By Shazia
Each one of us faces different situations in life and gets involved in several conversations with various people at the workplace, with family, friends, etc. Each of these conversations can leave us with an emotion that is different from the other. It could be contentment, joy, conflict, disappointment, happiness, or sadness, to name a few. These emotions are a result of the combination of a scenario and the involved parties. For instance, if the scenario is the same and the involved parties are replaced, the resulting emotion could be different. What creates this difference is how one deals with his or her own emotions as well as the emotions of others. This is precisely known as one’s Emotional Intelligence. In this article, we will discuss some of the ways to improve emotional intelligence.
We all must have experienced that it is easy to talk to someone and discuss our issues while talking to someone else regarding the same concern might be a struggle. This is because of how they make us feel. In the former case, clearly, the person has a better Emotional Intelligence quotient in comparison to the person in the latter scenario. Emotional Intelligence helps people to have better relationships thereby making them capable of navigating through their day in a smoother manner. This behavioral pattern helps them do better at work and in their personal life. Directly or indirectly, our emotions do impact our actions and our actions are put together, to sum up our life. So, clearly, our emotions play a vital role in all aspects of our life.
Few are born with a high Emotional Intelligence quotient, but it is great news that there are ways to improve emotional intelligence. The key element of Emotional Intelligence is awareness and acknowledgment of emotions. One needs to, at all times be aware of their feelings and emotions. This does not stop with one’s own self, rather, it is important to also be aware of the emotions of the other person and acknowledge them. Once acknowledgment is obtained, we need to work on regulating our own emotions and have empathy toward others. Social skills can be built by practicing this phenomenon.
Ways to Improve Emotional Intelligence
Listed below are some of the key habits that help a person improve their Emotional Intelligence quotient.
1- Get Familiar with Your Own Emotions
It is important for one to identify their emotions at all times. This helps them analyze how they want to use these emotions in a constructive manner.
2- Prefer Responding Over Reacting Especially in Conflicting Scenarios
Reacting to any situation is impulsive and is a display of low emotional intelligence. It is always advisable to pause for a moment so that one can focus on responding to what is being said or done.
3- Positive Outlook toward Life
A positive attitude helps one deal with situations in the best manner because it allows one to think of the solution rather than cribbing about the existing problem. It also radiates these vibes for others which makes them feel comfortable in your presence.
4- Manage Stress
Stress is inevitable in everyone’s life but there are ways to work around and minimize it so that it does not overwhelm the person with negative emotions. There are multiple practices that aid in stress reduction.
5- Assertiveness
Assertiveness speaks volumes about the person. An assertive person does not back off from putting out their point of view while simultaneously respecting that of others. These people have self-respect, are honest, and are in charge of the situation. Practice Assertiveness.
6- Accept Criticism
Although criticism is not always welcome by many, it comes in some or the other form (constructive, destructive, logical, positive, factual, etc.). Understanding it and learning from it will eventually assist in bridging the gaps in one’s knowledge and/or expertise. If the criticism seems to be destructive, learn to draw a line and not absorb any further of it.
7- Active Listening
One of the key ways to improve Emotional Intelligence is by practicing Active Listening. This is a hardly found skill in today’s world where there are constant distractions by own thoughts, outside noises, phone notifications, etc. It helps in being present at the moment and connecting with the other person at a better level. Get tips for active listening here.
It takes time to practice these methods but with constant measures, one can strengthen their Emotional Intelligence quotient. It will clearly bring a more pleasant experience after every conversation in the way it has been handled. One becomes resilient in how complex situations are taken up. All of these improve one’s relationships and overall quality of life.