Explore yourself: 5 ways to be more self-aware

Have you ever given thought to what makes you jittery? What keeps you relaxed? How do you face your fears? Have you ever sat down and wondered about your behavioural patterns? Mostly, we get caught in analysing our external environment to such an extent that we forget to look inwards. But self-awareness is a must have in today’s world. It is the ability to focus attention on ourselves and to self-evaluate. This is the one trait which continues to develop and advance throughout our lifetime. It allows us to understand ourselves, to connect to the world around us and to give more meaning to our life and extracting joy out of every situation. Self-awareness helps in going ahead and facing life’s many challenges.

How we react to a situation determines the quality of our experience. So, to plan our personal as well as professional life, self-awareness is crucial. Even while dealing with relationships, it is beneficial to be more self-aware.

It is natural to want to live a more joyful and enriching life. We keep on learning through various life situations as we grow and being self-aware makes us more open to accept and improvise upon our personalities. As life becomes more challenging with time, we need to find ways to navigate through the chaos with calm and ease. When we are more aware of our own thoughts and behavioural patterns, it helps in understanding other’s perspectives too.

Soulveda shares ways in which we can become more self-aware in life.

Mindfulness and meditation

If we mindfully navigate through various challenges, rather than hopping from one task to another, not only does our productivity increase, but the quality of our output also becomes better. Mindfulness lets us focus on the present moment. It tells us to give our entire attention without any distraction to the now. When we are completely focusing in this manner, we become self-aware.

Meditation is one of the most empowering tools that lets us focus on and relish the present. When we allow thoughts to breeze through our mind, we become more aware of their relevance and impact on us. Through regular meditation, we also learn to address those thoughts which trouble us. With a calm mind and heightened self-awareness, a sense of better control envelops us.

Being self-aware implies learning to be curious about our own mind. Meditation lets us be in control and maintain calm, even when the situation seems overpowering.

Know your emotional triggers

“It’s surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you’re not comfortable within yourself, you can’t be comfortable with others.” This Sydney J. Harris quote sums up the importance of being in touch with one’s inner self.

When a situation bothers us, identifying the trigger is important to address and handle it. Self-awareness helps us develop a perspective which takes control of our own emotional responses and triggers. The trajectory of our life depends on our judgement and decision-making. When we are more aware of our thought patterns and emotional reactions, we take measured steps overcoming short-term impulses and honouring long-term values.

Interestingly, low self-esteem can be a result of not being self-aware and seeing ourselves only through how others perceive us.

Journaling

An excellent way of treading on the path of self-awareness is maintaining journals. You might already be chronicling your food and fitness habits, so why not maintain a journal of your emotions, reactions and responses too? In a single day, we go through several mood changes – sad or happy, anxious or calm, provoked or cheerful. When we start writing about how we sustain emotionally through the day, it helps us immensely to understand our emotional triggers.

However, we will only realise the benefits of journaling on a long-term basis with some willingness and consistency. Here are a few tips to maintain a daily journal.

• Even when you have the most choc-a-bloc day, squeeze a few moments to write down your emotional curve of the day.
• Ponder and write how meaningful and fruitful the day turned out to be. If not, what were the reasons.
• Do list knee-jerk reactions and consequences if any.
• Think and thank those who stood by you. Also pat yourself on the back for accomplishing everything, big or small.

Journaling helps in listing and identifying hidden emotions too. When we write, we touch the deepest layers of our feelings and emotions. Sustained chronicling can help conquer conflicts and develop new perspectives. It can also help identify one’s dominant emotions and address them in a better way.

Be open to feedbacks

Another way to learn about yourself is to listen attentively to someone giving genuine feedback. Whether it is your teacher, mentor, senior or parents, keeping your ears open to feedback will take you to greater heights. Not just listening, when you resolve to incorporate the feedbacks, you are bound to shine through.

Sometimes, we tend to form a perception about ourselves, blocking further growth. A critical evaluation by an experienced and skilful person at that point can prove to be catalytic in improving our weak areas.

Adding to the stress today is a continuously changing external environment – so it is essential to become self-aware to learn to readjust and develop new skill sets. Constructive feedback helps us improve and self-awareness allows us to be flexible when new learnings come our way.

Self-discipline

You must have the self-awareness to see when emotions start tiding in the wrong direction. It is here that self-discipline helps us in taking control of ourselves again. Self-discipline is the ability to pause, think and gain clarity about the situation we are currently in. The more stressful the situation and stronger the emotion, the more important it is to exercise self-awareness and self-discipline.

The act of self-awareness allows us to reflect on ourselves more clearly, better understand how others perceive us, appreciate our connection to others and how we adjust in this world. Self-discipline helps us move in that direction smoothly and happily.