How to practise self-witnessing

Self-witnessing is a powerful practice that allows us to delve deep into the intricacies of our inner world.

By consciously observing our thoughts, emotions, and actions, we gain valuable insight into our own psyche.

This introspective process aids us in uncovering the underlying motivations behind our behaviours, unravelling the complex web of perceptions that shape our reality.

Through self-witnessing, we cultivate a heightened sense of self-awareness, becoming attuned to the subtle patterns and dynamics that govern our thoughts and emotions.

We develop a unique ability to objectively observe ourselves without judgment, allowing for a clear and unbiased understanding of our internal landscape.

In addition to self-discovery, self-witnessing serves as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth.

By witnessing our thoughts and feelings as they arise, we can identify recurring patterns, limiting beliefs, and unhelpful thought processes.

Armed with this knowledge, we can actively work towards dismantling negative patterns and replacing them with healthier and more empowering ones.

Self-witnessing brings about a sense of inner harmony and balance.

It can be particularly helpful if you find yourself becoming anxious and overwhelmed during the day and don’t know why it’s happening.

When we take the time to observe ourselves, we create a space for self-care and self-compassion.

We learn to recognise our own needs and respond to them with kindness and understanding.

This self-soothing aspect of self-witnessing nurtures a sense of emotional well-being and helps in navigating life’s challenges with greater resilience.

Self-witnessing is a profound practice that enables us to cultivate a deep connection with ourselves.

It empowers us to navigate the complexities of our inner world with clarity and compassion, fostering personal growth, and enriching our relationship with ourselves and others.

If you’d like to become more aware of how your thoughts, feelings, and perceptions are influencing your current experience, take a moment and try active self-witnessing.

• PAUSE. Stop what you’re doing and take a long deep breath.
• TUNE IN. What’s happening in your body right now? What do you feel? Observe and catalogue, don’t judge.
• NOTICE. Pay attention to sensations; the breath in your body, your heartbeat, the feeling of fabric against your skin.
• LISTEN. What thoughts are going through your mind? Are they focused on the past, present or future? Observe, don’t judge.
• ACKNOWLEDGE. Allow yourself to sit with the thoughts cropping up. Don’t try to push them away, don’t try to hold on to them. Observe and witness.
• RELEASE. Once you’ve observed and witnessed a thought, holding space for it and validating its existence, let it go. Release each thought and return to the present moment. 

If you feel like self-witnessing in itself was a good start, but not enough, you can continue into journaling to further release stress, fear and anxiety.