Emotional intelligence is essential for effective communication. It can help you build healthy and stable relationships. It is very important to monitor your feelings, use them wisely in everyday life. How to develop emotional intelligence? This is what will be discussed in the review.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) was first discussed in the 1980s. The term has come to be used to explain why smart people are willing to do stupid things in critical situations. Emotional intelligence, unlike general intelligence, is designed to recognize and control emotions.
A person can have a fairly high general intelligence (IQ). But at the same time, he is not able to track and control his own emotions. And there are people who cannot write a simple message without making a few dozen mistakes. But at the same time they are able to convince their interlocutor of anything. For example, salespeople who easily sell unnecessary items have high emotional intelligence.
According to some psychologists, emotional intelligence is more important. And it can be pumped by regularly performing the simplest exercises.
EQ benefits
Why is emotional intelligence needed? A person in whom he is well developed is able to perceive the environment more adequately. It is less susceptible to stress. Such a person is able to perform deliberate actions even in the most critical situation. For example, he will not go to take revenge on his partner's mistress / lover, as astrophysicist Lisa Novak did.
A well-developed emotional intelligence allows you to stay calm and protect you from negative thoughts. People who develop EQ feel more successful. At the same time, they are able to recognize not only their own emotions, but also the feelings experienced by another person.
Scientists have found that people with well-developed emotional intelligence are happier. They get more satisfaction from life. They easily set new goals for themselves and achieve the required results.
How to develop emotional intelligence? There are many different ways. Let's describe the main ones.
Practice self-awareness
You need to be clear about what your emotions are. Otherwise, you will not be able to control them. To increase awareness, you need to pay full attention to the following things.
- Be mindful of all matters. You need to understand what you need to do, why and how you will act. Every decision you make must be deliberate. At any given time, you must understand what is happening in your life. It is recommended to turn off the autopilot periodically. Disconnect phones and internet occasionally. Think about how you are feeling more often. Meditate. All of these will help increase awareness.
- Understand your weaknesses. You need to know what traits of your character harm you. For example, you often take offense at loved ones. Or being too rude to your friends. Or you are constantly anxious.
- Realize your strengths. You need to understand which features of your character are the most powerful. Perhaps you are not afraid of failure. Or don't hold grudges. Or maybe you have powerful willpower.
Use emotions wisely
How to develop emotional intelligence? Many people try to keep all their senses inhibited. But in most cases it is much more useful not to contain them, but to use them wisely. Direct in the right direction.
There are no good or bad emotions. Any feeling can be used for negative purposes. For example, anger can be destructive when used against the abuser. But it will also be beneficial if you use it to protect yourself and other people. Anger can equally well be directed towards destruction and creation.
Joy is a wonderful emotion if it occurs when a good event has happened in life. But if it arose when someone else suffered, that's bad. Learn to use your own emotions wisely.
Learn to motivate yourself correctly
Many are looking for motivation to get started on a specific task. But there is also another way. Start doing something to get motivated. Don't want to work? Take a piece of paper and start making an action plan. List the goals and results to be achieved. Gradually it will take over you with such force that you will begin to work unnoticed.
There is no desire to go to the gym, but do you understand that it is necessary? Purchase a subscription. Better yet, pay the coach. Knowing that a person is waiting for you in the gym will not allow you to miss a workout.
You don't have to sit and wait for motivation to appear. This may never happen at all. So just start doing small things. It is at this moment that motivation usually appears.
It is necessary to understand that not only positive emotions can motivate. Feelings such as irritation, anxiety, and anxiety are also capable of making people act. And as mentioned earlier, these emotions must be used wisely.
Keep a diary of emotions
How to develop emotional intelligence? Start writing down all the feelings you have during the day. The main thing is to maintain objectivity. Record thoughts, desires, emotions. Try to figure out what exactly caused certain sensations. Even write down how you reacted to certain events in your life.
In this case, there should be no restrictions. Keep track of your emotions and desires not only at home, but also at work and during leisure. Over time, you will learn to understand your feelings and desires, and you will also know what exactly caused them.
As a conclusion
Developing emotional intelligence requires serious self-improvement. It is necessary to take a responsible approach to this issue. Only regular implementation of the above recommendations and exercises will help increase EQ and teach you to understand your own emotions and desires.
