Allowing Ourselves Space: A Note on Reflective Practice

Reflective practice is sometimes thought of as a duty – something else to fit into our work‑day, something we do in order to be thought of as ‘professionals’. But when you break it down, it’s actually about a really human way of being – to pause, notice what’s happening and make a choice about what to do or not do. So, reflective practice is not a special technique - it’s simply about bringing some attention to our experience so that we live more consciously and learn from all of it. We can do that by ourselves, with a supervisor or manager, or with supportive others in a group – it’s all valuable.

Perhaps we could reframe reflective practice as something kind that we do for ourselves, something that stops us from drowning, especially when we support others. It can help us listen to ourselves, to notice what nourishes us and what drains us. Most importantly, it can serve as a space where there is no judgement, and which allows us to grow without self‑criticism. It might just help us remember why we do what we do.

This is where the important work happens – quietly, beneath the surface. There’s not a lot of drama here, just patient attention, acknowledging what’s real and allowing space for the unexpected to appear.

In a recent session I watched some lightbulbs go on as people remembered there could be a space before interpretation — a pause to notice what was actually happening, rather than rushing to make sense of it. So often our first interpretations come with attendant judgment, emotion, or old stories about what something ‘means’. That brief moment allows us to relax, even just a bit, and something more generous to ourselves and others becomes possible.

Before you turn your attention away from this post, give yourself two minutes of noticing without needing to do anything with it. Just acknowledge what’s here – inside you and outside you. This is how reflective practice begins: with a small kindness toward your own experience.