Question

How would you describe "self-awareness" to someone who has never heard of this concept, and what steps might you offer this person if he/she wanted to reach a higher level of self-awareness?

Answer 1

Self awareness refers to knowing oneself accurately. It refers to the knowledge of one's strengths and weaknesses and one's emotional states. It involves being aware of one's emotional states and behaviors.

There are several ways to increase one' self awareness:

• Keeping a journal: Keeping a journal in which you track your daily emotional states, the reasons behind them and your reactions to those states is an important exercise in self awareness. It allows us to track commonalities in our emotional experiences. It may also help us to identify our strengths and weaknesses.
• Questionnaires and activities: There are several questionnaires and exercises that have been developed to enhance one's self awareness. One such exercise is Johari window that allows individuals to learn aspects of the self that they were previously unfamiliar with. Examples of other scales are  Self Consciousness Scale and The Situational Self Awareness Scale.
• Feedback: Asking close friends and family members for constructive feedback is another way to enhance self awareness. Our blind spots may not be visible to us but those who are in close contact with us are aware of them. The feedback may allow us to develop our strengths and improve our weaknesses.