Self Awareness, Really Seeing Me

Improve Mental Wellness and See the Real You 

When you have self awareness, you see yourself objectively and clearly. You are able to use introspection and reflection to look at yourself and your life. Of course, it’s incredibly difficult to be completely objective about yourself. But you can develop a higher level of self awareness than you have, which can make it easier for you to understand your past and current behaviors. Through that understanding, you can focus on changing and shaping your future into something that really works for the person you’re becoming and the one you want to be.

You Are More Than Just Your Thoughts

You are not your thoughts. Instead, you are the thinker. By learning to separate the entity who is thinking from the ideas being thought, you can see yourself for who you really are. Not only does that lead to more objectivity, but it also helps you evaluate what you want and need for your future. The level of self-evaluation you have in your life relates to the quality of that life and what you’re able to do with the time you have. When you’re self-aware, your evaluations are more complex and help give you the information you need.

Self-control is important for personal improvement and also to operate in a society that’s fast-paced and expects people to meet certain standards and requirements. When you have self-control, you can get more done and feel better about the ways you work with and interact with others. But how do you learn that self-control? It comes from being aware of yourself and really seeing yourself as an individual who is also connected to others. Being self aware can help you make the right choices in life.

What Does the Research Say?

The theory of self awareness and how it relates your interactions with the world has been around for some time. Researchers have tested it extensively, and have found that there are significant benefits to being self aware and having knowledge of yourself as more than the thoughts you have in your head. According to research done in 2001 by Silvia & Duval, when you align with the standards you have for yourself, you “pass” and feel ready to move forward. When you don’t align with your own standards, you “fail” and feel bad about the discrepancy. What you do about that discrepancy becomes important. You can either find a way to correct it, or actively avoid it instead.

If you think correcting it will be beneficial, you’re more likely to do that. But if you don’t see the benefits or the correction is too complex, you’re more likely to practice avoidance instead. But either way, you’ll be aware of what the discrepancy is and that self awareness can lead to reflection about your life that’s going to help your future. A discrepancy that’s a lot of work to correct is usually avoided, since the work to adjust it is stressful and isn’t something that can be easily handled. You may also want to “lower your standards” says research done by Dana, Lalwani, & Duval in 1997. To really see yourself the way you actually are, though, being self aware about why you aren’t willing to correct the discrepancy is important.

Increasing Your Self Awareness is Possible

If you want to increase your self awareness, there are some specific things you can do. For example, you can make the time and space to connect with yourself each day, and avoid the digital distractions that are so prevalent in today’s society. You can also make some time for solitude, as it helps you think and plan for the future. If you practice mindfulness, that is another great way to become more self aware and understand what’s really going on in your life and your thought processes. Additionally, many people journal to put their thoughts on paper and record the way they’re feeling about specific situations. Journaling can really open your eyes to higher levels of self awareness.

People who are self aware are also generally good listeners, and they ask for feedback from others so they can see things from a different type of perspective. They aren’t judgmental about the choices of other people, and they learn how to avoid being judgmental about their own choices, as well. By practicing these things, you’re much more likely to become more self aware. Not only does that benefit you for your present and future, but it also adds benefit and value to the other people in your life, too. Self awareness fosters awareness of your thoughts, actions, and the world around you, so you can make good choices for your life.

Sources

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0503_4

https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jscp.1997.16.4.359?mobileUi=0&