Two Exercises to Increase Self-Awareness (for Adolescents and Adults)

What is self-awareness?

Self-awareness is the conscious knowledge of who we are and why we do what we do.

Psychologists Shelley Duval and Robert Wicklund put it this way:

“Self-awareness is the ability to focus on yourself and how your actions, thoughts, or emotions do or don’t align with your internal standards. If you’re highly self-aware, you can objectively evaluate yourself, manage your emotions, align your behavior with your values, and understand correctly how others perceive you.”

Self-awareness begets clarity and action in several areas of life including purpose, future vision, motivation, determination, growth, and resilience.

What are the benefits of self-awareness?

Research from the Eurich group on self-awareness shows that those who have it are happier with themselves, their jobs, and their relationships.

Dr. Tasha Eurich is a researcher and organizational psychologist. In surveying people about their levels of self-awareness, she has found that 95% of participants claim to be self-aware, but only 10-15% actually are.

Self-awareness has several benefits, including:

1. Decreases stress
2. Improves decision making
3. Increases happiness
4. Improves emotional regulation
5. Increases understanding from several perspectives

Why do adolescents need self-awareness?

Adolescents and teens benefit from developing self-awareness because it helps them get to know themselves better. It allows them to be more in touch with their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and behaviors. This self-understanding translates into resilience, improved communication, and decision-making, which leads to better emotional and psychological wellbeing.

Two easy exercises to develop self-awareness:

“I AM” Statements

1. Write out 10 “I am” statements that describe how you see yourself.
2. Once complete – ask yourself, “if I met someone who shared all of these qualities, what would I think of them?
3. What qualities can I use to help me create the life I want?
4. What qualities do I want to improve? How will I do it?

“I VALUE” Statements

1. Write out 10 “I value” statements that reflect the ways you prefer to be in the world and the principles you live by.
2. Once complete – ask yourself, “on a scale from 1-10, how aligned are you living with these values currently?”
3. What values are you prioritizing in your life?
4. What values do you want to become more aligned with? How can you make that happen?

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