Have you ever wondered how other people perceive you? What is it like to be on the receiving end of you, your personality and your actions?
Most of us think quite highly of yourselves. We often practice internal confirmation-bias without knowing it: thinking our own opinions are usually the right ones, our own emotions or thoughts are usually the most normal, or our own actions are usually totally justifiable. On the other hand, some of us are bit more self-deprecating.
In either case, it takes a concentrated amount of self-awareness to get outside of our own heads. Self-awareness is as much a practiced skill as it is a natural gift – which means there is hope to improve our self-awareness! But, how do we do it?
Here are 3 simple practices to try out this week to help improve your self-awareness:
1. 5-Senses Meditation – This practice is a surprisingly simple way to get back in touch with your body. Find a comfortable place to sit, and bring your awareness to where you are. Notice and appreciate 5 things you can see. Next, notice 4 things you can touch. Next, notice 3 things you can hear. Next, notice 2 things you can smell. Last, notice 1 thing you can taste. This meditation is an easy way to help guide your brain and body back to this present moment of awareness, and has been shown in research studies to help people become more aware of how emotions physically feel when they arise.
2. Friends Survey – If you really want to know how others perceive you, why not ask? Choose 3-5 close, trusted friends that you feel safe enough to receive honest feedback from. Survey each friend with a couple of brief questions, such as: “If you could honestly describe me in 3 words, whether positive or negative, what would they be?” or “In your opinion as my friend, what’s my strongest characteristic, and what’s my weakest blind spot?” You may be surprised what you hear! Take your friends’ words to heart as an encouragement for where to focus your attention on.
3. Bedtime Journal – A few minutes before turning the lights off for the night, write down what thoughts or emotions have prevailed the majority of the day in your internal dialogue. Why have these thoughts or emotions prevailed? What can you do about them? This journal entry practice will help you tune into your feelings and your inner voice.
Becoming more self-aware is not only a benefit to ourselves, but also to those around us. We can practice self-awareness to better understand who we are, and to better manage our interactions with others in a positive way.
