10 self reflection questions to answer out loud

Why answer self reflection questions out loud?

Most self reflection questions are written for a notebook. Out loud, they ask for less: one question, one minute, no tidy sentences. Saying a thing often shows you what you meant before you have found the words for it.

These ten are quiet ones, for the days you want a pause and don’t know what to ask yourself. Pick one, press record and answer. If you use a voice journal like Dearly, it writes the page for you while you talk.

What are good self reflection questions to ask yourself?

Quiet, specific ones you can answer in about a minute. Here are ten. Take the first one that makes you pause.

1. What am I carrying today that I haven’t said to anyone?
2. What has been taking more of my energy than it should?
3. What did I need this week that I didn’t ask for?
4. When did I feel most like myself lately?
5. What am I pretending not to know?
6. What am I proud of that nobody saw?
7. What would I do with a free afternoon if nobody needed anything?
8. What small thing keeps bothering me, and why?
9. What am I looking forward to, even a little?
10. What do I want to remember about this week?

How do you answer them out loud?

Pick one, press record and talk for about a minute. A rough answer is enough.

• Pick one. Read down the list and take the first question that makes you pause. Leave the rest for another day.
• Talk for about a minute. Answer, then keep going for a few seconds past the point where you would normally stop.
• A rough answer is enough. You are not writing for anyone. Half a sentence and a pause still counts.
• Come back to it. The same question hears a different answer a month later, which is the nice part of keeping your voice.

Related: more journaling prompts to say out loud · what to keep and let go of this year · gratitude prompts to say out loud · the complete voice journaling guide · Dearly, the voice journal.