Honest Reflection and Reflective Theoretical Models: The Path to Self-Knowledge and Mental Health.

<Lorena Burlacu>

Honest reflection is a process by which we think about what we have experienced, what we feel, and how we have reacted to different situations. This type of reflection is important for mental health because it helps us better understand why we act in certain ways, how to manage our emotions, and how to learn from our mistakes. By practicing honest reflection, we can improve our relationships, reduce stress, and have a more emotionally balanced life (Schön, D.A., 1983).

A theoretical model that can help in this process is Kolb's model of experiential learning. This model suggests that we learn best from our experiences, not just by accumulating information. Basically, we learn from what we experience and how we reflect on those experiences. The Kolb model has four main steps: experiencing an experience, thinking about that experience, learning from what we experienced, and acting on what we learned in the future (Kolb, D.A., 1984).

1. The concrete experience – This is the moment when we experience a situation that provokes our emotions or reactions. It can be a stressful period at work, an argument with someone close to us, or a situation that makes us feel insecure.

2. Reflection on the experience – After we experience that experience, we think about what happened, how we reacted, and what we learned from that moment. This is a stage in which we ask questions like: “How did I feel?” and “Why did I react that way?”

3. Abstract Conceptualization – In this stage, we try to understand what that experience means more deeply. For example, we may learn that the stress we felt at work comes from a fear of making mistakes and that we need to work on those fears to feel more relaxed.

4. Active Experiencing – This is where we apply what we have learned. For example, if we realize that we are not asking for help when we need it, we start asking for help from colleagues when we feel we cannot cope on our own.

A personal example that taught me how important honest reflection is for mental health occurred during a time when I was always feeling overwhelmed by my responsibilities at work. I wanted to be perfect in everything I did and often took on too many tasks, even when I did not have enough time. So instead of asking for help, I tried to do everything myself, which left me feeling exhausted and stressed.

In hindsight, I realized that the pressure to always be “perfect” was causing me a lot of stress and preventing me from being productive. I had started to criticize myself for small failures, instead of accepting that I was only human and needed help from time to time. Once I understood this, I started to apply the lesson to my future projects, asking for help when I felt like it was too much for me.

This completely changed the way I managed stress and helped me have a better relationship with myself. I learned that it’s not wrong to ask for help and that I don’t have to be perfect to be enough.

Honest reflection is a powerful tool for improving mental health. Using a model like Kolb’s, we can learn from every experience and become more aware of our feelings and needs. In this way, we not only understand ourselves better, but we can also make better choices for our emotional health.

It is essential to take the time to reflect on our experiences, not only to learn from our mistakes, but also to understand what makes us happy and what helps us feel good about ourselves. In the process, we can learn to be gentler with ourselves, accept that we are not perfect, and work on creating a healthy emotional balance. Honest reflection also helps us identify our values ​​and priorities, so that we can make decisions that are aligned with our true nature and what we need to live a fulfilling life.

In conclusion, honest reflection is an important step in the process of improving mental health. Using theoretical models such as Kolb's, we can learn from our experiences and apply them to our daily lives to become more aware of our own needs and make better decisions. Through this continuous process of learning and introspection, we can improve our mental health and live a more balanced and fulfilled life.

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Reference:

Schön, D.A., 1983. The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Basic Books, New York https://raggeduniversity.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/1_x_Donald-A.-Schon-The-Reflective-Practitioner_-How-Professionals-Think-In-Action-Basic-Books-1984_redactedaa_compressed3.pdf#page=30.66

Kolb, D.A., 1984. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235701029_Experiential_Learning_Experience_As_The_Source_Of_Learning_And_Development