How self-awareness can make you a happier person
You can’t control other people, but having self-awareness can help you better control how you react and respond to other people. Feeling more in control of your reactions increases your confidence and makes you a happier person in general.
Lisa Mitchell, Communications Expert & Founder of Power Body Language, explains HOW we do this and the steps to doing it right.
1) You Know Who You Are
Part of being self aware is knowing who you are at a foundational level. It’s not the demographic or professional definitions you identify yourself by, but it’s about the inner values that you hold, the opinions and beliefs you carry, and the strengths (as well as the weaknesses) that you possess. You don’t sway to popular opinion or argue your point to the death to win people to your side, you are confident in who you are and what you stand for without having to have others buy-in or approval.
2) You Know What You want
Once you know what you want, it’s easy to say “no” to the things that don’t fall into that category. Knowing what and who you care about and put value on, and being able to articulate that clearly and with conviction, allows you greater control over what you find yourself doing, the people you have around you, and the amount of stress you engage with.
3) You Can Establish Healthy Boundaries and Feel OK Defending Them
Does being around certain people trigger you? Say no to spending time with them. Do you know that being in certain environments makes you anxious or stressed? Say no to going there. Do you know that you need to allow yourself a dedicated block of time on the weekend to recharge and honor yourself with self-care practices? Defend that time! When you know what makes your thrive and what depletes you, you can create boundaries that you know you need to protect your energy and well-being.
1 quick tip to increase your self-awareness & increase your happiness:
Start A Journaling Practice
One of the quickest was to increase yourself awareness is to take a few minutes each day to just check in with yourself and write down how you’re feeling, what’s going on around you, and who is contributing to how you feel. This habit will help you to identify what makes you feel good, what makes you less happy, and what you want to increase or decrease in your environment.
To learn more, visit www.powerbodylanguage.com or connect with Lisa on Instagram at @lisamitchellindy.