5 steps to develop emotional intelligence

With this busy routine full of commitments that most of us live, one of the aspects most affected by this is our quality of life.

What is emotional intelligence?

First, let's find out the meaning of emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is a concept present in psychology, and which characterizes the individual who has greater ease in identifying their own emotions and feelings.

The concept became popular thanks to psychologist Daniel Goleman.

Through his book “Emotional Intelligence: The Revolutionary Theory That Redefines What Intelligence Is”, Goleman – who is also a journalist and PhD from Harvard University – became famous for being one of the main researchers on the subject.

According to Goleman, knowing how to deal with our emotions is fundamental for an individual's development.

For example: do you know that type of situation that made you really angry, but you stopped, took a deep breath and controlled your anger so as not to cause a fuss and make the situation even worse?

This is a sign that you have emotional intelligence. You were able to rationalize and not let your emotions get the better of you.

As you develop your emotional intelligence, it becomes increasingly easier to deal with the emotions and feelings that we experience in the most diverse situations throughout our lives.

How important is it to develop more emotional intelligence?

As we live in society, developing your emotional intelligence is essential so that we can better develop our relationships with others, regardless of the environment – home, work or college.

By developing it, we have greater control over our emotions and feelings to deal with aspects that involve our routine, such as professional career, family, financial life, romantic relationships, social life, health, among others.

Professionally speaking, recruiters are increasingly looking for professionals who demonstrate good emotional intelligence.

What is the relationship between developing more emotional intelligence and quality of life?

Everyone has heard that old saying “healthy mind, healthy body”, right? That’s more or less how the relationship between emotional intelligence and quality of life works.

As mentioned at the end of the previous topic, the development of emotional intelligence has a direct impact on a series of aspects of our lives.

And one of the most important aspects that emotional intelligence influences is our quality of life.

By developing this aspect of our lives, we learn to better deal with our emotions and also with the external factors of everyday life.

By dealing better with these situations, we help our body and mind to maintain balance, providing us with a better quality of life.

5 steps to develop more emotional intelligence

Now that you know what emotional intelligence is and how important it is for maintaining our mental health, how about learning some important steps to develop it?

Below, we have separated some of them to help you:

Work on your emotions

This is perhaps the main step for anyone who wants to work on their emotional intelligence.

The ability to control your emotions will help you better control your impulses, preventing you from making decisions or saying something without thinking.

To do this, the tip is to always stay calm and think carefully. This way, you will make decisions based on reason, and not on the heat of emotion.

Develop your self-knowledge

One of the main aspects of emotional intelligence is self-knowledge.

In addition to helping you in the process of understanding your limits, it is through this that you will be able to discover your strengths/qualities to develop them, and you will also have a greater awareness of your defects/weaknesses and work to improve them.

Also, always try to understand your feelings and their origin.

Always try to have empathy

Another very characteristic aspect of emotional intelligence is the development of empathy.

Seeking to understand the attitudes and feelings of others is a great way to develop your emotional intelligence and also to improve the way you build your relationships with the people you live with.

Learn how to deal with stress and anxiety

In recent years, this duo has become increasingly present in the routines of millions of people around the world.

But that doesn’t mean that anxiety and stress need to be a constant presence in your life. That’s why knowing how to deal with these negative aspects is essential.

To do this, you can rely on breathing exercises, activities that make you feel good and meditation, for example.

These activities can help you maintain your emotional balance.

It is also important to highlight that, in cases where stress and anxiety are frequent factors, it may be necessary to seek specialized professional help so that you can have the ideal treatment for your case.

Know how to pay due attention to your body

It's no secret that our body can give us signs when something isn't going well.

When we are exposed to stressful or exhausting situations, our body may show signs that it is necessary to change something in our routine for the sake of our health.

Therefore, when you notice any of these signs that your body gives, try to find out what triggered this reaction to avoid it in the future.

Conclusion

I hope this material has helped you understand a little more about emotional intelligence and how important it is for us to continue seeking to develop ourselves as individuals and, consequently, become better people.

Our mental health will thank you!

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