"The emotional brain responds to an event more quickly than the thinking brain."- Daniel Goleman
What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence is sometimes called EQ (or EI) for short. Just as a high IQ can predict top test scores, a high EQ can predict success in social and emotional situations. EQ helps us build strong relationships, make good decisions, and deal with difficult situations.
One way to think about EQ is that it's part of being people-smart. Understanding and getting along with people helps us be successful in almost any area of life. In fact, some studies show that EQ is more important than IQ when it comes to doing well in school or being successful at work.
Some people have naturally good EQ skills. Others need to work on them. The good news is that everyone can get better. Unlike IQ, people can actually improve their emotional intelligence.
Improving Your EQ
Being Aware of Your Emotions
Your ability to identify and understand your own emotions. In addition, self-awareness requires you to understand how your emotions affect the people around you.
Empathy
Your ability to not only recognize and understand the emotions of others, but your ability to respond appropriately to those emotions. This is sometimes known as being able to put yourself in someone else's shoes.
Managing Emotional Reactions
We all get angry. We all have disappointments. Often it's important to express how you feel. But managing your reaction means knowing when, where, and how to express yourself.
When you understand your emotions and know how to manage them, you can use self-control to hold a reaction if now is not the right time or place to express it. Someone who has good EQ knows it can damage relationships to react to emotions in a way that's disrespectful, too intense, too impulsive, or harmful.
How did Sadness help Bing Bong in this situation?
Choosing Your Mood
Part of managing emotions is choosing our moods. Moods are emotional states that last a bit. We have the power to decide what mood is right for a situation, and then to get into that mood. Choosing the right mood can help someone get motivated, concentrate on a task, or try again instead of giving up.
Mood + Mindset = Success
Which area can you work on to improve your EQ?
How emotionally intelligent are you?
Do you feel that the results of your emotional intelligence survey were accurate? Why or why not?
How well can you identify the emotions of others?
Did you find it difficult to identify the emotions of others? Why or why not?
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Credits:
Created with images by Tengyart - "Painted eggs expressing a range of emotions from joy to depression." • Callum Shaw - "untitled image" • Headway - "Gaining a deep understanding the problems that customers face is how you build products that provide value and grow. It all starts with a conversation. You have to let go of your assumptions so you can listen with an open mind and understand what’s actually important to them. That way you can build something that makes their life better. Something they actually want to buy." • Brooke Cagle - "untitled image" • Unknown - "Free photo People Shadow Nature Friends Silhouette Group ..." • Chase Clark - "Nah" • NeONBRAND - "ready for notes" • Unknown - "Free photo: Sunrise, Yellowstone Lake, Sky - Free Image on ..." • Lesly Juarez - "“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh" • Christina @ wocintechchat.com - "untitled image" www.verywellmind.com - "5 Components of Emotional Intelligence, www.greatergood.berkeley.edu - "Test your emotional intelligence"