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Tom Lemanski's

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Tom Lemanski

Emotional Intelligence: A Pandemic and Isolation Coping Tool

FUD-O-Meter-600

I believe that to survive and potentially thrive through our current challenges, we will all need to enhance our emotional intelligence.  This is a marathon. Not a sprint.  We’ll all need to get better at being human.   

To support these beliefs, allow me to introduce my newest coping creation…

The FUD-O-Meter

FUD is an acronym for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.  To help you enhance your Emotional Intelligence, I’ve created the FUD-O-Meter to illustrate the concept.  It’s a conceptual tool you can use to self evaluate your level of emotional intelligence. 

Have you had experienced any feelings of fear, anxiety or doubt lately?  Of course.  This a FREAKING PANDEMIC!  An experience unique in our lifetime! 

Sorry!  I will now work to set a better example of higher emotional intelligence. 

Some potentially more useful questions for when your FUD-O-Meter spikes:

  • On a scale of 1 to 10, how strong are those FUD related feelings?
  • What exactly are those emotions you’re  experiencing?  
  • Can you name or more specifically label them?
  • How are your emotions affecting your decision making and behavior with others?

In a state of high emotion, rational thinking takes a back seat. If you’re unaware that you’ve put your emotions in charge, what irrational things might you do?

We’ve heard about excessive purchases of both toilet paper and guns.  How rational are these decisions?  To what extent have you allowed yourself to get sucked in to the emotional frenzy?

FUD O Meter 600

What's Your Current FUD Level?

The FUD-O-Meter is a conceptual device for measuring your level of Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. 

Inspired by both my Cub fandom in the 80’s Shawn-o-Meter) and our global crisis.

The Acronym for "FEAR"

Whether you’ve heard this one or not.  Here’s a timely reminder of what happens with FEAR.

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

When humans are fearful, our thoughts tend to imagine the worst case scenario in vivid detail, internalize it, believe it and act on it. To minimize the potential emotional damage, here are two questions to ponder.

  1. What is the worst case scenario?
  2. What is the likelihood  that the worst case will actually occur?

I grant that we’ve seen some serious scenarios playing out globally.  And we need rational thinking to realistically cope and and proactively plan. What is all that FUD really doing for your health and well-being?  And to that of others close to you?

Consider the tagline from the classic film The Shawshank Redemption.

“Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free.” 

If you think about it (as I hope you will), this choice is ours. Choosing is more challenging in a crisis. As you’re more emotionally intelligent, your choice is more apparent.  

Getting Real with Buying Habits

But have you seen those giant, three-block-long toilet paper plants up in Green Bay?  How realistic is it to believe that we’ll run out?

As for buying guns, has violence and looting happened in Italy or China?  Won’t most people be too sick to come and rob the supplies you’ve hoarded?  And with nearly no one on the roads, how would looters expect to safely get away?

Regaining Rational Thinking

Rational Self Regulation is extremely challenging when your FUD-O-Meter is running hot.  If you are unaware of how much your emotionally charged state can defeat your purpose, you are doomed to behave irrationally.  So Self Awareness of your emotional state is the prerequisite for self regulating. 

My advise:

  • Be more AWARE of your emotional state.  Consciously work to dial down your FUD level. 
  • When you gain that awareness, remind yourself that a high level of FUD will hijack your best intentions. 
  • You own your attitude.  So you get to choose whether you react (emotionally) or respond (rationally).
  • Enhance Your Empathy: While living in isolated, close quarters, raise your awareness of how your behaviors effect others. One bad apple can and will spoil the bunch.  Work at being a good apple.  

Choose wisely.  We’re all relying on you to be part of our global solution. Your level of emotional intelligence matters.

Bad Apple

As you cope with isolation and other challenges of Pandemic Proportions:

What kind of apple will you choose to be?

Related and Relavant

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