How to develop your emotional intelligence to enhance your mental health?

 

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to internalize and manage your emotions. Learn about the importance of higher emotional intelligence and how to control your emotions to improve your psychological state.

What is emotional intelligence?

Most of us have a laid-back attitude when it comes to painting a picture of ourselves and our emotions. We know it's part of the human experience, but we don't really care how well we understand and manage our own emotions and the feelings of others and how much they help us in our daily functioning.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to use emotional information to help us live a better life. Emotionally intelligent people know how to recognize, use, understand and regulate emotions. For example, an emotionally intelligent person can recognize when they are angry, wait for them to calm down, and work on their emotional awareness before speaking.

Emotionally intelligent people can identify and distinguish different emotions and use this information to make effective decisions and take appropriate actions. Emotions are an essential part of human experience and daily life; Increasing your knowledge and understanding of emotions can affect other key areas of life, including work-life, relationships, and physical health.

Being emotionally intelligent

Emotional intelligence is an ability you are born with, as well as a skill that can be nurtured and improved. Increasing your emotional knowledge - learning how your emotions work - can improve your effectiveness in social situations and in life. It takes a little work and a lot of practice, but it is well worth the effort.

How do we develop emotional intelligence? 5 ways to develop your emotional intelligence!

1) Learn how to reduce stress

When you are stressed, it is often difficult to think clearly and act effectively. Learn to recognize early signs of stress and the different feelings you have, and then learn how to release stress quickly (for example, take ten slow deep breaths or imagine a calming picture, like a waterfall). The ability to maintain calm and control under difficult circumstances is a very important life skill for everyday life

2) Listen to your feelings and increase your emotional awareness

When we feel uncomfortable, we tend to avoid the discomfort by distracting ourselves. Instead, shift your thinking to the good things in life, like trying to figure out something important.

3) Understand and manage your feelings by writing them down

Because we sometimes experience a complex mix of feelings, our feelings may not seem to make sense. When you write down what you think and how you feel, you may get a clearer picture of what is going on in your life.

4) Take responsibility for your actions and enhance your social skills

If you made a mistake, did something wrong, or hurt someone's feelings, apologize. People are usually more forgiving when you try to correct things, rather than just ignoring them. Apologies can go a long way to repairing hurt and confusing feelings and strengthening your relationships in the long run.

5) Learn how to communicate well and enhance your social intelligence

Effective communication involves more than just verbal and social skills. How you say something can be as important as what you say. Learn how to strengthen your relationships by practicing emotional awareness. Watch your own body language and other people's body language (such as eye contact, hand gestures, and posture). When communicating effectively nonverbally, you communicate by understanding and accepting the feelings of others without using words.