CEBU CITY, Philippines— Mental health goes beyond the mental disorders and the problems that come along with it.
Mental health, according to Patricia Esther Labella, MA Clinical Psychology student, mental health advocate and yoga practitioner, is the “flourishing” of mental well-being.
May is Mental Health Awareness month and there a number of topics we can talk about on mental health.
But in this read, let’s talk about one of the most avoided topic of conversation when it comes to mental health— self-awareness.
Self-awareness
This may seem like an easy topic to talk about, but practicing self-awareness is not a walk in the park.
Self-awareness is often shrugged to the side because most of us would not like to acknowledge that we are the problem.
Most often than not, it is always easier to put the blame on others and ask them to change for us because we see ourselves as the “perfect” ones.
Let’s slowly debunk that notion in our heads and dive into how we can be more self-aware not so everyone around can can live peacefully but to also better ourselves when we come to terms about knowing who we really are.
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Labella, in an interview with CDN Digital, shared what self-awareness is for her and how important it can be in our daily lives.
She sees self-awareness as an inward-rooted mindfulness. This is the ability to get attuned into one’s thoughts, feelings and actions and most especially to be grounded in the present moment, getting in touch of who you really are.
“Recognizing and being aware of one’s self is essential towards personal growth and development. Change is the only thing constant in this world, and this begins by the acknowledgment that there is something that actually needs to be changed. Consider this: do think it would be beneficial for people to forgo self-evaluation and just believe themselves to be “perfect” in all aspects?,” she said.
Labella mentioned a number of challenges for one to be complete self-aware, one of which is not being in-tuned with the present. Pointing that sometimes we are in one place, but our minds are in another place as well. Stating that our thoughts can easily consume us. Another challenge she mentioned being too emotional and not realizing the reality in front of us.
“Another, is when we are too overcome by reality or situations. Feeling is normal; we are humans. However, when we are too emotional, we neglect to see reality as it is. Diba we coin phrases now like “delulu”? For example, when even after your partner has been evidently toxic or abusive, you still try to fall in love with the potential of what they might be, instead of actually recognizing the person as they are now. Self-awareness will greatly help in catching yourself in your “delulu” tendencies,” she added.
Lastly, the inability to accept things as they are, or even the inability to accept ourselves. Labella said that it is normal for people to have their own defense mechanisms which people employ to “protect” themselves when reality becomes too unbearable.
This is the most relabtable challenge to becoming self-aware, taking the easier way out in a situation by putting all the blame in other person, rather than looking into one self to reflect.
Remember the famous phrase, “you’re pointing one finger to a person, four fingers are pointed at you.”
“Very common ones include denial and projection. Denial is when a person chooses to reject reality as it is because it is unpleasant for him/her. Projection is when a person transfers his/her own emotions or feelings towards others. These may be evident in people’s tendencies to quickly blame others rather than recognize their own contribution to mistakes committed or their own flaws. Acknowledging shortcomings may be extremely unpleasant for some people, especially those highly unaware, with inflated egos.”
As we navigate through the rough and calm seas of life, remember that we only have ourselves to help us out by the end of the day.
We have ourselves to think about so that we can be better, live a life with full clarity and a in the best state of mental well-being.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS OF HOW YOU CAN SLOWLY PRACTICE SELF-AWARENESS:
Labella cited that for her, yoga played a very vital point in learning to reconnected and never lose touch with herself.
Practice mindfulness
You can use self-awareness in your everyday routine. But there are also specific activities, like meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga, that can really boost your self-awareness.
Be a witness
You can understand things better by trying different ways of thinking. For example, you can step back from your thoughts and feelings and observe them like you’re watching clouds in the sky. Don’t judge or get too caught up in them, just let them pass by like clouds moving in the wind.
Pay attention
It might sound simple, but it’s actually quite challenging—we need regular reminders to stay focused and understand ourselves and the world around us better. By paying attention to patterns, especially in our thoughts and emotions, we can figure out which ones help us and which ones we’re better off without.
It’s worth noting that self-awareness plays a pivotal role in distinguishing between “healthy” and “unhealthy” mental states. By fostering self-awareness, individuals become accountable for their decisions and behaviors.
Labella leaves us with one short and important message on self-awareness that an help us in our journey to be more self-aware.
“Self-awareness also allows for acceptance of other people and the self—limitations and capabilities. This is important as it allows us to discern which matters we can place our energy, time and effort on—on the things that we can actually change. I deeply resonate in the serenity prayer as it is a great mantra for self-awareness. I personally use it as a compass to my own journey towards self-awareness. For reference: ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’”