Nurturing Emotional Intelligence: A Dentist's Path to Growth

“I don't want to visit the dentist." That's a common emotion when people are asked/suggested to consult a dentist. A majority of people are afraid to go to the dentist, due to the associated fear of pain, high consultation charges, and procrastination. To deal with this apprehension, in addition to possessing the knowledge necessary to deal with dental problems, you also need to have emotional intelligence.

Let's delve in today to have a greater understanding of how to achieve it, along with the aspects and impacts of having emotional intelligence.

What is Emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence, popularly termed "EQ," is the ability to understand, express, and manage your own or another person's emotions to make a stressful situation less stressful. The ability to make better decisions in life, interact with others effectively, and thrive in both professional and personal endeavors are all made possible by having a high EQ. Above all, having high emotional intelligence helps you keep a nice atmosphere in your immediate area.

‍Possible Impact

‍If, as a dentist, you don’t develop emotional intelligence, this could have some major impacts:

• Affected staff behaviour
• Unfavourable workplace culture
• Impacted your own performance
• Increased stress
• Minimal business expansion

Components of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is a deep topic to learn about. Hence, for our better understanding, it is divided into several components, which are some of the most basic and important aspects of emotional intelligence.

Self Awareness

As a dentist, you should be self-conscious about what influences you and what doesn't, since this will help you comprehend how your mood or worldview affects those around you.In order to deal with or act sensibly in any challenging situation, a dentist who is emotionally balanced should first become aware of their emotions.

Self Management

You should consider your actions before expressing your emotions. You should be careful about what you say and how you say it as a dentist, as well as how much you say.

The best thing you can do to improve your business is to learn how to listen. You can connect with somebody most effectively by paying close attention to what they have to say.

So rather than letting your emotions rule your behavior and responding erratically, you should first learn to listen before acting to calm down the patient or the environment around you.

Internal Motivation

To keep yourself, your patients, or your staff away from any stress or anxiety, always stay internally motivated. An internally motivated dentist would possess better skills to deal with patients' or staff’s anxiety. Internal motivation helps in self-development and achieving personal and professional goals.

Empathy

Empathy is fundamentally about experiencing what another person is feeling. A compassionate dentist could help both his staff and his emotionally sensitive patients. If you have empathy, you might be able to connect with people more readily. To respond correctly to the situation, a dentist must be able to distinguish between pity and empathy

.A dentist must instill the compassion required to help his patients, workers, or himself in order to build a strong and fruitful relationship with his patients and consequently foster business growth.

Social Abilities

Consistent social interaction improves the ability to foster healthy relationships. This extends to relationships with patients and co-workers. Creating a strong social network outside the workplace helps us take our minds off any negative events at work and start every day fresh.

How does high EQ help?

Here are some of the prime benefits experienced by a dentist with good emotional intelligence:

• If you occasionally had a fight with your mother or your spouse or received negative feedback from a patient about dental procedures you performed, your emotional intelligence would help you act rationally, handle the situation well without succumbing to emotional distress, and learn from your mistakes.
• If you possess a high emotional intelligence quotient, then you would be able to notice any extreme changes that occurred around you as a result of emotional setbacks suffered by your employees or even the patients, which would enable you to act appropriately prior to the issue worsening.
• If you are self-motivated you could effectively control the atmosphere in your clinic by keeping everyone inspired, upbeat, and stress-free.
• If you are emotionally stable you will be able to establish better bonds with your patients right away, making their time at the dental office more pleasant.
• As a result, providing excellent service will help the business develop and attract repeat clients.
• Above all, having strong emotional intelligence would help you to handle a variety of issues and make appropriate decisions without endangering your well-being or your ability to maintain your composure.

Enhancing emotional intelligence

• Before acting, pause to consider your options and let the immediate impulse subside.
• Learn to listen more than to speak.
• Learn from your mistakes.
• Learn to apologize immediately.
• Admire people around you more.
• Try keeping yourself in other people's shoes.
• Express your emotions but also keep them in check.

It could take some time for you to acquire good emotional intelligence in your personality, but once you do, it will make you a better listener, problem solver, and person who can remain composed when dealing with challenging circumstances or even individuals.Every workplace faces unforeseen obstacles, and those around you—or even you—need emotional support from those you work with. As a dentist, high emotional intelligence will help you maintain your peace of mind and excel in your field.

If you possess a high EQ, then you would take tremendous pride in your work, lead a stress-free life, and care for patients with excellent efficiency and enthusiasm.

Consequently, you would be able to foster an upbeat environment by bringing positivity to your patients or those who are associated with you. This way, everybody greatly benefits from emotional intelligence.

I hope this article assists you in the best possible way. Suggestions are always welcome!