Over the past few years, emotional intelligence (“EI”) has become one of the most popular psychology theories. In fact, many experts believe it is more important than other types of intelligence like logical or quantitative reasoning.

Why? Because we live in an increasingly social world that depends heavily on relationships to succeed. At its core, EI looks at how well you manage your emotions so that they are effective and controlled.

You can learn about this theory from various sources, but no two accounts seem to match up with each other. Some say it focuses only on negative emotions while others emphasize the opposite - learning how to be happier.

That’s why it's worth your time to evaluate whether improving your emotional skills is something you want to do. If it is, here are some tips for creating a journal to track your progress.

We'll talk about what makes a good journal in the next section, but first let us discuss why having strong emotional regulation is important.

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Make eye contact

A large part of emotional intelligence is being able to read other people’s emotions. One way to do this is by making direct eye contact with them. When you make direct eye contact, your body automatically signals that you are interested in their presence, and they can use that information to determine whether or not to approach you.

Direct eye contact doesn’t necessarily mean looking someone directly in the eyes, but rather just having an understanding of how to use your eyes for communication. For example, when talking to someone, you can look at their hands, get a sense of what they want, and work from there.

When you're trying to improve your emotional intelligence, one of the first things you should do is learn how to maintain meaningful eye contact. This will help you understand others' emotions and motivate them to connect with you.

It's also important to remember that not every person feels comfortable sharing all parts of themselves with you. That's totally okay! You'll have to develop some social skills, but don't worry, you're already on track.

Be realistic

A lot of people get stuck in emotional intelligence journaling because they believe it should be a very profound, meaningful experience for them.

That’s not what this type of writing is about!

Emotional literacy programs often make students do brainstormings or write essays about how much their parent didn’t love them as a child. It seems like an easy thing to do, but it isn’t.

The idea behind that lesson is to learn how to use words to your advantage, not prove how smart you are.

Likewise, trying to write about how hard your parents were can help you understand why some people struggle with relationship issues in general, but it won’t teach you anything specific about yours.

Your emotions work differently for everyone, so picking up on more subtle clues will only help you improve relationships. You don’t need to know all of the reasons someone else may feel hurt before you can say something comforting to them, but knowing what types of comments hurt most (for both parties) can at least give you an insight into what might work and what may backfire.

Share your feelings

A lot of people think that being more expressive is the way to improve emotional intelligence, but sharing your emotions can sometimes hurt others close to you.

It’s important to know when it's okay to keep some things private and whether or not someone else needs to know something.

Keeping secrets can cause stress for other people, which can potentially be harmful to you and those around you.

By learning how to manage your own emotions, you will also learn how to help others do the same.

Managing your anger, sadness, frustration and happiness can all help you in this respect.

You don't necessarily have to use these skills every day, but if you find yourself overwhelmed with emotion there is now a toolbox available to you.

Understand your emotions

A good way to improve your emotional intelligence is to understand what emotions you are experiencing and why you are feeling them.

It can be difficult trying to identify all of your emotions, but there are some simple ways to do this.

The first step towards improving your emotional intelligence is to recognize your own feelings.

You will want to be as honest with yourself as possible when doing so. By being aware of your feelings, you have opened up a gateway for better understanding yourself.

Once you learn how to control your emotions, then you can apply that knowledge to other areas in your life. You will also find it easier to deal with daily stresses and problems.

There are several strategies you can use to help you understand your emotions. These include using the opposite side of your brain, talking about your feelings, practicing relaxation skills, and identifying the cause of your emotion.

Look at your reactions

A lot of people think that being aware of what you feel is important, but actually looking into it is quite difficult. Some say it’s impossible, but I disagree!

It can be tricky at first because we usually don’t pay much attention to our own feelings. But once you get used to it, you will recognize a range of emotions in others, and you’ll know how to respond.

You’ll also learn when someone else isn’t very happy or sad for no reason, which helps with socializing. And if you do notice something funny about someone, try to work out why they’re laughing!

There are many ways to improve emotional intelligence. You don’t have to spend hours every day doing things like recognizing other people’s emotions, understanding them, and yourself, but should strive to set aside some time each week to do so.

Making an effort to understand your own emotions and those of others can only benefit you and those around you.

Be honest with your peers

As mentioned earlier, one of the most important things that can improve your emotional intelligence is being honest with yourself and others.

This may seem like an easy task at first, but it can be tricky when you’re in emotionally heavy situations.

By this I mean, if someone else says or does something that makes you feel bad, they could easily walk away thinking that you are the worst person ever. Or maybe even believe that you will never change or love them ever again!

Understand that there is no perfect human being in this world. We all have our faults and weaknesses, just like everyone else. If you want to achieve true happiness, learn how to accept these flaws and move forward.

Be careful about what kind of comments you make during emotionally charged times though. Saying too much or taking too long to respond can add to the tension.

Avoid putting more pressure on the other person, instead try focusing on your own feelings. Also, keep conversations focused on relevant topics, not everything from years back and definitely nothing related to work.

Be honest with your peers

When you are talking about something, be sure to be honest and clear about what you are saying. If you notice that someone is putting up more effort than necessary in an argument, try to find out why they feel so strongly about it.

This will help you understand their emotional state better and maybe even change their mind!

Likewise if you are trying to convince them of something, make sure your arguments are sound. No one wants to deal with a person who does not seem confident in themselves or the source they use for information.

Be honest with your boss

As mentioned before, your job can be very stressful at times. Under such circumstances, being able to control your emotions is important. If you keep it together in front of your superiors, they will feel more confident in your ability to deal with things.

At the same time, if you are not feeling well, try to identify the underlying cause. Is there something happening at work or home that is upsetting you? Are you over-exerting yourself physically or mentally?

If you need some time off, ask for it and make sure it is approved. Don’t hesitate to speak up about your mental state so people know how to respond when you are down.

Your colleagues and bosses will admire your emotional intelligence skills.