You Are Awesome, Here’s How to Own It

You Are Awesome, Seriously.

Do you know you are awesome? Really, you are. Yet if you’re like most people, you may also feel pressure to be different. Be better. Be “more.” We get relentless messages from the media, our culture, and sometimes even our relationships that we’re not quite good enough as we are.

Of course, you want to be the best you can be. Most people are motivated to enter counseling or life coaching because they want to be a better partner, be a better friend, be more fit, be more social, or be more successful at work. While it’s admirable to want to grow, evolve, and be the best self you can be, what is not helpful is believing invalidating messages that make you doubt your worth, your competence, and your own strength.

Why You Might Struggle to Believe You Are Awesome

Doubt leaves you second-guessing yourself, feeling anxious and stressed, or just feeling the burden of needing to create change. When we become focused on what we feel we are lacking, we lose connection with ourselves. We easily become so focused on what needs to change, that we lose contact with what is (and all of the strengths we have right now, in this moment).

You Are Awesome. Here’s How to Own It

Part of my job as a therapist and life coach is to help you get back in contact with how awesome you actually are… right now. By trusting yourself, tapping into your strengths, and feeling good about yourself, it becomes even easier to make strategic improvements to your life. Doing these things boosts your emotional intelligence in a way that is beneficial for you and those around you.

The good news is when you’re in a place of strength, you do not need to make big life changes to feel big impacts. By incorporating small changes into your routine, you can begin to own your awesome. When we create greater connections within ourselves, we open the door to love ourselves more deeply and connect with others in a more meaningful way. 

In the words of Rupi Kaur, “How you love yourself, is how you teach others to love you.”

I have five quick tricks to help you feel more connected to your happy, healthy, “best self” that will make you more aware of how much you already have to offer.

5 Tricks To Remember: You Are Awesome

#1 Take The Time To Notice (aka practice self-awareness)

We are typically so busy moving through our daily activities, we don’t take the time to check in with ourselves. Often our bodies give us cues throughout the day that our minds effectively ignore. For example, maybe you get to the end of your day and notice tension in your shoulders. This is your body’s way of telling you, “Hey, this is stressful; let’s take a break!” 

Noticing is a big step toward becoming more connected with yourself. Try setting time aside within your day to check in; ask yourself, how am I doing? Is my body trying to tell me something? What do I need right now? 

#2 Offer Yourself Some Compassion

It’s easy to focus on what is not going well. We also have a tendency to give others more time and compassion than we offer ourselves. Very rarely are we as tough on others as we are on ourselves. Give yourself a break! 

One way to do this is by repeating affirmations (either verbally or in writing). It could be as simple as repeating, “I did the best I could and that is enough.” You can also send compassion to areas in your body that are tense (you will know where these are, because you will have been practicing “noticing”). 

An example: when you notice tension in your shoulders from stress, roll them back and forth and say to yourself “I am resilient and can make it through this stressful day.”

#3 Take A Deep Breath

You have likely heard this before but may wonder why exactly this is something we say. How can taking a deep breath possibly be helpful when I am extremely anxious? There is substantial support that when we take deep breaths (slowing down our rate of breath and using our diaphragm), we alter the response of our nervous system. In turn, this creates biological changes that support a decrease in stress. Remind yourself to take deep breaths throughout the day, and notice how this can alter your mood.

#4 Do Something For You

Frequently, we lose track of our needs or even the activities we feel fulfilled by. When was the last time you took a moment to do something for you? This can range from taking five minutes out of your day to read a book or online article to planning a weekend getaway. Evaluating what it is that you need to feel fulfilled and moving toward it in manageable steps is another way to start connecting with your awesomeness.

#5 Remember: You Don’t Have To Be Perfect

There will always be a “more” (I should be more___) and with that, there is also an “enough.” Challenge yourself to hold that you are enough. Perfection is not realistic. Yes, there are opportunities to grow and create change, but with that, create some space to acknowledge what is working. You have talents, gifts, and skills; don’t be afraid to acknowledge and use them!

Owning Your Awesome Helps Your Relationships

We have primarily focused on how these tools can be used to help you as an individual. However, the real beauty of these strategies is that they can be used to improve connection in your relationships. 

By creating deeper connections within yourself, you will make room to connect with your partner in new and more meaningful ways. The more we know about ourselves (e.g. what we need, what we want, etc.), the more we are able to engage in meaningful relationships and connections.

You can repurpose the tools I shared to create connection in your relationship. For example, taking time to be in the moment and notice what is happening for both yourself and your partner can be extremely helpful. Remember- when we’re always focused on our to-do lists or what more needs to happen, we forget the positives that are happening right now.

Focusing on taking deep breaths, especially in an argument with your partner, can help your nervous system regulate, so a productive conversation can take place. 

Remembering that no one is perfect (even our partners) and offering them compassion can increase connection and trust within your partnership. You can modify these strategies to fit what you need, whether that’s creating connection within yourself or using these techniques to strengthen the connection in your relationship, maybe you’d like to work on both.

I hope these strategies help you stay connected to yourself… because you are awesome.

Sincerely,

Rachel H.