Self Awareness

Self awareness is crucial for your well-being, it's the foundation for all personal growth.

By understanding the basics, you'll begin a transformative journey toward embracing your true self and creating a more balanced and fulfilling life.

What is self awareness? 

It's the ability to observe your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, and understand how they influence your experiences. It’s like stepping back from the whirlwind of life and pausing long enough to recognise what’s going on inside and around you. It’s a powerful skill that allows you to know yourself on a deeper level, and to respond thoughtfully rather than react automatically to life’s challenges.

Example: Imagine you’re a busy professional with a lot on your plate work, family, and a new puppy demanding your attention. You feel constantly overwhelmed and stressed, but haven’t really paused to reflect on why. Self awareness would allow you to stop, breathe, and ask, “What exactly am I feeling right now? Why do I feel overwhelmed? Is it because I haven’t set boundaries with my work, or am I trying to juggle too many things at once?”

When you become aware of your thoughts and emotions in this way, you can make more intentional choices about how you respond, leading to better emotional regulation and healthier decision-making.

Whys is self awareness important?

You may already know that life can be chaotic and stressful. It’s easy to get caught up in the demands of work, family, and everything else. But when you’re unaware of your inner world, you might find yourself reacting in ways that don’t serve your well being. Self awareness is the first step toward taking control of your life, understanding your emotional triggers, and ultimately creating more peace and balance.

Here’s why self-awareness matters:

• Better Emotional Regulation: Knowing what’s going on inside helps you manage your emotions. When you’re self aware, you can notice when stress is building up and take steps to address it before it overwhelms you.
• Improved Relationships: Self awareness helps you understand your needs, triggers, and communication style, which can lead to healthier, more balanced relationships with others.
• Increased Confidence: When you know your strengths and weaknesses, you can build on what you’re good at and work on areas where you need growth, boosting your overall confidence and self-worth. 

Example: Imagine you’ve just had a difficult conversation with a co-worker. Without self awareness, you might find yourself getting upset, feeling attacked, or even lashing out. But if you’re self-aware, you can stop and think, “Why am I reacting this way? What’s underlying my frustration?” Maybe you realise that you’re stressed from a project deadline and that’s influencing your emotional reaction. With this understanding, you can adjust your response, diffuse the tension, and approach the situation with a clearer mind.

Self awareness is something that grows and deepens over time. Think of it like a continuum:

Low Self Awareness: At this stage, you might be completely unaware of your thoughts and emotions. You may feel like life is happening to you, without any sense of control.

Moderate Self Awareness: You can begin to recognize your emotional patterns and triggers, but you might still react impulsively or feel stuck in certain situations.

High Self Awareness: At this level, you are fully in tune with your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. You have a clear understanding of your emotional needs, your strengths, and your limitations, and you can respond intentionally and constructively in any situation.

Think about the last time you felt overwhelmed, maybe while juggling multiple responsibilities. You might not have immediately realised that you were overwhelmed because your mind was racing, or perhaps you felt stuck and didn’t know how to move forward. But with self awareness, you can start to observe what’s going on inside:

• Are you feeling anxious, stressed, or frustrated?
• Are you aware of your body’s physical response, tight shoulders, shallow breathing, tension in your neck?
• Are you caught up in a negative thought loop that’s contributing to your stress?

By identifying these sensations, thoughts, and feelings, you’ll gain clarity on what’s happening and why. And most importantly, you can choose how to respond instead of just reacting.

Key Takeaways

• Self awareness is the ability to observe your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, leading to greater emotional regulation and intentional decision-making.
• Being self aware helps you identify emotional triggers, manage stress, and improve relationships with others.
• Self awareness grows over time and can help you become more mindful and intentional in your responses to life’s challenges.