Do you know yourself? Do you know what stresses you out? What are your triggers? Do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Understanding yourself is helpful to maintaining good mental health. Web content editor Ruth Riley shares five ways to increasing your self-awareness.
Self-awareness is a valuable component of a healthy and happy life. To know your own triggers, emotions, and behaviors may help you to manage them in a healthy way.
And with 41 percent of Swedish adults today suffering from worries or anxiety, self-awareness can be an important tool. So what is self-awareness and why is it important? Read below to find out.
What is self-awareness?
Self-awareness can be defined as ”the ability to monitor one’s own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors”. It is knowing yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes, your triggers, and how to deal with them. It’s knowing who you are, how you react to different situations, and how your strengths and weaknesses impact your life.
Self-awareness comes from being honest with yourself. It can be difficult, but doing so with self-compassion may help you to understand yourself and your mental health.
Being self-aware also means being able to understand and accept your emotions. Remember, emotions are a normal and necessary part of life, but they can also be overwhelming. It’s okay to feel sad, angry, anxious, or any other emotion. There are many ways to deal with these emotions, and being aware of yours is a good thing.
Why is self-awareness useful?
Self-awareness can be your guide to good mental health. It helps you to understand yourself and manage your thoughts and emotions in a healthy way.
Self-awareness is also a key to personal growth and development. When you know your strengths and weaknesses it’s easier to work with them. And on top of that it favours good relationships. Many people find their relationships less challenging when they learn more about their reactions to different situations.
Self-awareness is a vital part of good mental health. You may find that increasing your self-awareness can be both comforting and helpful.
How to increase your self-awareness
You may also visit this page to learn more about meditative processes for self-awareness. Now that you know what self-awareness is, you might be wondering how to increase your own. Luckily, there are steps you can take to become more self-aware. These include:
- Pay attention to your emotions. Notice when you are feeling happy, sad, anxious, or angry. Try to identify the reason for these emotions and what triggered them. This may help you become more aware of your emotions and learn how to manage them.
- Keep a journal. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy – a simple notebook will do. In the journal, write down your thoughts and emotions, as well as any major events. This may help you better understand your thoughts and feelings. Journaling is also a great way to track your progress over time.
- Talk to somebody you trust. This could be anyone from a family member, a friend, or a therapist. Choose someone you feel comfortable opening up to. Talking about your thoughts and emotions can help you better understand them. It can also be helpful to get an outsider’s perspective on your situation.
- Be honest with yourself. As mentioned before, honesty is a guide to self-awareness. Don’t try to hide your flaws or pretend they don’t exist. Accepting your weaknesses is a part of managing them.
- Talk to a therapist. If you’re struggling to increase your self-awareness, talking to a therapist can be a good support. They can help you understand your thoughts and feelings and develop healthy coping mechanisms.
The relationship between self-awareness and mental health
Self-awareness and mental health go hand-in-hand. They both help us understand ourselves and our thoughts and feelings. When we are self-aware, we are able to see ourselves clearly and make better decisions in life. It makes it easier for us to set clear boundaries with others and take care of ourselves emotionally and mentally.
It helps us to cope with stress, relate better with others, make healthy choices, and feel good about ourselves. When our mental health is not in good condition, we may find it challenging to do these things. This is why it’s essential to pay attention to our mental health and take care of ourselves both physically and mentally.
In short, self-awareness supports good mental health. It helps us understand ourselves better and cope with the challenges life throws our way. If you’re unsure how to increase your self-awareness, talking to a therapist or keeping a journal may help. And remember, be honest with yourself – it’s a step to taking care of your mental health.
Written by Ruth Riley, writer at Motherhood Community
