Emotional Intelligence

Understanding and controlling your own emotions as well as those of those around you is referred to as emotional intelligence or EI. People who possess high levels of emotional intelligence are aware of their feelings, what they signify, and how they may affect others. The capacity to recognize, interpret, and react to the emotions of others is just as important as the capacity to express and control one's own emotions. Emotional intelligence is a set of skills and behaviors. While some people will be naturally more adept at certain aspects, EI can be learned, developed, and enhanced.

You can apply emotional intelligence in various ways in your daily life. Various techniques for developing emotional intelligence include:

1. Being able to take responsibility and criticism
2. The capacity to change after making a mistake
3. Knowing when to say no
4. Knowing how to communicate your emotions to others
5. Being able to find solutions to problems that benefit everyone
6. Having compassion for others
7. Having excellent listening abilities
8. Understanding your motivations and avoiding passing judgment on others.

Why is emotional intelligence necessary?

Emotional Intelligence is important as you can communicate successfully, sympathize with others, and be self-aware if you have a high level of emotional intelligence. Our settings at home and at work are influenced by how we react to ourselves and others. Living in this world entails connecting with a wide variety of individuals as well as dealing with ongoing changes and shocks. How you react to the challenges of life depends on how emotionally intelligent you are. It's also a crucial element of empathy and comprehending the deeper motivations behind other people's behavior. When you are coping with challenging circumstances like conflict, change, and barriers, EI is extremely crucial. Being in tune with our emotions can assist us in remembering to practice compassion during these trying moments.

How can emotional intelligence be strengthened?

There is a piece of wonderful news. We can change how we react to ourselves and other people. We may all strive to be more self-assured, optimistic, and considerate. Here are several examples:

1. Be mindful of oneself- Pay attention to how others react when you speak. Take note of how you respond when people talk. Do you make snap decisions? Does your body language or facial expression convey one thing while your words (or lack thereof) convey another? Simple changes can be accomplished by becoming aware of our default negative thoughts, expressions, and behaviors.
2. Use uplifting words- Our words have an impact on our ideas, deeds, and other people's emotions. By putting your attention on the good things and speaking in ways that help you and others, you may take control of your surroundings.
3. Keep going- Recognize that everyone experiences brief setbacks and difficulties. To continue moving forward or find energy on a new road, look for a shift in direction.
4. Stress management- Negative emotions might surface more quickly and be more difficult to manage when things are a little out of control. Make sure you schedule some downtime; take a break and engage in something you enjoy doing or take 10 deep, cleansing breaths.
5. Be compassionate- It's something we've said before and will say again. It takes practice to be kind. Find methods to be compassionate and understanding toward people, even if you believe they don't deserve it. And be sure to ask for forgiveness if you need to.

Being emotionally knowledgeable will improve both your personal and professional connections with friends and coworkers.

Emotional intelligence has five main components, according to American psychologist Daniel Goleman, who helped popularise it:

1. Self-awareness - the capacity to acknowledge your feelings and to comprehend how others may be impacted by your emotions and activities.
2. Mood management - being able to control and manage your emotions while you wait for the right situation and outlet to express them.
3. Motivation - People with emotional intelligence are driven by factors other than money, fame, or achievement. Additionally, they are able to comprehend and desire the necessity to satisfy their own internal demands and objectives.
4. Empathy - The ability to empathize with people and respond in a kind and considerate manner are signs of having a high EQ.
5. Managing relationships - Emotional intelligence requires social abilities. You are prepared to interact with others when you are conscious of your feelings, those of others, and your communication skills.

Understanding and mindfully putting these elements into practice can significantly improve not only your life but also the lives of people around you. It will assist you in developing greater empathy for other individuals and social awareness. We do have the ability for self-management and self-regulation; the ability to manage, if not control, the resulting emotions and our reactions thereto, even though it is generally considered that our emotions are driven by impulses over which we have little to no control. By training the ability to free oneself from impulse-driven reactions, this sort of self-regulation strengthens the foundation of self-awareness and is a crucial component of developing emotional intelligence.

All this makes emotional intelligence for every person very important because it enables us to control our emotions and respond accordingly. Even, people who are emotionally intelligent are considered happier as they do not let their emotions control them. 

They have special habits that make them people with high Emotional Intelligence-

1. They want to support other people
2. They don’t let anyone hamper their happiness 
3. They are decisive 
4. They don’t take things personally 
5. They silence self-defeating thoughts
6. They don’t get angry in stressful situations 

These are some of the habits that are very crucial if you want to lead a peaceful life as they make you intelligent enough to live a life on your own terms and balance your emotions well.

If after reading this blog, you realize that you don’t have these great habits in yourself then worry not! You can definitely improve your level of Emotional Intelligence.

• Watch your responses to other individuals. Do you make snap decisions before you have all the information? Are you biassed? Examine your thoughts and interactions with others with candor. Put yourself in their shoes and try to be more understanding and accepting of their needs and viewpoints.
• Accept accountability for your deeds. If you've offended someone's sentiments, say you're sorry out loud; don't try to forget what you did or avoid them. If you sincerely want to make things right, people are typically more receptive to forgiveness and forgetting.
• Before you act, consider how your choices will affect other people. Put yourself in others' shoes if your choice will affect them. If you do this, how will they react? Would you want to go through that? How can you assist people in coping with the consequences if you must take the action?
• Take a look around your workplace. Do you want people to notice what you've accomplished? Being humble may be fantastic, and it's not a sign of timidity or lack of confidence. When you act with humility, you acknowledge your knowledge of your actions and your ability to be quite confident in them. Give others an opportunity to shine; concentrate on them instead of worrying too much about receiving accolades.

These are some of the ways in which you can improve your level of being an emotionally intelligent person. It is very beneficial for every human to control their emotions as it gives us an open mind and space to make decisions on our own terms, be considerate towards other people, make the right choice of words in anger, and not stress ourselves in situations we have no control over.

Hence, to summarise this, understanding your behaviors, feelings, and how they impact those around you is the foundation of emotional intelligence. Additionally, it implies that you respect other people, pay attention to their needs and wants, and are able to relate to them on a variety of levels.

I hope this blog was informative enough to make everyone take steps towards being emotionally intelligent. It is a great way to lead your life. This concept, really makes your life, yours!