Meditating is a fantastic way to become more self-aware. No, I’m not talking about AI machines becoming self-aware and taking over the world, I’m talking about your current state of mind. Here’s a question for you, how many times a day do you check in with your body?
When asked this question, many people will scratch their heads, not understanding what I’m asking them. I’ll put it another way. Whether you’re sat at a computer or browsing on your smartphone, take ten seconds just to stop whatever it is you’re doing and take notice of how your body feels, right this very second.
Does it feel hot? Does it feel cold? Do any parts of you or do any muscles feel tight? Do you feel relaxed, stress or excitable? Just take a moment to feel your mind and your body. Feel the blood rush flow around your body and try to feel your heartbeat inside your chest.
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This is the first step to becoming self-aware. From the moment you wake up, you’re instantly checking your social media feeds, emails, deciding what to have for breakfast, deciding the best route to work, so you miss the traffic, choosing what music to listen to, work, work, work, go home, dinner, television, more social media feed scrolling and then sleep. At what part of the day did you take a step back to let your mind breath? At what point in the day did you stop and think ‘Am I okay? Are my body and mind okay?’
Chances are you probably didn’t. However, you’re not alone. This is the daily routine for millions, if not billions, of people around the world. By becoming self-aware, you can enjoy many benefits including better levels of focus, reduced levels of stress and anxiety, higher rates of productivity and the rest which I will include in a follow-up article tomorrow.
So how do you become self-aware? To help get you started, here are three things you can include in your everyday life to free your mind from the restraints of modern-day mental states.
Write
One of the most effective ways of becoming aware of your mental state is to write down your thoughts and feelings. You don’t have to be a good writer or even have written anything before. Simply write down what’s going on in your head. This could be in note form, a poem, a letter to yourself, whatever you feel comfortable with. This is a great way of destressing, and it will also help you understand how your mind works. This is because thinking something to yourself and seeing that thought on paper is a completely different experience. It makes it real.
Grow
Once we leave school, many of us stop learning. Not in the sense of starting a new job, for example, a factory where you would learn a new machine or a new system, I mean in a worldly sense. When was the last time you spoke another language or attempted to learn a new one? When was the last time you sat down and tried to solve a maths puzzle? With so any brain training apps and language learning programs, it’s easier than ever to pick and maintain a new skill.
Why are new skills necessary? Because knowledge is fuel for your mind. Like any muscle, the brain needs exercise to grow and develop to be the best it can be. To get you started, I used the brain training app Elevate (not an affiliate link). For just ten minutes a day, you can push your brain to improve its existing skills that will improve your life and your mental state.
Meditate
This one goes without saying, but it’s so important for achieving a state of self-awareness. You can meditate for an hour or a five-minute session after you wake up. It’s really up to you what you can do and fit into your schedule. You’ll see the most effective results if you do three 20-minute sessions a day, the first being as soon as you wake up. But it’s up to you. The important part is making sure you make a regular habit out of it, that’s when you start to see the results.
By meditating at least once a day, you are taking a break from your everyday life and treating yourself to a bit of ‘you time’. This gives you the ability to check in with your body, allowing you to listen to its wants, needs, passions, pains and, above all else, to relax.
I’ll be talking about each of these points about becoming self-aware over the upcoming articles so stay tuned to find out more! If there’s anything you would like to discuss or any topics you would like for me to explore, leave a comment in the comment section below!