- Blog By
Ms.Kirthika Shivkumar
Executive Director
The Indian Public School
June 9, 2020 | In Blog 
Self-awareness
In today’s fast-paced world, in our search for living, we have lost living. The lost living I refer to is conscious living. So, we need to take pauses intermittently during the course of our structured life and be aware of self. Self-awareness is an important component of emotional intelligence and it is defined as the ability to see oneself clearly and objectively through reflection and introspection. Yes, I am fascinated to look back and try to connect the dots and, thereby share the related insights with you.
Habituation and Automation
Both professionally and personally, a majority of our day-to-day activities are done out of habituation. We have become so comfortable with the monotonously set pattern of our life that barely demands conscious effort. I would like to convey my conviction through a classic example or analogy of my daily drive to work. Inspite of the heavy traffic, number of traffic signals, barricades, dividers and stream of vehicles that I surpass during my drive, I am often unaware how I reached safely. This is very similar to highway hypnosis or white line fever by which we cover long distances with least or no conscious awareness. This is called automation mode in which the conscious and subconscious minds work on different things. Whether this automaton stops at only driving or is extended further to other activities is a point of concern.
Necessity of self-awareness
Of course, there is stagnation and a block to exploration of new avenues extended in other day-to-day activities too. I believe my dear teachers, that you too may be a victim of habituation, automation and resultant stagnation in your lives. With years of teaching experience, are we ready to move beyond our comfort zone to unlearn, relearn and adopt new methods? When in class, is our focus on task completion or learning outcomes? Are we open to accept constructive feedback? Do we take time to muse on these lines? This self-awareness is much needed to help us move to new heights and better standards.
Prospering with self-awareness
When self-awareness is directed inwards, it helps find out what am I, thereby enabling me to know my strengths, weaknesses, improve productivity and raise standards of performance. Similarly, when self-awareness is directed outwards, it throws light on what I am to others, what others think of me and how purposeful I am. This helps in building new relationships, work on existing ones, set healthy boundaries and develop better communication. Bearing in mind the fruits of self-awareness, I feel it is worth spending time on it. It should be an ongoing process so that we build the muscle of self-awareness for our betterment and growth. We can inspire and promote our students also for the journey of self-awareness.
Also read: KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS
