Cultivating Self-Awareness
Welcome to 1-2-3 Social Psychology for Leaders, a bi-weekly newsletter that helps ambitious people lead their lives and careers intentionally with confidence and energy. Has someone forwarded you this? Subscribe here so you don’t miss the next one.
Today we are going to talk about:
- What is self-awareness
- How to cultivate it.
Dear curious mind,
Today, I had the pleasure of spending time with a phenomenal group of women discussing confidence and leadership 💪👩💼. These are two of my favorite topics because they allow me to dive into everything related to confidence and leadership, especially self-awareness 🧠✨.
Self-awareness is the experience of one’s own personality or individuality. It enables you to become aware of your values, skills, things that bring you joy in life 🌱💡, triggers, interactions with people, and more.
Everything starts with awareness. It is the key 🔑 to unlocking infinite possibilities and potential 🚀. It also helps you be less reactive in difficult situations because it activates compassion and it ignites you to live a self-led life.
Practicing self-awareness regularly enables you to influence outcomes, become better decision-makers, and increases your self-confidence 💥. It also enables you to communicate with clarity and intention, which allows you to understand things from multiple perspectives 🌍. I also learned that the more self-aware we become the more we let go of assumptions and biases 🚫🤔.
For me, self-awareness means taking responsibility for my reactions. It is the most impactful tool in my life, and I would even say the tool that enabled me to live a life that is self-led and self-determined. I will speak about this a little bit more next week on my social media channels.
For now, let’s dive in how you can practice self-awareness on a daily basis.
Practical Self-Development Tools
Exercise 1: The 3-Part Reflection Method
- Pause & Observe: In moments of heightened emotion or stress, pause and take a deep breath. Observe your current emotions—what exactly are you feeling? Name it (e.g., frustration, anxiety, excitement) or describe it.
- Analyze the Trigger: Ask yourself, “What just happened?” or “Why do I feel this way?” Focus on identifying the specific situation or interaction that triggered your emotional response. This separates the event from your reaction.
- Connect & Learn: Link the emotion and trigger to a deeper belief or value. For example, you might discover that frustration arises when your need for respect is unmet. This awareness allows you to adjust your future responses and build better emotional control.
Difficult emotions are usually a sign that one of your boundaries was crossed. Though, keep in mind that people might not know what your boundaries are.
Why it works: This method creates a routine of reflection, helping you pinpoint the causes of your reactions and reshape patterns over time.
Exercise 2: The ‘Self-Check-In’ Habit
Self-awareness is strengthened by regular, intentional check-ins with yourself. The goal is to create a habit of assessing how you’re feeling and what’s driving those feelings.
Steps:
- Set Daily Reminders: Use an app or set an alarm for 3 check-ins during the day (morning, midday, and evening).
- Ask Key Questions: At each check-in, ask yourself:
- How am I feeling right now (emotionally and physically)?
- What’s influencing these feelings? (Situations, thoughts, interactions)
- What is one thing I need to change, or how can I reframe this for a more positive or productive response?
- Make Adjustments: Based on your reflections, make small changes or set intentions to shift your mindset, actions, or energy for the rest of the day.
Why it Works: This tool creates an ongoing awareness of your inner state and external influences. It helps you stay aligned with your goals and emotional well-being throughout the day.
Let me know how these two methods work for you.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”
Aristotle
3. Additional Resources:
01
Podcast Suggestion
why listen?
Self-Awareness is both one of the most important skills for a person to have, and one of the most challenging to develop. In this episode of Being Well, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explore what it takes to increase self-awareness over time, the different forms of awareness that come into play, and why maintaining self-awareness can be such a struggle. Rick then emphasizes how we can develop a greater awareness of the positive aspects of ourselves.
02
Talk Suggestion
tedx talk
A Guide To Believing In Yourself (but for real this time) by Catherine Reitman
Brillant Talk.
03
Bi-Weekly Book Recommendation
Bi-weekly book recommendation
Aware: The Science And Practice Of Presence – The Groundbreaking Meditation Practice
I hope you find this newsletter helpful. Please let me know what topics you would like to learn more about by simply responding to this email.
Thanks for your support!
PS: Join me live September 12th at 12 PM EST for an online hands-on workshop on Confident Leadership. Sign Up Here.
I just have to say—
No matter how you got here, thank you so much for sticking around and joining the journey. I hope very much to see more of you in the next months and years.
