Do you wish you had a better understanding of yourself? People who are self-aware are generally more
introspective and can more easily build on their areas of strength as well as identify areas where they
would like to make improvements. The self-aware person can better evaluate their feelings, are eager to
grow personally, and know that understanding themselves is the key to understanding others. Here are some tips on how to gain more insight into yourself and your life.

Take up Journaling

You may have heard that writing in a journal can help you feel better. Some people remain skeptical about writing their feelings down and wonder how journaling will help to change anything.  The truth is, evidence has shown that journaling (an ancient tradition that dates back to at least 10th century Japan) has a positive impact on mental and physical well-being. What happens is that the act of writing accesses your left brain, which is analytical and rational. While your left brain is occupied, your right brain is free to create and feel. Basically, writing removes mental blocks and allows you to use all of your brainpower to better understand yourself, others and the world around you (psychcentral.com, 2006

Keep a Thought/Emotion/Trigger (TET) Record

So how is this different from journaling? Well think of this as a more structured and in-depth look into your mind when unnerving situations arise.  Make a three-column list of daily thoughts, emotions, and triggers. This will help you to develop a self-awareness that will put you in charge of what you think, thus, having more say as to how events in your life unfold. Thoughts (T) are concepts or ideas based on beliefs and judgments that we learn from others or personally invent.  They are not necessarily based on
fact. Emotions/Feelings (E) are not right or wrong, they just are. They just exist and need to be
expressed in healthy ways. Triggers (T) consist of thoughts, feelings, and events that “trigger” an
automatic response from us.  The word “trigger” is important here, because the idea is that
our reaction occurs automatically.  It might seem as if the emotional reaction is completely
involuntary. The truth is that this reaction, like everything else that we do, is a choice. Learning how
to identify our personal emotional triggers is the first step to taking control over how we choose
to respond (mindfulnessmuse.com, 2014).

---

Example of a TET Record:

Thought (T): I think I will never be good enough

Emotion (E): Sad

Trigger (T): Mother Criticizes your outfit

---

Example of a TET Record:

Thought (T): I think I am a horrible mother

Emotion (E): Overwhelmed/Stressed

Trigger (T): Your child is screaming and says they hate you

---

Tap Into Your Inner Positive Personality

Too many times we focus on the things we are doing wrong, but today we are going to start focusing more on what we are doing right! There are multiple resources on how to improve your self-esteem and incorporate more positivity into your daily life. The ‘Positive Trait Worksheet’ from Therapistaid.com is an awesome example of how you can tap into your inner positive personality.  Something you may have forgotten since you started a career, had kids, or became an adult with…you know…responsibilities. Print out the worksheet, circle the traits you like about yourself, and hang it somewhere you can look at it every day.  This can serve as a daily reminder of your POSITIVE attributes! Sometimes you just need a visible reminder of how awesome you are to help you get through the day.

Download my top 50 journal prompts that help rewire the anxious brain and watch it quickly become a huge part of your daily anxiety healing toolkit.