Be Aware
- Sally O'Leary-Collins
- May 14, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 17, 2025
Everyone zones out at times, even the most practised of yogis. We all have those moments of arriving at a destination with no clear recollection of the journey, not remembering if you fed the dog, cat, or children, if you left a note for the delivery driver, or if you turned off the lights and oven.
Whether it’s cleaning your teeth, commuting, or mindlessly grabbing a snack while sitting at your computer or scrolling through your phone, there are a great many undertakings that are completed and repeated every day that you are unaware of.
You can be chatting to someone and they say, “You’re in a good mood”, or “You seem off today”, and you do a mini double-take - “Really?” - you weren’t aware of what you were conveying or how you were feeling.
It’s natural and normal to be unaware of your habitual human undertakings, actions and responses. Habits, repetitive patterns, and muscle memory are positive traits that generally keep you true and efficient. If you had to think carefully about every move you made, putting one foot in front of the other or raising and extending your arm to reach for your mug, you would be exhausted!
However, not all habitual undertakings serve your best interest; many unconscious patterns actually undermine your happiness and wellness. These include physical undertakings as well as thought patterns or behaviours you are less likely to be aware of. When life appears to be repeating itself and you are stuck in unhealthy and uncomfortable circumstances, situations or relationships, awareness is the tool through which hidden and harmful self-inflicted behaviours and patterns can become visible.
Awareness, whether of yourself, others, or your surroundings, is something you can improve and benefit from, and it is surprisingly easy and enjoyable to practise.
Start with the most mundane habitual tasks. The most obvious things you take for granted. Notice your breathing as you scroll through your phone or sit in front of your computer. When cleaning your teeth, be aware of each tooth you brush. As you start your commute to the shops, work or to visit friends or family, notice each step you take, whatever your means of travel, and the route you choose; is it always the same, do you tend to go more left than right, how does it feel if you change things up a bit, and so on?
Be patient and forgive yourself when you get distracted and zone out; instead, focus on becoming more aware of when you do!
Have fun; as you notice more, your awareness will increase, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how beneficial that is, and in ways you would never have expected.
... Transformation is a practice in self-discovery; a deeper understanding of what is leads to increased perspective and insight. The deeper you dive, the more you come to know, and the more liberated your soul. Dive in below for inspiring self-exploration, accompanied by a sprinkling of amusement to uplift your spirit…
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