Self-awareness is the ability to see yourself clearly: your thoughts, feelings, habits and how you affect the people around you. It isn’t something some people have and others don’t. It’s a skill that grows with gentle practice.

Here are seven everyday behaviours that can help increase your awareness and enrich your life. Think of them as a menu. Choose one or two that appeal to you.

1. Sit quietly for a few minutes

You don’t need a mountaintop or a guru. Sit or lie still and let thoughts come and go. Notice them without following them. A few minutes a day can help you see your mind more clearly.

2. Write three lines in a journal

A journal doesn’t need to be long or polished. Write three lines about your day: what happened, how you felt, something you’d like to remember. Over time, patterns start to appear.

3. Learn something new

Learning a new skill keeps your mind curious and open. It doesn’t have to be big. A new recipe, a few words of another language or a new route home can all wake you up a little.

4. Name a mistake kindly

Nobody enjoys saying “I got that wrong”. But being able to notice and own a mistake, without beating yourself up, is a sign of real awareness. Try naming one this week, gently.

5. Break a small routine

Routines are helpful, but too much routine can put us on autopilot. Take a different route to work, sit in a different chair or try a new breakfast. Notice how it feels.

6. Ask a trusted person for feedback

Choose one person whose opinion you value and ask a simple question. How do I come across when I’m stressed? Listen with curiosity rather than defensiveness.

7. Sketch a timeline of your life

Draw a simple line and mark a few high points and low points. What did you learn from each? This can help you see how you’ve grown and what matters to you.

Your past doesn’t define you

Looking back can be helpful, but it doesn’t have to hold you there. Awareness is about understanding where you’ve been so you can choose where you’d like to go.

Try this week

Choose one behaviour and practise it for a week. Notice what you discover about yourself.

For more simple practices, try 12 mindfulness exercises to start using daily.

There’s more along these lines on the Guides page.