Emotional Self-Awareness   

Ability to notice  and  being  able  to  label  your  feelings,  emotions,  “gut-level” instincts or  reactions; being   able to connect these to their source; recognizing their effects on your mind and your body; using your feelings as a valuable source of insight and information about yourself, others and the situations around you. 

 

People with this competence 

• Know which emotions they are feeling and why;

• Realize, in the moment, the links between their feelings and what they think, do and say;

• Recognize how their feelings affect their performance;

• Are able to articulate their feelings and appropriately express them; and

• Can tell – in the moment – when they are getting upset 

 

People lacking this competence 

• May receive messages from their bodies such as chronic headaches, lower back pain, neck or shoulder pain, heart racing, sweaty palms, anxiety attacks or other signals but generally  don’t  pay  attention  to  these  signals  or  connect  them  to  their  source, to  what’s   causing these physical symptoms; 

• Fail to gain insight and information from what their bodies might be trying to tell them;

• Get irritated, frustrated or angry easily, causing them to treat people in an abrasive way;

• Fail to see that what they are doing or being asked to do might not be aligned with their personal goals and values; and

• Often feel stressed and out of balance in terms of their work life, health and family.

 

 Development tips

•  Regularly check in on your feelings.  During the course of the day, schedule brief but frequent check–ins on your emotional state as well as what your body might be feeling or trying to tell you;

• If you find yourself clenching your teeth, tensing your shoulders, feeling worn out or worn down, stop and ask yourself what your body is trying to tell you – are you feeling strained?  Stressed?  Anxious?  Fearful?  Overwhelmed?  Discouraged?  Burned out?;

• Name your emotions and connect them specifically to a source or to a situation, concern, or issue;

• “Listen”  to  what  your  emotions  might  be  telling  you  in that moment;

• Use the information that bubbles up from inside, listen to your intuition to gain insight that could guide you in dealing with the issue or challenge;

• Take the time to be introspective, to listen to that quiet inner voice.  Put aside some of your goal-oriented activities and think.  Take long walks, know your core values, and especially stop thinking of your emotions as irrelevant or messy.  Our emotions are an essential source of valuable information. 

  

Quotes

"In a recent survey, 73 percent of Americans described their lives as 'very busy' or 'insanely busy.” – Wired Magazine 

 

"It is in quiet that our best ideas occur to us.  Don't make the mistake of believing that by a frantic kind of dashing around you are being your most effective and efficient self. Don't assume that you are wasting time when you take time out for thought." – Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone 

 

"Like an ability or a muscle, hearing your inner wisdom is strengthened by doing it ." – Robbie Glass

 

 “Enlarge  your  consciousness.    If  your  consciousness  is  small,  you  will  experience  smallness  in   every  department  of  your  life.” – Robert Pante  

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