Why is emotional intelligence so important?

By Maria Hernandez

Emotional intelligence is the human ability to identify, express, understand, manage and transform one’s own emotions and those of other people.

This type of intellectual capacity can be developed and enhanced throughout life. Which is essential for proper personal growth.

“What really matters for success, character, happiness, and life achievement is a defined set of social skills, not just cognitive skills, which are measured by conventional IQ tests.”

– Daniel Goleman.

So, why is emotional intelligence so important?

Emotional intelligence is very important because, among other things, it greatly favors the establishment of healthy social relationships, as it includes the ability to share and understand what others feel.

Besides, people with a high level of emotional intelligence are more likely to be successful, be it socially, at work, etc.

On the other hand, the psychologists Pablo Fernández Berrocal and Natalio Extremera assure that those people who develop, in an optimal way, emotional intelligence experience fewer negative emotional states and have a greater facility to be happy, promoting physical, psychological and social well-being.

Likewise, according to these two authors, when this intellectual capacity is developed it promotes emotional assimilation, which they define as:

“The ability to take feelings into account when reasoning or problem solving. This skill focuses on how emotions affect the cognitive system and how our affective states help us make decisions. This ability suggests that our emotions act positively on our reasoning and our way of processing information.”

Additionally, emotional intelligence implies other beneficial consequences for life, as it helps to enhance the skills to:

– Adapt to difficult or complex situations or moments.

– Control emotional transitions, how much damage you can do to yourself and others.

– Create positive moods.

– Be more creative.

– Enjoy better psychological stability.

How to improve this intellectual capacity?

Here we share with you some aspects to consider if you are looking for an improvement in your emotional intelligence. These are skills that, if we do not have them, we should all try to develop.

Maintain a calm state, even under pressure. Many people today experience some degree of stress in everyday life. The way in which these situations are handled can determine whether or not you feel emotionally exhausted.

Thus, people who feel continually upset and frustrated must face this problem, trying to find calm. For this, it can be of great help to carry out some physical, artistic or recreational activity, practice relaxation, among others.

However, if the stress or anxiety that one feels reaches high levels and is affecting one’s health, it is advisable to consult a psychotherapist.

Accept and deal with negative emotions. It is essential to learn to develop the ability to manage negative emotions effectively to prevent them from being harmful. But how can this be achieved? In order to do this, you have to try to restructure and change your thinking. In such a way that negative or pessimistic ideas that one has in a certain situation can be modified.

This does not mean that you have to avoid negative moods, but rather that you have to observe them and analyze the origin that they have.

Read properly the signals sent by others. This is an interpersonal ability and has to do with knowing how to accurately perceive and interpret the expressions of other people, whether verbal, physical or emotional. This means not misinterpreting the intentions of those around us, avoiding the appearance of misunderstandings.

Therefore, when an expression of others is difficult to understand, it is advisable to look for a possible explanation, before reaching a hasty conclusion, or making judgments and accusations.

Also, when in doubt, it is always advisable to dialogue or converse with the other person to clarify the problem.

Manifest intimate emotions in personal relationships. To maintain close and lasting ties with others, it is important to learn to effectively express your own intimate and more personal emotions, such as love, tenderness, respect, etc.

Likewise, it is necessary to respond appropriately when it is the other who does. It is not about continuously expressing what you feel, but it is undoubted that the exchange of intimate emotions helps to nurture and increase affective relationships.

Assertiveness is the ability that allows you to openly express your thoughts, ideas and opinions, respecting your own rights and those of others.

This includes being able to express disagreement in certain circumstances without being obnoxious or aggressive. Being assertive is being able to set priorities and limits, without feeling guilty.

How do you handle your emotions today, and how will you try tomorrow?

For jobbinghood.com