You have probably heard this many times, but have you actually really thought about what it means or learned how to accomplish true physical and mental awareness.
The first step is to know why we need or want to be self-aware.
We get so busy in our days, our weeks, our lives, that it can be easy to get swept up so much till one day we crash and burn and we don’t know what happened.
We are working away and feel like we are holding everything together and then we get really sick over and over again.
We are just going about what we usually do and then chronic pain sets in or we can’t get out of bed.
We feel like everything is normal and then we realise we have been depressed or suffering anxiety for months and didn’t notice.
Now I am not saying that self-awareness will keep us living without issues till we are 100, however ignoring what our minds and bodies tell us is as dangerous as not drinking water on a hot day.
Our bodies and minds are clever, well-oiled machines that need us to protect them. We should be thinking of ourselves as a classic car, the older it gets the more we need to look after it. And our classic car certainly isn’t straight off the lot, it needs more attention to keep it functioning.
So how do we read the gauges on our car?
I see this in 2 parts.
- The physical or external influences; food, drinks, exercise.
- The mental and reflection; quiet time, stimulation, positivity.
For now I won’t go into detail on the 2 parts that make up self-awareness but I will give you an easy exercise that is a small step in the right direction.
This week starting tonight when you go to bed, put your phone away from your reach, on silent and just lie still. I want you to think about your day, think about the worst part of your day or the most provoking part. Really focus on how you felt and assess if that feeling left or if it stayed with you all day. Take a few minutes to let it play over in your head. Think about that issue being resolved, think about it not effecting you anymore and feel yourself blowing it out of your thoughts with each deep breath. When you feel yourself relaxing say to yourself, “it’s over, that’s enough now”.
Now think now about the best part, what made it so good. Is that best part something you experience often, can you replicate it and have it more often. Is it similar to another positive experience that you can bring into your everyday? Is this positive part of your day something you can grow and nurture? What can you do tomorrow to make that experience better or have a moment of even more joy. Plan and think about creating a moment of joy for tomorrow.
Next think about what you ate and drank. Was it food of nourishment, could you have made better choices, how did it make you feel when you finished it. Can you think of food that you have had that you know really feeds your body, that you enjoy, is that something that you could have had today or could have more of in the future. Is this something that you could have tomorrow?
Think about these three points for as long as you can till you can see a day that was filled with.
- Experiencing a moment of displeasure, letting it fill your mind, drain each thought and each emotion out of it, then let it stay in today.
- Focus on a moment of joy and find a way to create more of those for tomorrow.
- Let your body enjoy nourishment and what can you feel your body that will make you feel wonderful and that you will really enjoy tomorrow.
Your structure doesn’t have to be different, but a few small changes can make tomorrow better for you inside and out, just be reflecting on what small tweaks you can make.
See out a week and let me know what you thought and what clarity this small exercise gave you.
Share this with other people who really need to bring in more positive energy to their lives but who perhaps feel they can’t change anything or don’t have time. This is a very simple step closer to self-awareness and joy.
Can’t wait to hear how you went. Set a reminder before bed or write yourself a note and leave on your pillow so you don’t forget. See out the 7 days and adjust each day as you get through the week.
Good luck
Lili