Awareness Question!

Self awareness is a huge factor in LD, I know that for a fact.

Getting back into LD isn't too hard, considering I am determined this time, but my questions for getting some self awareness back are;

Do I need to practice self awareness throughout the whole day?

I often try to establish a super strong self awareness for 5-10 minutes at random points through the day (as they become hard to maintain) and I focus on every little detail during this session. I often try to hear more than 3 background noises no matter how feint, feel more than 3 different things on each part of my body and smell several aromas all at the same time. Am I overdoing it? Trying to hone and use every sense at the same time in multiple areas are hard to maintain for longer than 10 minutes.

Does this help at all or am I not using a correct technique?

Please help with any other self awareness method!

What you are doing is going to help, but work towards longer periods of time even if you are not quite as aware. Awareness must become a way of life. It takes time to develop, perhaps a year or more. Just keep it up.

If you really want this technique to improve lucid dreaming, then you should pair it with dream signs. Awareness alone is good, but you'll be better served to create associations with stimuli that actually occur in dreams.