As we navigate COVID-19 and what our new 'normal' will be, there are a few things that come top of mind. Part one of this two blog post series is about our 'new normal'. Our primary focus is: self-kindness and self-awareness are the roots of managing stressors with positivity.
How we act in response to where we are at with self-kindness and self-awareness can determine our results and outcomes with both professional and personal relationships.
We Are Out of Our Element: Self-Kindness is Key
For some of us, work has stopped completely, or maybe slowed to a 'work what you can' from home schedule, to working in a totally changed environment that can be downright scary to some.
Sidebar, thank you to all front line professionals: we see you, we love you, we are grateful for what you are doing for everyone.
In some situations, it is not top of mind that living in this industrial world has conditioned us to have, generally speaking 'high' expectations of outcomes and productivity regardless of our environment.
Self-kindness is key more so now than ever before. Self-kindness can take many forms but what I’m talking about is self-kindness first to ourselves. How can we give to our teams, our spouses or our children if we are spinning ourselves?
Now, we must let go of any predetermined notion of what we anticipated accomplishing in the next month, three months, six months and maybe even a year. I am not saying give up on our goals but immediate results and response is the adjustment needed. It’s tough and we are all living it, but just think about how much space and energy we free up for ourselves if we let go of previous expectations of outcomes and all that self-pressure.
These question may be of value in assessing whether realignment with self-kindness is needed:
How are my current self-expectations impacting me?
Do I have current beliefs of outcomes that are holding me back?
What am I doing, right now, to ensure I am kind to myself?
Figuring out how much is in our way or weighing us down is a powerful form of self-kindness and discovery. Minimally, ensuring that we are taken care of through self-care (exercise, sleep, nutritious food and anything else that is a positive change) can allow us to have space for those important things like pivoting, realigning and innovating.
Now is the Time to Elevate our Self-Awareness
Did you know that Emotional Quotient (EQ) is a leading indicator of whether you are a successful leader? Studies have shown that over 87% of leaders who engage with and look to positively impact their teams (servant leaders) have higher levels of EQ and most importantly self-awareness.
So what is self-awareness? In short, self-awareness is the ability to understand in the moment how situations trigger and impact you along with your external responses and how to align your actions with your values. Although many leaders (and individuals) believe they are self-aware only 10-15% studied have been deemed self-aware. Self-awareness is a small proponent but largely important in the grand scheme of emotional intelligence.
Unlike Intelligence Quotient (IQ), EQ can be strengthened, just like focusing on a core group of muscles for strength and endurance.
So how do you start? By doing an EQ assessment(s) for your baseline and looking for candid and honest feedback from individuals you trust. Then you can understand your blind spots and where you want to focus for growth. It is only upon repetition that we can shift our habits and actions.
These questions may be of value:
What would you want to discover more about your emotional quotient (EQ)?
If you were to discover your EQ how do you think it would impact your professional/personal life?
What areas of EQ do you want to learn more about to elevate your professional/personal growth?