Being self aware is about being confident in who you are. It is about knowing your beliefs, values, tendencies, and preferences. It is about staying true to yourself. But truth be told, it is not easy to stay true to yourself if you do not know yourself. Being self aware helps you understand your strengths and limitations and opens up new opportunities. It lets you have genuine relationships.
So, consider this your sign to be a self aware person. If you want to know how you can be a self aware individual, this blog has five ways you need to know!
Identify The Negative Emotions That Trigger You
It goes a long way in terms of being self aware when you understand what is triggering negative emotions like sadness, anger, stress, or jealousy. When you recognise the trigger of those negative emotions, you can become more selective of:
- People you engage with
- Places you visit
- Situations you deal with
You can begin by examining the thing, person, or situation that prompts a negative emotion. Ask yourself questions like:
- What did the other person say that made me feel negative?
- What was my reaction to the situation?
- Is this something I want to feel again or regularly?
The responses to these questions can help you make informed decisions.
Question Your Beliefs And Opinions
Challenge your beliefs and opinions to learn about yourself. It increases your awareness about your biases, behaviours, and thoughts. It's about recognising the possibility that there is a chance for your opinions and beliefs to change and giving them a chance to grow. It will help you assess and identify your thought patterns.
Seek New Experiences
Immersing yourself in new experiences is one of the best ways to become self aware. It helps you step outside your comfort zone and gives you a chance to learn how you think, act and feel in situations unfamiliar to you. These experiences create opportunities for you to discover your positive qualities.
Your comfort zone is a familiar space for you, and it can limit your perspective. It is a psychological state where you exist on autopilot. A new experience does not have to be something complex or expensive. It can be something as simple as trying out a new hobby, chatting with new people, cooking a new recipe, or exploring a town. These experiences help you gain a new outlook on life and yourself.
Ask Your Closed Ones for A Feedback
Step outside your own shoes and ask a closed one to share their perspective on your traits, behaviours, and attitudes. It will help you become self aware and understand how those around you perceive you.
Use this information to explore aspects of yourself. It could be traits that you would like to nurture or change. Also, it's not always easy to accept feedback. Hence, remind yourself that constructive feedback is not an attack on you but provides you guidance for potential growth.
Maintain A Journal
One of the best ways to be self aware is journaling. It is also a perfect method for identification of your negative emotions, questioning your beliefs and seeking new experiences. Journaling allows you to jot down your negative emotions, reexamine scenarios and identify all the common triggers. There is no right or wrong way to journal, so do not hesitate to experiment with different journaling methods. If you are still unsure how and where to start journaling, you check out this stress awareness journal we curated. It has 120 questions and helps you self reflect one question at a time.
Let’s Wrap It Up!
It is crucial to be self aware because it helps you lead life fully. Self awareness takes you close to a state in which what you say, think, and feel is consistent. It is a life-long effort, and these five ways will come in handy while you are learning more about yourself. Remember, every experience in your life will teach you something new about yourself, so accept it graciously.