Former U of M Football Player Khaleke Hudson on Gun Violence

Today I lead with this quote from One of my former students, Khaleke Hudson, University of Michigan and Washington football team linebacker. It captures my feeling about the tragedy at Oxford Michigan High School this past week. I join Khaleke in calling for the ban of automatic weapons. Too many have needlessy died.

‘No more silence, end gun violence.’

“This is more than a quote or a fancy design. I wear these cleats in honor of the ones who’ve lost their lives to gun violence. To bring awareness to an issue that has impacted my life, and that has shaped me into the man and athlete I am today. I wear these cleats for a cause that’s bigger than me and to spread a message that needs to be shared everywhere. Unfortunately, the names on these cleats are not even all of the people I lost. As hurtful as it is, their absence pushes me to continue grinding and being the best I can be. I play football not only to play the game I Iove, but for a mission greater than me and for the people who lost their lives too soon. It’s time to put the guns down and make a change. Nothing changes if nothing changes.” – Khaleke Hudson

Emotional Intelligence For Healthcare Professionals

This week I have the honor of presenting at Grand Rounds for the Department of Neurology at the University of Michigan Health Center. In the Grand Rounds, I plan to describe the four key competencies that comprise what we call emotional intelligence. I will discuss how competency in emotional intelligence is key to the well-being of healthcare professionals and their patients.

Furthermore, developing emotional intelligence supports healthcare professionals in maintaining their mental health, reducing burnout, and cultivating a compassionate approach to patient care. For those interested in venturing into private practice, such as in the context of a counseling private practice business plan, the competencies of emotional intelligence become even more critical. The course on starting a private practice offers insights into how emotional intelligence can directly influence the success of a business.

By combining the practical aspects of business development with the ability to foster meaningful connections, healthcare providers can create a practice that thrives both financially and emotionally, benefiting both professionals and patients alike.

With the Covid crisis entering its third year, the stress on healthcare professionals is taking an increasingly severe toll. Hospitals are filled to the breaking point with patients suffering from Covid. Many are short staffed.

Here are some reasons why mastery of the four components of emotional intelligence is so critical for healthcare professionals.

1. The first competency is self-awareness. If healthcare professionals are not self-aware, they cannot know when they have reached their limits as care providers. If they do not recognize their own feelings, understand their motivations, and read their body signals, they will struggle to stay mentally and physically healthy.

2. The second competency is managing self. If healthcare professionals cannot manage themselves well, they can be prone to behaviors that are destructive to themselves and others. All of us have blind spots, and most of the time we are able to recognize these and keep them under control. However, at times of stress, we often succumb to letting the blind spots get the best of ourselves. Some examples of what can happen when we do not manage ourselves well include: burn out, temper, anxiety, sleep deprivation, food disorders including over eating and under eating, and reliance on addictive substances and processes, such as drugs and alcohol, sex addiction, and gambling.

3. The third competency is understanding others. If healthcare professionals do not understand their patients and their colleagues, they will have trouble understanding the personality styles and communication patterns of others. They may miss or misinterpret the pain, suffering, and fear that others in their world experience.

4. The fourth competency is managing relationships. Healthcare professionals struggling with managing relationships will have a much more difficult time. They will not be able to rely on their colleagues for support. They may not be able to communicate well with patients and others on their team. They may become isolated which can lead to stress and stress-related disorders.

Unlike intellectual intelligence, we can learn to improve our emotional intelligence.
Here are 10 steps to improving emotional intelligence:

1. Practice some form of self-reflection

   • Meditation or prayer.

   • Writing about your feelings.

   • Talk to others about your feelings and listen, really listen, to their feedback.

2. Set goals – know what you want and where you want to go.

3. Be aware of emotional flooding: the moment your emotions trump your ability to think.

4. Be aware of faulty thinking. Bad ideas can lead to bad action.

   • I must be right all the time.

   • I must never admit vulnerability.

   • I must be loved and approved of by everybody, all the time.

5. Avoid counterattacking

6. Practice delaying gratification

7. Practice active listening

   • Not debating, not defending

   • No counter-attacking

8. Seek first to understand then to be understood.

9. Know it’s not always about you.

10. Realize we are all on two key spectrums.

    • Introvert-extrovert

    • Rigid-flexible