The official start of spring is only weeks away. With spring comes a sense of new beginnings and growth. Plants sprout blossoms and many animals awaken from hibernation and give birth this time of year. We are just as much a part of nature. So, let’s take this opportunity to start anew and grow. One way we can grow is by expanding our awareness. But what does that mean, exactly?
Expanding Your Awareness
Expanding your awareness means becoming more aware of your actions, experiences, reactions, and the feelings behind those reactions. The things we do are a result of our mindsets about the world and those around us. Often, our mindsets are conditioned while we are young. Things such as success, perfection, and happiness are made to feel objective and the end-all-be-all. In reality, they are actually rooted in societal norms, which vary from place to place. Expanding our awareness will help us understand this and get us out of negative cycles that are triggered by conditioned reactions to stimuli. It will ultimately help us get to know ourselves better.
While it is easier said than done, expanding your awareness is possible. Here are some steps to help you achieve this.
Meditation and Mindfulness
How comfortable do you feel simply being with yourself with no distractions? I know, it’s hard. However, you can’t expand your awareness without allowing yourself to be completely alone. Meditation and mindfulness are great ways to get out of your head and into your body where you can truly feel and identify your emotions. Where in your body do you feel emotions? What are those emotions?
Stay with Your Feelings
Now, as you begin to recognize your raw feelings and emotions, try to sit with them for a moment. Do your best to stay with even the most uncomfortable emotions such as fear, anxiety, or anger. They will eventually go away. Pushing these feelings aside is only a temporary solution. By avoiding your feelings, you are giving them power over you and they will just keep returning if they are never validated. It is important to realize that these feelings are a product of your protective system trying to help you survive. If you sit with your feelings and appreciate them for trying to help, you gain control and become more conscious of all the feelings and emotions you experience.
Be Curious about Yourself and Humanity
Being more aware of your feelings and emotions makes it easier for you to understand why you do the things you do and think the way you think. Ask yourself about your goals and intentions. Why do you care so much about X, Y, and Z? Are you doing things for yourself, or for others? Are you projecting? Then, think about humanity as a whole. Research how other people live and experience the world. Try to understand where people may diverge and intersect. Realize that we are all human and that we all make mistakes. We are all part of an imperfect world.
As we grow from being more aware of ourselves and how we experience the world, we can be more in tune with the world itself. Spring is not only a time when we shed our winter coats, but a time when we can shed our limiting mindsets and expand our awareness. I understand that this journey can be challenging, so I am here for you. I am offering in-person appointments as well as HIPAA-compliant virtual options. Contact me, today.
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