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Energy "Rub Off"
(It Goes Both Ways!)

The energy we bring into the room with our patient (or anyone!) sets the tone. Our energy is our responsibility... and our superpower. It's ours to control and (according to science) it's contagious! This upSKILL walks through quick ways to reset (even on the most difficult days) and avoid negative "patient rub-off."
   5:30 Watch Time [Week 2 from the Weekly upSKILL series]
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 Real Help 

Solve these 'people problems'

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For upSKILLers:

  • Absorbing frustrated, anxious, rushed, or negative patient energy and carrying it into the next interaction
  • Feeling emotionally drained by the middle or end of the day and struggling to reset between patients
  • Remembering that your energy strongly influences how patients emotionally respond to you
  • Wanting patient interactions to feel calmer, smoother, and easier by leading with confident, positive energy first
  • Learning how to quickly reset your mood and energy before walking into the next patient interaction
  • Using the same energy awareness skills to create better interactions with teammates, family, and people in your personal life too

For Leaders:

  • Team members unintentionally spreading stress, frustration, rushed energy, or negativity throughout the practice
  • Patients mirroring chaotic, defensive, or tense energy during already stressful healthcare situations
  • Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and energy dips negatively affect patient experience late in the day
  • Team members are becoming emotionally reactive instead of intentionally leading interactions with calm confidence
  • Helping team members learn simple ways to regulate and reset their energy between interactions
  • Building a culture where positive, calming, appreciative energy shapes the patient experience from the phone team to providers and leadership
 Data 

It's science

Research on emotional contagion shows that humans naturally absorb and mirror the emotional energy of the people around them.(1)
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Patients often take emotional cues from us, which means the energy we bring into the interaction strongly shapes the energy we get back.
Studies on stress and emotional regulation found that stress, frustration, and overwhelm spread socially and influence how safe, calm, and connected other people feel.(2)
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When we stay grounded, calm, and intentional, it helps regulate both our own nervous system and the patient's..
Research on mirror neurons shows that our brains are wired to subconsciously mirror the emotions, tone, and behavior of the people around us.(3)
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Positive, appreciative, calming energy is genuinely contagious and can shift the tone of an entire interaction or environment.
 Note 

From The Experts

"When we know the power at our fingertips in choosing our own energy (regardless of what's happening around us!) we're never the same. This was our superpower when it came to working with patients and our team. You can shift the entire encounter: choose to bring positive energy to others, don't let negative energy rub off on you."
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- Christine & Lauren, The Patient Whisperers
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 SERIES 

This is adapted from Weekly: Mastering Soft Skills

by The Patient Whisperers:
Soft skills that make work and life better.
For everyone who works with patients - or interacts with humans.

8 minutes each week

quick bites, by The Patient Whisperers.

Soft skills are people skills

Feel empowered (or empower your team) to
connect with anyone  
feel confident in any situation  
stay centered in difficult encounters  

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Ralph Chu, MD
CEO & Chief Medical Officer
Chu Vision Institute

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 WHO 

Meet the experts

The Patient Whisperers
Christine Scarlett
& Lauren Weaver
Former practice leaders leading change by bringing relational intelligence, soft skills + emotional connection into healthcare as authors, speakers, and upSKILL instructors. 
Get to know them here or connect on social media:
Christine Scarlett
Former CMO
& Director of Patient Experience
From counseling patients, to Director of Patient Experience, to CMO, Christine's worn nearly every 'hat' in a healthcare practice. The driving force? Her love for people... creating exceptional patient experiences and empowering those who serve them.
Lauren Weaver
Former
Director of Brand Development
Bringing her PR, branding, social media influencer status, and love of storytelling with her, Lauren turned how we market and build a brand for ourselves in healthcare upside down by redefining how we connect with our patients, both in practice and online.
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(1) Hatfield, E., Bensman, L., Thornton, P. D., & Rapson, R. L. (2014). New perspectives on emotional contagion: A review of classic and recent research on facial mimicry and contagion. Interpersona, 8(2), 159-179; (2) Prochazkova, E., & Kret, M. E. (2017). Connecting minds and sharing emotions through mimicry: A neurocognitive model of emotional contagion. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 80, 99-114; (3) He, Y., et al. (2025). The shared neural substrates of emotional mimicry and emotional contagion: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis and meta-analytic connectivity modeling analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.