The Importance Of Self Awareness: How To Be At Peace And Improve Relationships
Inner peace: it’s what we’re all looking for, isn’t it?
In today’s fast-paced society, most people want quick cures and easy solutions to their problems.
Finding deep inner peace, however, is often the practice of a lifetime. There is no quick and easy answer in how to achieve greater peace in your life.
However, there are certain tips, tricks, and processes to learn that will aid you along your journey towards a tranquil life.
Self-awareness is one of these practices. Let’s talk about the importance of self-awareness and why it matters in your life.
What Does Self-Awareness Mean?
When you are aware of something, you are knowledgeable about it. You are conscious of its presence and impact on the current situation.
Self-awareness, then, means being knowledgeable about yourself.
Self-awareness implies more than simple knowledge of your personality and likes and dislikes. It also means that you are conscious of your emotional reactions and feelings throughout the day.
Whenever unpleasant emotions arise, we tend to turn away from them. Because the feeling is unpleasant, we pretend it isn’t there. This usually only makes the problem worse, and these negative feelings become stifled inside you with nowhere to go.
Taking the time to be aware of your self and your feelings is the first step to living a holistically healthy, mindful life.
Notice that the term is “self-awareness” and not “self-judgment.” Try to be aware of your feelings without passing judgment on yourself for what you are experiencing. Simply acknowledge the moment, and rest in the knowledge that whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, it will eventually pass on.
The Importance of Self-Awareness
Self-awareness is more than just a buzzword. There are quite a few reasons why self-awareness is important.
It Can Improve Your Relationships
As you get to know yourself better, you become more aware of your own emotional triggers. This allows you to establish firm boundaries in your relationships and to more clearly communicate your needs and expectations from your loved ones.
Increased self-awareness also means increased awareness of the impact that your actions have on others. This leads to being more mindful in how you treat others.
It Helps You Be More Mindful About Your Health
As you practice becoming aware of your mental/emotional state, you will likely also find a growing awareness of your physical body. Being aware of your own physical “normal” states will help you to more quickly identify illness and other potential problems as they arise in your body.
It Improves Your Leadership Skills
Whether you aspire to be the head of a big company or you simply wish to be a leader within your community, self-awareness is an important skill of great leaders.
Understanding your own strengths and weaknesses means that you can develop a leadership style based on doing what you are best at.
It Helps You to Be Fully Present in the Current Moment
The practice of mindfulness is more than just a trend; it is an application of ancient wisdom. Life will pass you by if you don’t pay attention to the present moment and inhabit it with gratitude.
Awareness of self and of what is happening to you and around you in any moment allows you to live your life to its fullest, right here and right now.
Taking a Holistic Stance
It’s easy to see the importance of self-awareness, but keep in mind that this practice is just one small aspect of holistic health. A self-awareness practice is designed to be incorporated with all other elements of your life, including your relationships, your exercise practice, and even your most mundane moments throughout the day.
Check out our blog for more information on holistic health!