One of the first steps in healing your life is becoming aware of your own thoughts and feelings. By definition, self-awareness is the practice of becoming conscious of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires. For millennia, people seeking healing and spiritual enlightenment have practiced self-awareness through meditation, prayer, and by spending time with the elements. In today’s society, however, being self-aware has become much more challenging because we are constantly bombarded by external stimuli. Traffic, smart phones, computers, and the overall hustle of our daily lives leaves us with little time for self-reflection. Additionally, we are not taught the importance of self-awareness. Our modern day society puts a great deal of emphasis on external achievement and very little emphasis on self-reflection.
For this reason, it is important to intentionally take time out of your day to spend time with your own thoughts and feelings. This process can be challenging at first, especially as you withdraw from the things that normally distract you. Additionally, sitting with our feelings can be uncomfortable. There is a reason that we avoid addressing certain areas of our lives, mainly because facing them doesn’t feel good! However, the long term consequences of not addressing our emotions can be much more devastating.
Here are some tips to get started:
Keep a journal – as thoughts and feelings come up, write them down in a journal. Journaling is an excellent way to get in touch with your inner most thoughts and to start working through them.
Take a walk in nature – If you have access to nature, this is an excellent way to quiet your mind and get in touch with yourself.
Shut off your electronic devices – electronics are an excellent distraction. Try turning off
your phone, your computer and your television and just being with yourself. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but you can do it!
Meditate – meditation calms the mind and helps us to get in touch with ourselves.
Reach out – don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and talk through your feelings with someone that you trust. Talking through your emotions is very therapeutic, especially if it’s with someone who is non-judgemental.
Don’t be afraid of strong emotions – If strong emotions come up, let them flow. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to punch a pillow, then punch it! These emotions are telling you something that by letting them flow, you will be more aware of why you have them to begin with. Just make sure that you are not hurting others as you experience these feelings.
Start doing something artistic – Art is an excellent way to work through your feelings and to become more aware of yourself. Music, painting, and dancing are all excellent for you!
Be gentle with yourself – As you become more aware, be gentle with yourself. Sometimes we carry very strong emotions that can be overwhelming to process. Start your journey towards self-awareness slowly. It’s not a race!
Honour yourself – This is your journey and you must honour what comes up in the process. If you honour what’s right for you, you are also helping others to grow, even if they don’t see it that way.
These are just a few of the many ways that you can begin to get in touch with yourself and become more aware. As awareness comes, you are able to work through your obstacles and move forward in your life. You clear away old fear and make more room for love, the most healing energy available.
If you would like more information about how to begin your journey towards becoming more self-aware, please contact me.
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