What is emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is defined as "The ability to monitor one’s own and other’s feelings and emotions, to
discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s
thinking and actions.” - Salovey and Mayer 1990.
There are four main components of emotional intelligence:
1. Percieve emotions
2. Reason with emotions
3.
Understand emotions
4. Manage emotions
Having a high level of emotional intelligence can allow you to:
* Be able to identify and describe what people are feeling
* Be aware of your own limitations and areas to improve
* Self-confidence
and self-acceptance
* Move on from mistakes
* Accept and embrace change
- not be resistive to it
* Be curious and genuinely interested in others
* Be empathetic and have concern for others
* Be sensitive to other's
feeling
* Be able to take responsibility for actions
* Able to
emotionally regulate in difficult situations
How is EQ different to IQ?
Emotional Quotient is a person's ability to perceive, control, evaluate,
and express their emotions. Intelligence quotient is a way of expressing
a person's cognitive ablity. This can include things such as:
* Visual
and spatial processing
* Knowledge of the world
* Fluid reasoning
* Working memory and short-term memory
* Quantitative reasoning
IQ involves processing, knowledge, memory, and reasoning and affects
academics, expertise, critical thinking, and logic. It’s important for
planning and strategy, as well as more logic based disciplines such as
the sciences and maths.
Why is EQ so important?
EQ is the driver behind thoughts and actions that take your emotions
into account, and is crucial for socialisation and communication across
all areas of life. It can also have an impact on your physical health
too.
Important for:
* Performance at work: emotional intelligence helps you navigate social
complexities, lead and motivate others, and can assist in exceling in
you career. It is often more important than IQ for job interviews and
ability to suceed in your career.
* Physical health: If you are unable
to manage your emotions, then it is likely you can't manage stress.
Consistently high levels of stress raise blood pressure, suppresses
immune system, increase heart attack and stroke risk, infertility, and
can also age you.
* Mental health: Lower EQ increases your
vulnerability to anxiety and depression. Furthermore, if you can't
understand, be comfortable with, or manage emotions, you will struggle
to form long term relationships. This can leave you being lonely and
isolated and further exacerbate any mental health issues.
*
Relationships: Being able to understand what you are feeling and why is
important for communicating effectively and building and maintaining
stronger relationships at work and in personal life.
* Social
intelligence: Being in tune with your emotions serves a social purpose
and connects you to the people around you. It lets you determine which
people you should connect with and will be good for you (and vica versa
not).
