In recent years, there has been increased awareness about emotional intelligence and its impact in our workplace and relationships. This important skill has been found to have many benefits on our mental health and well-being. But what exactly does it entail? What are the concrete steps one could take in order to boost their emotional intelligence? Throughout this article we will discuss the competencies that are involved in emotional intelligence, and strategies you might implement for boosting your emotional intelligence.
Defining Emotional Intelligence
According to the American Psychological Association, emotional intelligence incorporates four aspects: the ability to perceive emotions, use emotions for cognitive activities, understand emotions, and manage one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others. One Harvard researcher discusses four main facets of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
Similar to one’s IQ (intelligence quotient), emotional intelligence may be referred to as EQ (emotional quotient). Research has found that EQ is just as important as IQ, if not more so in certain situations. Having a high level of emotional intelligence has been linked with many benefits, from increased happiness and life satisfaction, to improved work performance and more harmonious relationships.
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5 Strategies for Boosting EQ
While having a robust vocabulary around emotional experience may come more naturally for others, emotional intelligence is a skill that can be developed and expanded on over time. Here are five strategies that you might consider implementing into your weekly routine in order to move towards boosting your EQ:
- Journaling: Writing in a journal regularly offers many benefits for emotional well-being. Through journaling, you allow yourself the time to stop and reflect on what you’re feeling and what might be underlying these emotions. Over time, you may find that you develop deeper understanding into who you are, why you do what you do, and any unhelpful thought patterns or behaviors that may be negatively affecting you.
- Look into personality assessments: Taking various personality assessments, from the Big Five Personality test to Myers Briggs or the enneagram, are all forms of increasing self-awareness, as you learn more about your strengths and weaknesses. From there, you can be more intentional about contributing in ways that are most aligned with your strengths, and acknowledging areas of growth.
- Try mindfulness: Mindfulness practices can help you to tune into the moment and what you may be feeling instead of automatically reacting in high stress situations. Through mindfulness, you can also practice the skill of acceptance. Instead of responding to an unexpected challenge with panic or frustration, centering yourself and accepting the situation can help you to regulate your emotions and begin problem solving.
- Practice active listening: An essential skill for social awareness includes active listening. Tuning into the people around you is key for being able to understand others’ emotions. To work on active listening, refrain from interrupting, reframe what the other person is saying to clarify understanding, and ask meaningful follow-up questions. Using the tool of active listening can help you to better understand and have empathy for those around you, whether family members, friends, or co-workers.
- Seeking the support of a therapist: For many people, therapy offers a safe space for learning how to better understand and articulate their emotions. A therapist can help you to focus on these skills regularly and enhance a sense of self-awareness and understanding. Consider reaching out for support from a mental health professional if you believe it would be beneficial for you in the process of building emotional intelligence and moving towards a more fulfilling life.
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