We are never just one part of identity. You are not just who you are as a parent, sibling, employee, but as a combination of these facets, as well as others. Taking a holistic look at the multiple facets of our identity can help us understand the role we play in each identity. It can also help us understand how those roles define you as a person. Understanding those roles can also help us to make changes to our identity so that we can achieve self-actualization and feeling secure and confident within ourselves.
The multiple facets of our identity: How do you identify?
Start with the question: how do you identify? Think about what comes to mind first. Is it an aspect of your life, like school or work? Do you immediately think of gender identity? What about your values and beliefs? Asking yourself this question can help you pinpoint the parts of your identity that are most prevalent to you and how you currently define yourself. In addition, think about the multiple facets of our identity listed below and decide where you might want to develop further.
School/Work
School or work can be a huge part of your identity because both require a large chunk of your time. Do you like your career, your school, your major, or your job? Asking these questions can help you figure out if they are in alignment with your efforts, and make positive changes. This will help us feel confident in our endeavors and help us find happiness in what matters to us most.
Relationships
Consider how you define yourself within your relationships. Are you a friend, parent, daughter/son, spouse, cousin or niece? Defining yourself within relationships can help you to recognize which relationships are most prevalent in your life. It will help you understand both support and distance within relationships. As a result, you can decide whether you’d like to make changes in your relationships and help you understand what changes to make.
Interests
What are you interested in? A great part of your identity lies in what interests you, what your hobbies are, and what you choose to spend your time on. Defining your interests can help you to connect with other like-minded people to form social connections. Because of this, understanding our interests helps us feel like we belong to a group and helps us to form bonds.
Values
What do you value most in life? Reflect on what is most important to you and do an assessment of your values. Understanding what you value can give you valuable information about yourself by making sure that you regularly engage in activities that are reflective of your values. If you value success or achievement, perhaps you are work-focused. If you value family and friends, perhaps you put a lot of effort into your relationships. Living in accordance to our values can help us live more authentically.
Beliefs
Ask yourself, what do I believe in? Your beliefs say a lot about who you are. For example, they influence important decisions about who you are as a person and what kind of characteristics you have. They help you understand yourself and the world around you. You understand how you can best make sense of your environment and how to act within it. By understanding your beliefs, you understand what you believe to be true and right, which can offer a sense of purpose and help you to connect with others.
About Therapist Samantha Nolan, MA, LPC, ATR-P- Barnum Counseling