The beginning of the year is an opportune time for us to reflect on the past year and set intentions for personal growth for the year ahead. However, meaningful change requires more than just resolutions—it calls for self-awareness, openness, and a willingness to explore both the known and unknown aspects of ourselves. But let’s face it - change can be difficult especially when we don’t know what to change and how to change it.

Understanding ourselves is the first step towards personal growth. It is also a stepping stone to improving our relationships with others.

To transition from who I am to who I want to be, we need to develop self-awareness. One of the biggest challenges we face is holding up the mirror and truly recognising our own thoughts, feelings and behaviours that might be holding us back from reaching our full potential.

The fear of confronting ourselves stems from the belief that we must challenge our self-image, creating a sense of vulnerability and forcing us to face uncomfortable truths about who we are. There are numerous reasons why we resist change:

●        Fear of Change – Acknowledging our weaknesses may require us to change, and change is often uncomfortable and uncertain.

●        Ego Protection – We build a self-concept over time, and confronting weaknesses can feel like an attack on our identity.

●        Fear of Failure – Accepting our weaknesses might bring up fears that we are not "good enough" or that we might fail if we try to improve.

●        Emotional Discomfort – Looking inward may reveal past wounds, regrets, or unresolved emotions that we’ve buried.

●        Social Conditioning – Many societies emphasise perfection and strength, making it hard to admit weaknesses without feeling judged.

●        Survival Instincts – Our brain is wired to avoid pain and discomfort, and self-confrontation can be emotionally painful.

To become better versions of ourselves and improve our interpersonal relationships, we need to continuously re-evaluate our behaviours, thoughts, and actions. There are many tools available to help us to dive deeply into ourselves. One such powerful tool is The Johari Window.

Originally developed as a psychological framework to enhance self-awareness and interpersonal relationships, the Johari Window offers profound insights into how we see ourselves and how others perceive us. But beyond its traditional use, this model can be enriched through holistic wellness practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and self-reflection.

Holistic wellness practices encourage a mind-body-soul approach to self-discovery, allowing us to move beyond an intellectual understanding into a more conscious awareness of ourselves. By integrating practices like mindfulness for awareness, meditation for introspection and journaling for reflection, we can unlock deeper layers of the Johari Window—leading to greater authenticity, emotional clarity, and personal transformation.

In this article, we will explore how holistic wellness practices can help us expand each quadrant of the Johari Window, guiding us towards self-awareness, personal growth, and more meaningful connections with others.

The Johari Window: A Pane-fully Honest Look at Self-Discovery

The Johari Window was created by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in the 1950’s to improve self-awareness. Through their research, they observed a disparity between how individuals perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others. This gap stemmed from lack of self-awareness and an inability to accurately assess how others see us.

The Johari Window is split into four quadrants or “panes”:

●        The Open Area – Traits, behaviours and knowledge known by both you and others. This includes openly shared skills, behaviours, and personality traits.

●        The Blind Area – Aspects of yourself that others see but remain unknown to you, such as habits, mannerisms, strengths, or weaknesses.

●        The Hidden Area – Aspects that you are aware of but choose to keep private, such as insecurities, personal experiences or inner thoughts.

●        The Unknown Area – Traits, abilities or behaviours that are unknown to both you and others, representing untapped potential and undiscovered strengths.

The model also includes a list of 55 adjectives that individuals can use to describe themselves and compare with how others perceive them.

The Johari Window is a widely applied tool that serves as a gateway to deeper self-awareness, improved communication, and stronger relationships. So, whether you are an individual seeking personal growth, a leader striving to foster openness within a team, a student navigating self-discovery, or a family member, partner, or a friend aiming to strengthen connections, this model provides valuable insights into how we see ourselves and how others perceive us.

Regardless of your role in life, the window offers a structured yet agile approach to self-improvement guiding you towards a more open, aware, and connected way of living.

What does your Window look like?

Creating your window requires self-reflection, feedback from others, and most importantly, trust. Here’s how to begin:

1. Understand the Johari Window

·        Familiarise yourself with the four quadrants and their meanings.

2. Select your adjectives

·        Choose 5 – 6 adjectives from the Johari Window list that best describes you.

3. Solicit feedback from others

·        Ask your friends, family, colleagues, leaders, or customers to select adjectives they feel describe you.

·        Compare their list with yours.

4. Map your Johari Window

·        Open Area – Shared traits (adjectives that appear on both lists).

·        Blind Area – Traits others see in you, but you don’t recognize.

·        Hidden Area – Traits you know about yourself, but others don’t.

·        Unknown Area – Traits you have yet to explore.

5. Reflect on the outcomes

·        Use the insight from step 4 as a starting point for personal growth and development.

Expanding Self-Awareness: A Holistic Approach to Johari’s Window

Reflection is the most crucial step in any process of self-transformation including discovering your Johari Window. While the window is an effective tool to explore our known and unknown selves, integrating holistic wellness practices can take this journey even deeper, allowing you to develop emotional balance, mental clarity, and a deeper connection with others. Here’s how:

Mindfulness: Cultivating Presence

Mindfulness helps us develop present moment awareness and regulate emotions.

Open Area (Known to self & others):

• Mindfulness improves emotional regulation, leading to clearer communication and stronger relationships.

Blind Area (Unknown to self, known to others):

• Mindfulness encourages non-judgmental self-inquiry, helping us acknowledge blind spots.

Hidden Area (Known to self, unknown to others):

• Mindfulness can help us process emotions we suppress, allowing us to share more authentically with others.

Unknown Area (Unknown to self & others):

• Mindfulness unlocks creativity and intuition, revealing untapped potential.

Meditation: Connecting with your Higher Self

Meditation can help you to connect with your higher self, creating inner stillness and a balanced mind and heart to help you uncover your true potential.

Open Area (Known to self & others):

• Meditation deepens self-awareness and authenticity, making it easier to express our true selves.

Blind Area (Unknown to self, known to others):

• A regular meditation practice can help us become more receptive to feedback without reacting defensively.

Hidden Area (Known to self, unknown to others):

• Meditation fosters emotional healing and self-acceptance, making it easier to open up and be vulnerable.

Unknown Area (Unknown to self & others):

• Deep meditation can reveal hidden strengths, past-life influences, or intuitive insights.

Journaling & Reflective Writing: Gaining Insight Through Self-Expression

Journaling helps process thoughts, emotions, and patterns, bringing unconscious aspects of ourselves into awareness.

• Open Area:
• Writing about experiences increases clarity and confidence in self-expression.
• Gratitude journaling reinforces strengths and positive qualities, making them more evident to others.
• Blind Area:
• Reflecting on feedback through journaling helps identify recurring themes or blind spots.
• Freewriting or stream-of-consciousness journaling can reveal subconscious patterns we might overlook.
• Hidden Area:
• Journaling about fears, insecurities, and past wounds allows for emotional release and healing.
• Writing letters to yourself or unsent letters to others can help process unspoken thoughts and emotions.
• Unknown Area:
• Dream journaling can reveal hidden desires, symbols, and intuitive messages from the subconscious.
• Creative writing exercises (e.g., poetry, storytelling) can help explore new facets of identity.

A Clearer Window, A Brighter Future

The Johari Window is more than just a psychological tool—it is a powerful framework for deepening self-awareness, improving relationships, and fostering personal growth. By integrating holistic wellness practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and self-reflection, you can gradually expand your Open Area and reduce your Blind, Hidden, and Unknown areas.

True self-discovery is not about perfection but about progress. The more you embrace vulnerability, seek feedback, and cultivate self-awareness, the clearer your window becomes and with clarity comes the ability to live with greater authenticity, connection, and purpose. So, as you embark on your journey of self-exploration, ask yourself: What might be waiting to be discovered behind your window?

Johari Window Adjectives