Embarking on Your Mental Health Journey
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all well. We are going to begin an 8-week series on enhancing your overall mental well-being by focusing on personal growth. By the time we are finished this series it will be spring in the UK and one of my favourite seasons (I know it is a firm favourite of Soulsings too!)
Let's start this series by emphasising the importance of self-awareness. We will take time to try to begin to understand your emotions and thought patterns. Is there anything that might feel uncomfortable to you? Why do you think it feels this way to you? It is a good time to look within and to try to understand yourself.
Why does self-awareness matter?
Self-awareness is the key that unlocks the doors to our inner selves. It allows us to peel back the layers of our thoughts, emotions, and motivations, gaining a deeper understanding of who we are at our core. It helps us connect authentically to ourselves with a deeper understanding of who we really are.
Building emotional intelligence:
When we are attuned to our emotions, we gain the ability to navigate life's challenges with more ease. It does take time and we may need to try several times to fully work on being more emotionally aware. Self-awareness is an important aspect of emotional intelligence, enabling us to recognise, understand, and manage our own emotions, as well as empathise with the feelings of others.
Empowering personal growth:
Imagine a seed breaking through the soil, reaching towards the sun – that's personal growth fueled by self-awareness. Acknowledging our strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement empowers us to evolve into the best version of ourselves. It's the foundation upon which we build resilience, adaptability, and a continuous desire for self-improvement.
Enhancing relationships:
Relationships flourish in the soil of self-awareness. Knowing our triggers, communication styles, and values allows us to engage with others authentically. It fosters empathy, reduces misunderstandings, and creates connections that are deep and meaningful and without unnecessary conflict. The more we understand ourselves, the better we can understand and relate to those around us.
Making informed choices:
Life is a series of choices, and self-awareness equips us with the discernment needed to make informed decisions. By understanding our values, priorities, and long-term goals, we can align our choices with our authentic selves. This alignment brings a sense of purpose and fulfilment, transforming choices into stepping stones towards a more meaningful life.
In essence, self-awareness is not a destination but a continuous journey in life. It is often a very enlightening journey and I hope we can begin to take steps to enhance our mental well-being and personal growth.
🌻Journaling, therapy, and mindfulness can be powerful tools in this exploration. Share your favourite self-discovery practices below! It can be as simple as taking a walk, listening to the sound of the rain or your favourite song! 🌻
Photo by Total Shape on Unsplash
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Hi Lisa! 😊 ❤️ Many thanks for this amazing forum post! It felt so very good to read all of the points that you listed. I found myself reading each point, nodding my head, saying "yup" and "oh my goshhhhh"!
I definitely feel that I am on a journey of self discovery and on the daily. It's going to be a life long process and a concept I understand so much better now. For me, I showed up here years ago in an effort to be of help to others. Little did I know that through helping others I would end up learning so very much about myself as a natural by product. This probably has been the biggest surprise for me of them all! 😳
Some of my self discovery practices have been.....
Even greater loss of the ego. When I first came here, I knew it wasn't about me. It's about others. It's about helping others. That's my role as a listener. At first blush, I told myself that we all have that little ego and I don't need for it to effect my work.
When signing onto 7 cups I always envisioned that any semblance of an ego that I may have, that I wrap it up really tightly in a little box and tape it shut. I can sit that sealed box on the floor next to my computer and if that I really need it just that bad, well..I'm free to pick it back up on the way out of the door for the day.
Through working with others, even if I don't have an outward reaction, but instead a thoughtful response (or none at all if that would be the best approach) in negatively charged situations, I have learned to pay more attention to my internal dialogue, visceral response, etc.
In an effort to learn "what's up" with other people I have ended up learning "what's up" with me too! 😊 While I got no "flex" I still felt something. Hmmm 🤔....why did I let that upset me? Why did I take that personally? Why did I take that to heart?
This youtube guy, Dr.K from GG Gamer (I think it's called) has been a wonderful addition to my self discovery journey for me. I'm not a gamer however one doesn't need to be to learn from him. I like his approach. He's the real deal, highly relatable and explains so many things in ways that I can understand and embrace. He's pretty relaxed and quite funny from time to time.
He has a West meets East approach to psychology and he has taught me, that me taking things personally indeed is an "ego move" sometimes and not a great thing. Made sooooooo much sense to me! I'm still allowed to feel, I'm still allowed to hurt and be hurt however, it's interesting when I have taken the opportunity to delve a bit deeper and question why something or another bothered me in a certain way. Kind of feels as if I'm getting even closer to self actualization.
Sometimes it's just not about what happened it's about how you respond whether outwardly or inwardly.
Other parts of my self discovery practices have been reading certain things, thinking about how and why they resonate with me, learning from others here on the platform and in a variety of different ways, listening to music and on an even deeper level and understanding why I want to listen to certain pieces or things that I might shy away from at the time.
Part of my self discovery here on the platform has been a shift in my thinking. At one time I thought "once we have lost hope, we have lost everything". Sometimes it can be best to lose hope for certain situations as nothing good will come of it. There are those that you simply cannot help, that do not want to change and quite frankly enjoy the negative behavior. I have a greater understanding of some situations like this and realize now that I matter too. Great leaders here on the platform don't want for me to be put in harms way and know that I have a greater purpose than that.
Not sure how exactly to phrase it, but when I came here I thought I had no "triggers". Maybe I didn't understand what that word meant and maybe I still don't? I thought being "triggered" was reserved for others and not me as it meant a total break down, becoming fully incapacitated to move forward with logical thinking, having a full blown flashback?
Maybe I still don't understand as the word seems to be over used? Some use it to signify that someone simply has a difference of opinion? Or got their feelings hurt. Or had something that didn't turn out in the way that they thought and in their favor?
Either way I have learned to give myself space, realize that I just might have some triggers also, that the word isn't reserved for others and never for me. I am allowed to be affected even if it's in a different way, even if I'm still able to stand strong in the face of adversity in that moment, but it will find me eventually.
Lisa, thank you again for this amazing forum post! You have no idea how very much I enjoyed spending time with you today and in this specific way.
*high fives* 😊 big *hugs* ❤️ and keep rockin' the house my friend!
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Sparky! I always love reading your lovely messages and I have a smile on my face reading yours. I am so truly glad it was helpful as we always want to make sure 7 Cups content is the best it can be and relevant to what our amazing members, listeners and therapists want to read!
When we volunteer, we usually learn so much about ourselves in the process just like you mentioned. I think it helps us to see our own thought patterns and how the healing power of helping others can change our lives. We are truly glad you are here with us and sharing your wisdom and kindness.
How beautiful your story of becoming a listener and shutting that box away with what you felt might be any aspect of having an ego. When we make it about someone else and truly have their best interests at heart like you do, it comes naturally. It is wonderful to see how you have been able to help others without making it about you but by seeing how you are able to introspect and learn about yourself in more depth.
Often when we look at what we feel triggered by it can be useful to understand ourselves even more. We are able to see what we might be repressing and to learn to walk through the challenge we are having through to a more calm and serene other side. It is so useful to see how you have applied your work here into your own life and it makes a lot of sense. Thank you so much for being here as always! 🌻
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
❤️❤️❤️
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Thank you for sharing these helpful information with us!
Share your favourite self-discovery practices below! It can be as simple as taking a walk, listening to the sound of the rain or your favourite song!
One of my favorite self-discovery practices is simply sitting down somewhere quiet and exploring from where my thoughts and feelings come from like "Why am I feeling irritable now - what is behind this feeling?" "What do I need, what do I really want?" Asking myself these questions helps me to deeply connect with myself and stay on an authentic path.
👋 Just tagging myself in this post for now 🙏
My favorite way to do this process is in front of my journal, and now with AI/perplexity.ai (to ask questions of as they come up) and write it all down, get it out and see it in text in front of me. Helps make it real and feel like it's "off my chest" and I don't have to carry it around any more! Usually I like to look up examples or definitions for what things mean or "are" and compare my feelings to what's written. That always sparks something me, like Yes, that's me and I can relate, or that's definitely not me and I keep moving on! I like this comparison process too, to see where I fit on a spectrum of emotions. I even have an emotion wheel to see where things lie, categorize them, label them, and help me realize where my head/heart space is at the moment. Knowing the only thing constant is change, it's a nice process to document and understand.
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS. I like self discovery here at 7 cups in discussions and forums.
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS Thank you for this first section of the 8 Week Wellness Series.
The question you asked that intrigues me is "why is self-awareness important.
Without self-awareness I go through life on auto pilot, doing habitual behaviors hoping they may finally make me happy but they keep changing so fast that even if I feel good for a while, it does not last. I am scrambling to find something else to replace what was lost.
I also find that when I am self-aware, I am more able to monitor my thoughts and sideline ones that lead to anger and other negative emotions. This can really help me from creating obstacles in relationships.
To be living in the present moment is one of the results of self-awareness. I dwell less on the past and worry less about the future. This leads to more contentment.
I would be interested to know what other benefits people find with self awareness.
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"Share
your favourite self-discovery practices below! It can be as simple as
taking a walk, listening to the sound of the rain or your favourite
song!" 🌻
I sit down in a quiet place, sometimes with soothing music or nature sounds in my ears to drown out external noise if I can't find a quiet place, and I ask open-ended questions to myself, breathe deep, and see what answers I get.
I would add that being "self-aware" is also a very social concept. Some people, like children, do not realize that the way they talk or present themselves show that their self-awareness is not present.
@Fradiga kids just act and react and their moods change so quickly!
@soulsings
kids just act and react and their moods change so quickly!
Well, they do not contain themselves, whether they are happy or crying, so - yes - they can have quick mood changes, but part of their learning is just that there are limits to what you can show of your feelings
@Fradiga I agree there are limits
Teaching them is a long slow process.
@Fradiga
This is very true :) self-awareness takes time to develop and there are various ways in which we can help children develop self-awareness over time.
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Glad you approve! I would even venture that what we call self-awareness is not quite the same from culture to culture. You got 'namaste" in India, bowing affectionately in Japan, a quietly warm greeting in Germany and then.....
....Take my friends from Cameroon that I had not seen in a while: They hugged/crushed me, they laughed, hung on to my hands and acted - according to European mores - with little care what it looked like, because it was all very sincere and the way to go back home. I tried to return all this glee as sincerely as I could, because - well - I was also happy to see them and relieved they had finally arrived, so I crushed 3 pairs of hands, hugged three torsos, kissed 3 pairs of cheeks, going back for a third kiss (we kiss three times in my area, so there) and kissed into one ear by accident too. I also think I reached a higher note when I cheerfully screamed back at my godson's wife, whom I was meeting for the first time. It took a few minutes for us to realize other travellers had left the train station.
I was both self-aware and self-conscious (because I wanted to do it right and people looked on at some point). By the time we got into the car, it was just as noisy and a tad less physical, because I was the driver.
It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference. "Self-awareness" is rather new as a concept, whereas "self-consciousness" is way older. I love semantic distinctions.
@LisaMeighanMScGMBPsS
Share your favourite self-discovery practices below! It can be as simple as taking a walk, listening to the sound of the rain or your favourite song! 🌻
i like reading self-help books and listen to podcasts. :)