What Hat Are You Wearing? Communicating with Energetic Clarity
What hat are you wearing? I’ve asked the same question of several people lately. Any time I notice repeated thoughts, sayings, or encounters, it is a time to stop and reflect on what is going on in my life and/or with the other person. As Janna always said, look for the symbology.
The question came up with a client who was feeling guilt and grief and a coworker feeling the loss of friends. And the answer has to do with becoming self-aware of our changing roles. Or hats!
My client had been taking care of her father in the final chapter of his life. We discussed the difficulties of being “the child” assisting the parent, bringing them to live in your home, then advancing them to the stage of assisted living facilities and facing death. So many emotions are tied up in that one sentence. Even as adults, we are still our parents’ children. As our parents age and approach death, our role changes, forcing us to wear many hats—many times, new and unwanted hats.
The emotions associated with each hat are powerful.
In this scenario, my client felt guilty about not providing enough care, and not being there for her dad. There was also grief in losing one of the most important people in her life, the one who had known her the longest. Grief has so many layers of emotions: sadness, anger, disappointment, guilt, depression, and the list goes on.
These are difficult emotions to cope with, thus, knowing and utilizing self-care options is essential for optimal emotional health. Self-care is one of the five key principles of Energy Medicine Specialists and is taught in every EMS class we offer. Reaching out for support and help during this difficult time is a strength—and a form of self-care.
I saw another example at the local hospital where I work when a nurse was promoted to manager in her unit. She was telling me one day about some of the difficulties with the transition. Learning the manager’s role and the related tasks was easy, but navigating the changed relationships with her coworkers has been a little more challenging. She said, “I was their coworker, their friend. I’m still their friend, but sometimes they treat me differently.”
I reminded her that she has added a new hat to her collection: the manager hat. We discussed that she must develop the ability to recognize which hat she is wearing and to be able to communicate to the staff members which hat she is wearing.
Have you seen friendships come to an end when roles change?
When people aren’t aware that they or their friends have changed hats, this can lead to miscommunication, changing of boundaries, and misunderstandings. One friend doesn’t know which hat the other friend is wearing. If neither friend understands that they have changed hats, communication is hampered and many friendships change or fade away, leaving us with a myriad of mixed emotions. Communication is imperative in all relationships with family, friends, coworkers, etc.
Think about your own communication skills:
How do you communicate which hat you are wearing?
How do you change your communication style with various listeners?
How do you recognize that you need to change your communication techniques?
Communication and holding boundaries are part of being a professional. How does a person learn to recognize which hat they are wearing? Energy Therapy 1 has a wonderful module on boundaries. Learning to recognize and hold boundaries will help a person be successful in their profession and in life.
EMS is offering a class called The Energy of Communication, August 5–6, 2023. This is a Zoom class worth 16 contact hours and RN CEs. It is open to all since communication is vitally important in all relationships. This interactive class covers energetic language, boundaries, verbal and non-verbal communication, and self-care. You’ll also learn a few new energetic techniques. I’ve used these techniques recently with some of my clients with much success.
EMS Town Hall:
Community Building
Join us on Tuesday, June 20th at 5 pm PT / 6 pm MT / 7 pm CT / 8 pm ET for this month’s EMS Networking call.
We want to hear from you and have time for you to get to know each other. We will have breakout sessions on the following topics (for example):
Energetic self-care.
How do you attract new clients?
Then we will meet back in a larger group and share our ideas.
Register in advance for this meeting. After registering, you'll receive a confirmation email containing a link to join the meeting. We will also send you a reminder link on the day of the event. If you can't attend in person, you can still register to get a recording of the call.
Please know we are here at Energy Medicine Specialists to energetically support you in developing your practice and personal well-being as a healer.
Cindy Parsons, RN, BSN, MS-HCA, SEM
Peace and Joy,
Cindy Parsons, RN, BSN, MS-HCA, SEM
Lead Instructor and Mentor
(Read more about Cindy here).