3 Tips To Use If You're Stuck In A 'Self-Awareness Block'

If you're having trouble with introspection as of late, these three techniques can help you regain self-awareness.

By Mark Travers, Ph.D. | April 12, 2024

Self-awareness refers to the capacity to introspect and recognize one's own thoughts, emotions, motivations and behaviors. It is essential to personal growth and development.

When individuals are self-aware, they can create a more compassionate relationship with themselves, identify areas for improvement, overcome challenges and achieve personally meaningful goals. Without it, they may struggle to understand their own needs and desires, hindering their ability to progress and thrive.

Self-awareness is also vital for building and maintaining healthy relationships, allowing individuals to understand different perspectives and navigate social interactions with sensitivity and respect. Additionally, it helps them recognize how their actions impact others, fostering empathy and cooperation in relationships.

A 2022 study examined why many people struggle with self-awareness, caught between their authentic self-identity and what they have been taught to want, need and do. They identified three avenues for deeper-self understanding based on these inner conflicts.

Here are three ways to overcome blocks to self-awareness, according to the study.

1. Awareness Of Your Motives

Self-awareness enables us to cultivate a sense of authenticity and personal identity. By understanding who we are at a deeper level, we can live in accordance with our true values and beliefs, leading more fulfilling and purposeful lives.

To do so, it is essential to ask yourself what truly drives your actions. What needs, desires, values, childhood or societal conditioning might these motives represent? Do your motives align with what you want or what you have learned to want?

Common human motivations include a need for achievement, success, social connection, intimacy, power, interpersonal control and a drive to realize one's full potential, pursue personal growth and seek fulfillment in life.

Researchers suggest that if there is conflict between what you think your motives are versus what they really are, your well-being and relationships are likely to suffer. This is why reflecting on inner motives is key to enhancing self-awareness and psychological well-being.

Here are some ways to overcome blocks to the awareness of your motives.

Mindfulness practices. Engaging in mindfulness exercises can help you observe thoughts and behaviors without judgment. By cultivating present-moment awareness, you can become more attuned to your motives and intentions as they arise.
Therapeutic exploration. Seeking guidance from a licensed therapist can facilitate deeper exploration of underlying motives and unconscious patterns, helping you gain clarity about your actions.
Journaling. Keeping a journal allows you to reflect on experiences, feelings and decisions. By writing regularly, you can identify recurring themes, inner conflicts and desires, shedding light on the values you want to live by.

2. Awareness Of Your Emotions

Emotional awareness is crucial for navigating life's complexities with resilience and authenticity. By acknowledging, understanding and accepting your emotions, no matter how unpleasant, you can cultivate a deeper connection with yourself and others, fostering healthy relationships, effective communication and greater emotional well-being.

Emotional awareness also enables people to recognize and manage their feelings in constructive ways, empowering them to cope with stressors, regulate emotions and make informed decisions.

Positive emotions are often easier to acknowledge than emotions such as fear, anger or discontentment, but these are equally, if not more valuable, messengers. For instance, anger can make us aware of our own boundaries, help us understand when we are being unfairly treated, learn our body and mind's responses to facing obstacles, witnessing wrongdoing or feeling powerless in a given situation. Anger is also often an automatic response to deep hurt and understanding its roots can be an integral step towards healing.

Many individuals struggle to fully recognize and understand their emotions, leading to emotional suppression, avoidance or misinterpretation.

It is essential to reflect on any dismissal of your own emotions, understand how you usually respond to them and notice how they influence your behavior towards yourself and others. This builds emotional intelligence, resilience and self-compassion.

Here are some ways to build emotional self-awareness.

Identify the emotion. Practicing emotional labeling involves identifying and labeling specific emotions as they arise. This simple yet powerful technique helps individuals develop a vocabulary for their feelings and enhances emotional self-awareness.
Practice bodily awareness. Emotions often manifest as physical sensations in the body. By tuning into bodily cues such as tension, butterflies in the stomach or a racing heartbeat, you can gain insight into your emotional state and its underlying triggers.
Practice emotional regulation. Techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness exercises or guided imagery can help individuals regulate intense emotions and learn more about themselves in the process.

3. Awareness Of Your Goals

Why do you have the goals you have? Where did they come from and who do they ultimately serve? These questions are essential to gaining true self-awareness. Researchers suggest that neglecting your inner preferences and goals create lower levels of well-being and life satisfaction.

Many individuals face obstacles such as uncertainty, conflicting desires or external pressures that obscure their awareness of their own goals and priorities. With greater self-awareness, you can make decisions that align with these aspirations.

"Living in a social environment entails an inherent conflict between an individual's own preferences and those of others. In finding a healthy balance between personal choice and external control, people run the risk of overly indulging in either neglecting or pleasing others—both supposedly harmful for one's personal and social life," the researchers write.

Reflecting on personal values can illuminate long-term goals and priorities. By identifying core values such as integrity, compassion or creativity, you can focus on what truly matters to you.

Self-awareness empowers individuals to embrace their uniqueness, accept themselves fully, and pursue paths that resonate with their true selves. Try taking out your journal today and pause to reflect about your needs, desires and actions. You may be surprised by what you discover.

Wondering how your level of self-awareness influences your decision-making? Take this test to find out: Intuitive Decision Style Scale

A similar version of this article can also be found on Forbes.com, here.