Your emotional intelligence level has to do with your ability to handle interpersonal situations/relationships and involves how well you’re able to control your emotions. Some people are naturally better at this than others, but we can all improve.
Becoming more emotionally intelligent can positively impact all areas of your life, both personally and professionally. Perhaps it’s time that you gave your emotional intelligence a little lift. Here are some steps that you can take to help you do so:
- Start by assessing where you’re currently at. You can do so by asking yourself the following questions:
- Do you make hasty or reactive decisions?
- Are you able to identify the emotion you’re having while you’re experiencing it?
- Do you have the ability to regulate your emotions and bring them down a notch when you need to?
- Can you pick up on the social cues of others?
- Are you aware of your own strengths and weaknesses in this area?
- Are you empathetic and sensitive when interacting with friends and coworkers?
- Do you hold yourself accountable for your behavior and take responsibility if you’ve behaved poorly?
- Do you feel confident?
- Are you curious about and feel drawn to others?
2. Review your responses. How you answered these questions can give you a better idea in terms of where you’re at right now. The more positive answers you had, the higher your current level of emotional intelligence. The more problems you noted, the more work you’ll need to do (and that’s okay).
3. Look for areas of weakness. Do you have trouble controlling your emotions and/or are you too quick to react in situations? Make it a goal to getter better in these areas. Are you able to identify your emotions and dissect the reason that you’re reacting the way you are? If not, put some time and energy into getting better at it. Perhaps certain people or scenarios trigger you. Reflect on the reasons why.
4. Practice. The more you concentrate and place an emphasis on improving your emotional intelligence, the better you’ll get at it. Give yourself some objectives and applaud yourself when you’ve achieved them. Working on your emotional intelligence can help you improve your relationships and life. Stick with it.