Self-Awareness and Mindfulness aren’t Interchangeable

Neither is introspection, and the web between them is more intricate than I expected

Photo by Max on Unsplash

I always thought of myself as reasonably mindful and self-aware, two terms I’ve used interchangeably for most of my life. Then around the time I turned 30, I realized there’s a difference, and the relationship between them is actually more intricate than that.

Essentially, you can be self-aware without being mindful, but you can’t be mindful without being self-aware. Further, to be mindful means finding a balance between another set of opposite that makes up our world — self-awareness and action.

Reflection vs. Self Awareness

Reflection, or introspection, is associated with mindfulness and is often used interchangeably with both self-awareness and mindfulness. It makes sense considering if you don’t ask why you behave the way you do or what sort of person you are, you’ll just float from one situation to the next with little to no control of where you’re going or why and end up with a false perception of your identity.

Reflection and self-awareness are pretty similar, but there is a slight distinction. Self-reflection is about exercising introspection, but when you combine introspection with a…