Self-knowledge: definition and 8 tips to improve it

Knowing oneself is one of the foundations of personal development. How to achieve it?

When we ask ourselves "who am I?" and we are not clear about it, it is relatively common to feel a sense of unease 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 to know oneself is a way to be realistic, a way to have our feet on the ground, to know where we want to go, to know where we want to go.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 strive for our goals.

In this article we will go deeper into this concept and review a series of tips to improve self-knowledge, that is, to learn 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 know what they want in life. know what they want in lifeThis is because those who know themselves better know what they want in life, not only in big projects but also in the everyday things of life. People who know themselves well know how to manage their emotions better, even in the most difficult moments. The world around them can be destabilized, but not their inner world.

In fact, one of the concepts of Psychology that has had greater impact in recent decades is Emotional Intelligence, and self-knowledge is the starting point to become an emotionally intelligent person. Knowing one's emotions and what they mean to us is closely related to self-reflection and improved mental health.

Finding oneself is key to happiness

Self-knowledge is also key to personal development, because it helps us set realistic goals. helps us to set realistic goals and allows us to know where we are in our life trajectory. It helps us to plan because it also allows us to know the movements and actions we must take to get where we want to be. That is why personal development experts help their clients to connect with themselves and discover what motivates them and what their desires are in order to enjoy greater happiness.

Self-knowledge is also key in the development of people, and it 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 for improving our overall 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 you can discover yourself if you still do not know yourself.

1. Write a diary

Writing a diary can help us to know ourselves. It's good because it makes us think about what we have done during the day, and it can help us understand how we have been feeling. understand how we have been feeling. But also, if we go back and read what we have written, it can give us feedback on 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 down how we have felt throughout the day, that is to say, we do not only write what has happened to us, but it is necessary to reflect on our feelings and emotions. To carry it out, you can do it for 10 minutes just before going to bed.. It is not a long time, and it can make you more emotionally aware.

2. Write down your strengths and weaknesses

It may seem that we all know each other, but in reality, many people have never reflected on their virtues and faults. reflected on their strengths and weaknesses.. 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 draw a blank.

To avoid this and get to know yourself better, you can list your strengths and weaknesses, 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 well at this task, only your own, soThere is only yours, so don't get obsessed: the best judge of this is yourself.

3. Write down your passions

When choosing a job or what you want to study, it is also interesting to value 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 happiness.

4. Do 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 choosing 10 areas of your life that you want to change or improve. 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 of your life: your friendships, 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 according to their importance. assign them a number according to the order of preference for you. 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 to know what future you want.

5. Ask someone to describe you

Many times we think that we see ourselves as others see us and it is not always so. Sometimes, others see us in a different way and it can shock us. Therefore, to improve our self-knowledge, we can ask our friends to describe how they see us. In this way, we can 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 of psychology in recent times, and the management of emotions is important not only for the mental hygiene of people, but also to intervene on performance and success in life.

That is why, in order to improve self-knowledge, a good idea is to attend an Emotional Intelligence course or workshop that will provide you with a series of tools to know yourself better and relate better to your own emotions.

• There are many EQ workshops. You can find some of them in this article: "The 6 best courses of Emotional Intelligence and Personal Development".

7. Practice Mindfulness

Another practice that improves emotional management is Mindfulness, which consists of improving self-awareness and attentional capacity. improving self-awareness and attentional capacity, which allows us to learn to be in the present and allows us to learn to be in the present with a non-judgmental mentality of acceptance, compassion and openness to experience.

• Scientific research confirms that this practice improves self-knowledge as we have in this article: "Mindfulness: 8 benefits of mindfulness".

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 us 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 self-discovery. Like Mindfulness, coaching also has a number of benefits for well-being and personal growth.