Self-knowledge: Definition And 8 Tips To Improve It
When we ask ourselves “who am I?” and we are not clear about it, it is relatively common to feel discomfort linked to uncertainty and the feeling that our lives do not have a backbone. In these cases we may be immersed in an existential crisis, because Knowing yourself is a way of being realistic, a way of keeping your feet on the ground to know where we want to go and to connect with ourselves.
Self-knowledge is one of the keys to personal development and, at the same time, it is one of the basic principles to be able to regulate emotions, relate to others and fight for our goals.
In this article we are going to delve into this concept and review a series of tips to improve self-knowledge, that is, learning to know yourself better.
The relationship between self-knowledge and emotional well-being
Self-knowledge is key to people’s psychological well-being, since those who know themselves better they know what they want in life, not only in big projects but in the everyday things of life. And people who know themselves well know how to manage their emotions better even in the most difficult moments. The world around them can become destabilized, but not their inner world.
In fact, one of the concepts in Psychology that has had the greatest impact in recent decades is Emotional Intelligence, and self-knowledge is the starting point to become an emotionally intelligent person. Knowing one’s own emotions and knowing what meaning they have for us is closely related to self-reflection and improving mental health.
Self-knowledge is also key in personal development, because It helps us set realistic goals and allows us to know where we are in our life path. It helps us plan because it also allows us to know the movements and actions we must take to get where we want. That is why personal development experts help their clients connect with themselves and discover what motivates them and what their desires are to enjoy greater happiness.
Self-knowledge is also key in the development of people, and is essential in some stages of life, because if we do not know who we are, confusion does not allow us to see the future clearly. Improving self-knowledge is the starting point to improve our general well-being.
Actions to improve self-knowledge
So, What can be done to improve self-knowledge? In the following lines I leave you some tips so that you can discover yourself if you still don’t know yourself.
1. Write a diary
Writing a diary can help us know ourselves. It is good because it makes us think about what we have done during the day, and it can help us understand how we have felt But, also, if we reread what we are writing, it can give us feedback about how we are.
There is a type of diary called “emotional diary”, which is intended precisely to improve self-knowledge of our emotions.
This type of diary consists of writing how we have felt throughout the day, that is, not only what has happened to us is written, but it is necessary to reflect on our feelings and emotions. To carry out, you can do it for 10 minutes right before going to bed It’s not a lot of time, and it can make you more emotionally aware.
It might seem like we all know each other, but in reality, there are many people who have never reflected on his virtues and defects In fact, there are people who go to a job interview and when the recruiter asks them to describe themselves or highlight their strengths or weaknesses, they go blank.
To avoid this and get to know yourself better, you can list your virtues and defects, as it will make you think about who you are and the qualities you possess. This can also be useful when looking for a job or deciding what studies you should pursue. On the other hand, keep in mind that There is no objective way to do this task well only yours, so don’t get obsessed: the best judge on this topic is yourself.
3. Write down your passions
When choosing a job or what you want to study, it is also interesting to assess what your hobbies and passions are, that is, what activities or jobs make you feel in a “state of flow” when you practice them. Knowing our passions can help us improve our self-motivation and our happiness.
4. Make the wheel of life
A well-known dynamic to improve self-knowledge is what is known as “the wheel of life.” It is a personal development technique that consists of making a circle and Choose 10 areas of your life that you want to change or improve The wheel of life invites you to reflect on the different aspects that are part of your life: your friends, family, work, leisure, etc.
It also makes you reflect on your priorities, since once you have chosen the points in your life that you consider fundamental, you must assign them a number based on the order of preference for you. Then, you can start writing down the actions you will take to transform your life. This allows you to know your present but also know what future you want.
Many times we think that we see ourselves the same as others see us and that is not always the case. Sometimes others see us differently and it can shock us. Therefore, to improve our self-knowledge, we can ask our friends to describe how they see us. So we can make us a more realistic image of what we project
6. Attend an Emotional Intelligence workshop
Emotional Intelligence, as I have already said, is one of the most important paradigms in psychology in recent times, and the management of emotions is important not only for people’s mental hygiene, but also to intervene on performance and success in life.
That is why, to improve self-knowledge, a good idea is to attend an Emotional Intelligence course or workshop that provides you with a series of tools to know yourself better and relate better to your own emotions.
7. Practice Mindfulness
Another practice that improves emotional management is Mindfulness or Full Attention, which consists of improve self-awareness and attention span and allows you to learn to be in the present with a non-judgmental mentality, acceptance, compassion and openness to experience.
8. Opt for coaching
Coaching has also been shown to be effective in improving self-knowledge, better planning the goals we want to pursue and empowering ourselves in life. with a more realistic and adaptive vision Therefore, to improve self-knowledge, it is possible to hire the services of a psychologist specialized in this field to accompany you in the process of personal discovery. Like Mindfulness, coaching also has a series of benefits for well-being and personal growth.
Related article: “The 10 benefits of Coaching (keys to your personal development)”
