Edition 6



→     Edition 6: Making Emotionally Intelligent Decisions

→     Edition 6: Making Emotionally Intelligent Decisions (Universal Access Version)

EDITION 6:Making Emotionally Intelligent Decisions

Stephen Covey once said, “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.”

The uncertainties about the future uncovered by the COVID-19 global pandemic have left many students with the need to make various academic and personal decisions. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is your ability to identify and manage your emotions and those of others so that you can make better decisions. 
EQ is the consequence of self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and social skills.

Self-awareness
Self-awareness is the ability to recognise a feeling as it happens. Your self-awareness can help you understand how your emotions around the pandemic might be influencing your decisions. It is important to guard against making your decision based entirely on how you feel.

Ask yourself these questions:
- What am I trying to achieve?
- What am I doing that is working?
- What am I doing that is slowing me down?
- What can I do to adjust?

Self-regulation
When you understand your emotions, you will be able to manage them more effectively in your decision-making process. The goal is to find balance between how you feel and the facts of the situation.
Many students are feeling anxious, and the fact about studying during the pandemic is that teaching will mainly be conducted online. Instead of allowing the anxiety to turn you into a chronic worrier, think of practical steps you can take to cope effectively with your academics.

Self-motivation
Your level of motivation will determine your ability to focus on your studies and to pay attention. Staying motivated requires delaying gratification and stifling impulsiveness. According to Daniel Goleman, author, internationally renowned psychologist, and science journalist, “being able to get into the ‘flow’ state enables outstanding performance of all kinds”.

Click here for a definition of flow.

Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I know how to motivate myself to do the things that are important to me?
- Am I motivated by internal or external factors?

Empathy
Part of being able to respond to the emotions of others, is having empathy. Developing empathy skills enhances our experiences, relationships, and general understanding of ourselves, other people, and the world around us. Understanding how the pandemic is affecting other students can help you cultivate self-compassion. Self-compassion will help you to be more kind to yourself, regardless of what academic or personal decisions you make during this time.

Ask yourself:
- Do I need to connect with other students to understand how others are coping with similar challenges?
We may react differently, but pain and fear are universal. We all experience pain and fear but may express it differently. We can all learn from each other.

Social skills
Being able to manage the emotions of others constructively, is an essential part of EQ. People with a high EQ are often seen as likeable, calm, and easy to work with.

Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I seek cooperation and helpfulness when dealing with others?
- Am I better at solving problems alone or with the support of others?
- Am I better at resolving conflicts and negotiating disagreements?

If you would like to cultivate a higher level of EQ and effectively express traits of self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and social skills, read carefully through the documents below.

Download edition 6: Making Emotionally Intelligent Decisions

Download edition 6: Making Emotionally Intelligent Decisions (Universal Access Version)

Edition 7




→    Edition 7: United We Stand

EDITION 7: United We Stand

Due to social distancing rules and the current period of national lockdown, it is very likely that you may be feeling isolated at times. This feeling of isolation is more difficult for some people than for others and may even lead to you experiencing some unpleasant feelings at times, such as sadness, anxiety, and even frustration. 

Social support is an important contributor to maintaining your mental well-being, as it 

• provides you with a sense of belonging (which is one of our basic human needs); 
• creates a space where you can comfortably express your feelings; and
• helps you understand that you are not alone or weird in your feelings and experiences. 

Although things are out of the ordinary now and our physical movement is restricted, we can still access social support through technology. Use the resources available to you and try reaching out to people, rather than waiting for someone to check on you first. 

Brené Brown once said, “I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” 

Below are some specific ways in which technology and social support can be combined during lockdown in order to beat the feeling of isolation: 

A connected mindset 
Connect with your family and friends by going online. Things such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp can instantly connect you to others. However, make sure that you use social media to improve your mental health, and be careful not to let it make you feel even worse. Connect with people who are supportive and uplifting and unfollow or block people who continuously post things that upset you. 

Remain optimistic 
Search for uplifting and inspirational articles, books, recipes, exercise tips, and humorous videos and share them with your friends and family. There are many uplifting people and pages to follow on the internet. Also try to focus on things that you are grateful for in your life. 

Gather the troops 
Get your friends together and be each other’s ‘accountability buddies’. Check in on each other daily to see if you are all sticking to your goals, maintaining your daily routines and study schedules, and exercising on a regular basis (there are many free exercise videos on YouTube). 
Practise kindness and compassion 

Remember that your friends, family, and fellow community members are probably also struggling during the lockdown. Helping others can increase your sense of purpose and value. A message of encouragement or helping the elderly are some examples of kindness. 

By thinking differently about what social connection and social support means and by using the above tips, you may be physically isolated but still emotionally connected. 


Download edition 7: United We Stand

Edition 8



→Edition 8: Mind Power!

→ Edition 8: Mind Power (UA version)

EDITION 8: Mind Power!

It is well documented that the mind is incredibly powerful … and mind power is one of the most valuable and effective strengths you possess.

This power lies in your way of thinking. Your predominant thoughts prompt your behaviour, emotions, and attitude and dictate your actions and reactions. Your thoughts have a powerful impact on your life.
What if I we told you that it is possible to make lasting, significant changes to our brain structure and function through a simple activity that we do throughout every day?

Santiago Ramón y Cajal once said, “Any man could, if he were so inclined, be the sculptor of his own brain.” We can rewire our brains just by thinking! As we learn and adapt our thought processes, our brain literally remodels itself based on our new experiences.

Let’s jump right into the good stuff – techniques that you can use to shift your focus, direct your thoughts, adjust your mind, and start to change your brain connections. These can easily be done right in the comfort of your home, for free, and with next to no effort: 

Visualisation
To visualise is simply a mental rehearsal. The brain can’t tell the difference between something real or imagined. When you mentally rehearse your new habits, you strengthen your ability to create them in your life.

Affirmations
By pronouncing a simple and very powerful statement, either quietly to yourself or out loud, you affirm what it is that you aspire to. When you verbalise something and repeat it to yourself, it will influence your thoughts – this is why affirmations are successful.

Eliminate negative thinking
- Train your conscious mind to think about what you want in life and avoid thinking about what you don’t want.
- You cannot think both negative and positive thoughts at the same time, as one will always dominate the other. So, we must make sure empowering thoughts and positive emotions are the dominating influence in our mind.
- Learn to weed out negativities such as worry and fear and keep your mind busy with expectations of the best.

Reflect on past successes
- Every success you have had, big or small, is proof that you are capable of achieving more.

- Shift your focus to your strengths, your capacity for change, and what you are most proud of.
Focus your attention on creating a new reality 

Everything begins with a decision – decide now to be in charge of your own vivid description of reality.

Develop a realistic sense of control and utilise what you’ve got by asking yourself the following: 
- What is within my control? 
- What would I like to see continue happening / happening more often? 
- What makes me capable of greatness? 

The science of neuroplasticity has proven that mastering your thinking through the regular practise of the above techniques will imprint quicker and have a more lasting effect than irregular attempts. Why not start immediately? A new life is but a new mind.

For more insight on how to optimise your mind power, read through the documents below.

Download edition 8: Mind Power! 

Download edition 8: Mind Power! (Universal Access Version)