WW Activity: Advice to yourself!
This week's well-being activity is all about self reflection!
It can be so easy to get caught up in where we are now and what we're struggling with, that we forget just how far we have come or how far we can go!
Why should we self-reflect?
- Improve our self awareness
- Provides us with new perspectives
- Facilitates deeper learning
- Challenges our assumptions
- Teaches us what works or what doesn't
Self-reflection is important because it can help to break any cycles that are not benefiting us.
The famous quote puts it well: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and over again but expecting different results.”
For this weeks activity we ask you to reflect and answer the following questions:
- What advice would current you give to the you of 3 years ago?
- How can you use this advice right now?
- What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now?
- Feel free to share if you are comfortable doing so!
**Bonus activity** Write future you a letter and hide it away/give it to someone you trust for safe keep so that you can open it in 6 months/1year/5 years and read it!
Comments
I would tell me 20 year old self to try and not put so much pressure on myself to be perfect at EVERYTHING. That my health and mental health comes first and taking time to engage in self care is vital!
How can you use this advice right now?
My anxiety is very prominent right now, so I would like to take my own advice of self-care and make sure i'm implementing it in my daily routine. Yoga is my main self-care, even if its 5 minutes in the morning.
What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now?
Dear future self, feeling your emotions is vital in your recovery. Drawing, yoga, being outside in nature will help you process all of these difficult emotions. YOU WILL BE OK , YOU ARE LOVED
@lennycat2017 I love this idea! Your point for advice to you now is great! And that Gif is killing it!
@gina-RO 
your response (as always) is so insightful and honest.
I'm not quite sure on mine, so I might think about it and come back to it 🙂
Such a good thread idea @lennycat2017 ! While there are many things I could give advice to my future and past self on, my studies have had a huge impact on my life and I often find that I judge myself too harshly on my academic success or failure.
- What advice would current you give to the you of 3 years ago?
RELAX. You are doing well in life despite what you think. You are smarter than you think. Do not let that one bad grade define yourself and your future because guess what? 3 years later you have your bachelor degree that you never thought you would get.
- How can you use this advice right now?
I should take this advice now just as much. I have graduated with a bachelor degree however I am studying again for my postgrad. I often still let my grades define who I am and compare these grades to my other friends but I know that I need to stop and realise how far I've come and what I have achieved in this time.
- What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now?
Don't doubt yourself too much. You doubt your ability to make friends and form new relationships despite proving to yourself that you can in fact do it. You may not have your dream career yet and thats okay. You are exactly where you need to be to get to where you will be.
Hmm... I'm not sure.
Three years ago, I had huge anxiety, and was very friendless. All my friends seemed to backstab me, or move to somewhere far away. If you mean going back in time and telling that self this advice, then it would probably be this:
Things may seem tough, and you may not have many friends, if any, but there is more coming, and the best of times are on their way in the future. Don't let this one of many incidents of heartbreak ruin your life. Things will get better, and there are soo many opportunities waiting for you, when you get to High school. Keep fighting. You are strong, beautiful, and enough to get through.
2. How can you use this advice right now?
Umm... That's a tough one...
I think I would try to keep fighting, and follow where the wind blows. That's the way my life is going right now, so I may as well enjoy the good things in life.
3. What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now?
Can I skip this one?
Nah.....
Probably.... Keep fighting, and you'll get where the future puts you. The past, is definitely in the past. You don't need to think about it. Don't hold on to those negative thoughts. Don't hold on to those enemies and backstabbers. They aren't worth it. You are okay, and it's okay to not be okay sometimes. It's the challenges that bring the education of improvement. You WILL get there some day, you just haven't got it... Yet.
Great advice for your furture self as well, I like "its okat not to be okay". I'm going to take on this advice for my week ahead. Thank you @xXLexi_Lou122Xx
It's something I have to give everyday.
I am loving reading this thread!
Have been meaning to jump in with this activity- here we go! 
What advice would current you give to the you of 3 years ago?
It is okay to not have everything planned- sometimes the best things in life are the things you don't plan! I know it feels scary not to plan, but you are resilient and you can cope with anything that comes your way.
How can you use this advice right now?
I am trying to be more spontaneous- plan less and live more The more I give myself space to not plan, even though it can feel overwhelming, the more I learn about myself. I think I need to give myself time to sit and just "be".
What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now?
Timelines in life are never fixed nor do they need to be reached by a certain age- I hope that you are living a meaningful life and enjoying each day as it comes, regardless of what your life looks like then
I'm not exactly sure how though...
I will try again.
Do you think you are able to even say this to yourself tonight? Be gentle with yourself, you deserve it.
Try again and again, that's the only way to get great at something 🙂 🙂 🙂
What I've been writing hasn't been very good lately...
Great responses @xXLexi_Lou122Xx !! I can see a common thread in yours to keep fighting and that is always going to be relevant advice!
That was pretty tough to think of. Probably because I don't think about what I should try to do.
That was a good challenge!
I'll have to try this more often.
Hey @lennycat2017, this is such a good idea! 🙂 It can be very powerful, particularly when you're going through a rough time!
What advice would current you give to the you of 3 years ago?
I would tell myself that I am good enough and that I am worth it. Just because you are having so much trouble with uni and lack of understanding of your mental health conditions, doesn't mean that you are not good enough. Look outside of your uni work for validation, since they are doing a crap job at it! You have got through so many tough times in your life, and you will be able to get through this one, despite all the challenges being thrown at you.
How can you use this advice right now?
This advice is still quite fitting for right now. I still get thoughts of "you're not good enough", which are helpful, and having this advice would really help me challenge this unhelpful thought. Even though my life now is very different to my life of 3 years ago, being able to remind myself of my own positive qualities is so validating and important.
What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now?
Keep remembering that you are good enough, and that you have such great potential. Look back at what life has thrown at you in the past and see how you have overcome it - you still have that same ability, and you are a much stronger person now.
I have done the bonus activity in the past, and read the letter that I wrote to my future self. It is so validating, and gave me a real sense of purpose in my life. So I would really recommend that people do it!
Would love to hear what others have to say!
I'll start us off
- What advice would current you give to the you of 3 years ago? Think before you speak and take time to process your emotions! I had a tendency to get hurt or upset and rather than talk it out rationally, I would lash out and pull away which only left me feeling really angry and isolated.
- How can you use this advice right now? Reminding myself that what I'm feeling is valid and consider everyone's perspective. It's important to remember that even though I might be hurt by someone else's actions or words, they might not know their affect on me/might also be feeling the same way. Taking time to go through the motions of what I'm feeling will help me handle things a lot better, both for myself and for those in my life.
- What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now? Remember that even baby steps are still progress towards your goals and dreams. Right now I am feeling overwhelmed by the looming deadline of graduation and getting a 'career job' that I found myself going full speed ahead and burning myself out. 3 years from now I will still be figuring everything out and I will need to remember life is not a race and taking my time will make the journey so much more worth it.
Love this week's activity @lennycat2017 - and your reflections are super insightful. I love what you've said about life not being a race - to take time and not put too much pressure on figuring everything out!
Life is an ongoing journey of working stuff out we never "get there", we just keep growing and learning and making mistakes as we go!
- What advice would current you give to the you of 3 years ago? I would tell Gina of 3 years ago, that she is killing it! Everything you are doing to improve your life, work through your values, build your confidence and career - is amazing! You're doing really well. Enjoy all the fun and new experiences you're having, and don't take this season in your life for granted. Life is about to level up in a lot of ways, but don't doubt that you're able to handle everything that comes your way.
- How can you use this advice right now? Good question! I guess the same self assurance, that I'm doing the best I can do. Don't forget to look around and enjoy everything that's happening right now, because things always change and you dont want to look back and wish you'd appreciated things more.
- What advice would you give to your future self 3 years from now?Three years from now, my life will likely have taken all sorts of twists and turns I wasn't expecting - So I guess i would tell future me, to remember everything I've overcome in the past, and my ability to evolve and thrive as my life changes.
Really keen to hear other's reflections on this.
The bonus activity letter idea is a great one as you can be a bit more personal and detailed in it if you'd like. I've done this before, and dated the letter for some date several years in the future, and given it to a friend to mail to me, or give to me, on that date.
It's been REALLY encouraging for me when I've done it.
