Weekly: Take a step back
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how we hide from ourselves.
Self-awareness is one of the most important skills we can build, linked to varied outcomes like preventing burnout, improving psychological well-being, and supporting physical health. Yet no one ever teaches us exactly how to build it.
Our skills aren't as good as they could be — but because we're lacking that self-awareness, we don't see it! It’s a bit like how everyone thinks that they’re the best driver on the road. Research has found that 95% of people believe that they're self-aware, but only 10-15% of people actually are.
Today, I'm excited to share a tool with you that will help you to build your self-awareness. With a very small daily ritual, you'll start to understand yourself in a brand new way and look at your choices from a new, wiser perspective.
Take care,
Stephanie Harrison, founder of The New Happy
This Week
One of the barriers to self-awareness: we lack a zoomed-out perspective on our lives. Without this, it's incredibly difficult to notice patterns and identify issues; and without that, it's incredibly difficult to make wise decisions to address them.
That's why we're sharing the New Happy Daily tracker: it's a blank version of this post, along with a comprehensive guide on how to use it, that you can use to track the patterns in your own life.
Here's how to use it. Decide what you'd like to track (I suggest either your emotions or your experiences, and there are templates for both!) and choose a color for each item. Every day, fill in the corresponding dot on the chart. Use it as a daily moment to pause and reflect, a ritual that helps you to be honest with yourself.
As the days pass, you'll start to identify trends. You'll be able to answer questions like:
"Which experiences tend to make me happiest? "Which experiences tend to make me sad or lonely or angry?" "What do I need more of in my life?" "How are my daily choices contributing to how I'm feeling?"
It's a simple but powerful way for you to check in with yourself — a choice that will, day by day, build your self-awareness. Download it here!
More Tips and Tools
1. Your three selves — This week's animation.
2. Your fear is a good sign — It points you towards growth.
3. Hold on tight — What to do when you feel despair.
4. Express yourself — Don't keep your feelings inside.
5. Double pain — Respond to pain with compassion.
Or listen to the podcast episodes (Apple, Spotify) from this week!
Community
What's a change you want to make in your life?
"I want to leave behind a toxic work environment that dims my light and creates situations where I struggle to uphold my values."
"I want to change my major."
"I would love to no longer feel the need to explain or make excuses for myself about what I enjoy and what makes me happy."
"Instead of being angry, I want to be more patient and have more tolerance."
"I want to put myself out there, have fun and stop being shy and fearful!"
Inspiration
1. The 3 soloists chosen for an orchestra performance? Barking dogs (Washington Post) — Today I learned that Mozart's dad 1) was also a composer and 2) once wrote a part in a symphony... for dogs.
2. Lost and found (BBC) — Missing: one LEGO man.
3. Artistic leaf raking (Kottke) — Happy autumn!
Before You Go
No spam, just joy.
