Emotional Intelligence in Aspects of Life

Emotional Intelligence in Aspects of Life

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Introduction

Emotional intelligence (EI) can be defined as the ability for individuals to recognize, manage and control their emotions when interacting with others in various scenarios. The article looks into how emotional intelligence can be applied in communication, work-life, home-life and personal life. Moreover, aspects that can improve one’s emotional intelligence have been outlined (Goleman, 1995).

Emotional Intelligence in Communication

The main purpose of emotional intelligence is to enhance interpersonal relationships and solve issues in an intelligent way without hurting others in order to improve the way of life through communication skills (Pradhan & Mathur, 2008). Communication enhances EI through knowing when to communicate to others, how to communicate and through which media of communication. Selecting the right words for the right audience is an intelligence aspect that enhances EI. Moreover, the aspect of empathy also comes in handy in that one has to consider the feelings of others when communicating to them. Good communication skills ensure that EI is enhanced and room for emotional conflict is mitigated (Eaton & Johnson, 2001).

Emotional Intelligence in Work-life

Managing one’s emotions, such as, anger, jealousy, Isolation, resentment, hopelessness, misunderstandings, and insecurity among others is very important at work. Having emotional literacy helps one to handle their reactions in a pressurized working environment. Educating employees and staff on how to deal with pressures at work in a bid to create healthy interrelationships is very important (Steiner & Perry, 1997). Secondly, to ensure a stable EI, one has to learn how to control their emotions as well as understanding others. In this case, empathy is very important in promoting EI and curbing reactions through an emotions understanding perspective. Moreover, avoiding negative aspects as selfishness, insensitivity to others, inflexibility, volatility towards issues you do not like and arrogance to others as all these trigger negative emotions to colleagues (Eaton & Johnson, 2001).

On the other hand, building a strong relationship with management and staff is very important in cultivating emotional balance and intelligence (Pradhan & Mathur, 2008). As a result, emotional pressure will subside as being nice to everyone reduces the chance for them seeing you as an emotional target. Having a positive attitude at work also helps; a negative attitude is a emotion that could escalate emotional imbalance thus leading to poor EI. Therefore, this calls for employees to cultivate good perceptions of their workplace so as to create a healthy metal working environment (Steiner & Perry, 1997).

Emotional Intelligence in Home-life

A family can be said to be the basic unit of society while a society forms the foundation for emotional support. Therefore, dealing with children, family members, neighbours and even community members is very important in emotional intelligence. When it comes to parents, they should be very supportive to their children emotionally by fostering encouraging words and concepts (Goleman, 1995). Moreover, whenever there is conflict, it should be solved amicably without violence so as to ensure that the emotional balance of children is not affected. Regulating the emotions of children and cultivating a good relationship between them, the parents and the community is very important (Steiner & Perry, 1997).

Therefore, emotional intelligence in children is developed better at their tender age through immense emotional support and confidence cultivation (Warner, 2006). Emotional coaching is important for both the children and their parents as well; the behaviour of the parents also determines if EI will be cultivated in children or not as well as their self-control. The characteristics of children should also be observed so as to know if they are in the right path of developing a stable EI (Goleman, 1995).

Emotional Intelligence in Personal-life

When it comes to personal emotional intelligence, the basis for creation of a strong relationship with others starts from self-emotional management. The first thing is to have self-emotional awareness (Eaton & Johnson, 2001). It is good to gauge how you react to certain situations, what makes you angry and the level of self confidence that you have when faced by emotional challenges. Emotional awareness helps in the making of rational decisions in case of a challenge and the mitigation of a reaction towards a challenge. Moreover, self-regulation comes in handy; this is a situation where one has to have emotional self-control, adaptability to pressure and innovation is solving a problem free from use of emotions (Wilding, 2013).

Apparently, people with empathy tend to have outstanding EI as they are able to base their response on the emotions of the other party, developing them and accepting the diversity that exists between oneself and others and using it to create a strong interrelationship (Wilding, 2013). Moreover, without cognitive social skills such as influence, viable communication skills, team leadership and collaborative qualities, then emotional intelligence may become hard to achieve as a person. The social skills helps one to deal with one’s emotions as well as controlling that of others and handing it responsibly without causing further damage (Pradhan & Mathur, 2008).

Opportunities in Improving emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the same as Intelligence Quotient (IQ) although they are related. Apparently, IQ involves the ability to understand things easily or rather being clever, while on the other hand, EI involves the ability for one to control their emotions in a bid to form a cohesive interrelationship with others (Warner, 2006). Therefore, you do not have to acquire a high IQ to be able to control your emotions, although people with high IQ have a better chance of understanding how to do it. In order to improve emotional intelligence, a number of aspects have to be applied in any possible scenario (Goleman, 1995).

First of all, one should practice the observation of how they feel in stressing situations and avoid instantaneous actions. Paying attention to emotions usually helps one to really discover how they feel so as to be able to trust their next course of action. Taking deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling can stabilize one’s emotions. Secondly, behavioural observation and attention is very important; this is a part of emotional management. The sense of managing one’s actions determines the interrelationship, communication and productivity (Wilding, 2013).

Thirdly, taking responsibility of one’s behaviour and feelings is very important; blame game will always escalate into violence or emotional imbalance (Wilding, 2013). It is good to understand that nobody makes you do something, but rather, your emotions compel you to do something and you are responsible for it. In addition, practicing to respond rather than react is a very crucial move in enhancing EI. A reaction involves an unconscious emotionally triggered action in a bid to release emotions while responding is self-conscious in terms of emotions and involves making a rational decision (Warner, 2006).

One of the most rational-approach to EI is empathy; taking time to understand the feelings of someone else as well as why they behave or behaved in a certain way. With this in mind, EI is enhanced as one is compelled to communicate with another in an understanding way; therefore, practicing empathy mitigates the need for a reaction and triggers response to a problem (Steiner & Perry, 1997). Lastly, the creation of a positive environment, that is, self-responsibility, empathy and self-awareness, creates a rationally healthy environment for emotional control and management. Quality EI and life can only be created through a healthy environment. Avoid issues such as violence, drug taking and even peer pressure as they erode one’s emotional intelligence (Pradhan & Mathur, 2008).

Conclusion

The development of EI in one’s life enables them to form a cohesive work, home, communication and even work lives. Therefore, emotional intelligence helps us to make rational decisions as well as developing self control. Moreover, EI is a platform for ensuring that we respond to issues rather than reacting to them (Goleman, 1995).

References

Eaton, J., & Johnson, R. (2001). Communicate with emotional intelligence.

Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.

Pradhan, R. K., & Mathur, P. (2008). Emotional intelligence: Perspectives in organisations.

Steiner, C., & Perry, P. (1997). Achieving emotional literacy: A personal program to increase your emotional intelligence.

Warner, J. (2006). Emotional intelligence.

Wilding, C. (2013). Improve your emotional intelligence: Communicate better, achieve more, be happier.