Who Am I?

Why is it important to understand our own strength or flaws? Why do we need to be aware how similar or different we are from others? According to some experts, self-awareness is the ability to tune in to your own feelings, thoughts, and actions.

When people are self-aware, they understand their strengths and challenges and know what helps them thrive.

Here are some benefits of self-awareness:

1. Personal Growth
One of the reasons why developing self-awareness is important is for personal development and self-improvement. It is quite impossible to fully understand someone let alone ourselves. There will always be something mysterious in each one of us. But, we can strive to discover as much of ourselves as possible. We’ll get to know our favorites or pet peeves, our values and beliefs, and so on.

The more we understand ourselves, the more it is easier for us to make the necessary changes we need to do in our lives. Self-awareness is the first step towards an effective change.

2. Better Emotion Regulation and Self-Control
Emotional intelligence is one of the results of self-awareness. According to studies, being more self-aware allows you to be more understanding of your emotions, allowing you to better regulate those emotions. You are able to easily recognize your triggers and somehow find a way to regulate them. And being more familiar with your emotions helps you learn about your thinking patterns. You will be more keen on how you arrive at certain decisions; how you think and react or respond to situations. When you become aware and able to regulate your emotions it can make you better at decision-making.

3. Improved Communication and Social Skills
In general, having a better understanding of your own beliefs or goals makes it easier to communicate effectively. It is believed that learning how others make you feel also lets you in on how you make others feel. You will have a clear picture of how your words or actions affect people around you. This will guide you on properly acting or speaking especially in social situations.

Also, if and when something does not pan out as you expect, it will be easier for you to understand the situation. You would know to look back and assess at how you acted that led to certain outcomes.

As long as you don’t become overly self-conscious, self-awareness can be extremely handy in improving your life. Experts believe that it can be a tool that can be used anywhere and anytime. With all the benefits that come with self-awareness, why doesn’t everyone strive to be more self-aware? Self-awareness exists on a spectrum and everyone should all strive to be more self-aware if they can as long as it remains healthy and beneficial.

Reference: https://hopefulpanda.com/why-self-awareness-is-important/

By: Rathana Cham