Do you feel uneasy having to stay indoors for so long? No more commute to work and the chit chat with your colleague during lunch break is a distant reality. Even Catching up with your friends for a drink at your favorite joint has become impossible. The Covid-19 pandemic has confined us to our houses in line with the stay at home policies.
This newly found solitude does not have to be as daunting. Take it as an opportunity to reflect and enhance your self-awareness by connecting with your inner self. Scientific studies have shown self-awareness to be highly beneficial.
It makes one more proactive while promoting self-acceptance and self-esteem. Another advantage is an improvement in communication and decision making. Self-awareness also leads to increased overall productivity at work.
Here are some proven ways to practice self-awareness in the course of coronavirus isolation.
Create Time for Self-Reflection
It’s important to make time for self-reflection preferably daily. I bet this is easier to do now that you are staying at home with lesser workloads and distractions.
So find a quiet place to just think about your emotions, thoughts and actions. Evaluate your inner self to see if you are meeting the standards you have set for yourself. For example, how are you fairing as a parent or a spouse? How is your productivity while working at home?
Also consider your emotions and whether they align to your expectations. You should not fear to face your feelings of sadness, worry or anxiety. Instead view these feelings as a separate entity from you and use them as a guide to the right path.
The current Covid-19 pandemic has aroused so much worry and anxiety in the human race. We have witnessed the suffering of those infected while all of us continue to be affected in one way or another.
Regardless of the circumstances, you have to be intentional about creating an environment that uplifts your mood amid uncertainty. In your time of reflection think about how you can create happiness for yourself, your family and especially to the first-responders of the covid-19 disease.
Start Journaling
Journaling will help you put your thoughts and feelings on paper. It will offload the thoughts in your mind and allow you to examine your daily experiences and how they impact you.
You can then make the necessary changes to make your life experiences more positive. Also, make a point of reviewing your entries periodically to see whether you are making progress in creating more positive experiences for yourself and those around you.
Write Down an Action Plan
As you reflect and gain a perspective of your inner-self, you will probably find areas that need improvement. Be intentional by inculcating daily habits that enable you to realize your goals. Write down specific actions that you need to carry out to bridge the gaps that exist.
For example, if you want to be more productive working at home, you will need to allocate a specific time of the day when you can perform specific tasks without interruption. At the end of the day you can check to see if you were you were able to complete the task as planned.
Also set achievable tasks that you can accomplish without feeling overwhelmed. Be committed to your action plan and constantly review it to see if you are meeting your goals.
Practice Meditation and Mindfulness
Sometimes our thoughts tend to spin in all directions causing as to feel disoriented and unstable. Meditation is a practice that involves focusing our thoughts on one thing at a time. It could be a repetition of a mantra or simply focusing on your breath.
In this case whenever your thoughts drift to other things you need to refocus them on the original idea. This practice will train your brain to concentrate on one thing at a time which is linked to mindfulness.
Just make it a habit to be present in every activity you engage in and savor each moment of your life. Listen more and observe keenly for non-verbal cues when you communicate with other people. This will help you to understand them better and also respond to situations appropriately.
Final Thoughts
Engage in these self-awareness practices to understand your strengths and weaknesses while inculcating self-acceptance and self-esteem. Also make changes that bridge the existing gaps in alignment with your standards and values. Implement a step by step action plan to realize your full potential in every aspect of life. Embrace solitude and take this opportunity to connect with yourself.