360-Degree Care

We all recognize the need for medical doctors in our lives. We understand that we don’t know everything about our own bodies. This requires professionals to be able to tell us what is wrong because we simply can’t always know what is going on inside of us. We have regular checkups, take medication if we need to, and follow the advice of health care professionals.

Reflect on Your Mental and Emotional Well-Being

For some reason, we treat our mental and emotional health very differently from our physical health. When we are experiencing mental or emotional issues, many of us try to fix these problems ourselves, or perhaps just shove them down and ignore them. Truthfully, no one can manage all of their mental and emotional issues on their own. Many of us seek the help of a therapist, a mentor or a coach much in the same way we consult a medical doctor, and even if we don’t see a professional, we rely on the people we are close to in our lives to discuss and reflect on our mental and emotional health. They can provide new insight for us and help us work through problems.

360 Degree Approach

I like to take what I call the 360-degree approach to gain self-insight. I look above, below and alongside… meaning I look to the people with more experience and wisdom than I have (mentors, supervisors), I look to the people with less experience for whom I bear some responsibility (mentees, employees) and I look alongside me at people I consider peers (friends, family). I make sure to position myself to be able to listen to feedback and be able to trust the relationship so that I am not guarded or hostile. This way I can feel certain that I have seen myself from many different perspectives and can then use this information and assistance to create a strategy for my sustainable well-being. Having these people involved in your world is so important to help you to see areas of vulnerability and areas of risk where you aren’t thriving.

Reflection Questions:

• Who can you go to to fulfil the 360 degree feedback?
• Do you feel comfortable being vulnerable with these people? Why or why not?
• Who is helping you care for your soul, mind and heart?