We all remember from our biology classes from school that cell is the fundamental unit of life. But looking back at the life that we have lived so far. It will not be entirely wrong to say our lives are build by the habits we have taken up in the journey. Unfortunately, I have never met a perfect individual in my life. Hence, I think it will be safe to say that all of us are creatures of both good and bad habits. Albeit, most of us out there do try to push our selves to take up more positive habits than the negative ones. A lot of times, it seems easy, but in reality, it is not always so.
Let’s take a small pause here and ask ourselves how aware are we of our very own self. But there is a problem here. Often, we are not aware that we have made ourselves comfortable with something. We tend to do the same things in the same way, almost every day. We do not realize that we have built a routine for ourselves without evaluating the consequences of the same. Now we are posed to another question which we need to confront. How being aware of oneself and looking inside enforce us to build positive habits.
Knowing oneself
Everyone around us including ourselves has some idea of what self-awareness is. No one knows where self-awareness comes from and what are its precursors or even why some claim to have more or less of it than others. It is the ability to see yourself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection. It will start a philosophical discourse if we begin to dwell deeper into how much self-awareness can an individual have or if it is possible to attain total self-awareness by any means.
We can let days pass without having to consciously give a single thought to the inner self, just acting and feeling as we will; however, we can focus our attention on what is inside or our inner self, the ability to do so is called Self Evaluation
Identify the change you want to see in yourself
When we engage in ‘Self Evaluation’, we peek into our inner self to gauge our thoughts, feelings, and actions and judge them as per the normative standards. We get deeper insights into what we should and shouldn’t do, think, or feel. Let’s say our cough is getting worse day by day or we become winded by just brisk walking, it is possible that there is a negative habit like smoking or a sedentary lifestyle or maybe a lack of a positive habit like regular exercise is to blame.
What does self-awareness theory say
The self-awareness theory talks about how we operate as a separate entity apart from our thoughts. We merely are thinkers and observers to our thoughts. A plethora of researches on self-awareness theory suggests that there are multiple factors that determine how we respond to our habits. It comes down to how we perceive its outcome to be. If we believe that we will be able to take up a positive habit and improve, we are likelier to take action on it. But if we think, there is a little chance of us actually changing or picking positive habits, we tend to avoid it.
3 ways to get cultivate self-awareness vis-a-vis develop positive habits
1. Creating space and time
Every day, try to take some time out for yourself. The time where you can peek in, question, self evaluate and most importantly connect with yourself. This is only possible if we distance ourselves from digital distractions around us. It will help us in identifying positive habits we should consider taking up and negative habits to give up on.
2. Practise Mindfulness
Let mindfulness cultivate within yourself, be open to your surroundings, and pay attention to your inner state as it arises. Indulge in your daily work mindfully. It helps you identify the lack of positive habits that you should consider taking up.
3. Journal your awareness
Take note of your thoughts and process them through writing. Constantly reflect upon your inner state. Evaluate all your habits on a daily basis. Make a positive outlook towards picking up positive habits and take action accordingly.