Simple Methods for Navigating Self-Consciousness
What exactly is self-consciousness, what causes it, and how can it be overcome?
Do you frequently consider how people perceive you? Do you frequently fear upsetting or offending others? Do you experience anxiety when performing in front of others? You may then be self-conscious.
According to those who research self-awareness, it is human nature to sometimes focus on ourselves and at other times focus on others. We may consider our own thoughts, emotions, and actions, as well as the thoughts, emotions, and actions of others. It is believed that the degree to which we focus on or reflect on ourselves reveals our level of self-awareness. Given this expansive definition of self-consciousness, scholars hypothesize that there are two distinct forms of self-awareness.
Private self-consciousness. Constant awareness of one's own processes and emotions.
Public self-consciousness. Recognizing oneself in relation to other people. It's possible that this person is self-conscious about how they come across to others (Turner, Carver, Scheier, & Ickes, 1978).
Public self-consciousness is sometimes further divided into two types:
Style consciousness. The consciousness of how our actions and words resonate with those around us.
Appearance consciousness. The consciousness of one's physical appearance to others (Takishima-Lacasa, 2014).
Private self-consciousness is also sometimes divided into two types:
Internal state awareness. Awareness of one's internal states and physiological reactions.
Self-reflectiveness. Tendency to think deeply about one's past, one's identity, and one's goals (Takishima-Lacasa, 2014).
Self-Conscious Emotions
The range of feelings we experience when we're self-conscious can be quite broad. These items are:
Shame
Guilt
Pride
Embarrassment
Jealousy
Empathy
Self-aware feelings typically occur when we evaluate how well we have met or fallen short of an ideal or expectation we have set for ourselves (Tracy & Robins, 2004). For instance, we may experience elation at having accomplished something great or despair at having let ourselves down by falling short of our goals.
Although feelings of self-awareness can be unpleasant at times, they serve a crucial function in driving our actions. Motives can push us to greater success in our endeavors, to friendlier actions, and to more selfless acts. Overall, they aid in the accomplishment of crucial societal objectives (Tracy & Robins, 2004).
How to Overcome Self-Consciousness
Awareness of one's own identity typically emerges in adolescence. It may get simpler as you get older, but that's not always the case. When we were younger, we may have been overly self-conscious about the opinions of those around us, and those behaviors may have stuck with us. And that's why it pays to know how to alter such ways of thinking. So, to help you get over your shyness, here are some suggestions.
1. Build self-trust
Introspective self-awareness involves a steady stream of inquiries about the nature and motivations of one's own mental processes and behavior. We need to gain confidence in our own judgment since only we can truly know who we are on the inside. Self-confidence is essential, though.
The first step toward developing self-trust is telling oneself the truth. Are you stuck in a career that doesn't fulfill you? To what extent do you socialize with people you don't particularly enjoy being around? Do you feel like you're leading a life that's not really yours? When you're not acting in your own best interest, trust in yourself might be difficult to come by. To get where you want to go, you must first accept yourself for who you truly are.
Finally, do something about what you truly believe in. A person's concern about what other people think decreases as they become more independent and act in accordance with their own values. Something is right for you when you have a strong intuition that it is so.
2. Cultivate mindfulness
Self-awareness may represent the polar opposite of mindfulness. Mindfulness entails accepting one's surroundings and one's feelings as they are in the present moment rather than striving to change them (versus worrying about them or trying to control them).
Practicing mindfulness exercises, such as paying close attention to the intricacies of an object can help you hone your awareness and awareness of the present moment. To find out more, you can download apps like Headspace or Calm.
Being aware of one's own feelings can have positive and negative effects. With any luck, you were able to pick up some pointers that can help you deal with feelings of inadequacy and learn to be more confident.
References
Takishima-Lacasa, J. Y., Higa-McMillan, C. K., Ebesutani, C., Smith, R. L., & Chorpita, B. F. (2014). Self-consciousness and social anxiety in youth: The Revised Self-Consciousness Scales for Children. Psychological assessment, 26(4), 1292.
Tracy, J. L., & Robins, R. W. (2004). "Putting the Self Into Self-Conscious Emotions: A Theoretical Model". Psychological Inquiry, 15(2), 103-125.
Turner, R. G., Carver, C. S., Scheier, M. F., & Ickes, W. (1978). Correlates of self-consciousness. Journal of Personality Assessment, 42(3), 285-289.
