How is self-awareness the super-power for change?

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Do you think of yourself as someone who is self-aware? To get started, you are welcome to take this short self-awareness quiz; it's 12 questions long and will give you an initial idea of where you sit: https://inlpcenter.org/self-awareness-test/​

Let me start with the foundation of defining self-awareness. Research by Carden et al. (2021) tells us that the concept of self-awareness is difficult to explain and often misunderstood. It is readily confused with self-knowledge, self-love, and self-consciousness. That said, I will do my best to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the definition. There are two parts to self-awareness: the self and awareness. First, as it relates to self, there are two ways of viewing the self: (1) the self as perceived by others and (2) the intrapersonal perspective. The second component is awareness, which has several defining factors. These include: (1) one's understanding of one's own perspectives, (2) the ability to weigh conscious vs. unconscious processing, and (3) the recognition of the feelings and perceptions of others, and the ability to take into account the impact (Carden, 2021).
With the definition out of the way, we can turn our focus to building self-awareness. It's important to understand that it is a lifelong journey and one of beautiful discovery and learning. There is no way for any of us to be in a moment of full self-awareness right now, or, as in Buddhism, enlightenment. There are many ways to work on self-awareness, and some of you may be asking why it is important.
Let me share a few reasons why this self-discovery is crucial:
(1) It helps us identify the root cause and the core issues we are facing
(2) Reveals to us our personal biases and blind spots
(3) Improves our ability to emotionally regulate - managing our emotions
(4) Encourages accountability
(5) Aligns our actions with our values and goals
(6) Supports a lifelong journey of continuous improvement and development
(Klussman et al., 2022)
Now that we have a foundation of why self-awareness is important, and these are not the only reasons, I have shared only a few. The next part is the challenge I impart to everyone, and one that I embark on myself. This is bringing self-awareness into your personal practice. Here are some ways to integrate a self-awareness practice into your life:
1. Revisit your core values - I have done this recently, and it is a wonderful reflective exercise. Try printing them out and posting them somewhere you will see them easily each day as a reminder.
2. Practice emotion regulation activities like STOP and REST. I have shared both of these in previous newsletters. Learning how to regulate your emotions is a proven way to enhance self-awareness as you develop an increased inner awareness and attunement of your own feelings - what they are, naming them, and how they are impacting you and the world around you.
3. Take moments to reflect, pause, and meditate. Reflection and meditation are ways to connect with yourself more deeply. Curiously check in with yourself, listen to your mind, body, and spirit. Create moments throughout the day to really listen to what you are telling yourself. You can use prompts like What do you observe in your mind? What body sensations do you feel? What do you hear all around you as part of this experience? Can you name the emotion that you are feeling right now?
4. Keep a journal. If you enjoy writing and expressing through this medium, use it to help you connect to yourself and your emotions. Try noting down what you feel a few times through the day. Notice and observe any patterns.
This is not an exhaustive list, but a few ideas to get you started, and it's never too late to start. My own self-awareness journey began over 15 years ago and has bobbed and weaved its way forward, exposing myself to my personal biases, inner narratives, negative core beliefs, and judgmental thinking. It has allowed me to open up, be curious about who I am and how I think, learn about the impact I am having on others, and reframe where necessary. I accept this as part of my lifelong journey.
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Monthly Sharing Section...

Something to READ: If you have not yet read The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, it is a wonderful book all about self-discovery and the journey of self-awareness. I highly recommend putting this one on your list. Here is the link on Amazon: https://a.co/d/06MZheOa​

Something to WATCH: I really enjoy listening to and following Dr. Rick Hanson. He has a wonderful podcast, Being Well, that he hosts with his son, Forrest Hanson. They did an episode about self-awareness, and how to become more self-aware. If you enjoy listening to podcasts here is one of their episodes: https://rickhanson.com/being-well-podcast-how-to-become-more-self-aware/​

Monthly Mindful Meditation

A wonderful way to connect with oneself is to do a self-compassionate body scan. It gives you the opportunity to discover how you are feeling, the sensations in your body, and connect to gratitude throughout. Click the button below and enjoy:

With gratitude,
Jen James
jen@admitone.ca
​https://www.doublejstrategic.com/​

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REFERENCES

Carden, J., Jones, R. J., & Passmore, J. (2021). Defining Self-Awareness in the Context of Adult Development: A Systematic Literature review. Organizational Behavior Teaching Review, 46(1), 140–177. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562921990065

Klussman, K., Curtin, N., Langer, J., & Nichols, A. L. (2022). The importance of awareness, acceptance, and alignment with the self: A framework for understanding self-connection. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 18(1), 120–131. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.3707