Over the past few years, emotional intelligence (or EQ for short) has become one of the most popular psychology theories. Many claim that it can have profound effects on your mental health by helping you manage your emotions, understand others’ emotions, be more aware of your own feelings, and use these insights to improve your relationships with other people.

Some studies even suggest that having high levels of EQ is linked to better overall happiness in life. It may also help prevent or treat conditions like depression and anxiety.

While there are some promising findings about the link between EQ and mental health, many researchers agree that more research is needed before we can say for sure whether improving your EQ will make a difference to your well-being.

This article will discuss how emotional intelligence affects mental health. You will learn some things about this theory and its potential benefits. But first, let us look at what makes up someone’s emotional intelligence.

Better relationships with friends

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Overcoming mental health issues often requires you to be more open about your feelings and experiences, which can be difficult at times.

Running away from your problems will only make them linger longer. By being aware of your emotions and how to deal with them, you'll be better able to address other areas in your life — like work and family.

Better understanding of yourself and others is an important part of emotional intelligence.

Research has shown that people who are high in emotional quotient (EQ) also tend to enjoy their close friendships more than those who are low in EQ. In fact, there's a term for this - empathy!

Empathy is what allows you to relate to someone else's perspective and experience, and it helps you understand why they feel the way they do.

Better management of your stress

Stress can have positive effects, but too much of it is not good. Systems that regulate stress are called adaptive systems. You will know you’ve over-adapted when you need to reduce your level of stress or reset yourself.

Research shows that people who are more emotionally intelligent deal with stress better. This includes understanding and acknowledging feelings, being aware of your own emotions, and changing how you respond to situations.

It has been linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety as well as improved physical health. In fact, one study found that participants with higher emotional intelligence had longer telomeres – which protect our cells from damage and keep them healthy.

Telomerase is an enzyme that helps maintain this protective function. People with higher EQs may be able to motivate themselves to increase their telomerase activity by eating healthier and exercising.

Better management of your anger

When you’re able to manage your emotions, it can have significant benefits for your mental health.

Studies show that people who are better at controlling their anger tend to be happier than those who aren’t.

This is because angry or hurt feelings can sometimes motivate us to do things (for example, go after someone we feel has wronged us) that we would not otherwise consider doing.

Conversely, there are times when being annoyed or irritated makes us stop what we're doing and focus on something else, which helps us relax.

There may also be other reasons why being less likely to get angry could contribute to happiness - like feeling more confident in yourself or having healthier relationships with others.

However, don't expect to achieve all these benefits by just trying to stay calm more often. It will probably take some work to develop your emotional intelligence.

Having high levels of emotional intelligence isn't enough - you need to use this skill too.

Better management of your depression

When you feel down, it can be difficult to know what to do. You may feel like staying in bed or sitting in front of the TV for hours.

It’s important to recognize that depressive symptoms usually go away within two weeks. In fact, most people who suffer from major depression recover completely within six months.

But there are some things you can do to help manage your mood. For example, practicing mindfulness (paying attention to the present moment) has been shown to reduce stress and promote calmness.

Thinking about how you're feeling at this very minute and accepting those feelings is another helpful technique.

And if possible, trying to distract yourself from thoughts of suicide by doing something you enjoy is an excellent idea.

Emotional intelligence can have a big influence on mental health. Because it impacts how well you cope with emotional situations, it can play a crucial role in helping you overcome depression.

Better management of your anxiety

When you are anxious, it can sometimes feel like there is not much you can do to reduce that feeling.

But there are things you can do to help yourself be more relaxed and manage your stress. This includes practicing relaxation exercises, learning how to say no to commitments, understanding what causes you worry and addressing those reasons, trying different strategies for getting through work, etc.

Research has shown that people who have higher emotional intelligence are less likely to suffer from mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety.

Emotional intelligence involves being able to recognize your own emotions and those of others, understand why you feel a certain way, and use this knowledge to control your reactions to situations and people.

It also means being aware of the effects that your actions have on other people, and whether these impacts are positive or negative.

Better control of your impulses

Most people are conscious to some degree about their emotions, but not many understand what they really feel or how to regulate them.

Many psychologists say that emotional intelligence (or EI for short) is an important factor in mental health. This theory suggests that it’s not just how much emotion you can contain inside of yourself, but also your understanding of other peoples’ emotions.

You will probably know a few people who seem to have no sense of empathy. They never show any sympathy when someone else experiences something tragic, for example, or they use strong words and tone during conversations even if you don't agree with what they said.

These individuals may have very high levels of emotional quotient — or EQ, as it's sometimes called — but they could be harming their own mental health by being less empathic.

Better control of your emotions

One important aspect of emotional intelligence is being able to regulate your emotions. This can be done in several ways, such as by practicing mindfulness or taking time to think about what caused your feelings and whether it was necessary to have them.

Thinking back on a situation that made you feel bad can help you understand why you felt that way and how to avoid repeating the same behavior. Taking breaks away from something that makes you unhappy can also help you calm down and reset your mood.

Using strategies like these can help you deal with your emotions more effectively. When you are able to control your emotions, this can make it easier to focus on other things and enjoy yourself more.

One example of this is when someone else says or does something that hurts your feelings. You may not say anything at first, but later you can choose whether to address the person or not. If you do speak up, try to be gentle and understanding instead of angry.

Better ability to motivate others

One of the most important things that emotional intelligence can help you with is motivating other people. A lot of times, people get into arguments or situations because they are not able to effectively motivate someone else to do their job.

If you're in a leadership position, being able to motivate your team members will make your life as leader easier. You'll be saved from having to constantly remind your staff what needs to be done and how to complete it.

As a leader, there will be times when an employee doesn't seem to care about doing his or her work. It may even look like they're trying to avoid taking responsibility for something.

When this happens, it's hard to maintain discipline and control over the situation. If these events happen too often, it could hurt productivity and morale.

It's also difficult for them to come back after a bad day if they don't feel motivated by their workplace.