Self-Awareness is the thinking skill that helps you to:

• Care about what other people feel.

• Know why you chose to do something.

• Check over your work and your choices.

For example, you use Self-Awareness skills when looking over a test before handing it in to make sure that all of your answers are correct, or when you think about how your words and actions will make other people feel.

Sammy & Ugene

In this comic strip, Ugene doesn’t understand that he’s being insensitive to his friends by playing his music so loud. By not paying attention to the feelings of the people around him, he winds up making his friends so angry that they all decide to leave.

What can you do?

If you have a hard time understanding what you are feeling or why your friends are acting the way they are, you might need help improving your Self-Awareness skills. The good news is that we can help!

Here are some simple ideas that you can use to improve your Self-Awareness:

• Estimate how long you think something will take you to do, how hard it will be, and how well you will do with it. After completing it, see how accurate you were.

• Make a long list of what you see as your strengths and weaknesses. Ask someone who knows you well, such as a good friend or your parent, to do the same. Compare the lists.

• Remember to think about your friend’s interests and try to notice things that you both enjoy.