SELF AWARENESS

Self-awareness is the ability to recognise our character, personality, and other traits. The improvement of one’s awareness is necessary to enhance communication, relationships, and feel empathy.

Self-awareness is the capacity for introspection and the recognition of oneself as a distinct, conscious entity: René Descartes. 

Self-awareness is the ability to monitor and recognize one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. It plays a crucial role in self-regulation, emotional intelligence, and personal growth. 

Psychologist Carl Rogers viewed self-awareness as part of the self-concept, which includes the ideal self and real self. When these are aligned, individuals experience psychological well-being. Daniel Goleman, in emotional intelligence theory, identifies self-awareness as the cornerstone of effective leadership and decision-making. 

Dimensions of Self-Awareness

Self-awareness can be understood through the following important dimensions:

• Internal Self-Awareness: Understanding one's emotions, values, beliefs, motivations, strengths, weaknesses and personal goals.
• External Self-Awareness: Understanding how one's behaviour, communication and actions are perceived by others.
• Emotional Awareness: Recognizing and understanding one's emotions, emotional triggers and reactions.
• Behavioural Awareness: Observing one's habits, actions and recurring behavioural patterns.
• Cognitive Awareness: Understanding how one thinks, makes decisions and forms judgments, including awareness of assumptions and biases.
• Values and Identity Awareness: Understanding one's principles, beliefs, identity and the values that guide decisions and behaviour.

These dimensions help individuals develop a balanced understanding of themselves and their relationships with others.

Johari Window and Self-Awareness

The Johari Window, developed by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, is a useful model for understanding self-awareness and interpersonal relationships. It contains four areas:

1. Open Area: Information known to both the individual and others.
2. Blind Area: Information known to others but not recognized by the individual.
3. Hidden Area: Information known to the individual but not disclosed to others.
4. Unknown Area: Information unknown to both the individual and others.

Feedback and open communication can reduce the blind area and increase the open area, thereby improving self-awareness and relationships.

Developing Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is not a fixed characteristic; it can be developed through continuous practice. Important methods include:

• Self-reflection: Regularly examining one's thoughts, emotions, decisions and behaviour.
• Feedback: Seeking honest and constructive feedback from colleagues, supervisors and others.
• Journaling: Recording experiences, emotions and lessons to identify recurring patterns.
• Mindfulness: Paying attention to present thoughts and emotions without immediate judgment.
• Personality and EI assessments: Using appropriate assessment tools to understand personal characteristics and behavioural tendencies. The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS), developed by Grant, Franklin and Langford, assesses two important components of self-awareness: self-reflection, or the tendency to examine one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and insight, or the ability to understand and make sense of them. Link to Test: The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS)
• Learning from experience: Analysing both successes and failures and identifying areas for improvement.

ACTIVITY 1: MY INNER QUALITIES 

Introspect and list your inner qualities that make you unique.

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ACTIVITY 2 – MY STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
This activity will guide us in identifying our likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. It will also help us in achieving the following Learning Outcomes.

Introspect honestly and fill up the following worksheet.

Learning Outcomes: You will be able to

• Identify your strengths and weaknesses
• Get deeper insight into likes and dislikes of self
• Improve your strengths and overcome their weaknesses

Worksheet

My Strengths

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My Weaknesses

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My Likes

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My Dislikes

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Discussion:

• Have you ever introspected about your likes, dislikes, weakness and strengths?
• Was it easy to identify your likes, dislikes, weakness and strengths?
• What were your feelings while doing this exercise?