10 Tips on How to Become More Self-Aware
Photo by TUBARONES PHOTOGRAPHY from Pexels
This blog will provide you with some practical steps on how to increase self-awareness & feel empowered to create positive change.
What is Self-Awareness and Why does it Matter?
Self-awareness is about learning to understand why you behave in a certain way and developing an awareness of your feelings towards yourself and others.
Becoming self-aware is empowering as it allows us to better understand who we are and identify opportunities for positive life changes.
This can reap many benefits in the work environment in addition to our everyday personal lives. Developing self-awareness is also an important component of emotional intelligence which is needed to become socially adept.
With the Covid-19 pandemic and a rise in the number of people feeling isolated, there is no better time to work on self-awareness!
Self-Awareness Benefits
Improved self-esteem
When people are able to identify via self-awareness that they are the cause and driver for success or a positive change in behaviour it boosts self-esteem. Celebrating any successes, no matter how small they may be, will really give us a boost.
Self confidence
Having an awareness of both strengths and weaknesses allows us to have a more balanced outlook on life. This will create more self-confidence as we become more aware of the opportunities for growth and personal development. Self-confidence allows us to believe in ourselves, which then has a knock-on positive impact on whatever we engage in.
Improved workplace relationships
In the workplace, team dynamics can flourish when employees and managers are self-aware of their actions and how they impact team members. This can create stronger relationships and a positive workplace dynamic which will boost productivity and reduce staff turnover.
How does Self-Awareness Emerge?
A sense of self-awareness typically begins to develop from the age of 18 months old. Many parents will relate to this as leading into the onset of the phase typically known as “the terrible two’s” when children become much more independent. Lewis and Brooks-Gunn performed a study to examine the self-awareness of infants. They applied a red dot to the infant’s nose then presented them with a mirror. Those that reached for their nose as opposed to reaching for the mirror were confirmed to have developed some form of self-awareness. JeanneBrooks-Gunn MichaelLewis
Self-Awareness Theory
Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund’s (1972) conducted a study which found that when people focus on themselves, it enables self-evaluation. Human beings compare themselves regularly to whatever is considered to be the benchmark standard. This translates into us experiencing feelings or pride or dissatisfaction. Therefore, self-awareness is also a key aspect of self-control. www.encyclopedia.com/self-awareness-theory
Connection to Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence are the abilities that allow us to recognize and regulate emotions in ourselves and others (Goleman, 2001).
Self-awareness is one of the five key components that form emotional intelligence, the others include:
1. Self-regulation.
This is like self-control. Emotional self-regulation allows us to resist any impulsive behaviours and draw from a range of emotions and behaviors suited to the environment (Bell 2016). Self-regulation covers the subconscious automatic processes.
2. Social skills
In this context, social skills relate to the ability to handle and influence other people’s emotions effectively. E.g. reciprocating body language and facial expressions such as a smile.
3. Empathy
Empathy allows us to pick up on emotional cues and understand the emotions and concerns of others. It allows us to feel comfortable in different social environments and understand group power dynamics.
4. Motivation
Motivation allows us to achieve a set goal, it regulates behaviour so we remain on track with our targets. The higher the motivation levels the more likely we are to want to achieve our goals which fills us with a sense of purpose and can boost self esteem. www.helpguide.org
How to Enhance Self-Awareness
1. Have transparent discussions
Being transparent with yourself and others allows for more honest discussions that factor in how you truly feel. Practice bringing down any walls with those closest to you and being honest when you’re next asked the question ‘How are you?’
2. Practice being observant
Learn to become observant of both yourself and others. Pay attention to things like body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice - this allows for greater understanding, particularly in social environments.
3. Listen
Become an active listener. Let the other person finish speaking before responding. Ensure that you are taking notice of what someone is saying rather than just simply waiting for your turn to respond. Replaying back what the other person has said can be an effective way to make sure that you have understood the conversation.
4. Practice being empathetic
Try putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to imagine what they could be feeling. This can help with building stronger longer-term relationships with people too.
5. Self-Acceptance
Become comfortable with who you are knowing that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If you can accept this and recognise that there is opportunity to change those things that you wish to change you can reach a place of acceptance and peace. Remember that no one is perfect.
6. Journal
It can be extremely therapeutic to write down any thoughts and feelings that you might be having. Try allocating some time in your daily schedule to journal how you feel. Just record whatever comes to mind unfiltered. You can then reflect on how you truly feel and determine what support you might need.
7. Seek feedback
Ask a trusted friend for feedback, ask them how well you listen, engage with others in a social setting and show empathy. Seeking objective feedback can be a great way to know what areas you may need to work on.
8. Personality assessment tools
You can also use personality & character trait assessment tools such as Insights.com to provide feedback on your personality type which may also help you gain more insights into your behaviours.
9 Meditation
Practice quieting the mind with meditation, so you have a quiet moment for self-reflection. Observe what comes to mind during this quiet time. Meditation also has been proven to improve overall feelings of wellness and calmness, so give it a go!
10. Goal Tracking
Keep a track of any goals that you set and have periods where you monitor and review to ensure you remain on track. This is really important in helping to stay on course and also to celebrate your achievements which in term can boost confidence and self-esteem.
Give some of the tips above ago to increase your self-awareness and enjoy all the many benefits that it brings!
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” – Aristotle
If you feel like reading some more blogs, please explore all of our other blogs here https://www.furlearn.com/blog
