HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Discover what emotional intelligence is and how you can practically improve this vital talent by reading more about it.
As a sort of intelligence, emotional intelligence can be defined as the ability to monitor and control one's own and others' emotions and to use emotions as a means of guiding one's thoughts and actions (Brackett, Rivers, & Salovey, 2011). Emotional quotient, or simply EQ, is another term for emotional intelligence (kind of like the emotional version of IQ).
What are the different components that make up emotional intelligence?
Emotional perception: The ability to recognize and differentiate between various feelings and emotions.
Use of emotion to help think: Being able to use emotions to help with reasoning, problem-solving, and communication with other people.
Analysis of emotions: The ability to comprehend their causes and significance.
Emotional self-regulation: The ability to control one's own and others' emotions in a reflective manner.
What are the characteristics of emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence, like other types of intelligence, may be developed. There are a variety of ways to improve your emotional intelligence, including participating in activities that teach you about emotions in general and about the emotions of others in particular.
Emotional intelligence can be improved by developing these skills.
Positive thinking
Resiliency
Empathy
Reappraisal
Assertiveness
Emotional expression
Emotion regulation
Emotional intelligence can be developed by focusing on these four areas:
1. Self-awareness
Ask yourself why you do what you do?
Consider your own personal values to gain a better understanding of why you do the things you do.
Understand your emotions and the reasons behind them by becoming more aware of them.
2. Self-management
To help you become more present, try closing your eyes and taking some deep breaths for a few moments.
Try rethinking the circumstance to see if there is any way to look at the bright side of things.
Spend some time working through the difficult challenges you're facing in your life and discovering the answers that are best for you.
Take good care of both your physical self and your mental well-being.
3. Social-Awareness
Maintain a higher level of presence in your relationships with other people.
Develop your capacity for empathy and compassion so that you can better comprehend the motivations behind the actions of individuals who are different from you.
You should always be prepared with a "back-pocket" question, often known as a question that you can ask to start a conversation or defuse an embarrassing situation.
4. Relationship Management
Develop an attitude of thankfulness toward everything, even the smallest things.
You can let other people know how you feel about them by telling them when you appreciate them, care for them, admire them, or otherwise feel good about them in some other way.
Explain your choices to others and be prepared to take the time to understand why others have chosen the paths they have.
Increasing your emotional intelligence can be accomplished by developing any one of these skills, or all of them.
How emotional intelligence may help you:
Positive outcomes connected to emotional intelligence include, but are not limited to:
Improved mental well-being
Improved social interactions
Achieving greater success in school and at work
The ability to manage your emotions effectively is a valuable set of abilities that can make your life better in many ways. Even adults can learn these skills. You can therefore begin to raise the level of your emotional intelligence right now.
Reference
Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., & Salovey, P. (2011). Emotional intelligence: Implications for personal, social, academic, and workplace success. Social and personality psychology compass, 5(1), 88-103.
