Over the past few years, emotional intelligence (“EI”) has become one of the most popular constructs in psychology. It is typically defined as your ability to recognize, understand, and manage your emotions. This includes being able to identify your own feelings and those of others, understanding why someone might feel a certain way, and using that knowledge to influence their behavior towards you.

Some experts believe that we all have some degree of EI, but that people with lower levels may need help figuring out how to use it. That is what makes developing your EQ important. You can learn to be more aware or conscious of your own emotions, and teach yourself how to work through them effectively.

This article will talk about several ways to develop your emotional intelligence. We will discuss how to improve your self-awareness, motivation, and management of your emotions.

Link between emotional intelligence and success

Recent studies show that people who are emotionally intelligent are more likely to succeed in life. You’ll find it hard to believe, but it is actually true!

Emotional intelligence (EI) can help you achieve your goals and make changes for the better in your life. It can also aid in improving relationships with family members and friends, and work colleagues.

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Many employers now require their staff to have an adequate level of EI as part of their job profile. More than half of all managers consider poor interpersonal skills to be a significant barrier to employment opportunities.

So how do you improve your own EQ? Here are some tips.

You can develop your empathy or understanding of other people’s emotions. This helps you to relate to others and understand why they act like they do.

You can learn to recognize your own emotions and where they come from. For example, when you feel angry, ask yourself what happened and whether there was any reason to get upset.

You can practice using appropriate emotion regulation strategies, suchas thinking about something that makes you happy, talking to someone, doing something you love, etc.

When you want to motivate or inspire another person, try to put yourself in their position first. Ask self-compassion questions to acknowledge your weaknesses and potential problems. Then give them permission to fail.

Ways to improve emotional intelligence

One of the most important things you can work on is your emotional or interpersonal intelligence (EI). You can learn how to be more aware of your emotions, and recognize them for what they are – just another feeling!

Many professionals develop their EI through educational experiences, working with peers, superiors, and/or subordinates, and practicing social skills.

You can also increase your EI by reading about related concepts and practices, and experimenting with them. For example, research has shown that mindfulness exercises help people become more aware of their own feelings and those around them.

Furthermore, spending time with individuals who have high levels of empathy can inspire you to do the same. People who are socially intelligent use these tools to motivate others and understand different perspectives.

Emotional literacy — understanding the differences between appropriate and inappropriate expressions of emotion — helps you fulfill your job responsibilities while reducing stress in the process.

Be authentic

Most people are not good at recognizing their own emotions. You see it when you look in the eyes of someone who just completed doing something really hard and they don’t seem quite sure if they should be proud or ashamed.

I think one of the reasons why we're sometimes so bad at identifying our own feelings is because we're too focused on what other people say about us, or what we think other people want from us.

We feel uncomfortable being honest about how we're feeling because we fear that people won't like us or trust us. We also worry about losing face -- thinking that others will think less of us if we show how much this hurt us.

But authenticity is a valuable asset. It's an important quality for anyone to have. By allowing yourself to express your true self, you help them get to know you better and trust you more.

And I believe that emotional intelligence can be developed through practicing authenticity.

You'll find that as you learn to recognize your own emotions more clearly, your relationships will improve. You'll gain confidence from knowing yourself well and understanding your strengths and weaknesses.

It'll make it easier to relate to other people and connect with them on an emotional level.

Understand your emotions

A major part of emotional intelligence is understanding your own emotions. You will find that most people have a few strong emotions they repeat time and time again, depending on what happens in their lives.

For example, when you are with someone who does not appreciate your efforts, then it can be frustrating. But instead of getting angry or hurt, you may feel disappointed. This can quickly turn into frustration, which is sometimes a good thing!

You may also recognize a pattern of behaviors that indicate how someone around you is feeling. For instance, if someone else seems distracted and busy, you may assume that they do not like you.

By being aware of these patterns, you will know whether to take action or not, and if needed, what actions are appropriate.

Look at your reactions

Many people have a hard time understanding why someone would be angry with them for something they said or done. They do not understand what could possibly set someone off about them.

A lot of times, it is because people look at their reactions without thinking about the things that person may be going through.

For example, if you say something that makes someone feel bad, then they might get upset and try to explain to you why you hurt them.

This can easily distract from the topic at hand. If you are trying to talk to this person about something else, it can make it more difficult.

If you are able to recognize these signs, you can avoid making situations like this by being aware of potential emotional responses.

You can also address the issue later when it seems calm enough.

Learn to laugh

A lot of people get very emotional about things, which is fine sometimes but not always. Laughter has been shown to reduce stress and help you deal with life’s challenges more effectively.

You can learn how to start laughing for no reason at all or to keep going even when your mind is already filled up.

Practice smiling, making funny faces, saying silly stuff — anything that makes you feel happy and relaxed.

If you are able to identify something that brings you into a laughter fit, then try doing it! For example, if you are angry about something, tell someone off-be it a friend, family member, or stranger-and watch them laugh.

Share your feelings

It’s easy to think that people who show their emotions are weak, but this isn’t always the case. When we share our true feelings with other people, it can strengthen relationships — even strong ones.

Relationships are about sharing experiences, including difficult ones like when one person does something hurtful to you. By being able to talk about your thoughts and feelings, you give yourself and others a way out without having violence as a solution.

This is important because violence is often the last option left if there aren’t any other ways to resolve an argument or conflict.

Emotions can also motivate us to do things. For example, studies have shown that feeling angry makes us pursue goals more aggressively than when we're not. Without those sparks of motivation, we might lose interest in moving forward with our lives.

There are many different types of emotional intelligence (EI), so which skills you develop depend on what type of personality you have. However, all EIs help you manage your own emotions and understand the emotions of others, whether they are conscious perceptions or casual observations.

You can learn how to be more emotionally intelligent by practicing these eight tips.

Be consistent

Consistency is one of the most important things you can work on when developing your emotional intelligence.

It’s hard to develop this quality when young children are running around screaming all day, but as an adult, that kind of behavior costs money in childcare bills, therapy sessions, and time away from responsibilities.

As an employer, consistency is key to ensuring employees show up for work and fulfill their obligations. As someone who shares a bond with another person, consistency is crucial to keeping relationships strong.

When it comes to emotional intelligence, being consistently aware of your feelings and how they affect others is what really sets apart those with high levels from those with lower ones.

Consistent awareness doesn’t necessarily mean showing every sign of emotion, but knowing what emotions are typically yours and theirs and how to recognize them is very important.

By doing so, you’ll be able to better understand their behaviors and needs, which will help promote trust and understanding between two people or groups of people.