Reflective practice holds importance in various aspects of my life, including climate change, medicine, and everyday life. To enhance my own reflective practice and incorporate it structurally into my climate action leadership, I’d like to explore my understanding of reflective practice, its application in my personal and professional life to date, and my intentions for future use.
Reflective practice involves thoughtful contemplation of experiences to adjust actions and advance learning. It is the ability to adapt in response to changing circumstances, both in the moment and afterward, due to the ongoing process of learning (Kinsella, 2010), allowing a deeper understanding of oneself and situations (Sandars, 2009). As described metaphorically by Schön (1987), when standing on high ground overlooking a swamp, it is easier to use technical skills and theory to solve problems. But inside the swamp lies the “messy, confusing problems” of real life, that require reflection and adaptation (p. 3). I’ve spent much of my life in that swamp.
I have relied heavily on reflection in my personal and professional life. I have used it as a tool to re-center in times of anxiety, to deal with grief and other emotions in times of distress, and to find clarity in times of uncertainty. This has helped me in my career in healthcare which has spanned two decades in some capacity. I don’t know that I would have made it through many of the very messy, very human situations without reflective practice. There is an expression in medicine that ‘patients don’t read the textbooks’ meaning, there is obvious need for foundational knowledge and technical skills but there is an art to medicine that must be applied to fully understand the situation. That art is not taught but learned through reflecting in and on experiences, actions, and mistakes.
Despite recognizing the value of reflective practice, I often fail to dedicate the time to it. Often, I only pull it out in negative situations. However, reflecting on what went right is also important for informing knowledge and future actions (Koshy et al., 2017). The process of reflection into practice is a method to allow for all experiences and actions to be sources of growth and learning.
My intentions for my practice within climate action is to schedule time for reflection, just as I would for coffee, exercise, or rest. I would not dare present a poorly caffeinated version of myself to this important cause, so why would I present an unexamined version? Worse yet, poorly caffeinated and unexamined. I am still finding my footing in the complex, new space of climate action which is a process of evolving understanding of the situation and my role within it. As aptly captured by Kinsella (2015), “we need to reinvigorate our capacity to: think deeply about what actions to take, re‐conceptualize how we imagine ourselves and how we imagine the other, and cultivate the capacity to take creative leaps of imagination” (p. 567). Building this capacity, like any other, takes dedicated time. But as time is my most cherished possession, I want to be smart and realistic with my expectations.
Borrowing from some simple steps outlined by Porter (2017), I have developed a practical plan which defines the questions, process, and schedule. At the beginning of each month, I will consider my most pressing questions (such as: what strengths do I bring to climate action? What am I avoiding? What is the next step for a certain project? How can I expand it?), a list that is likely to change and evolve over time. I have chosen the process of running; and the schedule of three times a week. While I have benefited from the practice of sitting and journaling in the past, I know that this may be sacrificed when time is limited. I want to avoid setting myself up for failure and guilt. Running is important to me; I enjoy it and know I will make time for it. I have had many of my most profound thoughts in the solitude of running. I plan to bring a question with me on my runs upon which to reflect. I often record my ideas into my phone while running, which I will continue. Additionally, I will create a folder to transfer these reflections into, so they are not lost. I can revisit or build upon them. Creating this structured approach is an essential step to support my personal and professional growth.
It can be daunting and frightening to step back from my typical, reflexive responses and actions to think deeply and reimagine myself and my role. But that is what is necessary to prevent from getting stuck in the swamp.
References
Kinsella, E. A. (2010). The art of reflective practice in health and social care: Reflections on the legacy of Donald Schön. Reflective Practice, 11(4), 565–575. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2010.506260
Koshy, K., Limb, C., Gundogan, B., Whitehurst, K., & Jafree, D. J. (2017). Reflective practice in health care and how to reflect effectively. International Journal of Surgery Oncology, 2(6), e20–e20. https://doi.org/10.1097/IJ9.0000000000000020
Porter, J. (2017, March 21). Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection (Even If You Hate Doing It). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/03/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it
Sandars, J. (2009). The use of reflection in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 44. Medical Teacher, 31(8), 685–695. https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590903050374
Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner: Toward a new design for teaching and learning in the professions (First edition). Jossey-Bass.
Image: Nelson, P. (2015). Georgia swamp [Online Image]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/100220587@N05/16014687120/