Over the past few years, emotional intelligence (or EQ for short) has become one of the most popular topics in psychology. It is typically grouped into two main branches: ability-based or trait-based theories. Ability theory focuses more on how someone’s personality affects their behavior, while trait theory looks at underlying qualities that make up your personality.

A third branch of research combines both ability and trait concepts together. This hybrid approach is often referred to as “multi-trait” or “measurement model” approaches to EI.

There are several reasons why people have grown interested in emotional intelligence. First, some studies suggest that having higher levels of emotional intelligence can help you achieve your goals and reduce stress and depression. Second, many feel emotionally intelligent skills should be taught and encouraged in school curriculums. And lastly, professionals need to know about it when hiring candidates.

While there is no universal definition of emotional intelligence, most theorists agree that it is made up of five components. These components include: self-awareness, empathy, motivation, regulation, and social awareness. Some definitions also include a sixth component, usefulness, which refers to whether you apply these abilities in helpful ways.

This article will discuss all six components of emotional intelligence and how to improve them. However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let us take a look at what makes up the first component -- self-awareness.

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Link between emotional intelligence and success

More and more studies show that having an understanding of your emotions is important for career success. People who have high levels of emotional intelligence are better able to understand their own feelings and those of others, which helps them enjoy his or her life less.

Research has also shown that people with higher EQs are more likely to succeed in business, socialize more effectively, and retain close relationships longer than individuals with lower EQs.

In fact, a recent study found that being emotionally intelligent can help you gain employment beyond just getting a job. The researchers determined that employees working under someone with low emotional intelligence were rated as happier at work, interacted less frequently with colleagues, and gave weaker performance reviews compared to when they were worked under someone with high emotional intelligence.

There’s even some evidence to suggest that being emotionally intelligent could increase overall employee productivity and engagement.

Link between emotional intelligence and leadership

Another area where emotional intelligence comes into play is leadership. Being able to identify and manage your own emotions as well as other people’s is a key factor in leading and motivating others.

Studies indicate that not only does emotional intelligence make good leaders more effective, but that they are perceived as more likeable and influential by their staff and superiors. On the flip side, lack of emotionality is seen as a sign of poor leadership.

Ways to improve emotional intelligence

Developing your emotional quotient (EQ) is one of the most important things you can do to succeed in life.

This includes having empathy for others, understanding how other people feel, and being able to relate to them.

On the other hand, poor EQ is a cause for concern as it could mean problems in your personal or professional life.

You might not like someone else’s style, and they could be the next boss. Or, you may not understand why someone seems upset with you, making it hard to fix the problem.

There are several ways to develop your EQ. You can learn about emotions and how to manage them, work on relationships, apply social skills, and use self-awareness to strengthen your overall quality.

Become a better listener

Being able as well as good listeners is an important quality for humans to have. We spend lots of time listening to other people, whether it’s about work or personal matters.

By being a more efficient listener, you will gain insights that would otherwise go unnoticed. You will also be spared from having to repeat things yourself because someone else has done so already.

In our increasingly connected world, there are lot of opportunities to speak with others via phone, video chat, text messages, etc. So, do not neglect your ability to listen!

It will help you achieve your career goals, improve your relationships, and make you feel happier. Many professionals learn how to hone their listening skills through formal education, but anyone can develop theirs naturally.

You can start by practicing simple strategies like paying close attention, looking at the speaker clearly, asking open-ended questions, and expressing interest in what was said. From there, you can advance to higher levels.

Learn to be assertive

Being able to recognize your own emotions and those of others is a key part of being emotionally intelligent. But before you can do that, you have to know what emotional experiences people have in life.

Studies show that around half of all adults suffer from at least one type of depression. One cause for this may be when someone else feels more important than you – maybe because they’ve got a higher position or they’re richer than you are.

If such situations feel like they could continue for too long, it may make you feel bad. You might start thinking about giving up or quitting your job so you don’t have to put up with them anymore.

But even if you haven’t given up yet, staying strong while other people are under an extra layer of stress can help you keep yourself focused on the task at hand. It will also help them get the same level of focus they need to complete their work.

Teach people how to empathize

One of the most important things that can be taught is empathy. Empathy comes from understanding what other people go through, which makes it possible to relate to them.

This is one of the major strengths of emotional intelligence. People with high levels of empathy are understood as being more caring and sympathetic towards others.

People who have high levels of empathy also tend to be happier. In fact, there’s a theory called the “Elation Theory of Happiness” which says that happiness comes not only from positive experiences, but also from anticipating and bringing about negative ones.

By this reasoning, someone who could bring themselves to feel sorrow for another person's loss would probably be less unhappy than someone who doesn't.

Be realistic

A lot of people get bogged down in trying to use emotional intelligence as an asset. The problem is that they make the mistake of thinking about it in terms of what emotions feel like for them, or how to regulate their own emotions, or even using it to prove that they are more emotionally intelligent than someone else.

This isn’t actually effective ways to use EI. Focusing on your lack of control over other people’s emotions can be self-defeating, while practicing empathy doesn’t necessarily help you apply empathy to something outside yourself.

The best way to use EI as an asset is to think about it in terms of how well you manage your own feelings. This is because having strong internal controls helps you relate to others more effectively and puts you in a better position to achieve your goals.

Your personal effectiveness is not only influenced by how you handle your own moods, but also by the level of motivation and engagement you have in tasks and relationships.

Understand your emotions

A major component of emotional intelligence is understanding yourself, your emotions, and other people. You will find that most emotionally intelligent individuals are very aware of their feelings. They are conscious of how they feel about things and they are able to describe those feelings clearly.

Some ways to improve your emotional awareness include practicing mindfulness, doing exercise, learning more about emotion theories, and exploring different strategies for stress management.

By being aware of your own emotions you can better understand why you behave the way you do and what effects your actions have on others.

You will also learn when your emotions are appropriate and which ones are productive and helpful. This helps you manage your moods and behaviors and keep control over your reactions.

Lastly, knowing your own emotions allows you to relate to your peers and work colleagues. Others may perceive your behavior as strange or inconsistent, but not because of anything you don’t know about yourself.

Develop your emotional self-control

A key part of developing your emotional intelligence is learning how to regulate your emotions.

This means being able to recognize your feelings and then taking action to reduce or eliminate them. For example, you may need to learn how to relax after a stressful day at work. You can also ask yourself why you are feeling this way and what you can do to fix it.

By using these strategies, you will be more aware of your emotions and what triggers them for better control. It’s like putting aside parts of your personality that don’t serve you anymore and replacing them with ones that do.