CPD - Simple tips on how to improve your self-awareness skills

Renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle once said “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.". Developing our self-awareness is not only the key to a meaningful life, but can be a valuable skill in the world of business and as a member of the workforce. We can make sounder decisions, build stronger relationships, and communicate more effectively. This CPD article will outline the benefits of having self-awareness skills as well as provide some avenues and tips on how to improve them.

What does self-awareness mean?

Self-awareness is a valuable tool and one of the most important elements of an individual’s own growth and the first step to setting effective goals. It can usually be categorised into two types: internal self-awareness and external self-awareness. 

Although not something you will be acutely focused on at every moment, being internally self-aware is having a good knowledge and understanding of yourself including your own thoughts and emotions. Practicing self-awareness is about learning to better understand why you are feeling like you do, and why you may behave in a particular way.

External self-awareness, also sometimes called public self-awareness, allows you to see the impact you may have on other people, and to take that into account in your daily interactions. This can be a particularly important component of emotional intelligence and personal development.

What is the importance of self-awareness?

Self-awareness is something we should all strive for as individuals. In business, as in life, unexpected or unwelcome things can happen. A highly self-aware person is one that takes challenges in their stride and acts in a calm, professional manner. A deeper understanding of your own self helps regulate thoughts and have greater control over actions to make clear, strong decisions. 

Applying self-awareness techniques and practices allows us to better identify and manage emotions, and make positive behavioural changes that can lead to greater personal or interpersonal success. When we see ourselves clearly, and are aware of our own emotions, desires, abilities and goals, this can have positive outcomes and tremendously improve our everyday life.

As you develop your own self-awareness, this can make you feel more accomplished and confident in the workplace. Individuals with better self-esteem are more likely to perform well within their roles. Leaders who are confident can more efficiently react to any changes in their circumstances, as well as projecting that confidence onto their team.

Advantages and disadvantages of self-awareness

Gaining self-awareness can start in small ways. It is something that needs to be learned, refined, and strengthened over time. Improving your self-awareness, as with any skill, can have all sorts of advantages to your career and personal achievements. Below, we have outlined the positive benefits you may find from possessing a high degree of self-awareness.

• Those that are self-aware have an easier time empathising with people from different backgrounds, this leads to higher levels of inclusivity and diversity. This is crucial, as it can impact your ability to communicate with others and collaborate productively.
• It can allow you to discover areas in your knowledge or skillsets that need continued improvement and to be worked on further, whether this be through classes, training courses or practical “on the job” experiences. This is a key aspect of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Increased happiness can be an advantage to introspection. When an individual takes the time to look inside themselves and define what happiness means to them, and to intentionally pursue that happiness, an increase can then be achieved.
• Increased self-confidence is another advantage of practicing introspection. Confidence always appeals to employers and demonstrates potential leadership ability when working with a team.
• Self-awareness will lead to the expansion of new and creative ideas, which will thrive in those whose minds are clear and focused.
• It is important to understand how other people view you. People who recognise how others see them are more skilled at showing empathy and taking others’ perspectives.
• Leaders who can see themselves through their employees’ eyes often have a better relationship with those working for them and are regarded to be more effective in general.
• Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses allows you to lead by example and support others to develop their own self-awareness. You can apply your strengths with expertise or undertake learning to improve areas of weakness.

Disadvantages of self-awareness skills

Although self-awareness has many evident advantages, it can also have some unexpected disadvantages that can actually hinder your effectiveness in the workplace and even your mental health. Here are a few examples of some of the disadvantages of self-awareness.

• A high amount of self-awareness can lead to obsessing over your weaknesses and failures that you can end up feeling anxious or depressed. This happens because you are constantly thinking about all the ways in which you may fail. 
• When you spend too much time thinking about yourself, you are no longer focusing on what you could be taking action on. This can result in a general lack of productivity.
• If you come across as too self-critical or overanalysing every decision, you will be seen to lack confidence which will affect those around you, especially if you are in a position of leadership. It will also lead to inefficiency and indecision.

Effective tips and ways to improve self-awareness skills

In order to simplify the wealth of information available and begin taking steps towards improving your own self-awareness abilities in daily life, we have provided a range of effective tips and helpful methods to get started:

1. Keep an open mind: Improvement is best achieved when you stay open minded and are willing to learn, adapt and accept weaknesses or constructive criticism. 
2. Be curious about who you are: You cannot make improvements until you understand who you are as a person. Taking an interest and having a general curiosity about yourself is an essential building block to begin your self-awareness journey.  
3. Substitute some screen time with people time: One of self-improvements biggest benefits is how it can positively change your relationships with others. Therefore, interacting with friends, colleagues and peers in person is one of the most effective ways to find methods of increased self-awareness. Googling, messaging and advice online can only achieve so much and is also poor for your overall mental wellbeing.
4. Ask others how they see you: It can be very enlightening and constructive to receive feedback from others. This can help you to avoid blind spots in your self-perspective and compare how you are seen by others.
5. Take the ‘third-person’ perspective: In any given situation or interaction, particularly in the business world, think how others may be feeling or may choose to act from their perspective. This takes you out of your own bubble and negative habits, and may give you a different outlook.
6. Know your emotional triggers: By accurately identifying emotional triggers that lead to unhelpful or detrimental reactions to certain situations, you will be able to limit or avoid them in the future.
7. Make sure you are as self-aware as you believe: It is easy to do a bit of self-reflection or a couple of these steps and feel you know everything about yourself. However, self-awareness is a lifelong endeavour and needs constant checking in and revaluation to ensure ongoing progress. 

Examples of activities and exercises to build your self-awareness

Once you have decided to improve your own levels of self-awareness, you can use some of these practical methods and exercises to lay a foundation to regularly build upon for the future.

Keeping a journal

An effective way to practice self-awareness, journaling is one of the most useful tools for reflection and can include:

- Writing down your strengths and weaknesses.

- Prioritise ongoing problems, fears, and concerns that need to be worked on.

- Track day-to-day mood changes so you can recognise triggers and learn ways to control them better.

- Identify negative thoughts and behaviours.

Practising Mindfulness

Mindfulness involves paying attention to what is going on inside and outside ourselves. Paying more attention to the present moment, to your own thoughts and feelings, and the world around you can improve your mental wellbeing. This can take place through meditation sessions or at spare moments throughout the day. To cultivate a state of mindfulness, begin by sitting down and taking deep breaths. Focus on each breath and the sensations of the moment, such as sounds, scents, the temperature, and the feeling of air passing in and out of the body.

Seeking out feedback

Understanding other people's perceptions of you can be an effective method. Seeking advice, critiques and positive reinforcement from friends, loved ones and colleagues is a simple activity that can help you to explore and improve upon your self-awareness. Encourage others to be honest about how they feel about you and consider their feedback.

Feedback Analysis

Sometimes we repeat the same mistakes simply because we haven’t learnt from them. Feedback analysis is a method to strengthen your self-awareness. To conduct your own feedback analysis, write down the expected outcome every time you make a major decision or change. Then, return to your prediction 6 months later and compare the results to your expectations.

Where to find CPD courses to improve self-awareness skills?

Undertaking a course can help you either enhance your existing skills or learn new ones. You will learn what self-awareness is and why it is important. You’ll build healthier, more productive relationships, and make better decisions. This will also allow you to identify gaps in your knowledge, set realistic goals for your personal and professional development and understand how self-awareness can positively impact all areas of your life.

If you wish to find further learning and to develop your interest in self-awareness via Continuing Professional Development, a comprehensive and accredited range of training courses are available within the CPD Courses Catalogue. To learn more about a particular CPD course listed on our website, you can complete a simple enquiry form and the details will be sent directly to the relevant CPD provider.

How to become a CPD accredited training provider

We hope this article was helpful. Established in 1996, The CPD Certification Service has over 27 years’ experience providing CPD accreditation. With members in over 100 countries, our CPD providers benefit from the ability to promote themselves as part of an international community where quality is both recognised and assured.

If you are interested in offering training courses, seminars, workshops, eLearning, or educational events suitable for Continuing Professional Development, please visit the Become a CPD Provider page or contact our team to discuss in more detail. Alternatively, if you are looking for a free online CPD record tool to help manage, track and log your ongoing learning, as well as store your professional training records and attendance certificates in one simple place, go to the myCPD Portal page.