Does anyone know ways a person can become more alert and self-aware?

Question

The older I get the more I feel like Im sleeping through life is there anything that can help me

Answer 1

Contact a psychiatrist and get tested for Attention Deficit Disorder

Healthy breakfast:

I read somewhere that the most brain damaging habit is not to have a breakfast. After the overnight fast and lack of glucose in the body, it is imperative to consume some protein and fiber rich food products. When I used to stay with my parents, there was not a single day that I missed my breakfast and all credit goes to my mother. But since I have been staying on my own, I have become more and more negligent. Running our body on low fuel till noon is not good. So, start having a healthy breakfast and get a good start for the day.

Limit TV:

Control your TV watching. If you observe your TV watching habits, you will realize that mostly it is waste of time. But that is not the only problem. All the programmes on TV show ads in every 15 minutes, so it breaks the continuity. Also, most likely you have a TV with a remote controller and your fingers are always playing with it skipping channels and surfing back-n-forth. This increases fidgetiness in your behaviour and it affects other aspects of your life too. I have reduced TV watching by restricting myself to 2 hours of TV per week. And when I want to watch more, I just rent a movie and watch it without a break.

Limit internet use:

This is easy to say but difficult to do. It depends on how much necessary it is for you to be online to get your work done. Most of the time, either I am searching for articles for my research or looking for some solution to software bugs. But now, I have made it a habit to print the article of my interest, leave my cubicle and read it somewhere where I don’t have access to net. But still many times I see myself using refresh button unnecessarily in the middle of some task. I am still looking for efficient ways to reduce the effect of this distraction.

Take time-outs:

Not just simple breaks but rewarding breaks. I reward myself with sunshine by going out for a walk after getting a task done in the lab. Breaks are generally distracting unless they are for a purpose. So, give a purpose to every break even if it is just talking to a colleague or checking your emails. You need to figure out what you need to do in your time-out to get a fulfilling break.

Read books:

Reading definitely increases your attention span. Read what interests you but try to avoid short stories. If I find some interesting novel/book to read, I find myself sitting for 5-6 hours straight without any breaks even if the TV is on.

Get close to nature:

This I accomplish by taking walks during my breaks, or taking a weekend off for some outdoor activity like camping. Attention span is mostly affected by stress, most of which comes from external sources. When you are with nature, you tend to go back into your natural state which is free from any kind of stress, worries or/and anxiety because that’s the way you were born.

Obviously, you can see how the same activities can help in other aspects of your life. We all already know these things but still don’t follow them. Why? Because we don’t assign a goal to them. Without a goal, we cannot measure our development. Here I am targeting to increase the attention span. You will notice the difference if you follow even some of the steps and it will motivate you further. Moreover, you will observe positive effects in other aspects of your personal development

Answer 2

Go to a book store and look at the books for Self-Help, Spiritual Growth, Self-improvement, etc. Look and see what you think and feel would be interesting to learn. Start with that. Read a book, take a seminar.

The Journey of self-awareness is a personal trip. We are all on it. It can be taken consciously or stumbled through.

I love Be Here Now by Ram Dass. There are so many things I have done during my life, and many more things I plan to do.

"When the student is ready, the teacher will come."

Look and see who you admire in life. Who has the qualities you would like to have? That's another hint.

Good luck! xoxo

Answer 3

I've found meditation to be a very useful tool in becoming more self aware. As for awareness of your surroundings, that is a learned habit, you just have to pay closer attention to them.

Answer 4

the best thing to do is get out more, travel and see the world. read more and meet new people that interest you. turn a new page in your life and enjoy what life as to give you and more. there is alot of things that this world as in shore for you. is just that you have to reach out and grab it. because it wont sit down and wait for you

Answer 5

u have to train ur body to become self aware and alert

Answer 6

You may have a physical disorder happening gradually, impairing you in a way you just noticed. Go to a doctor & get a good checkup!

Answer 7

I feel the same way, but i agree with above

Answer 8

i have a sure fire way. enter a combat zone. you will notice the change overnight. i did. this might not be the right path for everyone but i guarantee it works.