Emotional self-awareness: 6 tips to improve it

If you are not able to recognise your feelings, you will not be able to control them. This involves emotional self-awareness. In short, knowing how you feel and why you feel that way.

It sounds good. However, it is not always easy to use this competence.

Do you want to know if you have emotional self-awareness and would you like to control your emotions to achieve your goals? In this article, we will talk about what self-awareness is and what it is for, how to learn to work on it and techniques to achieve emotional liberation.

What is emotional self-awareness?

Emotional self-awareness is the ability to recognise and understand your emotions and how they impact your behaviour. Know how you feel and why. In this way, you will see how your feelings help or hinder your decisions and actions.

Emotional self-awareness is different from cognitive self-awareness, which focuses on your thoughts and ideas rather than feelings.

Emotional self-awareness is a competence or skill that can be learned and trained. You may not be fully aware of your emotions now, but you can work to develop that awareness.

3 examples of personal self-awareness

1. Public presentation: if you are not used to it, before this moment you will feel a lot of nervous. Fear of “doing it wrong”, a lump in your throat, worry that you won’t be able to explain yourself properly, dry mouth… At this moment you are becoming emotionally self-conscious of your feelings.
2. Emotional self-awareness in driving: This is happening more and more, as traffic and the stresses of everyday life seem to only increase. As a result, people become agitated while driving in traffic, which generates a lot of senseless negativity. Road rage is a symptom of people who lack emotional self-awareness.
3. Emotional self-awareness in the work environment: Research from Cornell University in New York showed that a high level of emotional self-awareness predicts overall success in the work environment. Conversely, leaders with low self-awareness create negative work climates.

What is the main cause of self-consciousness?

Emotional self-awareness, which is closely related to emotional well-being, develops in connection with the understanding of rules, standards and goals.

Young children begin to form a sense of self at around 18 months. This is when self-conscious emotions begin to develop and later, in adolescence, they are very prone to shyness, as it is at this time that they first experience significant social pressure.

Benefits of emotional self-awareness

Strengthening self-awareness has several benefits that may vary from person to person:

1. It gives us the ability to influence outcomes.
2. It helps us to make better decisions through self-confidence.
3. We communicate with greater clarity and intention. 
4. It allows us to understand things from multiple perspectives.
5. It frees us from assumptions and prejudices.
6. It helps us build better relationships.
7. It gives us a greater capacity to regulate our emotions.
8. It reduces stress.
9. It makes us happier.

How to have emotional self-awareness?

Emotional self-awareness, to a greater or lesser extent, is a skill that we can develop and train. The more you work on it, the more you will know yourself and the more capacity you will have over yourself.

It requires a task of introspection, knowing yourself, knowing what your goals are, your values, your red lines, your thoughts, and being aware of all the changes they may undergo throughout your life.

How do I know if I have self-awareness?

If you are not able to recognise your feelings, you cannot control them.

Lack of such awareness also hinders the perception of others’ emotions and empathy. It is difficult to maintain a positive attitude or influence others if you do not know how you feel.

Pay attention, and analyse these qualities to find out if you have emotional self-awareness:

1. Do you understand how your emotions, thoughts and behaviour interact?
2. Are you able to identify the emotions you experience and do you know why?
3. Do you know what your strengths and weaknesses are?
4. Have you identified your values and do you know how to be guided by them in your daily actions?
5. Do you have clear objectives?

Tips for improving emotional self-awareness

1. Visualise the best version of yourself: build on your strengths to become the best version of yourself. You can use this ‘idealised self’ to keep moving in the right direction and not get distracted by setbacks.
2. Ask yourself the right questions: at the heart of self-awareness is the capacity for self-reflection. However, many people are reflecting in the wrong way. In our attempt to resolve an inner conflict, we ask ourselves the wrong question: why? And this question sends us into a pit of negative inner thoughts, focusing on our weaknesses. For example: a person with a certain fear or embarrassment to intervene and give his or her opinion. Instead of asking “Why didn’t I speak up during the meeting”, you can ask yourself questions like: what were the interpersonal dynamics in the meeting today? What feelings did I experience at that moment? What can I do to overcome my fear of public speaking?
3. Strengthen and train your mind: naming your feelings is fundamental for making decisions. It allows us to take a “third person” perspective and evaluate more objectively what is happening. Also, if you bring awareness to your physical state, you will then be able to recognise the emotion as it is happening. Being skilled at this rewires your brain.
4. Ask other people how they perceive you: here is an exercise. Choose one or several scenarios about which you would like to receive feedback and list them. Make 2 columns (A: How I see myself (behaviour and attitude) / B: How others see me). Look for discrepancies, maybe these are key aspects that you can improve.
5. Keep a journal: it is a great way to pay attention to what is going on in your ‘private’ and ‘public’ self. It will help you recognise patterns. You can answer these questions:

• What have I done well today?
• What challenges have I faced?
• What was he feeling?
• How have I responded? In retrospect, would I have responded differently?
• What strengths have I used to stay focused on the best version of myself?
• What is my intention for tomorrow?

6. Practice mindfulness or meditation: mindfulness is a practice that helps you become aware of what is going on in your mind, body and environment. Include this tool in your daily life to develop greater self-control. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Practice deep breathing in a relaxed environment.
• Organise your daily space.
• It takes enough time for you.
• Read a book.
• Draw or paint.
• Grow a plant you like and perceive its growth step by step.

Emotional release: what it is

Emotional liberation is about mastering negative feelings and moods.

Sometimes it happens naturally, like when you feel the stress build up and build up and then you break down and cry. It is a very shuddering and sad feeling, but the release afterwards gives you a great sense of peace.

Emotional release techniques

The most commonly used emotional release technique is EFT (emotional freedom technique), a method that some people use to control troubling thoughts and emotions.

It can also be used to reduce stress and anxiety. For example, to induce calm in a tense moment of anger or worry.

This technique is also known as tapping, as you tap with your fingertips on certain points on your hand, head and torso to practice EFT. The points you tap on for EFT are similar to those used in acupuncture.

Tips on how to achieve emotional release

1. Identify and physically locate the emotion.
2. Express that emotion.
3. Take responsibility for it.
4. Release the emotion.
5. Share the result.
6. Celebrate your process.

Take control of your emotions if you want to achieve your goals.

Almost eight decades ago, US President Franklin Roosevelt stated that people are “prisoners of their minds” and have the power to “become free” at any time.

This problem is more prevalent than ever when anger, stress, and anxiety are an important part of our daily lives. Some natural supplements can contribute to the balancing of our emotions. G7 Neuro Health contains biotin and organic silica in a unique formulation that supports the normal functioning of the nervous system and psychological function. It also helps to combat the harmful effects of aluminium, the main inducer of oxidative stress in the brain.

Do you want to be happier, have more influence, make better decisions and be a more effective leader in the workplace? Emotional self-awareness is the most important skill you need to develop. It’s what will keep you focused on being the best version of yourself. Use the guidelines and techniques in this article to train emotional self-awareness and grow as a person.