How Emotional Intelligence Affects Communication


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People with high emotional intelligence are able to recognize, understand, and control their emotions. They are also aware of the effect that their own behaviors have on others. In addition, they are able to identify what emotion other people may be feeling and how to better address that emotion or change it into something more positive.
It is estimated that almost every person in the world has at least some degree of emotional intelligence. Some individuals may even have very high levels of emotional intelligence, which makes them seem “different” from everyone else.
There are several theories about why someone might have higher emotional intelligence than another person. Sometimes, people who are good at controlling their emotions are described as being “cold.” Others describe such people as having “self-control.”
Some psychologists believe that people who are socially intelligent are motivated by helping and encouraging other people. This motivation comes from understanding how emotions work for individual people and knowing how to use this information to help others feel happier or less stressed out.
Emotions play an important role in communication. If you want your messages to get through to your audience, you should be aware of your own feelings and those of the audience so you can tone down or increase intensity depending on whether your message is received well.
This article will discuss how emotional intelligence affects different types of conversations. There will be separate paragraphs focused on specific topic and content areas.
Relationship between emotional intelligence and happiness
Over the past decade, there have been many studies that link higher levels of emotional quotient (EQ) with happier people. Consistently, researchers find that being emotionally intelligent is linked to greater happiness.
Many experts explain this correlation by saying that having high EQ means you are aware of your emotions and what effect they may have on others.
You use these skills to control your own emotions and help regulate those of others. This helps you establish strong interpersonal relationships which can lead to overall happiness.
Another theory as to why people with higher EQ are happier is because they are more likely to be direct about how they feel. You could say that having low EQ makes it difficult for them to contain their feelings.
These reasons seem pretty clear cut, but one important thing to consider is that while higher EQ is related to being happy, it’s not necessarily the cause of someone’t happiness.
It could also be that people who are less socially skilled are just never really in a position to experience much joy.
Ways to improve your emotional intelligence
Developing your emotional quotient (EQ) is an ever-evolving process that can be practiced, modified, and improved upon. While there are many ways to strengthen your EQ, none of them occur in a single setting or at a fixed time.
You can learn how to manage your emotions in certain situations by practicing mindfulness. This can be done through meditation, yoga, tai chi, or any other type of relaxation exercise.
Another way to develop your emotional regulation skills is to work on your empathy. You can do this through reading fiction stories, speaking with people about difficult topics, sharing experiences, etc.
Last, you can practice using situational understanding and interpretation. This means being able to identify what traits someone has when they talk about something and why they said what they did.
Overall, aside from having more control over your own emotions, these strategies can help you understand others’ emotions better.
Be honest with your peers
As mentioned before, emotional intelligence is related to how well you recognize and control your emotions. When talking about something or someone, be truthful – tell them what they want to hear, rather than what you believe is true.
This isn’t saying that there are not truths in this world, but some things are more important than others. Your friends may not like being lied to, so try to be as open and honest with them as possible.
If you have a friend who seems to avoid you, chances are it has something to do with their perception of you. They don’t trust you because they think you aren’t trustworthy yourself.
By telling small lies now and then, you can neutralize this effect by proving that you are indeed reliable. However, if you feel that these lies are getting out of hand, maybe it’s time to grow a pair and be completely honest with people?
It will take a little bit longer to win their respect, but in the long run, you will both benefit. You will gain their trust and confidence, and they will appreciate you for it.
Using our emotional intelligence skills to improve communication also means using appropriate language. If you overuse slang or curse frequently, people will assume that you are too stressed out or that you lack self-control.
Instead of showing your nerves, hide them with smart words. Also, use correct grammar and vocabulary when speaking.
Teach them to be honest with you
When it comes down to it, your emotional intelligence will play an important role in how well you communicate with people. You can’t effectively communicate with someone if they don’t trust you or if you can’t read their body language.
If a friend tells you that something is wrong, chances are they’re going through something very difficult. They may need help addressing what’s bothering them, and they might even want to talk about it.
But they could also be hiding something more serious — maybe something like health problems or crime they committed.
Their unwillingness to tell you can mean they’re not sure who you can tell, or they fear being rejected or hurt by you. Or perhaps they’re just not good at telling stories. A lot of times, people feel uncomfortable talking about things because they don’t know how to describe them.
In cases like these, having high emotional intelligence would mean being able to recognize that something isn’t right and figuring out why. For example, if a friend seems distracted and doesn’t look you in the eye, there could be reason for concern.
Be consistent
Consistency is one of the most important things to be when developing your communication skills. This includes consistency with how you talk, how you respond to conversations, and what kind of messages you send through your behaviors.
Consistency is something that people notice quickly and it can make or break your relationships. For example, if someone notices you are never in touch with your friends, they will likely assume bad things about you.
Likewise, if you appear to have no empathy for other people’s feelings, they will probably avoid you because they do not want to feel hurt by you.
When it comes to communicating, emotional intelligence (EI) makes or breaks the message you are trying to get across. If you don’t seem to understand emotions, how much others’ emotions affect you, and why some people think you are hard to connect with, then you won’t succeed in communicating effectively.
In fact, there is some research which suggests that low EI may even be linked to poor interpersonal communication. [1] Therefore, while it is very helpful to have an understanding of emotions, it could actually hinder your success as a communicator.
If this was you, here are some tips to help you hone your EQ and communicate more effectively.
Make eye contact
When you look at someone, your eyes are 2 of the most important ways that they perceive how you feel. If you avoid making direct eye contact, it shows that you do not trust them or believe in their importance to you.
This is like saying, “I don’t think I can depend on you.” Or maybe, “I don’t seem to be significant to you.”
When we avoid looking people in the eye, we sometimes conceal what we are feeling. We may even try to control our emotions when they get too strong.
But this sort of behavior only adds to the confusion as to whether or not others understand us and why we behave the way we do.
It makes understanding each other more difficult. And it takes away from creating trust and intimacy.
So, make an effort to consistently keep some basic rules for eye contact in place.
Never let your gaze drop down or flicker off quickly- those things show lack of interest or disregard for the person.
Make sure your eyes are steady and focused on theirs. This should be a comfortable level of focus, one where both people know there will be no distractions until the conversation ends.
And remember, just because you have never made eye contact with someone before does not mean you cannot! Some people are self conscious about it and take time to learn how to do it effectively.
Be assertive
Being able to control your emotions is an important part of communicating effectively. When you're aware of what other people are thinking, you can more easily determine how they feel about something or someone and whether it's worth investing energy in trying to change their perception of them.
This kind of self-awareness is also essential when handling difficult conversations. You have to be conscious of why others may be feeling a certain way so that you can address those reasons and bring feelings under control.
At the same time, being aware of your own emotional state makes it easier to recognize and respond to theirs. For example, if someone has made you angry, chances are you'll want to let off some steam yourself. By anticipating this reaction, you can prevent lashing out at the person because you're too upset.
On the contrary, if you don't take care of your own emotions, you could find yourself sabotaging your relationships and limiting your potential success.
Practice having difficult conversations
While emotional intelligence is related to how well you manage your emotions, it also includes knowing when to be passionate about something.
This article will discuss some ways that people with high levels of emotional intelligence communicate better. But before we get into specific tips, let’s talk about why this is so important.
Why is it important to have good communication?
Good communication is an essential part of any relationship. In fact, according to research, poor communication is one of the top reasons for breakups.
When there isn’t clear understanding of what each person wants, both parties are forced to deal with their feelings in the moment, which can sometimes lead to hurt or anger.
Additionally, without strong foundations of trust and confidence, relationships become unstable. When one party doesn’t feel safe, they may look for other opportunities or even end the connection completely.
Emotional intelligence and conversation
Now that you know why improving your communication skills is so important, let’s see if there are anything special about when someone with higher than average EQ has an argument.