“The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself.” – David Goggins

Becoming more self-aware is one of the key aspects of personal growth.  When we are self-aware, we focus on ourselves in terms of our emotions, action,  and thoughts and assessing them how they align with our own values. Majority of the highly self-aware individuals can work and deal with things objectively to be more productive in the workplace. Furthermore, developing self-awareness will harness and foster better relationships with co-workers and colleagues.  In this post, we discuss self-aware and its benefits in the workplace.

What is self-awareness?

In the workplace, self-awareness is something all employees should make effort to have. Why? Self-awareness enables an individual to control their own emotion and action by dealing with everything rationally. A self-aware person is one who always takes the challenges in the workplace in a more orderly and professional manner. 

When you carefully understand self-awareness, it is actually about creating a productive mental state wherein we will be able to focus on our thoughts. It is more about how we set our minds to something to bring out more useful and productive results, especially in our workplaces.

Benefits of being self-aware in the workplace

1. It enables us to identify our own strengths and weaknesses.

It is no surprise that self-aware allows us to easily identify our strengths and weaknesses. Because it focuses on us. We may think that we know ourselves very well so we know these things. However, we are wrong. If we are not self-aware, it will be very hard for us to identify even our strengths and capabilities. 

According to Omer Usanmaz, CEO of Cooper Mentoring & Learning Software, “The main benefit of being self-aware is that it enables us to identify our own strengths and weaknesses.* This allows us to focus on our strengths and improve our weaknesses, which can lead to better job performance and increased job satisfaction. Additionally, being self-aware can help us to better understand and appreciate the perspectives of our colleagues and customers, which can lead to improved relationships and better communication.”

In doing our job, this is very significant because when we know our strengths and weaknesses, we can carefully adjust ourselves to the tasks and projects assigned to us which can lead to better job performance. 

Relationship-wise with our boss or workmates, we can improve by helping them on things that we know and are experts for. 

2. You can realize your emotions affect others.

Being self-aware does not just affect only you, but also the people around us, especially those working with us. And it is essential that we know when and how our actions affect others, whether or not it’s positive. 

“Knowing your moods and emotions properly should aid you in understanding how they affect others. If you’re feeling particularly stressed, for instance, you can be conscious of how this may manifest and take steps to mitigate it. As much as we would like to compartmentalize at times, we’re only human, therefore it’s really difficult,” says Max Whiteside, an SEO and content lead at Breaking Muscle. 

“There is nothing wrong with bringing bad feelings to the workplace, but if you observe that it is harming your work or the moods of others, you should discuss the issue with your manager and get support,” he added.

This means that self-awareness is not just about ourselves, but also about others too. This is what makes it difficult. Always be aware of timing if you want to vent out your personal feelings and emotion about something to your co-workers.

3. It helps improve stress management. 

Self-awareness is one of the emotional intelligence. And so let us understand, how self-awareness can be an important tool to manage stress. We must notice our own thoughts and emotions because it plays a big part in our mental health and our health in general.

If you feel exhausted and overly sensitive, take time to pause, be calm, and think of things you need to do to manage and control it. 

This is the same as what the CEO of CUBO and a Forbes 30U30 member, Leo Ye. He says, “In my opinion, knowing what causes you to feel anxious, angry, or defensive is a component of self-awareness. Knowing your triggers allows you to respond with greater composure when they occur. Consider going for a stroll or, if that is not possible, spending a few moments to breathe and gather your thoughts. This can prevent you from making a hasty decision that could increase your stress levels (and those of your colleagues). Knowing what reduces your stress is also crucial. Self-awareness entails taking care of yourself and sleeping to avoid exhaustion.”

Knowing what causes negative emotions and thoughts is very important for you to know how to deal with them. You will know what would be the alternatives to making unnecessary emotions and thoughts go away. Then, this will avoid you from making bad decisions that make you stress. 

How are you going to manage your stress effectively?

Check these techniques for stress management:

• Try to practice meditation. You can do this any time of the day, whatever suits you. Spare a couple of minutes meditating to set your mind and body free.
• Get exercise and enough sleep, and eat healthy food. When you are physically fit, rest assured you are healthy mentally. 
• Avoid drinking alcoholic drinks. You may think that one way of getting rid of stress is drinking and being drunk, but no. It even worsens the stress. 
• List the things you are thankful for. This attracts a positive mindset and establishes a positive outlook in life that no matter what happens you always find something to be grateful for.
• Lastly, make time to go for activities that you enjoy doing.  It may be an outdoor activity, a movie marathon, or shopping. It’s up to you. Always check yourself, if you still enjoying yourself doing things and hobbies, if not anymore, this could be another trigger sign of stress. 

4. Awareness of Oneself From the Inside Out

What does this mean? “This is the degree to which we are aware of the activities that take place on the inside of us is referred to as our internal self-awareness. This involves not just our thoughts and feelings but also the ways we think of ourselves. It also involves how well we know our own core values, priorities, interests, and desires; how well we know our own strengths and weaknesses; and how well we know our basic values,” says Josh Pelletier, Chief Marketing Officer of BarBend.

He also added, “When we have a strong sense of what we are on the inside, we are conscious of how we affect the world and the people inside it. Being happy and content comes from having a high level of the inner self. Additionally, it is beneficial in the treatment of anxiety, stress, and depression.”

It is much important that we fully know ourselves for us to be able to discern the things that could greatly affect ourselves and others. 

5. It increases emotional Intelligence.

As mentioned, self-awareness is one of the key components of emotional Intelligence. By the way, emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use and manage your emotions. 

The CEO of ipetguides, Thomas Villalpando says, “You can enhance your ability to control your emotions and the quality of your interactions with others by becoming more aware of your own emotions and how they affect your conduct.”

The ability to control our emotions is not an easy job. Most of the time we are overpowered by our emotions and tend to do things we are not supposed to do. So, it is very crucial that we are self-aware to increase our EQ. 

6. Being self-aware at work allows you to be a bit more culturally sensitive.

Self-awareness helps you to look into things objectively and without bias especially culturally. 

Co-owner and Marketing Director of EMUCoupon, Elice Max says, “Everyone has biases but those that are self-aware can learn to become more open-minded and non-judgemental towards people of different backgrounds. Workplaces nowadays are extremely diverse and to foster a positive environment and built powerful connections, you need to recognize and respect the cultural norms and practices of different individuals. In other words, being self-aware helps in challenging your preconceived notions that others might find offensive.”

When we are self-aware, we minimize our judgments toward others. We are more careful about what we do and what we say. We should avoid biases because this is one of the major barriers for us to becoming self-aware. This will even cloud our own judgments. 

Additionally, we can develop more sense of respect towards ourselves and others especially those who we directly work with.

7. It enhances trust in making better choices. 

We know for a fact that when we are more self-aware, we become conscious and careful in making decisions. Self-awareness will enhance our trust in ourselves that we are making better choices. 

Concerning this, Dr. Peter Gleick, founder of Aquajudge says, “Improved decision-making is another benefit of self-awareness. When we are more aware of our own thoughts, feelings, and emotions, we can make decisions based on an understanding of ourselves rather than impulsively responding to external factors. This helps us avoid making choices that can lead to negative consequences.”

Self-awareness avoid us from deciding impulsively, which is not considered carefully. When we are aware of every decision we made, we come to understand more of our strengths and weaknesses in terms of decision-making. Better choices lead to a better life!

8. It improves communication skills.

How you interact with other people is one of the determinants of whether or not you are self-aware. In the workplace, it is already expected that everyone has their own unique personality and behavior. 

“A key component of self-awareness is understanding how you come across to other people and being able to adjust your behavior accordingly. This can go a long way toward improving communication and collaboration within an organization,” according to George Harrison. CEO of PGKMaker.

When individuals are self-aware, they are able to understand and communicate their thoughts and feelings effectively, reducing misunderstandings and conflicts.

Furthermore, self-awareness that improves our communication skills will help us create better relationships with workmates. Self-awareness can improve communication and relationships with colleagues, as individuals are able to understand and manage their own emotions and reactions in social situations. Nothing could go wrong when you express and communicate yourself effectively. 

9. Awareness of One’s Own External Nature.

This expert idea is from  Andrew Priobrazhenskyi, CEO of DiscountReactor. “Being aware of how other people perceive you is a more important aspect of having an external soul. This encompasses how other individuals view our great strengths and weak points, as well as our beliefs, passions, and goals in life. When a person has a high level of external self-awareness, they may be better able to empathize with others and view things from their standpoint as well as the views of others. Because of this, their effectiveness in leadership positions is significantly increased, and the explanation for this is that this practice fosters relationships,” he explains.

This time, people around us view and provide feedback on our abilities and capabilities. When we are self-aware, we will not disregard our workmates’ feedback about us, especially since they are constantly working with us hand in hand every day.

10. It develops analytical thinking skills. 

“The ability to think critically is one of the main advantages of developing self-awareness, in my view. To begin developing self-awareness, one must engage in introspective, critical thought about oneself and one’s behavior. You need to do a lot of thinking and detachment from your feelings before you can see things clearly. The critical thinking skills you develop through these activities will be useful in many contexts,” Tutor Cruncher Digital Marketing Expert, Jamie Irwin says. 

We need extreme usage of our minds and critical thinking skills to get rid of being influenced by our own emotions. When we develop our analytical skills because we are self-aware, we can use these skills not just at work but even when we deal with our personal issues and problem. 

11. Being self-aware is a powerful tool for personal growth and success. 

Self-awareness trains us to become better individuals, workers, and members of society. We become confident in ourselves and so, this is a great tool for achieving personal growth and career success. 

Denis Ristić, Vice President Global Brands Division at AskGamblers says, “Self-awareness leads to increased self-confidence. When we better understand our motivations and capabilities, we become more confident in our ability to make good decisions and handle challenges. We also become less likely to compare ourselves to others and focus on our own progress and achievements.”

Once again, it clearly involves us emotionally, when we are confident enough with our abilities and capabilities, we are more happy and content. Progress achievements are best achieved when we believe that we can do everything with our own efforts and skills. 

Success is very relevant to self-awareness. You can never succeed when you are not self-aware. 

How to be self-aware?

We already discussed the benefits, but the question is how to practice self-awareness. These are on of the few important tips:

• Assess and reflect on how you interact with them as the product of your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Start with yourself. Try keeping a journal to document your thoughts and feelings throughout the day. Writing down any difficulties that arise and how you can address them can help you recognize patterns in your behavior.

• Ask for feedback. Self-assessments and reflections have limitations. Sometimes you need someone’s feedback. Start with the people you are close with like family and friends. Ask them their honest opinions about your communication style and behavior. Go in with an open mind and listen to any constructive criticism they have to offer. When you have received the feedback, reflect on what they have said and how you can overcome your weaknesses and build on your strengths. Seeking feedback is an important part of being self-aware.
• Be honest and take responsibility. This goes with everything you do for the company and towards the people around you in the workplace, even outside the workplace. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to take responsibility for it and come up with solutions. This can help build trust between you and others in the workplace.

To wrap things up

 David Goggins  said, “The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself.”  This means that, when we want to deeply understand our thoughts emotions and actions, we can fully know who really we are– and this is one of the most important interactions we can have in our lives.  We need to always remember that everything that happened to us is a product of our own thoughts and emotions and how we deal with them.

It is not easy to become more self-aware than we ever have before right away. There is no easy journey toward achievement and success.  Take your time, and work at your own pace. We hope that this post helps and encourages you to make efforts to become more self-aware. For emotional and personal growth. For success!