Caregiving and Work-Life Balance

Emotional Intelligence to Develop Caring Talents

Abstract

Is it possible to identify specific care-related talents? How can these be developed with the support of emotional intelligence? Why might they be useful in fostering a dialogue between personal and professional life?
Care-related talents are diverse; they can be developed by cultivating selfawareness, self-management and self-direction, and they have an impact in both personal and professional contexts. It is therefore necessary to: recognize the centrality of care in both personal and professional spheres; focus attention on the value of caregiving in the development of its specific soft skills; define care processes by focusing on certain specific talents within the field of emotional intelligence.
The ultimate aim of this paper is to demonstrate how these talents can also support work-life balance by defining the true meaning of care, precisely through the role of emotional intelligence in an individual’s personal and professional development.