“Emotional intelligence is mastering emotions for meaningful connections”
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is super important for care workers. It’s all about understanding and managing emotions, both your own and the feelings of the people you’re caring for. When care workers are skilled in emotional intelligence, they can create really strong relationships with the people they’re looking after. This helps them stay calm and deal with difficult situations without getting overwhelmed.
With emotional intelligence, caregivers can provide even better support, because they really get how others are feeling. So, it’s like having a secret weapon in caring for others with empathy and sensitivity.
10 Considerations for Emotional Intelligence:
1. Empathy
Understanding and sharing the feelings of those in your care.
2. Active Listening
Giving full attention to what residents or patients are saying and showing understanding through verbal and nonverbal cues.
3. Patience
Remaining calm and composed, especially during challenging situations or when dealing with difficult behaviours.
4. Flexibility
Being adaptable and open-minded when addressing the changing needs and preferences of residents or patients.
5. Compassion
Showing kindness, concern, and genuine care towards the well-being of those in your care.
6. Conflict Resolution
Effectively managing conflicts or disagreements between residents
7. Emotional Regulation
Maintaining control over one’s own emotions, even in stressful or emotional situations.
8. Respect
Treating those in care with dignity, understanding their individuality, and honouring their choices and preferences.
9. Communication
Using clear, respectful, and empathetic communication to convey information, comfort, and support to residents or patients.
10. Teamwork
Collaborating with colleagues and other healthcare professionals to ensure person-centric care.
“The emotionally intelligent person is identifying emotions, using emotions, understanding emotions, and regulating emotions.”
Understanding Emotional Intelligence & Literacy:
Understanding Emotional Intelligence & Literacy:
Emotional Intelligence is essentially recognising, naming, understanding and regulating our feelings and emotions. The importance of social & emotional learning cannot be underestimated, as it affects everything from learning, decision-making, and creativity to relationships, health, and performance. Research shows people identify in themselves and others with mostly three emotions; Bad, Sad, and Glad. However, the list of emotions can more accurately be listed as follows;
Anger, Anxious, Belonging, Blame, Curious, Disappointed, Disgust, Embarrassment, Empathy, Excited, Fear,Scared, Frustrated, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Happy, Humiliation, Hurt, Jealous, Joy, Judgment, Lonely, Love, Overwhelmed, Regret, Sad, Shame, Surprised, Vulnerability, Worried
Experts say that Emotional Literacy is vital for having and using a sophisticated vocabulary to describe the full range of emotions. Identifying and understanding the difference in emotions and their effect is also essential.
The RULER Method by Marc Brackett
The Ruler Method is a high-impact and fast-effect approach to understanding and mastering emotions. The first step is all about giving yourself the “permission to feel” and “it’s all about taking that breath, pausing and applying the RULER principles.” A summary of applying the RULER method is as follows;
R
Recognition of emotions in oneself and others
U
Understanding the causes and consequences of emotions
L
Labelling emotions accurately
E
Expressing emotions appropriately
R
Regulating emotions effectively
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