How to Coach Yourself: Reflection Practices for Every Coach
Great coaching begins with great self-awareness. The best coaches don’t just facilitate reflection for others—they commit to their own ongoing learning. International Day of Self-Reflection is a powerful reminder to pause, reset, and realign. How can we, as coaches, deepen our own reflective practice? And how can creative tools help us unlock new insights?
Why Reflection is Essential for Coaching Growth
Coaching is a profession of continuous development. Research consistently shows that reflective practice enhances coaching effectiveness, ethical decision-making, and confidence. The ICF highlights self-reflection as a core part of professional growth, ensuring that coaches stay present, self-aware, and aligned with their clients’ needs.
Yet, reflection isn’t just about thinking back—it’s about actively engaging with our experiences, noticing patterns, questioning assumptions, and opening up new perspectives.
Beyond Journaling: The Power of Creative Reflection
Traditional reflective practices—journaling, supervision, peer discussions—are invaluable. But sometimes, words alone don’t quite capture the depth of what we’re processing. That’s where creative approaches can help.
Art, poetry, music, and imagery activate different parts of the brain, unlocking insights that logical analysis might miss. Studies in neuroscience show that engaging in creative expression supports problem-solving, emotional regulation, and cognitive flexibility—all crucial skills for coaching.
Try This: Creative Reflective Practice
One simple yet powerful exercise from the ACADEMY Coaching Tools Library involves using art and poetry as reflective prompts.
👉 Step 1: Choose an abstract image, a painting, or a piece of poetry (like those from Choir of Brave Voices).
👉 Step 2: Instead of analysing it, let yourself simply sit with it. What emotions or thoughts arise?
👉 Step 3: Consider your coaching:
- What in this image/poem mirrors your coaching style?
- What hidden insights does it reveal about how you show up for clients?
- What might it suggest about your next step in developing as a coach?
Why it works: When we bypass purely logical processing, we tap into deeper, often subconscious insights—making reflection more intuitive, embodied, and transformational.
Indie’s Coaching Wisdom: The Pause Before the Leap
Indie, as always, has a lesson for us. Before he takes off on a run, he pauses—ears forward, sensing the moment. That split-second of stillness is where all his awareness gathers.
In coaching, we often focus on action—helping clients move forward, set goals, create change. But true growth comes in the pause before the next step.
What if, instead of rushing into ‘what’s next,’ you gave yourself space to sit with what’s already present?
Ask yourself:
- What am I sensing but haven’t fully acknowledged?
Where in my coaching practice do I need to pause and listen more deeply—to myself or my clients?
Reflection for Coaches:
- When was the last time you reflected creatively on your coaching?
- How do you pause in your practice to check in with yourself?
- What might shift if you explored self-reflection through a different lens?
International Day of Self-Reflection is an invitation to step back, notice, and engage with our own growth. The stronger our reflective practice, the stronger our coaching.
Deepen Your Reflective Practice
Looking for structured yet creative ways to reflect? The ACADEMY Coaching Tools Library offers unique tools—from poetry-based prompts to artistic reflection exercises—to help you deepen your awareness, unlock new coaching insights, and grow with confidence.
👉 Explore the tools here