Self-awareness is a skill that you and everyone around you can benefit from. It’s when you make the choice to get to know yourself that you finally realize your full potential and turn it into your reality.
Below are 12 activities and practices you can use to help you improve your self-awareness. Try incorporating a few at a time and see what works best for you. Keep in mind that self-awareness is built over time so remember to have patience with yourself!
1. Observe Others
If you’re wondering where to even start with understanding yourself, I recommend starting with people watching. By observing your surroundings and those in it you will begin to recognize habits and quirks others have in handling themselves and interacting with others.
You can then take what you see in others and ask yourself — Do you act similarly? Think about what they do and how does it compare to what you do? This is a quick way to identify the quirks you have, and once you know that you can begin to ask why you do what you do.
2. Meditate
Sometimes the hardest thing is to be left with yourself. Many people have a fear of being alone, but if you give it a try you will find that there’s nothing to be afraid of! I love learning how stillness and nothing hold more than productivity can ever give you.
Listen to your thoughts, movements, surroundings, and pay attention to your reactions within and without. Notice your responses without judgment. Sometimes the hardest thing is to allow yourself to sit in stillness, but if you don’t try it then you’ll never know what can come of it.
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3. Spend Time in Nature
Much of our waking hours are spent in connection with others and always being available. Getting away from others and the hustle and bustle can help provide a quiet space to be with yourself and allow you to just be.
Going off grid is also a great reminder that there is so much more about life than the stress of work and other requirements. Go somewhere where you will not be checking notifications, waiting on responses, or being at another’s beck and call. Find a place where you can feel free to just be.
4. Walk Barefoot
Another quick way to center yourself and grow self-awareness is by walking barefoot. Walking is a whole new experience when you can feel the textures and temperatures underfoot. It brings your thought back to the present moment, your surroundings, and your body.
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5. Breathe Deeply
Breathing is a great way to center yourself and increase your self-awareness in any moment, wherever you are. It’s also a great grounding technique when you are getting overwhelmed or anxious. Focusing on your breath returns you to the present moment, the Now, and centers your mind by focusing on your body.
6. Practice Mindfulness
Much of our lives are automatic. Instead of moving quickly through your day and getting lost in your usual routine, mindfulness helps you to stay present. While you are getting dressed in the morning, eating, commuting to or from work, think about how you feel in every moment.
What are your reactions to what you go through, and are there any that you didn’t realize had been there, simmering under the automatic routine? Mindfulness is not about judging yourself. It is about actively living your life, and taking note of all the blessings and opportunities that present themselves to you.
7. Stop Self-Destructive Behaviors & Numbing Yourself
Okay, this is a big one and can take time to do. In order to learn more about yourself it is necessary to allow yourself to FEEL. Whether its to avoid fears, emotions or other internal thoughts, sometimes we build habits of detachment. These actions may help us destress, but doing them long-term can also lead you to numbing yourself.
When we numb ourselves or seek behaviors that are destructive we are obstructing our own growth and ability to be in a safe and peaceful space. It can be scary to do, but in order to build self-awareness we need to open up and learn forgiveness and acceptance.
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8. Learn to Dissociate
A technique that is helpful for gaining perspective on the experiences we have is disassociation. Dissociation is about adopting an outsider’s perspective on the situation you find yourself in. It can be hard to discern what is actually happening when we are blinded by our emotions and dissociation helps us step away to better analyze and understand a situation.
Learn to separate your emotional reaction to what is happening in your life. Your perception creates your reality, so by learning to take a step back you are able to analyze the situations you are living through and make the definitive decision on how you want to proceed. This does not cancel out the other point of acknowledging your emotions, but rather it allows you to respect your emotional response, while also respecting the situation at hand. You are not ruled by your reactions and do not have to choose between emotion and reason.
9. Build Intuition
A lot of our society promotes logic and reason in living life. When we do this we are basing our understanding on what is tangible, but there is more to life than can be seen and proven. Getting back in touch with yourself involves listening to your inner voice, your intuition, and gaining the confidence to trust in what can’t be proven by others. Intuition helps give you confidence in the truths you hold and in living your purpose.
If you are interested in learning more about intuition and how you can become more intuitive I’d recommend checking out some of my other posts on the topic, including: Intuitive Living: The Power of Intuition and Grow Your Intuition & Become More Intuitive.
10. Educate Yourself
A large part of building awareness is education. By exposing yourself to other ideas and perspectives you are able to discern what your beliefs are and how open you are to others.
We are lucky to live in an age where there is no shortage on knowledge. Books, Podcasts, TV Shows, TED talks, etc. The opportunities are endless. The struggle almost comes from figuring out where to start! Do your research and start by consuming different forms of media and perspectives. Throw the net wide at the beginning so you can have the most exposure to what’s out there, and then further hone in on the areas and topics you’re most drawn to.
11. Grounding Technique
Have you ever been overwhelmed, anxious, and lost in worry? Have you ever gone through a day, only to lay down in bed at night and wonder what you even did that day? I used to have weeks where I wouldn’t be able to recall what I spent my time on, but I could recall all of the worries I carried in my mind. Becoming more self aware involves being mindful (as mentioned above), and grounding techniques help you to return your mind to the present. A popular one is tying your thinking to your current physical experience.
- Sight: Look around your immediate location and choose a color that you like.
- Hearing: Close your eyes, take a breath, and listen for a sound you like.
- Touch: With your eyes still closed, feel around for a texture you like.
Once you have chosen one thing for each category, ask yourself: What do I like about each of these things? This technique can be used when you are having a panic attack, feeling overwhelmed and anxious, and also when you are just taking a small mindfulness break.
12. Practice Forgiveness & Understanding for Yourself
Part of growing your self-awareness is also growing tolerance and acceptance. Nobody’s perfect, and sometimes we realize habits and traits that we have aren’t entirely what we would want.
Take the emotional intelligence you’ve grown in your interactions with others and apply it to yourself. Cut yourself some slack. Changing habits and behaviors starts with accepting things as they currently are. This is not about settling, but about setting a starting point for growth. When planting a tree you don’t check for the height clearance the tree could reach. No, because that’s getting ahead of yourself. Just as you would focus on the soil where the seed will be planted, focus on the starting point for your growth. Once you have done that, have faith in the process. You will bloom in due time.
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