The Quiet Power of Noticing: How Self-Awareness Supports Well-Being

As I sat beneath the heat of the water streaming over me at the end of the day, I couldn’t help but notice how good it felt to wash away my day.  It was an incredibly full and stressful day, but there I was in a rare moment of actually noticing just how good that shower felt.  I noticed the warmth of the water upon my skin, the way the water streamed down my body, taking with it the “yuck of the day”, as it made its way down the drain, and how good it felt to feel and notice this.  It was a moment of bliss being created in what is part of my everyday routine, simply through my awareness.  

Taking time to notice is one of the most underrated acts of self-care.  Noticing how we feel.  Noticing the thoughts and patterns we repeat and the emotions we suppress.  Noticing how our minds and bodies respond to stress.  And yes, taking the time to really notice those things that give us even a moment’s pleasure.  This self-awareness is not about fixing ourselves; it’s about understanding ourselves, and that understanding can be profoundly healing and pivotal to our mental health and well-being.

When I began practicing the art of consciously noticing, it began with self-awareness.  It was focused on those sensations within my body and mind that did not feel good;  the noticing of the way my whole body seemed to tense up when I was feeling stressed and overwhelmed, the notice of the tightness in my throat and chest when I was having trouble sharing my truth, and the notice of pure mental exhaustion that came from continuing to say yes when I wanted or even needed to say no.  These were physical sensations I often just ignored, not understanding that they were there trying to tell me something.  Through self-awareness I learnt that these sensations were not just feelings of discomfort, they were my body’s way of telling me that something was not working for me; that there was a way I was dishonouring it by avoiding the underlying issues.  None of these sensations required the harsh self-judgement and self-criticism I used to put on them, as I tried to banish them from my body and mind.  They simply required space to be, attention, and self-reflection.  In fact, not only did they require this, but they also deserved it.  

Once I moved into this place of expanded self-awareness, I was astounded at the wisdom I learnt my body to have.  So often, we move through life on autopilot.  We react instead of responding.  We push through instead of pausing.  While this might feel productive at the time, it often comes at a cost to our mental health.  Burnout and misalignment do not arrive suddenly.  Stress to our body and mind accumulate quietly and build in those moments we are not taking the time to notice.  Without self-awareness, we can also lose touch of our physical and emotional needs.

Self-awareness creates a pause.  In that pause we gain understanding.  In that understanding, we gain choice.

Now, when I notice my body tensing up (or any other bodily sensation), I no longer ignore it or move right to frustration.  I notice it to be a signal telling me that I need to pause and understand why I am feeling that way.  If I notice that I am feeling overwhelmed, I can choose to take a few moments to step away from whatever I am working on and clear my head, instead of just plowing through.  This break often saves me time in the end and helps reset me, often leading me to greater productivity.  If I notice that I am feeling anxious, I can choose to use a breathing technique to interrupt my anxiety and calm it, rather than waiting for it to get to a place where it is much harder to calm.  If I notice that I am feeling irritated, I can ask myself what boundary has been crossed and work with that rather than lashing out.  When I notice my sadness, I can now allow it space and get curious with it instead of shaming myself for feeling it.  These moments don’t eliminate my discomfort, but they soften it, making it more manageable for me to deal with.

Another huge benefit of self-awareness has been emotional regulation.  Our struggles of the mind often feel overwhelming because emotions seem to come out of nowhere.  But when we learn to notice those early signs, like changes in our mood, thought patterns, or physical sensations, we gain a bit of control.  Self-awareness does not stop those emotions from existing; it allows us to intervene sooner.

There is also a deep sense of validation that can come from noticing ourselves.  When we notice and acknowledge our feelings instead of dismissing them, we send a powerful message to ourselves that we matter and are worth of our own time and effort.  That validation alone can reduce feelings of isolation and self-doubt.  It reminds us that our inner experience is worthy of attention, not something to brush off or minimize.

Self-awareness has also reshaped how I relate to others.  When I understand my triggers, needs, and limits, I can communicate more clearly.  I reflect more.  I understand myself better, which has allowed me to take things less personally and project less. I show up more honestly.  Our mental health is not just an internal experience – it influences how we connect, set boundaries, and build relationships.  Noticing ourselves allows those relationships to be more authentic and less reactive.

Importantly, self-awareness is not about perfection.  It absolutely does not mean being calm all the time or having everything figured out.  That illusion does not exist.  Some days, it’s simply noticing and admitting, “today I am not okay” and building in a bit of grace.  Other days, it might look like recognizing our own growth.  Both these forms of awareness matter.

With this self-awareness came self-compassion.  The more I noticed, the less harsh I was on myself.  I began to see my struggles not as personal failures, but as signals, like little messages asking for rest, care, and change.  From both a personal and mental health perspective, that shift from judgement to self-compassion is transformative. 

Taking the time to notice doesn’t require hours of meditation or complete silence.  It can be as simple as checking in with yourself before responding to a message, asking how your body feels at the end of a long day and asking it what it needs, or taking the time to notice the goodness that exists around us, even on a not so good day.  These small acts of awareness accumulate, improve our well-being, and build resilience over time.

In a world that constantly demands more….more productivity, more speed, more output….choosing to notice is a quiet rebellion.  It’s a way of saying that the health of our mind (aka our mental health) matters, that our inner experiences are as valid as our outer experiences, and that we deserve to understand ourselves, not just judge and manage ourselves.

For me, self-awareness has become less about control and more about connection.  Connection to my body, my emotions, my needs, and ultimately, my humanity.  And in that connection, I have found something deeply grounding; the ability to meet myself where I am at, instead of where I think I should be.  I am not perfect at this, and to expect that would be unrealistic, but the more I practice the better I get.

Sometimes, healing doesn’t begin with action.  Sometimes, it begins with simply noticing.