7 Tips to Raise Your Emotional Intelligence
Building your emotional awareness to have a better life
Source | www.psychologytoday.com | Jeffrey Bernstein Ph.D
Are you able to recognize the emotions you are feeling?
Can you manage those feelings without allowing them to get in your way?
Are you able to motivate yourself to get things done?
Can you sense the emotions of others, make adjustments in real time, and respond effectively?
If you can do the things above, then you are likely someone who has developed solid emotional intelligence (often referred to simply as, EI).
As I explain in my recent book, The Anxiety, Depression, & Anger Toolbox for Teens, the negative emotions we experience are often intertwined. By this, I mean that we need to understand, and teach our children and teens to also be aware of, the “why” behind the often overwhelming feelings we sometimes face. In addition, learning the “how” of managing emotions is also of critical importance for enhancing our emotional intelligence skills.
Emotional Intelligence Is Distinctly Different Than Smarts
EI is essentially a different form of being smart (compared to typical intelligence) because of its focus on emotions versus purely on reasoning to use or acquire further intellectual knowledge. According to the dictionary definition, EQ is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.
