Healing and Hypnotherapy Volume 4 Issue - 4, 1 October 2019 | Page 26

To begin this process, make a habit of noticing whenever you experience
strong emotions such as shame, guilt, anger, resentment, and fear. Ask,
“what triggered these feelings?” You might even like to keep a shadow journal
to record your discoveries so that you can track your journey of self-
awareness.
7. What is your #1 distraction?
Our distractions tell us a great deal about our fears, impulses, and hidden
desires. What unnecessary task takes up a lot of your time? Perhaps it might
be watching TV, online shopping, snacking, masturbating, scrolling through
Instagram, playing video games, gossiping with friends or even getting lost in
daydreams. Distraction isn’t always a bad thing, but when we obsessively find
ways of escaping reality, there’s a problem. Draw awareness to your
distractions and you will be on the path to greater self-insight.
8. Practice meditation and mindfulness
Mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment, whereas
meditation is learning how to become aware of your thoughts. Together, they
make a dynamic duo. Mindfulness helps to ground you in reality which
increases self-awareness. Meditation, on the other hand, is a way in which
you can become intimately acquainted with your mind and its processes. Both
practices can be incorporated relatively effortlessly into your day. If you have
five or ten minutes to spare, take time to drop into your body and senses. I
also recommend apps such as Calm to support your meditation practice.
9. Keep a daily ‘sunshine and sh*t’ journal
Record all the things you loved and hated within your day (aka. the sunshine
and shit!). Write down how you felt, what your plans are, and anything else
you’d like to express. Journalling is a simple and powerful form of self-
expression that is a wonderful way to enhance your self-awareness.
10. What do you dislike the most in others?
“I hate people who are judgemental I once remember saying. My wise friend
at the time turned around and retorted, “but aren’t you judging those people