Are You Overly Aware?

Are You Overly Aware?

Here at True Balance Karate in Downers Grove, Illinois, we have a social-emotional learning program called True Character. I’m Master H, the owner and chief instructor here at the studio. I have two master’s degrees in education. I was a classroom teacher for 15 years.

Recap

And this month we have been talking about awareness.

Back when I was teaching in the classroom, I taught younger kids: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth grade, that kind of age group. We talked a lot about being aware, not running into the desks, not running into each other, being physically aware. That was actually how we started off the month as we were talking about it.

Then two weeks ago, we were talking about emotional awareness. What are you feeling and why are you feeling that way? Last week, we were talking about being intellectually aware. What do you know? What do you not know? Kids tend to think they know everything, while adults realize that they don’t know everything and they find ways to ask those good questions.

Positive and Negative Awareness

I find awareness to be a really good topic for all age groups. This week, we’re talking about being hyper-aware, overly aware. Awareness can have a positive effect. I’ll get to the positive effect in a minute. However, if you are hyper-aware, you might find yourself perseverating on something, worrying incessantly about something you said or did, or was it taken the wrong way? Then you become very hyper-aware of a particular situation and you’re not quite sure what to do with it.

For me, I wind up replaying a lot of the day at night and have had to learn how to be aware of what went on, take a moment to learn from it (intellectual awareness), and then let the rest of it go. You know, there’s a famous movie where they say, “Let it go.”

So, if we’re hyper-aware, it can be positive and negative. It can be detrimental. It might cause us to be overly upset. It might cause us to be distracted by what we’re fixated on. It might cause us to be really worried about something and put a strain on a friendship or relationship because we’re overly aware of what went on, causing us to react differently.

Self-Awareness

Being hyper-aware is something we need to be aware of. We need to figure out what’s going on, why it’s going on, and ask good questions to move past it. Having awareness can also be a good thing. Being aware of habits we have, like drinking more water, getting more sleep, having good homework habits, and good eating habits, making sure we have good cleanliness habits, taking showers, cleaning up after eating, washing dishes—these things can be positive as long as we’re aware of what habits we’re trying to set forth. Setting goals and building habits can be good if we’re aware of what we’re trying to achieve and what we’re trying to accomplish.

Self-Reflection

Awareness can be positive and impactful in our day-to-day lives. When we sit and ruminate on a particular timeframe, that’s when awareness can be detrimental to what we’re trying to accomplish. I remember talking with my own two kids about this. My daughter was thinking about something that had happened and said, “But Mom, I said it this way.” I asked her, “What have you learned from that situation? How can you grow from it? If it really bothers you that much, how can you make it right?” She thought about it and said, “I’ve learned that some people won’t take my sarcasm very well.” (Whatever she had said at the time was a pretty sarcastic comment.)

I was glad she learned that. She decided to treat them normally, and if it came up, she would apologize. We turned it into a teaching moment of not being stuck in that thinking and awareness of that moment.

To bring it full circle, I asked her, “What have we learned?” She answered, and I asked, “What habits can you build? Can you break this instant sarcasm habit?” She agreed to work on when it was good and not so good to use sarcasm.

Paying Attention

As we wrap up this month of awareness, it really comes down to the first part of the definition: paying attention. Paying attention to what you’re doing, paying attention to what others are doing, paying attention to feelings, emotions, what you know, what you don’t know, where you want to go, what goals you want to set. That’s where your awareness really comes into play.

Thanks, and I’ll see you on the mat!

True Balance Karate was founded in 2012 by Master Sue and Paul Helsdon.

We offer kids karate lessons for pre-school children ages 3-6 and elementary age kids ages 7 and up. These lessons are designed to develop the critical building blocks kids need — specialized for their age group — for school excellence and later success in life.

Our adult martial arts training is a complete adult fitness and conditioning program for adults who want to lose weight, get (and stay) in shape, or learn self-defense in a supportive environment.

Instructors can answer questions or be contacted 24 hours of the day, 7 days a week at 630-663-2000. You can also contact us here. True Balance Karate is at 406 Ogden Ave Downers Grove Illinois, 60515 (next to CVS) Check out our Facebook!