Being self-aware is frequently considered a good thing in most cultures. Nevertheless, a balance must be struck. As too much of anything is rarely beneficial. Balance is the key in life.
Take hypervigilance, for instance. Thinking too much can cause problems such as anxiety, self-doubt, and insecurities that inhibit one’s daily functioning. Sometimes to the point of being unable to operate at all.
This begs the question, is it normal to be hyper-aware? No, it’s not normal. Let’s find out why.
Is it normal to be hyper aware?
Since hyperawareness is a disorder and mental health condition, it should not be considered a normal state of living.
Still, we shouldn’t stigmatize people, either. Quite a few people suffer from a hyperawareness disorder. As such, it isn’t a particularly uncommon disorder to suffer from. I, for one, have suffered from this illness.
Luckily enough, it can be treated and cured.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is being hyper-aware?
Being hyper-aware means being overly conscious about one’s body sensations, or surroundings. It can be considered a heightened state of alertness and awareness, and an increased sensitivity to some sensory stimuli.
That’s why it can easily lead to anxiety and in extreme cases even panic attacks, since our conscious mind is becoming overstimulated.
Is it possible to be too self-aware?
Yes, there is such a thing as being too self-aware.
While it is generally a good thing to be conscious and mindful of your thoughts and actions, being overly aware of them is typically not a good thing since it can lead to a variety of issues.
Think of issues such as stress and internal struggles, and conditions like anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Thinking too much can poison your mind into a downward spiral wherein anger, fear, self-doubt, and insecurity take over. Needless to say, that’s not a good thing, as it hinders your daily functioning.
Why am I so hyper-aware?
Genetics
One of the reasons why you are so self-aware is your genes.
Genetics is your preposition, your proclivity to develop the illness due to the way you are hardwired.
It’s the most uncontrollable aspect since it boils down to luck of the draw since it’s something you get from your ancestors. Particularly your parents.
Environment
Your environment is the people around you, the culture, the place you were raised, and possibly the religion of your culture. It means that the values and ethics of your close ones influence your behavior as well.
Perhaps you were raised from a young age and onwards to be more conscious about your behavior. Always telling you to think before acting, to carry yourself with class, and dignity, and to watch your body language in social situations.
While this isn’t necessarily bad, it can cause you to become overly aware of your behavior, and your surroundings by putting too much focus on your thoughts and actions.
Personal development/choices
Controlling your thoughts in turn affects the way we feel, and consequently, how we behave.
Likewise, we can learn to think ‘less’ or rather, to be more in control of our psyche by distracting ourselves and learning to concentrate more on the external world rather than our internal world.
This way, intrusive thoughts due to hypervigilance have a much smaller chance of becoming problematic and damaging to our emotional well-being.
Why do I sometimes become hyper-aware?
Becoming hyper-aware can be a symptom, the result of an underlying issue. Anxiety, for example, is considered one of the most common causes.
Let’s take a generalized anxiety disorder (GAS) to explain my point. The generalized anxiety disorder can cause a person to become hyperaware in new situations and circumstances they’re unacquainted with.
A person may be hypervigilant when meeting new people at work, or school, for instance.
Conclusion
It’s not normal to be hyper-aware, nor is it healthy. Yet, it isn’t an uncommon mental health disorder. It is indeed possible to be too self-aware in some cases.
Being conscious of your behavior is good, but not being in control of your thoughts is not. You should be in command of your mind, and not the other way around.
I would say that thinking too much is a sign of a toxic mind that’s overactive.
Call to action
Try to get out of your head by focusing more on the external world rather than on your internal reality.
Try to limit your free time to have less time to think.
Furthermore, try being physically active, and engage in activities that make your mind preoccupied with the task at hand rather than your mind wandering off allowing meddlesome thoughts to seep in.
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