Self-awareness activities to transform your life and career

Remember when you were sitting in a college course, noticing that you perform better in morning classes and scheduling your toughest courses earlier in the day? Or recognizing that feeling drained after social events means you need regular alone time to recharge?

Self-awareness is the art of knowing yourself, your personality, and your aspirations. Sometimes, life will teach you what you do and don’t want, and other times it doesn't. Very often, people quit majors, jobs, and relationships because they lack the self-awareness to identify their own self-sabotaging behaviors. The fact that something is uncomfortable does not necessarily mean you need to quit, and most people do that because they lack self-awareness.

That’s where self-awareness activities come in. Through these exercises, you can take a deeper look at what you want in life, how you feel about certain activities and topics, and what your personality traits are. And through that journey, you can become your most authentic self.

What are self-awareness activities?

Self-awareness activities are exercises you perform to further understand who you are and aspire to be. These activities prompt you to consider your personal values, feelings, and desires, pinpointing things you love about yourself and areas for self-improvement. 

While your reactions to setbacks, achievements, and other positive and negative life events can teach you about your personality, self-awareness exercises push this understanding further.

You may think you love your current job, but when you journal about it, you find that you’d like to improve some aspects of your career. You might believe you find conversations with your partner about financial wellness stressful, but discover upon further introspection that it’s not the subject itself but how you communicate about it. 

Self-awareness activities prompt you to think deeply about your feelings and become more aware of your thoughts, reactions, and experiences. Then, with that knowledge in hand, you can acknowledge your positive traits or adjust your behavior.

You could take steps toward a more enjoyable career once you’ve determined what’s not currently working in your role. And after discovering flaws in how you communicate with your partner, you can learn to change your communication style. 

The importance of self-awareness

Being aware of your personality and needs helps you make decisions that align with your personal goals and true self. You can identify your values, seek meaningful activities and relationships, and define your strengths and areas of opportunity, all of which can contribute to personal and professional growth by building self-confidence, emotional regulation, and effective communication.

• Self-confidence: It's hard to trust someone we don't know; when we get to know ourselves, we consequently trust ourselves to be able to do anything.
• Emotional regulation: We can better manage emotions by understanding how we experience them, how we react to them, and what triggers them. 
• Effective communication: Being able to set boundaries, talk about ourselves with confidence, and be authentic and transparent about what we want.

3 benefits of self-awareness

Self-knowledge helps you understand the types of experiences and interactions you want in life, but it also promotes better interactions with others. If you know what triggers you, what personal experiences make you feel vulnerable, or how the other person is inadvertently teaching you lessons you need to learn, you can set clear boundaries with those around you.

Here are a few self-awareness examples that show the benefits of knowing yourself: 

• You’re tired all the time but aren’t sure why. After speaking to a career coach about it, you discover that you’re working too much. With that knowledge, you say “No” to an extra assignment and start getting the rest you need.
• After a fight with a friend, journaling about the situation helps you understand that their condescending tone hurts you. You reopen the discussion to tell them how it makes you feel, showing vulnerability and deepening your relationship.
• You feel lost in life. After making a vision board, you realize that travel is high on your list of priorities. You decide to switch careers and pursue a job that requires travel.
• After noticing a coworker’s enthusiasm fades during meetings you lead, you reflect and realize that your tendency to dominate conversations might be overshadowing their ideas. You make a conscious effort to ask for their input, fostering a more inclusive and productive environment.

• You realize that canceling plans last minute has been upsetting your close friend. Recognizing how your actions affect their trust, you commit to being more reliable, strengthening your friendship over time.

Can you measure self-awareness?

Self-knowledge, self-awareness, self-confidence, self-love, and self-love are all inherently personal and tied to our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. Only each person can truly understand the depth of their self-awareness or how much they understand, love or believe in themselves. 

Researchers have developed tools like personality tests, emotional intelligence questionnaires, and self-awareness assessments to help you measure self-knowledge. Some mental health professionals use these alongside other methods to help patients understand themselves better.

Psychological assessments and feedback from others can serve as mirrors to help us reflect on certain aspects of ourselves. These aren't definitive measurements but can complement our internal evaluation.

For example, someone consistently open to feedback may demonstrate a strong level of self-awareness.

Self-awareness activities to find your purpose

Understanding who you are and what drives you is key to finding your purpose. These activities will help you recognize your emotions, strengths, and weaknesses, fostering emotional awareness and self-awareness.

Journaling to explore your inner self

Journaling is a powerful way to grow your self-awareness. Write about your thoughts, emotions, and daily experiences without judgment. Reflect on recurring patterns to uncover behaviors, emotional triggers, and areas where you thrive. Over time, this practice will help you build emotional awareness and recognize personal strengths and weaknesses.

Practicing mindfulness for emotional awareness

Mindfulness centers you in the present moment and deepens your self-awareness. Practice by focusing on your breath, observing your surroundings, or engaging your senses. This helps you identify how emotions show up in your body, improving your ability to regulate emotions and build self-esteem.

Using self-awareness questions

Ask yourself questions like, "What motivates me?" or "How do I react under pressure?" These questions promote emotional vocabulary and help you recognize behaviors tied to your emotions. Write down or discuss your answers to develop greater clarity about your strengths and weaknesses.

Discovering your spark

Your "spark" refers to the skills, interests, and talents that light you up. Reflect on what makes you happiest or most fulfilled. For example, ask, “When do I feel most alive?” or “What comes naturally to me?” Recognizing your spark boosts self-awareness and helps you align with your purpose.

Self-awareness activities to build better boundaries

Setting healthy boundaries starts with being self-aware. These activities will help you recognize emotional triggers and behaviors that affect your relationships, empowering you to build better boundaries.

The "3 whys" technique

Use the "3 whys" exercise to get to the root of your feelings. For example, if you feel overwhelmed by a colleague's request, ask why. Your answer might reveal an inability to say no or a fear of disappointing others. Understanding the “why” helps you develop emotional awareness and self-esteem, allowing you to set clearer boundaries.

Self-awareness worksheets

Download a “Who am I?” worksheet to explore key parts of your identity. This exercise will help you clarify how your personal values align with the boundaries you need in different areas of your life.

Grounding techniques

Grounding helps you stay present in moments of emotional discomfort. Try focusing on a physical object or engaging your senses to center yourself. This practice fosters emotional regulation and awareness, helping you confidently navigate boundary-setting conversations.

Self-awareness activities for career growth

Your career is one of the most significant areas for applying self-awareness. These activities will help you recognize strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to achieve a growth mindset in your professional life.

Taking workplace personality tests

Tests like CliftonStrengths or Myers-Briggs help you identify your work style and natural abilities. These insights can guide your career path and allow you to recognize where you excel and what you need to improve.

Goal-setting for professional growth

Set SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—to grow your career. For example, if public speaking is a weakness, set a goal to present at one meeting per month. Tracking your progress fosters a growth mindset and builds self-awareness.

Using feedback for self-improvement

Performance reviews and feedback sessions can shine a light on your strengths and weaknesses. Pay close attention to constructive feedback and use it as an opportunity to improve your behaviors and emotional awareness in the workplace.

Creating a vision board

A vision board for your career helps you visualize your professional goals and align your daily actions with long-term aspirations. Including images or quotes that inspire you can keep you focused on your purpose and foster self-awareness about what you want to achieve.

Self-awareness activities to deepen emotional intelligence

Strengthening your emotional intelligence starts with being more self-aware. These activities will help you build an emotional vocabulary, regulate your emotions, and recognize patterns in your behavior.

Practicing self-compliments

Start each day by giving yourself a compliment, such as "I handled yesterday’s challenge well" or "I’m making progress on my goals." This practice strengthens self-esteem and emotional awareness by focusing on your positive behaviors and achievements.

Using emotional vocabulary journals

Create a journal where you document your emotions with precise words like “overwhelmed,” “content,” or “hopeful.” Expanding your emotional vocabulary helps you better understand and regulate your feelings, building a foundation for emotional intelligence.

Self-awareness activities for personal development

Personal development is rooted in self-awareness. These activities will help you focus on recognizing behaviors, strengths, and weaknesses that contribute to your growth mindset.

Practicing gratitude

List three things you’re grateful for each day. This practice shifts your focus toward positivity, helping you become more self-aware of the good in your life.

Seeking mentorship

Find a mentor who can provide honest feedback and guidance. A mentor’s perspective can help you recognize strengths and weaknesses you may not see on your own, accelerating your self-awareness journey.

3 other resources to increase self-awareness skills 

You don’t always have to look inward to perform self-discovery. Others’ stories and insights can also help you learn about yourself. When you empathize and identify with others’ narratives, you locate the similarities in yours, learning more about yourself in the process. Here are three outward-looking tools for fostering personal development:

TED Talks

TED Talks, which are engaging short-form lectures from experts on everything from leadership to creativity, inspire conversation, ideas, and change. You can find talks on nearly every topic, so you can choose to watch a few on something you want to learn about yourself. 

If you’re an entrepreneur struggling to launch a business, listen to an inspiring TED talk from an innovator. It could remind you to take lessons from an unexpected aspect of your life, like parenting, or lean into your vulnerability. 

Podcasts

There’s a podcast on virtually every topic, making them an excellent resource if you wish to explore new interests and learn more about yourself. Listen to a mental-health-focused show to better understand the inner workings of your negative thoughts, or find one about self-confidence and how to love your future self. Insights from self-aware people can give you the problem-solving skills you need to curb biases and check in with yourself.

BetterUp articles

BetterUp’s blog contains a wealth of articles on well-being and the workplace. These articles can address questions like how to establish a better work-life balance, improve your inner dialogue, or develop an intentional self-care routine. They’re your guide as you explore yourself. 

Make self-awareness a habit

When you reach roadblocks in your life, self-awareness activities can help you explore the problem and learn how to use your strengths to overcome it. But you can, and should, make self-reflection a regular practice, even when things are going well. 

Ask yourself what’s working and acknowledge the value of the positive aspects of your life. You’ll improve emotional intelligence and decision-making skills — fostering a lifestyle and interactions that align with your desires and needs. If you need help getting started, partner with a BetterUp Coach. They can help you align on which activities work best for you to become more self-aware.