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Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence Courses Learner’s Guide

Foundational Skills of Emotional Intelligence

Courses

(Six Weeks per Course)

The Foundational Skills of Emotional Intelligence (EI) and Relational Skills of EI courses are both six-week, asynchronous, online learning experiences. There are seven live, synchronous, group check-ins—four during the Foundational Skills course, and three during the Relational Skills course. You will be grouped into cohorts facilitated by trained EI coaches. Discussions and conversations between members of a cohort are entirely online, through chat and messaging features in the Dream See Do eLearning platform.

Modules

(One Week per Module)

Each course consists of six Modules (plus an introductory Module demonstrating the features of the platform), released weekly. They each represent a key aspect of EI. They are intended to be completed over five days, with one lesson outlined per day.

Live Events

(90 Minutes per Live Event)

Facilitators will also host seven 90-minute synchronous live group check-ins (four during the Foundational Skills course, and three during the Relational Skills course. The purpose of these sessions is to strengthen the relationships between cohort members, deepen understanding of the material, and invite feedback to help us continue to improve the Learner experience. 

It is highly recommended you attend these sessions live, but we will provide recordings as well. Learners will see the dates for their Live Events in the introductory module on Dream See Do.

Lessons

(~15-30 Minutes per Lesson)

Each module contains 5-6 lessons. You should expect that each lesson will take approximately 15-30 minutes in total, though some lessons will ask you to complete steps at various points over the course of a day. These are not live events.

Steps

(~5 minutes per Step)

A single lesson consists of multiple steps (generally 3-5). These steps will contain some combination of readings, videos, audio files, or short journaling prompts. They should only take a few minutes per step.

Relational Skills of Emotional Intelligence

The structure of Relational Skills of Emotional Intelligence will largely mirror that of the Foundational Skills of Emotional Intelligence: 6 modules, 3 Live Events, 5-6 lessons per module, and 3-5 steps per lesson.

Learners will see the dates for their Live Events in the introductory module on Dream See Do.

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The ROI of Emotional Intelligence

The ROI of Emotional Intelligence

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence has become a must have skill and critical basis for strong leadership.

Daniel Goleman, who popularized EI, describes emotional intelligence (EI) as a different way of being smart and cites it as a critical factor underpinning high performance and exceptional leadership. 

“It’s not your IQ; it’s how you manage yourself and your relationships.” – Daniel Goleman

Being an emotionally intelligent leader can pay dividends when it comes to inspiring teams, managing stress, staying focused, delivering feedback, empathizing with colleagues, and working together toward a shared goal.

And the benefits don’t stop there.

If you’ve ever wondered about the impact emotional intelligence can have on personal and professional development, consider these findings:

  • Studies show 90% of top performers have high emotional intelligence and a higher average annual income
  • Empathic leaders perform more than 40% higher in employee engagement, coaching, and decision-making
  • More than 95% of surveyed founders stated EQ (emotional intelligence) in leadership is more important than IQ
  • People with high levels of emotional intelligence earn an average of $29,000 more a year

Developing EI happens one person at a time — it starts with you and me — but our growth can be felt by the people in our life. Friends, family, and colleagues are all impacted when we practice emotional intelligence.

As a predictor of life success, EI has become one of the most highly valued and sought after skill sets, with no slowdown in sight. By 2024, global demand for EI skills is actually expected to increase by 6x.

The good news is the economic value and business case for EI has been well made.

Even better news? Emotional intelligence is both teachable and learnable.

If you’re ready to jumpstart your emotional intelligence journey, you can learn the 12 emotional intelligence (EI) competencies from Daniel Goleman’s EI model through a series of facilitated, six-week online courses: Foundational Skills and Relational Skills.

The EI skills included in the Foundational Skills Course: Emotional Self-Awareness, Focus, Emotional Self-Control, Positive Outlook, Adaptability, and Empathy.

The EI skills included in the Relational Skills Course: Conflict Management, Teamwork, Inspirational Leadership, Coach and Mentor, Influence, and Organizational Awareness.

These 12 competencies are crucial for developing your best self, becoming an outstanding leader, and building high-performance teams.

As part of an engaged cohort and led by a trained facilitator, you can join a community of peers and experts while learning the science behind each core competency, why they matter, and how to apply them to positively differentiate yourself, build deeper relationships, and pave a path toward fundamental transformation.

Grow your EI and earn a certified digital achievement badge while:

  • Developing one of the most in-demand and highly valued job skills
  • Mastering the underlying abilities that make stellar leaders
  • Achieving greater self-awareness, self-worth, and values alignment
  • Building positive relationships and meaningful connections

Invest in emotional intelligence today. Your future self will thank you.

Learn more about upcoming courses at courses.keystepmedia.com.

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5 Renewal Strategies to Combat Burnout Amid the Great Resignation

Cover image for an article offering tips to prevent burnout.

A recent workforce trend has consistently dominated headlines: “The Great Resignation” (also dubbed “The Big Quit”).

According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report, 4.3 million American workers quit their jobs last December, continuing a trend of record high employee turnover since the second half of 2021.



A woman at her desk bombarded by computer and phone notifications.

Quitting only tells half the story.

Some of the varied drivers contributing to the mass worker exodus include COVID health concerns, childcare challenges, reluctance to return to pre-pandemic work environments, higher pay, more flexibility, entrepreneurial pursuits, and, unsurprisingly — burnout.

Indeed’s recent Employee Burnout report found burnout was on the rise, with 52% of respondents saying they experienced it in 2021, up from 43% the year before. 

If you’re feeling burned out, you’re not alone.


Understanding Burnout and its Impact

What is burnout?

The World Health Organization defines employee burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

Burnout can be characterized by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance or feelings of negativism related to one’s job, and reduced productivity.


Indeed’s Employee Burnout survey also found workers struggling to achieve a healthy work-life balance, exacerbated by having to work longer hours.

Even more startling, 61% of remote workers and 53% of on-site workers reported finding it more difficult to “unplug” from work during off-hours.   

  • Flexjobs’ Mental Health in the Workplace survey had similar findings. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they experienced burnout at work, and 40% said they experienced burnout specifically during the pandemic. 
  • Visier’s Pulse on Employee Burnout survey puts the number at 89%. Visier’s results also found the biggest contributing factor to burnout was an increased workload, followed by a toxic work culture, and being asked to complete work faster.

Whether onsite or remote, Millennial or Baby boomer, private or public sector – workers of all industries, races, ages etc. are grappling with varying degrees of exhaustion, stress, emotional trauma, and mental health challenges.

While operating in sustained crisis mode throughout the pandemic.


The “Great Resignation” is only one possible side effect. According to a Gallup study, chronically burned out employees are:

  • 23% more likely to visit the emergency room
  • 2.6 times more likely to leave their current employer
  • 63% more likely to take a sick day

To take an even wider lens on this, an in-depth survey from Mental Health America estimated workplace stress costs the U.S. economy more than $500 billion dollars in lost productivity annually.


How to Combat Burnout by Balancing Stress and Renewal

Hopefully your employer is taking steps to address burnout and support employee health and well-being. 

Whether that’s true or not for your workplace, there are ways to better understand and manage stress that are within your reach.

It’s important to understand stress and renewal are two sides of the same coin. 

Stress over-activates our sympathetic nervous system, the responses that help us survive, adapt, and perform.

Renewal activates our parasympathetic nervous system, prompting our body to release stress-reducing, feel-good hormones that help us feel more energized, innovative, hopeful, loving, and open-minded.

Just as stressors are unique to each of us, so too are what renews and replenishes us. 

The following is a guide to some renewal strategies to consider. 

What will make them impactful is applying emotional self-awareness to make them specific to your needs and what will ultimately support and fulfill you best.


1: Find Value and Purpose in Your Work

We all  want to feel like the work we do is meaningful and that it contributes to a shared goal or greater good. 

Daniel Goleman, acclaimed psychologist, journalist, and NYT best-selling author of Emotional Intelligence, says we’re wired to seek a sense of purpose. And there’s no time like the present. 

Two out of three American workers say the pandemic has prompted them to contemplate their true purpose, so much so that some alternatives to “The Great Resignation” include “The Great Reflection” or “The Great Reprioritization.”

No matter what you call it, take the time to reflect on how your work makes an impact, how it affects others, and how your individual contribution connects to something bigger. 

Understand your “why” (what drives you), what goals/metrics are meaningful to you, and how you can anchor your work, progress, and impact toward it.


2: Establish Boundaries and Structure

Create a structure and systems to help you disconnect and unplug after (home) office hours. 

A physical boundary, such as a designated work space you can leave after your work is done for the day, is a great start.

Consider structuring your day with a realistic start and end time for focused work, punctuated by small breaks in the day for lunch, recharging, getting up and walking around, and generally taking a few minutes to yourself.

When your work day is over, shut off your laptop and turn off notifications. Give yourself time to transition from being in active “work mode.”

Once you’ve made the transition, do activities you enjoy and spend quality time with people you care about.

Resist the temptation to return to work or feel like you have to constantly “be on.”


3: Make Time for What Fills Your Cup

It may be obvious, but be mindful and intentional with identifying what matters most

What parts of your life do you want to nurture? How do you want to invest in yourself and your relationships? What would make you feel happy, renewed, and motivated?

For some, that may mean pursuing a passion project or learning a new skill. For others, it may mean doing yoga or running outdoors. Perhaps it’s spending distraction-free engaged time with your kids. 

Once you’ve identified what helps you feel renewed, protect your time and energy to prioritize them. Don’t be afraid to say no to distractions and low value demands on your time.

Stress is a fact of life and work. Balancing it with renewal is key.


4: Prioritize Self-Care

In our hustle-obsessed, constantly on-the-go, and competing priorities culture, it can be easy to put yourself last. 

Remember, self-care isn’t selfish. It’s prudent.

You can’t take care of anyone or anything (including work) if you’re not healthy or feeling your best. 

And it doesn’t have to require a big effort. Taking small and consistent steps can make a big difference for reducing stress.

Make sure you’re getting adequate sleep every night. Hydrate and eat throughout the day. Schedule downtime to relax by reading a book or taking a bath. Watch an episode of your favorite show. Listen to a podcast. Go for a walk. Meditate.

Or give yourself a break and do absolutely nothing.

Whatever feels right for you is right for you.


5: Cultivate a Growth Mindset

What’s the link between mindset and mental health? A Harvard University study found that among teen students, a fixed mindset was associated with more mental health challenges. 

When compared to peers with a growth mindset — looking at everything as an opportunity for learning — those with a fixed mindset were nearly 60% more likely to show more severe symptoms of depression, anxiety, or aggression. 

When you allow yourself to be a lifelong learner, you enable resilience, evolution, and empowerment. 

Focus on continued learning and progress, not perfection. Embrace failure and constructive feedback as opportunities for growth. Look beyond current setbacks and focus on a clear vision and creating a path forward. 


Product image for The Personal Sustainability Index

There is no linear path or exact formula for overcoming burnout. The more you recognize the sources of stress and renewal in your life, the better you can manage and balance them.

If you think of burnout as having an empty tank, prioritizing time and focus on meaningful renewal activities can help to refuel and fill up your tank.

Introducing a self-guided tool that will help you take stock of the sources of stress in your life and identify ways to foster balance and restoration.

Backed by decades of research on stress and renewal, Richard Boyatzis and Daniel Goleman’s Personal Sustainability Index (PSI) is now available to everyone.

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What is Emotional Intelligence?

What is emotional intelligence (EI)? This is one of the most frequently asked questions that Daniel Goleman (Dan), psychologist and author of the New York Times bestseller “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,” gets from his audience. 

If you’re new to the work of EI or if you’re in need of a refresher, this article will define emotional intelligence and break down the four domains and twelve competencies that make up Dan’s framework. We’ll also provide guidance for how you can assess your own emotional intelligence and outline some resources you can use to continue your EI learning journey.

What does Emotional Intelligence (EI) mean?

Emotional Intelligence refers to a different way of being smart. EI is a key to high performance, particularly for outstanding leadership. It’s not your IQ, but rather it’s how you manage yourself and your relationships with others.

—Daniel Goleman, Crucial Competence: Building Emotional and Social Leadership

The 4 Domains and 12 Competencies of Emotional Intelligence


There are four domains and 12 competencies in Daniel Goleman’s model of EI

The four domains are as follows:

  • Self Awareness
  • Self Management
  • Social Awareness
  • Relationship Management

Under the four domains mentioned above, there are 12 competencies, which are as follows:

  1. Emotional Self-Awareness
  2. Emotional Self-Control
  3. Adaptability
  4. Achievement Orientation
  5. Positive Outlook
  6. Empathy
  7. Organizational Awareness
  8. Influence
  9. Coach and Mentor
  10. Conflict Management
  11. Teamwork
  12. Inspirational Leadership

What is a Competence?

A competence is a skill needed to perform a role, or task. There are two types of competency: Threshold Competencies and Distinguishing Competencies. Threshold Competencies are the minimum one needs to handle the cognitive complexity of a given task. Distinguishing Competencies are those traits found the the highest performers that set them above the average. Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis analyzed the internal competency models of dozens of organizations to identify Distinguishing Competencies common to all, and built their model of Emotional Intelligence from that data.

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The 12 Emotional Intelligence Competencies Defined

What is Emotional Self-Awareness? 

Emotional Self Awareness lies at the heart of emotional intelligence. Emotional self awareness is the ability to understand our own emotions and their effects on our performance. You realize how your feelings affect you and how well you’re doing. Your values and sense of purpose help set your course of action. 

What is Emotional Self-Control?
Emotional Self-Control (also known as emotional balance) is the ability to keep your disruptive emotions and impulses in check to maintain your effectiveness under stressful or even hostile conditions. With emotional balance, you recognize disruptive emotions—emotions that get in the way like high anxiety, intense fear or quick anger—and you find ways to manage your emotions and impulses. You stay calm and clear headed under stress, even during a crisis.

What is Positive Outlook? 

Positive Outlook is the ability to see the positive in people in situations and events. It means persistence in pursuing goals despite setbacks and obstacles, you can see the opportunity in situations where others would see a setback that could be devastating, at least for them. 

What is Achievement? 

The Achievement competence means that we strive to meet or exceed a standard of excellence. We look for ways to do things better. We set challenging goals, we take calculated risks. There’s a big paradox about achievement orientation, and that is when you have positive goals, it’s very helpful. But if you stay in this overdrive all the time and try to drive other people in the same pace, you can become a toxic leader. Even though achievement drive helps you get your career goals, it may make you unhappy in your life.

What is Adaptability? 

The Adaptability competence is flexibility and handling change and juggling multiple demands, adapting to new situations with new ideas or innovative approaches. It means you can stay focused on your goals, but easily adjust how you get there. You can meet new challenges and you’re nimble and adjusting to sudden change. You’re comfortable with the uncertainty that leadership can bring.

What is Empathy? 

The Empathy competence means you have the ability to sense others feelings and how they see things. You take an active interest in their concerns. You pick up cues to what’s being felt in thought. with empathy, you sense unspoken emotions. You listen attentively, to understand the other person’s point of view, the terms in which they’re thinking about what’s going on. empathic leaders are able to get along well with people of very different backgrounds and cultures, and to express their ideas in ways the other person will understand. Empathy doesn’t mean psyching out the other person so you can manipulate them, but rather, it’s knowing how best to collaborate with them.

What is Organizational Awareness? 

Organizational awareness means the ability to read a group’s emotional currents and power relationships, identify influencers, networks, and the dynamics that matter in making decisions. A leader who can recognize networking opportunities and read key power relationships will do a better job at leading. Such leaders not only understand the forces at work in an organization, but also the guiding values and unspoken rules that operate among people.

What is Influence? 

Influence as a competence refers to the ability to have a positive impact on others, to persuade or convince them to gain their support. If you’re strong in the influence competence, you’re persuasive and engaging and you can build buy-in from key people. Remember, leadership is the art of getting work done well through other people. And influence is the most powerful way to do that. 

What is the Coach and Mentor Competency? 

The Coach and Mentor competency is the ability to foster the long term learning or development of others. By giving feedback and support. You have a genuine interest in helping them develop further strengths. You give timely, constructive feedback, you understand the person’s goals, and you try to find challenges for them. 

What is Inspirational Leadership? 

The Inspirational Leadership competence is the ability to guide people to get the job done to bring up their best. With inspiration, you can articulate a shared mission in a way that motivates and offers a sense of common purpose. Beyond people’s day to day tasks. 

What is Teamwork? 

The teamwork competence is the ability to work with others toward a shared goal, participating actively sharing responsibility and rewards and contributing to the capability of the team. you empathize and create an atmosphere of respect, helpfulness and cooperation, you can draw others into active commitment to the team’s effort. Leaders skilled at the teamwork competence build spirit, positive relationships, and pride of identity at being on the team. And it’s not just teams. This competence holds the key to collaboration of any kind. 

What is Conflict Management? 

The conflict management competency means the ability to help others through emotional or tense situations, to tactfully bring disagreements into the open and to define solutions that everyone can endorse. leaders who take time to understand the different perspectives work toward finding a common ground on which everyone can agree. They acknowledge the views of all sides, while redirecting energy toward a shared ideal, or an agreeable resolution. Clearly being able to manage conflict matters for leaders. But that doesn’t mean convincing other people that yours is the correct opinion. There’s a difference between winning and effectively managing conflict.

How to Measure Your Emotional Intelligence (EI) Competencies

Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis developed an instrument in partnership with Korn Ferry to help people who want to develop their strengths in emotional intelligence. The assessment tool is called the Emotional and Social Competence Inventory (ESCI). The ESCI is a 360 degree measure meaning that you first evaluate yourself, and then you ask up to 10 people who know you well, and whose opinions you value and trust, to rate you anonymously. The information collected is then fed back to you as an aggregate with a profile of your strengths and weaknesses. 

The value of the ESCI is that you can understand how others see you in relation to each of the emotional intelligence competencies. The tool also helps you identify which competencies you are skilled at and which you may need to strengthen in partnership with an EI-certified coach or develop on your own.

Emotional Intelligence Resources

If you are just beginning to explore emotional intelligence, our hope is that this article served as a valuable starting point. If you’re interested in delving deeper into emotional intelligence, below is a list of resources which may further your understanding of the brain science behind the work.

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The First Season of First Person Plural (FPP) is Here!

Welcome to First Person Plural!
Episode 0: Who We Are, and Where We’re Going

For years, Daniel Goleman’s work has been applied in personal development and business contexts to help people become better leaders. But what does emotional intelligence look like when we go beyond the first person application? 

The day we’ve been waiting for is finally here! Today marks the launch of the First Person Plural: EI & Beyond (FPP) podcast. 

Over the course of the first season, we hope to inspire FPP listeners to apply emotional intelligence to their lives, their relationships and the systems they are a part of — including their families, communities, workplaces, and society at large. 

This podcast will take you on a journey, shifting from the individual “I” into the plural “us.” In a world that has become increasingly more isolated, independent and Individualistic, we will explore how our emotions and actions cast ripple effects throughout the world.

Emotional intelligence will always begin with us — by looking within and honing our strengths in self-awareness and self-management. But this podcast will take you on a journey, shifting from the individual “I” into the plural “us.” In a world that has become increasingly more isolated, independent and Individualistic, we will explore how our emotions and actions cast ripple effects throughout the world. Using the theory of emotional intelligence, we will learn to ask deeper questions about change and collective good.

For more detail about what we can expect from the FPP podcast, we invite you to listen to the first introductory conversation ( “Episode 0”) between Dan and Hanuman Goleman.

Then, Be sure to keep an eye out for a bonus episode coming next week entitled, Emotional Intelligence 101: The Basics of EI. This episode will offer a brief overview of the theory of Emotional Intelligence for those new to the work or for anyone who could use a refresher.

Our first official three act episode, which explores wellbeing and purpose, will be released on February 9th. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest. 

None of this would be possible without the generous support from our Kickstarter supporters who helped us raise an incredible $12,000 to support the production of our first season! Thank you for believing in us and the power of emotional intelligence. Your enthusiasm and generosity has been a beacon as we delve into this adventure. 


If you’re interested in supporting our work and getting special behind-the-scenes access, consider becoming a monthly Patron!

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NYT Best-Selling Author, Daniel Goleman Launches First Person Plural—An Emotional Intelligence (EI) Podcast

First Person Plural Kickstarter

For Immediate Release

November 24, 2020

Northampton, MA

On the cusp of the release of the 25th-anniversary edition of his New York Times best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Dr. Daniel Goleman is launching the First Person Plural: EI & Beyond podcast. The podcast promises to go beyond the theory of emotional intelligence, presenting an array of stories that illuminate how emotional intelligence is being put into action. 

“A key component of emotional intelligence that is so particularly relevant these days, with crisis on top of crisis is resilience, or what we call emotional balance,” said Dr. Goleman. “It’s handling your upsetting emotions so that you can think clearly and stay calm, despite the craziness that’s going on.”

Beginning November 24, Key Step Media is launching a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to curve the production costs for the first season, which will serve as a resource to those experiencing heightened levels of stress and uncertainty.

Daniel Goleman will be co-hosting with his son Hanuman Goleman. This will be the father and son duo’s podcasting debut, propelled by their desire to share the emotional intelligence tools with as many people as possible and help them meet the challenges of the day. 

“I believe that a lot of the crises that are happening are a result of or have a direct line back to a lack of emotional intelligence—a lack of empathy, self awareness and understanding of the ways that we impact the world,” said Co-host and producer Hanuman Goleman. “If this podcast can be a part of spreading the urgency of the need for emotional intelligence, then I’ll be very happy.” 

The first few episodes will address a range of subjects from the social-emotional implications of online learning, to understanding the role of constructive anger when addressing racial injustice, and how to foster wellness and resilience through change. 

“I started out as a teacher,” said Dr. Goleman. “I later went into journalism, which I thought of as adult education, bringing information from a place where it was sequestered. My job was to translate for the general audience what was interesting, new, important, and might help improve lives.” Dr. Goleman continued, “I don’t think writing is enough these days. Podcasts are the new format for news, so I’m starting this podcast to continue educating the public on these topics.”

The 25th-anniversary edition of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ will be available on December 8, 2020. The First Person Plural: EI & Beyond podcast, brought to you by Key Step Media, is scheduled to launch in early 2021. 

Please direct press inquiries to:

Gabriela Acosta, Communications Lead and Executive Producer. 

pr@keystepmedia.com

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Aiding Trauma Recovery With Emotional Intelligence

Executive Producer, Gaby Acosta

For the last few months, I’ve been working with a team of creative, passionate, and talented folks to conceptualize and develop a podcast about emotional intelligence and the systems we are all a part of. Hosted by Daniel Goleman and his son Hanuman Goleman, the First Person Plural: EI & Beyond podcast will encourage us to be more self-aware and deepen our understanding of how our actions influence others at a time when we need it the most.

Emotional intelligence is personal for me. 

Serving as an Executive Producer for this podcast is particularly meaningful because as a queer bi-racial Latina immigrant born at the tail end of a civil war in El Salvador (a tiny country in Central America), I’ve witnessed first-hand the aftermath of trauma. I’ve seen what it does to people and communities feeding disconnection, conflict, and violence. Trauma can also cause us to lose our sense of self and our ability to regulate our own emotions, often leading to challenging relationships with ourselves and others. 

However, the skills of emotional intelligence serve as a countermeasure in trauma recovery teaching us to become more self-aware and attune to our emotions and inevitably enabling us to become more resilient over time. My experience has shaped me into a highly curious person, fascinated by people’s stories and the unique ways we each experience the world. 

Executive Producer, Gaby Acosta attempting to work from home with her needy pets (pictured are orange tabby, Noah and husky, Kyra).

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the events of the last year have left me mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. 

We’ve all had to adjust to life in quarantine during a global pandemic. Racial violence and injustice are playing out on the global stage. We’re experiencing the devastating consequences of climate change in real-time. Oh, and did I mention that we’re amidst one of the most intense Presidential election cycles in U.S. history? 

Still, contrary to what I expected, in the past six months, these events have motivated me. More than ever, I feel called to openly discuss the complex realities of 2020—to tell the stories of those suffering and thriving at the forefront of change to bring us all into the conversation. 

Here is what I know from my own experiences with trauma: the societal tumult and volatility we’re experiencing can trigger old pain, causing deep anxiety and stress. All of us have a response to this stress: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Personally, when I reach my stress threshold, I tend to go into hibernation mode—I shut down or sleep to escape it all. As an adult with responsibilities, this response is not a viable solution. It’s also contradictory to my deep want to be part of creating change.

To stay rooted, calm, and focused and override my automatic stress response, I always rely on the tools of emotional intelligence. 

If you’re new to the concept, finding emotional intelligence is like putting on a pair of glasses for the first time. EI offers us the tools to see ourselves and the world around us more clearly.

Gabriela Acosta

If you’re new to the concept, finding emotional intelligence is like putting on a pair of glasses for the first time. EI offers us the tools to see ourselves and the world around us more clearly. These new lenses adjust our focus and improve the way we navigate and engage with our surroundings. At the end of the day, this newfound clarity allows us to make better choices—we are better able to manage what enters our field of vision and decide how we want to proceed.

While I can’t control what’s happening in the world or my visceral emotional responses to current events, emotional intelligence has helped me find healthier coping mechanisms. As of late, I’ve doubled down on a regular mindfulness practice to strengthen my resilience and vitality. Rather than run away from my emotions, I acknowledge how they show up in my heart, mind, and body. I also lean more heavily on my relationships and community for moral and emotional support. 

Because of the role EI plays in my life, I could not be more excited to be a part of this podcast and I am energized to share the wisdom that Dan, Hanuman, and all of our guests can offer. I believe this podcast has real potential to help people process what’s been happening in the world and to develop healthy tools that will support their wellbeing. We’ll address some highly-pertinent topics such as the challenges of social-emotional learning in the age of zoom schooling, how we can leverage constructive anger to create social change, and how our systems influence the environment. 

I believe that emotional intelligence is the antidote to some of today’s biggest challenges like extreme isolation, animosity, and polarization. Author Robert Jones Jr. explains it beautifully when he said, “we can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.” Our society would go a long way if we could all remember that we are all deserving of empathy, understanding, and human decency.