5 Benefits for Why Self-Awareness is Important to Manage Stress

 

There are many great ways of improving yourself. One of these ways is to look for the positive attributes you possess and appreciating that part of you. Another important way of becoming a better person is by acknowledging your weaknesses and actively working on improving. These two methods of self-improvement define what it means to be self-aware.

In managing stress or becoming emotionally intelligent (EI), self -awareness is the basis – you can’t make improvements if you don’t know why you do what you do, why you act or react, and the like. You can’t change what you don’t know.

Being self-aware can help you relate well with people and increase your ability to achieve your goals. These are not the only benefits of self-awareness, however. Here are some more reasons why it is important to be self-aware.

 

  • Increases your social abilities

 

Human beings are social beings who thrive on relationships. People who are self-aware are very successful when creating relationships. This is because they are able to realize exactly what they want in each person they meet. That certainty comes from knowing one’s own abilities and challenges. Self-awareness also promotes emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence helps us relate to the feelings of other people. Lacking this skill can leave us in conflicts with others. The best way to improve your level of emotional intelligence is by learning your own emotional patterns, which allows you to regulate them for more positive interactions.

 

  • Promotes versatility and open-mindedness

 

Knowing yourself can be very crucial to affecting the approach that you have on issues. Self-awareness in itself is the ability to actively seek to listen to the body and mind to know your natural response to change. This consciousness can thus help you have a clear focus when dealing with issues. You are also able to accept opinions, feedback, and criticism from other people without being subjective. Ultimately, you are able to have multiple solutions to a single problem.

 

  • Promotes productivity

 

People who are self-aware are fast thinkers. They understand themselves and are able to focus on the challenges of the day without hindrances. Without understanding yourself, there is a big challenge where you are held back by uncertainty. This results in time wastage caused by pondering over many different courses of action even when a swift decision is needed. People who are self-aware know their productivity levels – when they are most energetic and focused and maximize these times to get more done.

 

  • Improves leadership skills

 

One of the most important attributes of a good leader is swift decision-making. A leader should also be impartial and confident. All these are things that we gain by becoming self-aware. Knowing yourself removes internal fear and you are able to focus on important matters. Self-awareness also includes listening to one’s intuition, along with knowing what skills need developed that leads to being a successful leader.

 

  • Promotes Overall Objectivity

 

Being self-aware promotes objectivity. People who are self-aware are also self-confident. This means that they can easily make decisions without being clouded by poor judgment. They also have empathy towards others and are able to implement boundaries for what they will accept from others as well as what they will give; they are not afraid to say ‘no’ when needed.

 

  • Gives the Ability to Manage Their Stress and Other Triggers

Self-awareness allows for one to know the source of their stress, or triggers, and what leads to feeling overwhelmed and unable to handle situations they face. Triggers can include people, habits of others, or those that go against one’s values, such as a coworker who procrastinates on their part of a project or not doing their work on time. Knowing these triggers allows you to find solutions to face them calmly, detach from the outcome, and stay in your own lane, thus decreasing stressful feelings.

 

Being self-aware takes effort – self-assessing, noting your habits and patterns, and then delving in to uncover reasons for your behaviors. It is only through being self-aware that you can build on your strengths and skills which leads to confidence and increased self-esteem. It takes some level of bravery to delve into one’s behavior but it’s the learning curve needed to lead a more positive and productive life.

 

If you’re ready to do the deep-dive in learning more about yourself, and how this relates to positive changes in your life, reach out to learn about our services and programs – get started today!

 

 

How To Stay Positive In Stressful Situations

 

Sometimes nothing seems to turn out the way you had planned, no matter how hard you attempt. Regardless of where the stress is stemming from, it is essential to equip yourself with resources to rise above the negativity and stay positive. Maintaining a positive attitude can help alleviate stress and assist in accomplishing your objectives.

In difficult times, it can feel impossible to think positively when things are falling apart. However, negativity breeds negativity affecting your emotional and physical health. The more you view your situation in a negative light, the more stress and anxiety you will feel.

When you feel like you have hit a dead end, and start to sense any negativity, stop! Here are a few tips on how to remain positive even when you are in challenging situations:

 

  1. Count your blessings

Regardless of how rough things are, if you think about it, you have lots of things to be grateful for. Whether it’s having a job when a lot of people are jobless, having a supportive family, or simply being in a good health. By revisiting everything you have in your life, you can’t hold on to the negativities. You will feel confident, proud and positive.

There are countless things in your life that you can be thankful about, many you may dismiss as important. Five years ago, I participated in a 100-day gratitude challenge –  it was so impactful that it lasted for four years and the blessing were many to my outlook and things I attracted into my life (one was a new car). Every day, write down at least three things you are grateful for each morning and evening – you can work up from there.

  1. Reward yourself

When you achieve something, regardless of how little it is, pat yourself in the back for the job well done. The list of ways that you can reward yourself is endless. You can reward yourself with new opportunities to explore or learn something new, such as taking up a new hobby or going to places you have been wanting to (theme park, art gallery, restaurant, etc.).  You can even take your friends out for coffee. A positive attitude can hardly arise if you don’t even feel great about yourself.

Begin to notice people and events in your daily life and recognize actions that either you have taken towards someone else or that are done to you, no matter how small; examples include someone letting your out in traffic, holding the door for you, giving you a compliment, or helping you out in some way. This helps to recognize your worth that needs to be remembered and recognized.

  1. Exercise regularly

Another great way to manage stress and remain positive is by exercising on a regular basis. If you don’t exercise, try to find something that you enjoy doing such as swimming, biking, playing golf, playing tennis, or going for a walk. Breathing exercise can also help alleviate stress; breathing has been proven to help manage stress, and is one of the best ways to calm the brain and body quickly. Movement has also been shown to ease stress and anxious feelings quickly; easy ways to move, especially if your are at work, is to march in place or take a short walk.

  1. Take time out

If all you think about is work, you can easily be overwhelmed by stress. Be sure to give yourself time off and read a book, listen to music or do whatever it is that you find relaxing. You can also go out with your family and friends. Give yourself permission to veg on the couch of take short breaks during the day – go eat your lunch outside or ideate.  Having time-outs will help you remain focused and positive when you are at your work station so you can dive into the work in front of you with more ease. You will ultimately thank yourself for it.

How to always stay positive in a challenging environment takes awareness of the stressors and retraining the way you think. While you will not alleviate stress overnight, following these simple steps will help you develop and maintain a good attitude about your work and your life. The benefits will be many.

 

If you or your team are feeling stress, why suffer – reach out to learn about our stress management program and services to live stress-free. Take control today to avoid problems in the future.

 

 

Be Accepting of Yourself While Striving for Greatness

There is absolutely no way for you to be successful and reach your goals until you accept who you are. You have to like yourself and what you do before anyone else will.

The world detects how you feel about yourself and often simply shares the opinion you have about who you are. It is said that what you put out is what you attract; so, if you are not kind and compassionate to yourself, then you will be coming from a low level of vibration which will show up in all areas of your life, especially in your work.

When you are at a lower level, stress and anxiety are free to creep in which can lead to a host of mental, physical, and emotional troubles. Productivity and time management decline, behavioral issues may arise (i.e. irritability, conflict, etc.), and disengagement to some level occurs.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Whether you realize it or not, you do have control over your thoughts and actions so you step into your greatness. You must be yourself and free yourself in the process.

You are an individual who is unique. Your talents and abilities, you intelligence and interests, you opinions and tastes, make you who you are. There is no need to hide a part of yourself or alter a part of yourself for the sake of conformity. True success is about freedom and all truly successful people are individualists who have, more or less, accepted and glorified who they are. You should do the same.

At the same time, being yourself does not mean glorying in mediocrity. You need to be the very best version of yourself possible. This means that you have to work at being you.

You have to put the time into self-improvement. If you want to be great, you have to take daily actions that lead you there. Acceptance is not an excuse for laziness, cowardice or fear. Life is a privilege. It is a gift.

The gift and the privilege of life is that you get to be yourself, the best self you can possibly be. Use the gift; take advantage of the privilege that you’ve been given every day. Take time to breathe, to plan, to visualize, and to work on becoming the best version of you so you become great.

 

            “To increase your effectiveness, make your emotions subordinate to         your commitments” (Brian Koslow)

 

Don’t squander the chance. Let your own unique light shine forth. This is the light that will illuminate the path to real success in life. It will also be the light that attracts other people to you and shines the way to greatness.

 

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