Emotional Intelligence has recently been touching the interest of many – it has been associated with the kind of intelligence that plays a key role in our performance in various areas in life and serves as a tool to reach our goals more effectively. According to Daniel Goleman, emotional intelligence is recognized as “the capacity of recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in us and in our relationships.”

It can be a very useful skill to have, both in our professional and personal lives, however to be able to develop it, you must be able to work upward from a strong foundation, and that begins with inward self-reflection.

When you understand what and why you’re feeling the way you do, you become more aware of your actions and can control your behaviour more effectively. This emotional consciousness allows you to grow as a person and develop a deeper appreciation of who you are and who you interact with, so you are able to nurture stronger relationships.

These 4 simple tips can be a useful step on your journey toward discovering more about yourself and your emotional intelligence –

1. Be More Mindful of How You Feel:practise taking time out two or three times a day, to stop for a few seconds, take a few breaths and ask yourself how you feel. Consider why you feel this way and the impact it’s having on both yourself and those around you.Taking this precious time to do an emotion-check will reconnect you with inner-sensations and help you better appreciate the context of why you feel the way you do.
2. Observe Your Behaviour:Once you have begun to consider your emotions, the next step it to reflect on your different behaviours throughout the day in response to them.The way we act is a physical manifestation of the way we feel. For example, anxiety may make you fidget, or anger may cause you to lash out at an innocent person.
3. Question Your Views:Take the time to expand your horizons and consider that there’s always another side to every story. Challenge your pre-conceived notions and force yourself out of your comfort zone.This will help open your mind and be more in-tune with people outside of your usual circle, as well as help you gain a better perspective on things and be open to new ideas.
4. Take Responsibility of Your Emotions:The three above factors, emotions, behaviour and opinions, all stem directly from you and you alone.Don’t disassociate yourself from them or pass the blame. Instead, learn to accept responsibility.When you begin to take ownership of your emotions and your actions, you will realise how in control you actually are, and how to channel every part of yourself to become a better person.

Emotional Intelligence isn’t something that you can develop overnight.It is definitely worth every effort you invest into it. Being able to read people’s emotional state and adapting your behaviour accordingly by harnessing your emotions will get you very far in life, both at work and personally.