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Everyone has a shadow: A neglected part of themselves that never sees the light of awareness.
This shadow might take the form of the insecure beta male that you strive to oppress. After all those years of being bullied, you’d never let anyone take advantage of you again. You’re a big strong man who has a lot to show, and that’s the image you would die to uphold.
Maybe it’s the drug-addicted loser you avoid looking at in the mirror, or the abhorrent whore, the shame to your family, the person who became a disastrous failure in life. So you work your ass off and flaunt your self-worth to make sure you never touch that image with a ten-foot pole.
Am I being a little harsh? Not as harsh as you are to yourself, because you’re your own worst critic, and that’s a big reason why you’re disintegrated. That pathetic, ugly, weak version of you still exists as your shadow self. It has been banished from your awareness and locked in the dark basement of your subconscious, but it’s not going away.
Your shadow is a very real part of you, and as long as you deny its existence, you’re never going to feel complete.
This is where shadow work prompts play a role in directing your awareness towards the side of you that you refuse to look at. Shadow work prompts are questions, or cues to help you confront the neglected parts of yourself so you can work through it.
It’s time to illuminate your shadows and make peace with them for growth, healing, and integration.
Why shadow work is necessary
Your shadows come in the form of past traumas and unresolved wounds that have never properly been dealt with. Instead of healing the root cause, you slapped on a mask and pretended to be someone you’re not in an attempt to cover up your ugly side.
After all, this is the quicker solution. At least it feels like a solution, for a while. But if you’re looking to truly become your best self, you need to be genuine. You need to be completely transparent with yourself and look your ugliness in its eyes, otherwise it will always be the yang to your yin.
This dark icky mess that you locked in the closet manifests into insecurities, distorted perceptions about reality and oneself, limiting belief systems, and a whole mountain of trash that does not serve you.
This manifestation is the shadow self; the broken, dysfunctional side of you. A portrait of your lower self.
The shadow self cannot be abandoned. Neglecting it just adds more fuel to the fire. Despising it just makes you despise yourself. The shadow self is a disintegrated part of who you are, but it’s still a part of yourself, so it should be treated as such.
Acknowledging your shadows is one part of the equation, but integrating them is another. This is where shadow work is necessary, as it’s the act of integrating the bits and pieces you once abandoned.
What are shadow work prompts?
Shadow work prompts are questions that are intended to help you bring awareness to your shadow self. They’re a key part of shadow work as they’re navigational tools to help you reflect, expose, and acknowledge undesirable aspects of your life experience.
In this sense, shadow work prompts are intended to dredge out unwanted emotions, feelings, and memories. They should trigger you, and cause you to reflect upon your life, facilitating the discovery of hidden aspects of yourself.
If I were to ask you why a particular conversation triggered you, or why you keep making the same mistakes in your romantic relationships, these questions might open a can of worms. You may acknowledge that you have a fear of commitment which is why you self-sabotage, which leads to more questions and deeper healing.
Don’t take a half-assed approach, but read each prompt and think about the questions. Observe if any buried feelings come up, if they trigger certain memories, or if these powerful cues flush anything to the surface that is worth investigating.
If a shadow work prompt does trigger a reaction, that means you’ve hit something worth looking at. Sit with whatever comes up and be present with whatever discomfort arises. Reflect on everything painful that surfaces until the emotions begin to lose power. This is how healing takes place, by allowing yourself to experience the discomfort and process it. Not by distracting yourself and escaping it.
The problem with avoidance
It’s easier to pretend your problems don’t exist than to put in the hard yards and do the healing. Healing is a painful process. It’s confronting. It can make you feel small. That’s why creating an image is a quicker solution and it’s usually the obvious solution too, but it’s not sustainable.
Most people live their lives wearing a mask to the world. Your job here is to take off that mask and look underneath it. You want to identify everything rotten with you, so you can start healing those wounds because they’re not going to heal themselves.
If you felt like you were a loser growing up, it’s easier to learn how to be cool and guard that image closely than to confront why you feel like a loser, and you can fool yourself pretty well too.
Likewise, if you’re generally a negative person, it’s easier to create a facade of light than to dig into why you see so much darkness within yourself.
Genuine healing is not straightforward. It can be a long journey to figure out what needs to be healed, let alone how to heal it. People tend to heal on the surface level but neglect the real stuff. This is where the substance is, and often you need to do some digging to get there.
Hiding behind a facade your whole life will inevitably cause more problems in the long run because your dysfunctions haven’t been resolved. We have created an incredibly superficial society where people believe that healing is skin deep, and live behind a facade of their higher self, rather than embarking on the long and often miserable journey to embody their higher self.
This is called spiritual bypassing, and it’s very important to acknowledge. You must be genuine with your process of healing if you want to heal.
Self-reflection: An invaluable for shadow work
Self-reflection is a critical aspect of shadow work. It’s the process of examining your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to gain insight into yourself; where you can then apply the appropriate behavioral changes.
Self-reflection helps you to identify your triggers, discover reoccurring patterns, and discard limiting belief systems. It’s also a way to connect with your inner self, listen to your intuition, and gain a deeper understanding of your values and desires.
When reading the following shadow work prompts, it’s important to be honest with yourself. After all, you’re here for a reason, and some of these prompts might make you feel a bit tender… or perhaps cause some sort of emotional reaction. So do the work, as that is what will give you results in the long run.ย
Shadow work prompts for all situations
Some of these topics might not apply to you. Others you’ll find hit a resonating chord and make you think. Pick out the shadow work prompts that resonate with you and give them some heavy thought.ย When you read each cue, do the following to start integrating your shadow self.
- Reflect on the question
- Identify if there is something there that’s not serving you, and think about how you can resolve it
- Identify if any uncomfortable emotions, memories, or feelings that arise and sit with them.
- Visualize yourself helping that wounded version of you, and bringing him/her into yourself
Shadow work prompts for self-enquiry
- What are some painful reocurring themes in your life?
Think about painful events that seem to repeatedly occur in your life. Do you have a pattern of getting into relationships with narcissists? Do you always seem to get caught in bad situations or get taken advantage of? Explore why you keep attracting those painful experiences into your life, and what you can do differently to ensure the same pattern doesn’t happen again.
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If something went wrong recently, what could you do better next time?
Part of life is that things go wrong all the time. Maybe it’s an unexpected accident, injury, or argument. Perhaps you screwed up at work or in your relationship. If anything happened recently that didn’t go well, reflect on what you could have done to create a different outcome. -
What aspects of your parents do you see in yourself?
Reflect on the common beliefs, traits, and characteristics you share with your parents. Are your beliefs unique to you, or were they adopted? You may have adopted some things from your parents that aren’t in your best interest, therefore, reflect on them to see what’s yours, and what isn’t. - Do you find yourself behaving in similar ways to your parents?
- Are there any dysfunctions you may have adopted, and believe it’s normal?
- In what ways did your parents influence you as a child?
- What are your highest values that fill you will joy?
- What are your core beliefs?
Core beliefs are often formed during childhood when our minds are squishy and impressionable, where they become deeply rooted in who we are. Take some time to reflect on the core beliefs that you hold, and think about whether they’re in your best interest. If they are holding you back, start to challenge them and replace them with positive beliefs. - Do you consider yourself to be a good person? Why/why not?
- In what area of your life do you feel you have a block?
Think about areas where you struggle and can’t seem to get ahead. Look at what area of your life you struggle in the most, and think about why that is. A block I had when I was younger revolved around the inability to date and form meaningful relationships. Later on, I struggled with a financial block, in which I always seemed to struggle with money. It took a lot of introspection to identify that there were deeper layers to this pie.
Shadow work prompts for self-love
- What negative beliefs about yourself do you entertain?
- How do you see yourself in your own eyes?
Your self-image tells you a lot. If you feel like you’re not who you want to be by now, then there is probably something there that needs to be looked at. - How do you react when someone compliments you?
- In what ways do you prioritize the needs of others over your own?
- What past experiences have led you to feel unworthy?
- What are some of the biggest challenges you had during childhood?
- How do you internally speak to yourself when you make a mistake?
- Do people in general seem to like you? Why/why not
Looking at yourself through a 3rd-person perspective can illuminate hidden aspects of yourself. If you think everyone dislikes you, you may be projecting those feelings when it could be far from the truth. Also, think about what would annoy you the most about yourself if you were interacting with yourself. This is a good way to get a different perspective into who you are, and where your biggest faults lie. - Do you find there’s resistance for you to work on yourself?
- What’s preventing you from being your authentic self?
Embracing your authentic self is the ultimate goal of shadow work. It’s about accepting yourself fully, flaws and all, and living a life that’s true to your values. Do you mask your true identity out of fear of being seen, or are you comfortable in your skin?
- What does your authentic self look like?
- Why are you being someone who you don’t want to be?
- What characteristics, traits, skills, and abilities do you need to develop to be in alignment with who you want to be?
- How would it make you feel if people saw you for who you authentically are?
- What childhood messages did you receive about self-worth and self-love?
- Do the people in your life show self-love, or are they self-destructive?
- How do you sabotage your efforts to care for yourself?
- What would it look like to fully accept yourself? How would this impact your life?
- What do you hate about yourself the most? Why do you dislike that/those particular aspects of yourself?
- What are some small things you can do daily to take more care of yourself?
Shadow work prompts for relationships:
- What recurring patterns do you notice in your relationships and where do they come from?
Look into your love life and the trends that seem to occur within it. Toxic partners, narcissists, interdependence, running away, conflicts, etc. What’s causing this behavior and what can you do to prevent it from happening again? - Do you make excuses not to see friends or family? Why not?
- How often do you put off invitations to new opportunities?
- How do you react when you feel rejected or abandoned by someone you care about?
- What expectations do you have in relationships?
- How do you communicate your needs and boundaries to others?
- Were you ever betrayed by someone in the past? How do you think it affects your relationships moving forward?
- In what ways do you idealize or devalue people in your life, and why?
- How do you handle conflict in your relationships? What could you do differently?
If you have particularly painful arguments with someone, or perhaps did in the past where the worst side of you comes out, spend some time thinking about why this happened, how this side got the best of you, and how you can be the bigger person next time. When I was living with my mom after 5 years abroad, a side of me came out during our arguments that I had not seen in a long time. By reflecting on these experiences and aiming to be better, I could take steps to heal our relationship. - Is there someone you haven’t yet forgiven?
Forgiveness is a powerful tool in shadow work. Holding onto grudges is draining and prevents you from moving forward with your life. To practice forgiveness, start by forgiving yourself for any mistakes or shortcomings that you may have. Work on forgiving others who may have hurt you in the past by leveling with them and understanding their perspective. - Have you ever had your heart broken? How did it affect future relationships?
- Are you affectionate in your relationships? If not, what do you think the barrier is?
- Do you find that you’re needy or overattached?
Neediness and overattachment are signs that you don’t value yourself in a relationship, therefore idealizing the person you’re with. What do you think is the root cause of this behavior, and how can you empower yourself in the relationship? - Are you distant, avoidant, or don’t like to open up to your partners? Why do you think that is?
- Do you find that your relationships are lustful, or genuine connections?
- What did your parents believe about love?
- What was your parent’s relationship like?
- What role do trust and vulnerability play in your relationships?
- How do your family dynamics influence your romantic relationships or friendships?
- What do you fear the most about intimacy and closeness with others?
Shadow work prompts for trauma
- What traumatic events from your past still affect you today, and how?
- What childhood events do you still carry painful memories of?
Trauma often comes from childhood. These imprints can stay with you for a long time and turn into a distorted mess if neglected. The best way to see if you have childhood trauma is to probe your memories. If the memory is sensitive and brings up an emotional response, there’s probably an unhealed trauma there. - How do you cope with feelings of fear or anxiety related to past trauma?
- What triggers remind you of past traumatic experiences, and how do you react?
- In what ways has your trauma influenced your beliefs about yourself and the world?
- What coping mechanisms did you develop as a result of your trauma, and are they still serving you?
- What support systems do you have in place to help you heal from trauma? If you don’t have any, how can you create some?
- How has your trauma affected your ability to trust others or yourself?
- What aspects of your identity at attached to your trauma? How does this manifest?
- Do you feel like a victim?
Feeling victimized is a natural response, however, it can become a trap if you stay there. If you feel like you’re a victim in life, what are some things you can do to empower yourself to get out of this limiting belief system? - What steps can you take to reclaim your sense of empowerment?
Shadow work prompts for insecurities
- What are your biggest triggers?
Identifying your triggers is an essential step in shadow work. Triggers are events, situations, or people that get on your nerves and cause a disproportionate reaction, usually for an unknown reason. Maybe you became overly defensive when it wasn’t necessary. Perhaps a certain situation caused you to melt down. To identify your triggers, take some time to reflect on the situations that have triggered you, and dig into the emotional response. - What situations make you feel insecure?
- How do you seek validation from others, and why?
- Do you compare yourself with others often?
Comparison plays a big role in being insecure because you have something to prove. If there’s something you don’t like about yourself, such as your job, or the people you associate with, then something is broken. Therefore, have a look into the different departments of your life, and figure out if there’s anything you’re ashamed of. - What aspects of yourself do you feel you need to hide from others?
- In what sort of situations do you feel most vulnerable?
If you have no hidden wounds you are probably self-assured, but it’s normal to feel vulnerable at specific times of your life. Job interviews, moving to a new place, social gatherings, dates. Look at why certain situations make you feel more vulnerable, and where that feeling of vulnerability comes from. - How do you respond to constructive criticism?
Do you usually get upset when someone gives you constructive feedback, or do you welcome it? Perhaps you get defensive and people are deliberately trying to bring you down. If constructive criticism hits a sore spot, think about why you take it so hard. Why do you feel like you need to be good at everything, and that you can’t take advice from other people without getting triggered? What do you think causes this? - When did you first start feeling insecure about yourself, and what caused it?
- Do you project your insecurities onto other people?
You know when people use you as a scapegoat and dump their issues onto you? Then they won’t listen to reason and make it out that you’re the bad guy? That’s projecting; pushing your own emotions onto a victim so that you’re not at fault. Do you ever find yourself projecting, or blaming someone when it wasn’t their fault? - How often do you lie, or cover up truths?
Covering up truths or telling lies indicates that you have something to hide. And why do you have something to hide? Well, you really gotta ask yourself about that… Whatever it is, there are negative feelings beneath the surface, otherwise, you would have no intention of covering up the truth – either to yourself or other people. So look into your tendency to lie, and try to figure out where this need comes from. -
What are you ashamed of?
Shame is often a root cause for repressing a part of yourself. If you’re ashamed of something, or someone made you feel a certain way about something you did, you are likely to reject that aspect of yourself. Think about whether there’s anything you’re ashamed of. What is it, and why are you ashamed of it? How can you take steps to let go of that shame and heal? - How often do you say things that aren’t necessarily true to feel better about yourself?
- Do you tend to boast or talk about yourself a lot?
- What is the most embarrassing thing that could happen to you?
Have you ever thought of a particular memory, or even a hypothetical situation and you feel the same physical manifestations as if it happened? Guess what? That means you’re discovering a wounded root that is causing these emotional reactions. - What sort of reactions are you trying to avoid from other people? How would these reactions make you feel?
- Why do you care what other people think of you?
- Do you have a big ego?
An inflated ego is usually a sign of overcompensating for something you’re insecure about. So see whether your ego is in check by reading the following prompts. If you find that your ego is more inflated than it should be, you need to take steps to balance it. - Do you have a superiority complex or think you’re betterย than other people?
- Do you always want to be the center of attention, or do you shy away from it?
- Are you overcompensating for anything?
For me, it wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I realized I had a people-pleaser problem. I do pride myself in being a genuinely kind person, but in the past, I would put every person before myself. So I needed to look into this behavior. When I did, I realized it came from the fear of disapproval – that I felt I needed to be liked by everyone as I never really felt it as a kid. - Do you get triggered when people talk down to you or treat you in a way that doesn’t live up to your self-image?
- What is so important about being accepted by other people?
- What strengths or positive qualities do you dismiss or downplay about yourself? Why do you do it?
- What are your biggest regrets?
Is there something you regret and have a hard time thinking about it? If you have a hard time thinking about a particular memory, it means that you still have a wound. The only way to clean it is to spend time being present with those memories where you can process them. - Are there memories, experiences, or decisions that you’re not comfortable feeling?
- What would it feel like to truly believe in your worth and abilities?
Shadow work prompts for manifestation
- How often do you make excuses about creating your dream life?
Often there’s a good reason why you make excuses for doing things you should be doing. That’s because there is some sort of avoidance happening. Whatever it is, it’s not good, so it’s important to have a hard look at why you are avoiding certain things in your life that could improve your life. - What limiting beliefs do you hold about my ability to create the life I desire?
- How do you feel when others achieve what you desire? What does this reveal about your beliefs?
- What past experiences have shaped your beliefs about success and abundance?
- How do you talk about your goals and dreams? What does this say about your beliefs?
- What fears do you have about failure or success, and how do they hinder your manifestation efforts?
- Do you self-sabotage in any areas of your life?
Self-sabotage is when you unconsciously prevent yourself from getting something you want because you believe you don’t deserve it. Sometimes people sabotage good job opportunities, relationships, and unconsciously push away things that are good for them. Look into whether you notice trends where you sabotage good things that are coming into your life. It’s important to acknowledge what was in your control, why you sabotaged yourself, and how you can make sure it doesn’t happen again. - Have you ever ruined a good job opportunity?
- Have you messed up a good blooming relationship?
- How often do you reject help, when it could help?
- Do you tend to deny good things that are coming into your life like money, people, opportunities, and adventures?
- How do you respond to setbacks or challenges along the way to achieving your goals?
- Why do you think you avoid working on yourself or improving your life?
- What habits or thought patterns contribute to your ability to manifest effectively?
- How do you define success, and how does this definition influence your life experience?
- What desires do you have trouble admitting to yourself? Why?
- What would it feel like to fully believe in your power to manifest your dreams?