Well with Alice

 The A is for... Awareness

The first step to better wellbeing is being aware that your wellbeing could be better! Let me rephrase that. The first step to being better is knowing that there is a better. 

Awareness, specifically self-awareness, allows you to know how you are feeling and what your strengths and weaknesses are. This then allows you to practice self-regulation. As you become aware of your needs, awareness allows you to ask for help in specific ways.

Awareness helps us to be empathetic, kind and patient and it helps us deal with challenging situations and emotions.

We can cultivate awareness by taking the time to reflect and think. In that time, we may practice mindfulness, where we sit with out thoughts and feelings without judging them. We may also journal during that time. Finally, we can ask others for their perspective: "Do you think I become angry too quickly?" 

As parents and caregivers we can model self-awareness and help those we care for become self-aware. We can ask prompting questions, such as: "What were you feeling in that moment? What were you thinking? Looking at that situation as if you were a reporter, how would you describe it?"

Awareness may come more natural to some people and less natural to others, but it is a skill that can be cultivated as any other skill. It just requires time and practice. Perhaps reading this article has made you reflect on your level of awareness. Great job! That is a great start. All the best as you practice this wonderful, though also confronting skill.

Kind regards,

Ms. Alice Romijn