Every week goes by so fast; it can be easy to forget to even acknowledge how hard we’ve worked this week, or celebrate our achievements… this cannot do!

Try doing a quick weekly review at the end of the week to help boost your productivity as well as give you a chance to pause, reflect and celebrate! This is quite similar to a gratitude journal, which is another powerful tool to improve your wellbeing, but if you want something a little more on the practical end of the scale, you may find this useful.

“Spending time in regular reflection helps build a sense of self-awareness and identity. Reflection helps us understand how we think, act, and respond. Once we build that understanding, we can work on creating new, healthier ways of coping with stress, anxieties, and self-esteem. It also has a powerful impact on healing trauma,” says CBT Specialist Jessica Adams.

How can I start a reflective journal?

Basically, a reflective journal is a place to write or type your reflections so you can learn and grow from your past experiences.

You can start a physical journal or you can even type this up on your laptop if you prefer… whatever works for you!

When to start a weekly review

This could be different for everyone: you might want to do this on a Friday at the end of the business week or on a Sunday before the start of a new week. See what works for you.

Start by free journaling

A good way to get started with your weekly review could be by free writing for around 10-15 minutes. To write freely with no prompts, anything that pops into your head about the last week. A brain dump can help you write down anything that’s lurking in your brain and declutter your mind.

Ask yourself some questions

Self reflection questions can help you gain clarity about how the past week went and help you to form a plan for next week and later. Here are some prompts to get you started.

  • What gave you joy?
  • What inspired you?
  • What new things did you experience?
  • What was difficult?
  • What didn’t go quite right and what did I learn from it?
  • Where can you improve next week?
  • What was my biggest accomplishment over the past week?
  • What do I want to accomplish next week?
  • What am I most grateful for about this last week?

Take some time to really reflect on your answers… they can act as a guide for your plan for next week.

“The journey into self-love and self-acceptance must begin with self-examination… until you take the journey of self-reflection, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life.” – Iyanla Vanzant