Learning To Be Empathetic For Medical Professionals

February 3, 2023|Animal Lovers and Med Team, Emotional Intelligence

As we have discussed in this weeks other blog posts. We must add more emotion back to the field of medicine. Sympathy and empathy will come easily to some and need to be practiced and learned for others. Sympathy is an emotion often taught from a young age. However, empathy is an emotion that comes from within. While it is not common to be able to learn something that originates from within, fortunately, empathy can be learned by cultivating detachment and using intense focus. It does take a concentrated effort to learn and can be harder for some people to learn than others. That being said, once you learn to stop being reactive you can train your mind and body to be empathic toward others.

How Can You Learn Empathy?

Learning to step outside of yourself is the first step along the path to learning empathy. Instead of focusing on sympathy, you have to learn to let go of your personal thoughts and view situations with a neutral air. As you learn to maintain a neutral stance, you will notice a more balanced personal physiology profile. Taking yourself out of interaction allows you to understand what is happening from all sides. This will give you a chance to build your empathy muscles by creating mindful awareness. When your thoughts and feelings are removed from the equation, your mind and heart will be open to the emotions of others, therefore building empathy.

Should Empathy Be Controlled?

Contrary to popular belief, empathy can be a double-edged sword. If you are in a leadership position, it is important to maintain strict control of your thoughts and emotions. Too much empathy can lead to emotional decisions while too little can make a person overly strict. Controlling empathetic responses will keep us from getting overwhelmed by others' emotions.

For naturally empathetic leaders, training the mind and body to reduce or block responses is critical. This will allow a leader to remain calm and collected in order to help those under their care. Empathy is generally a heart-to-heart experience. When controlling empathy is effective, it transforms into a head-to-heart experience. So, while you can feel and understand a person’s perspective, your response will be well thought out instead of overly emotional.

Using Empathy Correctly

If you have learned to use empathy, it is important to apply it correctly. Natural empathy is flowing and will come easily, but learned empathy takes some practice. Make sure that you are not applying sympathy when you are trying to apply empathy in a specific situation. One is from the heart, while the other is sourced from the ego.

Until next time, be well.

-The Indigo Phoenix