Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

SECTION I: T MINUS THREE YEARS Recommended Tool Learn more about your EQ, how to develop it further, and why it matters by looking at the following resources: Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, book and related video: http://md.careers/youtube Why Emotional Intelligence Matters: http://md.careers/lifehacker The best way to start is by focusing inward, on yourself. The good news is that you know yourself a lot better thanyou thinkyoudo andyou absolutelyCAN increase your self-awareness with a little time and effort! You’ve already proven to yourself through your medical training that you are resilient, capable, and able to train your body and your mind for the task at hand. Now you have the opportunity to explore a different side of your self-mastery, by focusing on your thought patterns and behaviors. Thankfully, there are numerous resources available today that will guide you in developing this part of yourself, one step at a time. To get started, below is a list of questions for you to answer. Let’s dive in! 1. What’s your EQ? EQ refers to your emotional intelligence. It’s your ability to understand what you’re feeling and respond appropriately in various situations. Many Americans only identify with about four emotions: happy, sad, angry, and worried, but there are about 30 emotions that need to be part of our emotional vocabulary in order to properly understand and regulate our emotions . 2. Self-awareness assessment 1. What do you love to do?What don’t you like to do? 2. What makes you feel stressed? 3. What is your relationship with stress? Is it always a “bad thing” or can stress sometimes be good? 4. Howdo you experience and express stress?What are your typical patterns? 5. What makes you feel better when you’re down or stressed? a) Do you go for a walk, exercise, talk with family or friends, or are you not sure? 6. Brainstorm five ways that you can come to your own rescue when things get hard. 7. What can you offer yourself that would make you feel good every day? 8. What would bring creativity, fun, and energy into your daily life? There are numerous books that will help you continuediggingdeepandapplythis information into your life. Be sure to check out the Recommended Resources section at the end of this chapter for some top suggestions. CAREER AND LIFE PLANNING GUIDEBOOK FOR MEDICAL RESIDENTS 72