Emotional expression is a central component of social intelligence. So what is the impact of wearing a mask? Ursula Hess, a psychologist and expert in the communication of emotion, says masks do not interfere with the expression or ‘reading’ of emotion. She highlights some of the research in a recent…
The news that 900 people in Melbourne ‘hotspots’ refuse COVID-19 testing has confused many and outraged some. It is easy to label people who refuse to test as selfish, but we can and must do better. We must think clearly rather than judge based on limited information or react unwisely…
Do you feel like you are ‘hitting the wall’ with regard to physical isolation? You are not alone. A recent study found that when socially isolated, people crave social interaction the same way a person who is fasting craves food. The brain’s response to wanting social contact is similar to…
The last few weeks of our free webinar series STRONGER THROUGH CHANGE, have focused on emotional regulation. This morning we discussed the role of attention in our ability to regulate emotion in challenging situations. A key take away from the session is: just because our attention is ‘drawn’ to the…
In our ‘Coping with Uncertainty’ webinar this week, we talked about letting go of things that were beyond our control and focusing on the things we can impact. One participant shared how she felt more control and comfort as she was becoming more familiar with her children’s learning due to…
Uncertainty and ambiguity are the new normal. It’s common to feel anxious when things change rapidly or it is unclear what is expected but we don’t have to become driven by fear. People who are reacting out of fear often are impacted by narrow thinking and mental biases but recent…
Self-awareness is a cornerstone of great leadership, but it is hard to see yourself accurately. A long history of ‘experience with ourselves’ makes us biased in how we see ourselves. Every ‘look in the mirror’ reflects how we have been in the past and how we want to be in…
The uncertainty and ambiguity associated with constant change can create discomfort and even anxiety for many people. The leader’s skill in handing this disquiet can mean the difference between a productive team with resilient team members and a group of individuals whose focus is on ‘not getting it wrong’. Work…
Science provides a few different answers. First, we have to keep in mind that empathy is multidimensional and ranges from unconscious mimicry to emotive resonating to cognitive mentalizing. Every dimension of empathy is controlled by a different part of the brain and provides a different type of information. We have…