Understanding Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is about being able to understand why you are thinking and feeling and why you behave the way that you do. It’s about understanding why you react to things, what your habits are and what motivates you.
We tend to see our identity through our place in society, our family and friends, the needs and wants of our body, and the emotional and thoughtful expressions of our mind.
Benefits of Self-Awareness
Practising self-awareness is about learning to better understand why you feel what you feel and why you behave in a particular way.
Having this awareness gives you the opportunity and freedom to change things about yourself, enabling you to create a life that you want.
It’s practically impossible to change and become self-accepting if you are unsure of who you are. Having the clarity of this and what you want can be empowering, giving you the confidence to make changes.
Practical Methods to Enhance Self-Awareness
The Johari Window can be used to look at yourself from many angles as it shows four basic forms of the Self (the Known, Hidden, Blind, and Unknown Self).
You may find it as quite a informative tool to help you discover who you are.
| Known Self Things we know about ourselves and others know about us. The part that you are able to discuss freely with others. Most of the time you agree with this view you have and others have of you. | Hidden Self Things we know about ourselves that others do not know. In this part you hide things that are very private about yourself, this maybe to protect yourself, because you feel ashamed or vulnerable, or perhaps because of modesty. |
| Blind Self Things others know about us that we do not know. E.g. You might see yourself as an open-minded person when, in reality, people around you don’t agree. This area also works the other way. You might see yourself as a “dumb” person while others might consider you incredibly bright. | Unknown Self Things neither we nor others know about us. This might refer to untapped potential talents and skills that have yet to be explored by you, your friends, colleagues or managers. |
Practice Mindfulness
Practising both mindfulness and self-awareness can bring about personal growth and self-awareness. By being mindful, we develop the ability to focus on the present moment without judgment or criticism.
This helps us become more aware of our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. On the other hand, self-awareness allows us to have a deeper understanding of ourselves – our strengths, weaknesses, values, and beliefs.
These practices complement each other and can lead to greater self-discovery and a clearer understanding of who we are.