: Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn
• Less compatibility: Virgo, Pisces

By: Dr. J. N. Pandey

Vedic Astrology & Vastu Expert

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 9811107060 (WhatsApp Only)

Choose sun sign to read horoscope

Dr. J. N. Pandey a Vedic Astrology and Vastu expert, having more than 25+ years experience and clients across the globe. He holds a Doctorate and Master Degree in Vedic Astrology from B. H. U. Varanasi and was selected as National Scholar by U. G. C. of India, in 1992, to conduct research in Vedic astrology. He has served as Assistant Editor of Almanac (Vishwa Panchangam) published periodically by the B.H.U and was also teaching graduate students in the same university. Dr Pandey provides astrological advice on career, finance, health, romance, marriage, child birth, business and lot more. ...view detail

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