Art Sponseller, JD, ACC, Senior Executive Coach, www.artsponseller.com
The secret to increasing your empathy is being connected to your own feel-
ings, thoughts, and desires. If you want to increase the accuracy of your un-
derstanding of and compassion for others, increase your self-awareness of
your own thoughts, wants, and feelings.
How do you do this? My clients have had success using a self-reflection jour-nal. It is easy, here’s how.
Reflect on your thoughts, wants, and feelings five times per day for one
week. Schedule your reflections for the same time each day and include the
weekend and evenings. At the appointed time, take stock of your thoughts,
desires, and feelings. Write them down and note your circumstances and re-
lated actions. As you journal, practice self-compassion by doing this exercise
without judgment.
Empathy is an essential part of relational effectiveness. A developed sense of
empathy accuracy has several benefits. It increases your safety by giving
you an accurate sense of others’ intentions & anticipating the behavior of
others. And as you understand those around you, you can join and connect
authentically with others.
If you want to improve your empathy, look inward. Get more in touch with
your own thoughts, desires, and feelings. Keeping a reflection journal for just
one week will boost your relational effectiveness.
#emotional intelligence
#Empathy
#executive coaching
