When you are self-aware, you live your life according to your own values. You make your own choices and feel what is right for you. The Blogging Optimist Danny Jibodh, presents four benefits of increased self-awareness.
Self-care
Without self-awareness, you easily neglect yourself and take less care of yourself. Increased self-awareness has a positive impact on your mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. You become less emotional, you are more steadfast in life and you can look at yourself with a mild look.
Improving relationships
When we don’t know what we want or need, it’s hard to form a good relationship with someone. When you get to know yourself well, the way you stand in relationships changes. You learn to set limits and you know when someone is not good for you. You gather people around you who share the same values and have a positive influence on you. At the same time, it makes you aware of your own responsibility within relationships.
Work smarter, more productive and mindful
When you are self-aware, you make better career choices and reduce work stress. You know what your strengths are, but you also know what you don’t excel at. This allows you to work smarter and you know better what you need to do to achieve your goal. Your productivity also increases. When you have trouble getting to work, it’s usually because thoughts, emotions, or habits are getting in the way. Increased self-awareness removes these obstacles.
Keeping calm in a crisis
Everyone has to deal with setbacks or stressful situations from time to time. Poor decision-making often stems from confused thinking and emotional reactions. Before you jump into action mode and do things you’ll regret later, take a step back.
There are countless ways to increase your self-awareness. This can be done, for example, through meditation, coaching or keeping a diary. The most important thing is to look critically at yourself. How do you feel? How do you react to something? And what is the impact of your actions?