Activities That Seek To Improve Self-Awareness, Self-worth, and Self-identity

How well do you know yourself? You probably know the basics: you love this, hate that, and have an aptitude for certain skills. But what about your behavior and thoughts, and how do they affect your life? You know, deep stuff.

This is where self-knowledge comes into play. "Self-awareness is about seeing yourself so that you see how you meet other people [and] how they meet you. Read on for some proven, science-backed strategies for boosting self-confidence.

1. Ask For Feedback From People:

Studying yourself often means stepping outside your own shoes. Ask someone you trust - such as a relative or close friend - to share their opinion of your attitude, personality, or behavior. This can help you become more aware of what you do and say and how others perceive you.

2. Meditate:

Yes, meditate. As most people already know, meditation is an exercise in increasing your awareness over time.

Most forms of meditation begin by focusing on and appreciating the simplicity of inhaling and exhaling. But it doesn't have to be formal or ritual—greater clarity can also come from regular moments of pause and reflection.

3. Clarify Your Personal Values:

One of the most important elements of self-awareness is understanding why you do what you do. You need to know your personal values to understand the basics of your behavior and actions.

Finding that your decisions don't align with your values could signify a lack of self-confidence. In other words, self-awareness means living a sober and wise life. To achieve this goal, identifying your personal values plays a major role.

4. Read Fiction:

Reading fiction allows us to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, which can help us develop empathy and social skills.

A study found that people who read fiction performed better on tests of empathy and social intelligence. The next time you have some free time, pick up a popular novel.

5. Practice Gratitude:

Every morning think of one thing in your life that you value. It could be a person, your health, job, pet, tree or something important to you. Think of that person or thing, and take a moment to feel gratitude in your heart. In a journal, you can also keep a list of things you are grateful for.

Practicing gratitude can help you develop a deeper awareness of your relationship with the world around you. It also helps to know what is most important to you.

6. Identify What Triggers Your Negative Emotions:

Understanding what makes you angry, sad, stressed, or jealous can go a long way in getting to know yourself.

The reason? When you recognize what triggers your negative emotions, you can be more selective about the people, places, and situations you encounter, says Pruden.

It also helps you become aware of how you react to your environment and the things you cannot control.