This can be a subjective question; however, here are a few questions to start you thinking. Have you ever wondered how to self improve? Here My Top 5 Tips for Self-Awareness to get you started.
First, Ask Yourself- Do I welcome change? Do I believe that I can learn self-awareness? Do I believe that becoming more self-aware will change your health and life?
🌿If the answer is YES- Keep reading…
Develop Well- Habits
Today, hundreds of thousands are battling a chronic disease, and many have multiple chronic conditions. Statics say that chronic conditions could cost sufferers upwards of 47 trillion in U.S. healthcare spending. Why is this happening?
Two short words give us part of the answer- Bad Habits.
Changing habits is not easy; for most people, one habit alone isn’t to blame. Realistically, repetitive, multiple negative habits over time are the culprit. This is because habits lead us to be well in our mind, body, and spirit.
Alternatively, they can lead us into struggling with un-wellness and eventual sickness. If you want to find a way to overcome feelings that drag you down, you must become aware of what is going on.
Let’s get first things first; you can only develop good habits if you are self-aware. So, let’s take a moment and ask ourselves-
- What drives my decisions?
- How do I honestly feel about myself?
- How do I honestly feel about the people in my life?
- What causes me to behave the way I do?
Self-Awareness.
Self-awareness is often defined as the ability to engage in honest self-reflection. Seeing yourself as others see you. Self-awareness is learning to understand why you feel what you do and react in a particular way. Once you begin to understand this, you can change things about yourself, enabling you to create the life you want.
You will become the CEO of your own life. No longer will you be bounced around by unruly behaviours and emotions. You will be better able to keep yourself in check because you know ‘how ‘you work. It’s almost impossible to change and become self-accepting if you are unsure of who you are. Clarifying who you are and what you want is empowering, giving you the courage and confidence to make even the most challenging changes.
How self-aware are You?
Being self-aware is vital for both personal and professional success. It is also vital to overcoming negative behaviours and habits. When you are self-aware, you empower yourself.
You can choose where to focus your emotions, energy, and personality to improve and direct your life’s course. Self-awareness helps you be much more aware of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours and helps you guide your life. Learning to look at yourself objectively is the best way to continually develop self-awareness. In other words, see yourself as others see or perceive you. The more self-aware you become, the more you can improve and make positive changes in your life and lifestyle.
Self Care
As you develop an awareness of the self, you connect with your uniqueness and the essence that makes you – You! God made you special to discover and connect with, aiding your spiritual growth. As you honestly examine your inward self and associated behaviour compared to your core values, you become self-conscious and an objective evaluator of yourself, which is a very important well-habit to develop.
Let me share something with you. When I feel overwhelmed and panicked, it’s easy to plunge into negative habits that often worsen matters. What makes me feel down isn’t always apparent at the time, which adds to my distress. However, who I am and how I react helped me to understand why these unwanted feelings occurred, and then half the battle is won, which makes me hopeful that things will be okay.
Over the years, I have learned the value of jotting things down. So, when I feel low, I note it down. I briefly describe how I feel and the circumstance that led to it, then date it. Later, I can look back and understand why a particular activity, circumstance or situation made me feel out of kilter.
For example, when I feel overwhelmed and cannot fathom why, I look at my notes to see if a similar feeling and circumstance occurred at some point. Reviewing my past reactions, I have seen a pattern of behaviour emerge following particular events.
Armed with this knowledge, I can better adjust myself and the circumstances or compensate somehow to work through my thoughts and the situation better next time. Looking at the notes, I realise the importance of taking the time and effort to jot things down. Sometimes, writing does take an effort, especially if you are dyslexic like me.
Reminding yourself to care for your mind is of utmost importance to your total well-being; it is a daily habit we all need to practice. Awareness of self is an excellent tool for coping with all the feelings and reactions we experience. This is important because we can turn around our negative feelings when we learn positive reactions, which will become a good habit.
Self-care is about looking after your mind (mindfulness) and your body and spirit (soul). In this article, I will take a holistic approach. Therefore, I will also address self-awareness of the body (body-awareness) and awareness of your spirit (inner awareness/spirituality).
My journey has taken me from being an Atheist to serving as a Pastor for 40 years and ultimately to Catholicism. With over 50 years of international experience, I bring a blend of academic knowledge and practical insight to my work. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Counselling and Theology, a Master’s degree in Counselling and Professional Development, and a BACP Life Coaching Certificate. I am also currently pursuing a PhD in Theology.
My writing explores themes of Catholicism, true crime, and wellness, reflecting the diverse areas I’m passionate about. Beyond writing, I also host several YouTube channels and Blogs:
🎙️The Fatal Files Podcast
✝️Almost Catholic: The Journey Home
🌿Your Wellness Matters
If you enjoy my articles and find them helpful, please consider sharing them on the platforms you use—it’s a simple way to support my work.
You can also find all my Books by following the links to Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
If you’d like to connect, I’d love to hear from you at paularoseparish@gmail.com.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and supporting my journey as a writer and creator.
