Awareness is one of the three tenets of mindfulness (along with being present and suspending judgment). This skillset helps us grow self-regulation of our own wants and needs and our interactions with others. We learn to choose the space to respond rather than immediately reacting to a situation.
How Does Awareness Help You?
Awareness increases emotional intelligence, empathy, and patience. Increased awareness of our mindsets, thought patterns, and default responses allows us to reset and grow. We are better able to notice moments of judgement and bias and choose alternative approaches or responses.
Increased awareness also increases our focus. If we are more aware of our time, we are better able to develop strategies to help us prioritize, delegate, and find periods of deep work.
How To Practice Awareness
Bring your attention into your body.
Notice what you are touching without expectation or judgement.
Notice what you can hear without expectation or judgement.
Notice what you can smell without expectation or judgement.
Notice what you can see without expectation or judgement.
Feel these sensations exactly as they are in this moment.
My Favorite Practice
I like to grow my awareness by focusing on my breath starting with the rise and fall of my chest. Feeling my body expand and release as I watch air flow. I notice each part of my breath – the air coming into my nose, filling my lungs from my chest, rib cage, side body, and back all the way to my belly and then leaving from my belly to my chest and rib cage. I can lengthen and deepen each breath bringing my full attention, and awareness, into something as simple as breathe, something that I can always access.