In today's solo episode, I will be exploring the importance of self-awareness and how to increase it. In the first two episodes of the Wellness Code Podcast, self-awareness naturally came up as the underlining theme when discussing Mindful living and then again in the second episode when learning about The Four Pillars of Mindfulness.

What is Self-Awareness?

Self-awareness is the ability to tune into your feelings, thoughts and actions and use this deep understanding, for instance, to shift patterns or to implement change. Also, it extends to understanding our goals and values (Goleman, 2018) and relationships with others (Ninivaggi, 2020).

Self-awareness is becoming somewhat of a buzzword. Firstly, it's an important skill that we can cultivate, and it's the type of internal quality that can help us thrive. Self-awareness is a form of metacognition skill (the act of thinking about your thinking) that can help us wake up from functioning on an automatic pilot mode to participating in our day-to-day living more intentionally. Secondly, it is essential in cognitive and emotional development. It can serve as a starting point from which to understand ourselves and our ways of thinking, linked to our emotional wellbeing.

Self-awareness means having an understanding of your feelings, but also what the reason might be for those feelings. People with a high degree of self-awareness can notice how, for example, their emotions affect them and those around them and, more than that, how emotions might affect their jobs or productivity. For instance, someone who is highly self-aware can speak openly and honestly about their feelings and their impact on their interactions (Goleman, 2018).

What I've described thus far is typically referred to as internal self-awareness. However, external self-awareness is also about understanding how other people view us in terms of our strengths, weaknesses, and values. Therefore, having high internal self-awareness doesn't imply having heightened external self-awareness. It could be that we are high in self-awareness but low in external self-awareness (Eurich, 2018).

The Benefits of Self-Awareness

Research on the benefits of self-awareness shows that it can provide us with a foundation for enhancing our psychological wellbeing. Indeed, the Center for Healthy Minds has identified awareness together with connection, insight and purpose as a critical factor contributing to wellbeing (Center for Healthy Minds, n.d.).

Some of the benefits include:

Increased confidence, perspectivetaking, self-control, and creativity (Silva & O’Brien, 2004).

Decreased stress and increased resilience (Cowden, Meyer-Weitz, 2016).

More positive affect, less tress, and enhanced resilience (Trent, Borden, Miraglia, Pasalis, Dusek, & Khalsa, 2019).

How to Increase Self-Awareness

There are many exercises and activities you can do to develop self-awareness. For instance, mindfulness, self-reflection and asking for feedback are the common techniques.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness can transform the way we pay attention, and it's one of the most widely used tools for cultivating self-awareness. Importantly, mindfulness practice, whether formal or informal, allows you to notice internal body sensations, thoughts and feelings as they happen while suspending judgment.

Moreover, mindfulness is a type of practice that will allow you to become more aware of your being and how you are in relationships with others.

Make Time for Self-Reflection with Openness and Curiosity

Self-reflection is the process of turning our attention inwards to bring things into conscious awareness. An essential work by Lyubomirsky, Tucker, Caldwell, and Berg (1999) suggested that when utilizing self-reflection, perceiving yourself as the subject in charge was critical rather than seeing yourself as an object.

Regular moments of pause and curious reflection helps build the habit of paying attention to the way you think, feel and behave in certain situations. For example, you may start noticing habitual patterns and approaching things from this perspective could help you understand a situation in a new way. But, more importantly, you begin to recognize your triggers and how you respond to them.

You can reflect in multiple ways, including journaling, talking aloud to yourself, or thinking. However, one of the benefits of journaling is that you can use historical data to identify patterns or perhaps identify barriers to self-awareness.You could, for example, journal your emotions.

I feel angry when…

I feel hopeful when…

I feel unsettled when…

I am annoyed when….

I struggle when…

I thrive when…

I am triggered when...

Replace “Why” with What, When or How

Research shows that asking “Why” is ineffective and unproductive. Instead, highly self-aware people ask, “What?” For instance, what leads me to feel this way? Asking what, not why helps us stay objective and pushes us to act on our new insight (Eurich, 2018)

Ask for Feedback

Ask for feedback from a trusted person to gain a different perspective. If, for example, we can receive this feedback just as that not positive or negative it may reveal to us something that we didn’t consider previously or have deliberately been trying to avoid or brush off.

Practice Noticing Benefits

Above all, make a mental note of those moments where being self-aware has made a difference in your day-to-day life and interactions.

Notice the benefits as they show up in your life!

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  <button class="accordion-item__click-target" style="padding-top: 30px; padding-bottom: 30px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px;">
  
  References
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  </button>
  

  
  
  
  

  Center for Healthy Minds. (n.d.).Retrieved August 5, 2020, from https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/why-well-being

  Cowden, R., & Meyer-Weitz, A. (2016). Self-reflection and self-insight predictresilience and stress in competitive tennis. Social Behavior and Personality,44(7), 1133–1149. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2016.44.7.1133

  Eurich, T. (2018). What Self-Awareness Really Is (and How to Cultivate It). Self-Awareness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series). Harvard Business Review Press.

  Goleman, D. (2018). The Frist Componentof Emotional Intelligence. Self-Awareness(HBR Emotional Intelligence Series). Harvard Business Review Press.

  Ninivaggi, & Frank John. (2019). Learned Mindfulness: PhysicianEngagement and M.D. Wellness. Academic Press.

  Silvia, P., & O'Brien, M. (2004). Self-Awareness and ConstructiveFunctioning: Revisiting “the Human Dilemma.” Journal of Social and ClinicalPsychology, 23(4), 475–489. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.23.4.475.40307

  Trent, N. L., Borden, S., Miraglia, M., Pasalis, E., Dusek, J. A., &Khalsa, S. B. S. (2019). Improvements in psychological and occupationalwellbeing in a pragmatic controlled trial of a yoga-based program forprofessionals. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 25,593-605.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for independent, or professional advice tailored to your specific needs.  

<figure class="
sqs-block-image-figure
image-block-outer-wrapper
image-block-v2
design-layout-poster
combination-animation-site-default
individual-animation-site-default
individual-text-animation-site-default
image-position-left

">

















</figure>