Emotional Intelligence

What is Emotional Intelligence?

It is the ability to recognise, reason and regulate emotions to help solve problems and live a more effective life. Feeling confident to handle emotions during a difficult situation relieves the tension and stress. Emotional intelligence (EI) combines events with cognitions and emotions to create a beneficial outcome.

When using EI we are able to manage our emotions and reactions to influence the situation.

We understood that our emotions convey information about perceptions. For example, a happy emotion communicates a pleasant feeling, whereas an angry emotion indicates inner turmoil and that the individual thinks something is wrong.

Our emotions sometimes control our behavior:

When difficult situations arise our emotions can take control and we suddenly explode in anger. This type of reaction causes upsets with both you and the person involved.

When we respond to situations with an intention to seek knowledge, and attempt to understand what’s happening, we are able to respond with common sense and solve the problem effectively.

If you feel insulted by someone then you might react in an angry and defensive manner, but if you were aware of your feelings of being insulted and reasoned with your thoughts and beliefs then your reaction might be different.

Your feelings might arise because of what you were taught as a child to feel in that situation. Culture and environment also have an impact on what emotions and reactions we believe to be correct.

Emotional Intelligence in Action:

Emotional Intelligence is the ability to recognise your emotions, to reason with them and alter them in order to create a positive outcome.

There are different types of Emotional Intelligence model which include techniques such as self-awareness, motivation, empathy, personal influence, assertiveness and happiness etc. Learning EI techniques helps an individual to process emotional related information effectively.

Putting Emotional Intelligence in action consists of recognizing, thinking about, understanding and managing emotions.

When a person is confident with their Emotional Intelligent skills they perceive that they are in control and are able to handle the situation.

They know that they are able:

- to reflect on their emotions,
- recognise what those emotions tell them about the environment and situation,
- seek out further information to clarify
- and then take suitable action to resolve the problem.

Emotional Intelligence can reduce feelings of stress by creating confidence in problem solving.