Learn How to Develop Self Awareness in 8 Insightful Ways!

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When was the last time you took a good look at yourself? No, I’m not talking about facing the mirror. I’m talking about the last time you objectively observed your own thoughts, feelings, and actions. f you’re uncertain, you’re not alone. Research indicates that 95% of individuals believe they possess self awareness, implying that they can comprehend their own motivations and behavior. However, the same studies also revealed that only 10%-15% of those people are truly self aware.

If you want to know yourself better, then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, you’ll discover how to develop self awareness and how to start building it. Although it takes time and continued reflection to grow self awareness, it’s also a great way to understand who you are and how you operate. Here’s what you need to know about how to develop self awareness.

What is self awareness?

According to psychologists Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund, self awareness is a person’s ability to examine themselves objectively. Through it, you can observe your thoughts, actions, and behaviors to see what aligns with your personal values and what doesn’t. By learning how to develop self awareness, you learn to discern your actions and see if it’s objectively good or bad.

For example, parents who come home after a long day at work might get easily irritated by their kids playing. They might react by shouting at their children or forcing them to undergo a timeout. If those parents take time to reflect on how they behaved, they might discover that what they did was improper. They might value compassion and patience, rather than exploding in anger. To resolve this, they can go and apologize to their children. They might also come up with new solutions to learn how to develop self awareness.

As you can see in the example above, self awareness can be a powerful tool in personal development. By reflecting on your deeds, you can learn to objectively see what you did and if it made sense or not. You can also use this to reflect on how you perceive things and come to an understanding. In other words, learning how to develop self awareness gives you the power to re-evaluate yourself. When used right, it can help you overcome your existing flaws.

What are the benefits of self awareness?

Dr. Ferrari of the American Psychological Association said that 20% of the U.S. are chronic procrastinators. According to his research, they delay home, work, or school tasks, and they procrastinate their way of life out everything. This is an unfortunate number coming from a nation of “doers” when a huge chunk of the population is actually “waiters” and “laters.” Delaying a task may give short-term satisfaction, but it has a long-term cost on health, finances, work performance, and well-being.

You develop better decision-making skills.

When you understand how to develop self awareness, you learn to examine your actions and see which ones are more effective and important. By having an objective stance to your decisions, you’ll learn to discern what you want from what is right. This can help you make better choices in the future, such as dieting or job opportunities. Plus, people are more likely to trust someone who can objectively view their own actions.

You improve your empathy and understanding of others.

Being self aware does more than let you examine your own actions. It can also give you the ability to see things from another person’s point of view. Studies show that those who are self aware have greater empathy and understanding of others. Since both rely on emotional intelligence, you discover how to perceive your emotions, as well as those of other people. In short, learning how to develop self awareness can teach you to see things in someone else’s shoes.

You learn how to become a more effective leader.

If you combine both of the previous benefits, it makes perfect sense that self awareness is a great indicator of effective leadership. While there are many leaders in the world, the best ones are those who can always see things from an objective standpoint. They don’t necessarily put their own emotions or biases into the choices they make.

Instead, they focus mainly on what is objectively useful and effective. They can also learn to examine their own actions from another lens, which can help them understand their colleagues and teammates better. Simply put, when you know how to develop self awareness, you learn how to be a better leader.

What can I do to become more self aware?

Once you know why you should know how to develop self awareness, you’ll feel more determined to embody it. However, becoming self aware is not an easy task. It takes time, effort, and consistency to achieve it. To learn how to develop self awareness, here are eight different steps you can take!

1. Be curious.

The first step to learning how to develop self awareness is to embrace curiosity. Being curious is all about asking questions and exploring the world around you. As an adult, one of the best ways to do so is by asking and researching whatever interests you. Through a curious mind, you can learn more about yourself and the things you like. You could even develop a new hobby or appreciate something different, like yoga or journaling.

To grow your curious side, take a chance and start to try things you’ve never explored. Don’t be afraid to look into things that make you think, such as videos or books on your favorite subjects. The key to being curious is to approach everything like it’s a new discovery. Even if you’re familiar with the topic, you’d be surprised how many other things can be discovered. By following this approach, you’ll learn how to develop self awareness and enjoy it!

2. Understand your strengths.

If you want to know how to develop self awareness, you need to build introspection. In other words, you need to be considerate of who you are and what you can do. Start by examining your strengths. Look at the things you are talented or skilled at and see how you apply them in your life. By being more conscious of your abilities, you start to understand what you’re capable of. For example, someone who likes to keep things organized can translate that into different skills. It can help them learn math, make art, or design graphics. Remember, by understanding how to develop self awareness, you can see where your strengths lie.

3. Understand your weaknesses.

While it can be a tough pill to swallow, knowing your weaknesses is a great step forward. It’s the only way to learn how to develop self awareness and become better as a person. So, don’t be afraid to see all the different sides of you. Once you know how to develop self awareness, you can use these to your advantage

4. Know what triggers you.

According to PsychCentral, triggers are sensory reminders that can cause you to recall certain events or memories. While it’s typically used for conditions like PTSD, everyone technically can have a trigger. Think of it as a sight or sound that makes you feel emotional. For example, a smoker can be “triggered” into the habit as soon as they smell a cigarette. By learning how to develop self awareness, you can learn what triggers you.

Start by discovering what senses or words hit you the hardest. Once you know what gets you going, you can change your reaction to make your life better and more fulfilling. When you learn how to develop self awareness, you can teach yourself to react in a better way. For instance, whenever you get a sweet craving, you can train yourself to drink water instead.

5. Remember your core values.

One of the most important aspects of a person is their core values. Deep down, everyone has a code of ethics and values that dictate their life. Each one differs according to a person’s lifestyle, beliefs, and personal desires. To learn how to develop self awareness, you need to remember your core values. For example, if you value patience over anger, then it won’t feel good to lash out when you’re unhappy. By recalling what you believe in, you can start to temper your behavior. Soon, you’ll understand how to develop self awareness and adjust your habits better.

6. Write everything down.

Journaling is one of the best ways to understand how to develop self awareness. Consider writing down your own thoughts on a daily basis. You can do it at the end of each day or whenever you feel the need to vent. Doing so allows you to vent your feelings. Once you’re done, you can reflect on what was written and see your reaction from a level-headed viewpoint.

What makes journaling so special is that it can change your life for the better! Not only does it show you how to develop self awareness, it also improves your health. Studies show that consistently writing up to 20 minutes a day can lower blood pressure. Whether you feel stress or need to release the tension, journaling is a great way to react!

7. Keep an open mind.

When you factor in every step taken so far, you’ll notice that all of it trains your mind to think objectively. Learning how to develop self awareness requires an unbiased and neutral view of your behavior. Doing so helps you build an “open mind”, which is when you allow new ideas or approaches into your life.

Having an open mind lets you explore the things you don’t know, and sometimes even helps you re-examine what you didn’t like. With an open mind, you can see things objectively and learn to see the facts or the realities. It might not always be in your favor, but it always helps you understand things better. Once you embrace open-mindedness, you’ll quickly understand how to develop self awareness.

8. Check yourself every day and see where you are.

While all of these habits and attitudes are useful, they cannot be done on occasion. The toughest and most important part of learning how to develop self awareness is consistency. If you want to be more aware of yourself, you need to check yourself every so often. A few minutes of reflection, whether in writing or in thought, can track your progress over time.

Studies showed that those who dedicated 15 minutes to reflect on their day’s experiences improved their performance by 23%, compared to those who didn’t. Research also showed that those who engaged in introspection were less likely to burn out and were happier in life. So, if you want to know how to develop self awareness, learn to make these steps a part of your life. Don’t forget to reflect on how you’re doing every once in a while. It’ll put your life into perspective and give you a sense of purpose in the long run.

Takeaways:

Self awareness is the ability to objectively assess yourself. It allows you to examine your thoughts, actions, and behaviors to see if they align with your personal values.
Learning how to develop self awareness can help you become an objective thinker, which improves your decision-making skills.
Self-awareness can help you develop your empathy and understanding of others by enhancing your emotional intelligence.
Self-awareness is a key trait of effective leaders, enabling them to make unbiased decisions and better understand their peers.
To learn how to develop self awareness, you should start by being curious. Curiosity fuels exploration and learning about oneself and the world.
Recognizing personal talents and skills can help you see your strengths as a person.
It’s also important to acknowledge your flaws and limitations to grow and improve yourself.
Knowing what triggers you can teach you to manage your reactions more effectively.
To learn how to develop self awareness, you should be aware of your core values and beliefs.
Journaling can help process thoughts and emotions, promoting self-reflection and understanding.
An open-minded approach fosters objective thinking and acceptance of new ideas.
Lastly, consistent self-reflection and introspection are crucial for maintaining and improving self awareness.

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