5 Exercises To Improve Your Emotional Intelligence

Why is improving your Emotional Intelligence so important?  We are facing that dimension of our life that we should all develop and manage properly. Knowing how to listen, understand the emotions of others and control your own, know how to communicate and foster mutual respect where we all win, is essential.

It is a type of intelligence that should be included in the curriculum of schools, to develop these basic skills in children from a very early age. Emotional intelligence is above all a way of self-knowledge, self-control and also expressiveness. To know the limits of oneself and at the same time, mark them before others. Avoiding possible manipulations.

As we already know, a high IQ is not always synonymous with happiness. True intelligence, the one that promotes our well-being, our social relationships and professional success is the one that has to do with emotional matters.

So we are  going to teach you some simple exercises to improve your Emotional Intelligence. As studies such as the one carried out at the University of London reveal thanks to this competition, we can gain in happiness and quality of life. It’s worth a try.

1. Know yourself

Knowing yourself is an adventure that lasts a lifetime. It is an exercise that is achieved, in turn, day by day, setting goals and asking ourselves questions. This is an introspection task to set ourselves every morning.

When night comes, analyze how you have felt throughout your day. Have you acted how you wanted? Have you expressed yourself, defended yourself according to your own values? You can use the classic paper, a diary or your notebook of thoughts. It is a very simple but at the same time illustrative exercise. Ask yourself questions, inquire into yourself, clarify.

2. Emotional regulation

Think of your emotions as on a scale. The key to well-being is in balance. Achieving that internal homeostasis requires adequate work that, according to Daniel Goleman, should focus on these aspects:

• Control your anger. When you notice that you are about to “fall” or “explode” visualize a small quiet and airy room. It is your palace of thoughts.

• Control your impulses. Before acting, think, reason and analyze the situation.
• Regulate your negative emotions. These states absorb all of our attention, hampering any attempt to attend to something else.

3. Empathy to improve your Emotional Intelligence

Empathy is a concept that we all know and value, but we don’t put it into practice as much as we should. It is easier for us to put ourselves in the shoes of those people who transmit the most positive feelings to us. We identify better with them and the level of understanding and approach is more intense.

Now, why don’t we try to empathize with more bothering us? Try to “put yourself in the shoes” of the other and perhaps you will discover what is behind them : insecurity, low self-esteem …

Doing so will enable us to better manage our relationships. That understanding and that making of contact validates us to decide better, to be more assertive, understanding the point of view of others.

4. Self-motivation

You may not feel like it today, you may not feel like it. But from this moment on we will do a simple exercise: we are going to look at the good side of things, leaving the negative behind. Get up every day thinking about something that excites you and that you want to achieve. Set goals, short and long term goals.

Sometimes any insignificance is useful to us. End the day in that cafeteria that you have not entered yet. Make a call to that person you haven’t seen for so long. Buy you a new dress. Plan a weekend getaway. Sign up for a yoga or painting course. Smile a little more …

5. Social skills

We are going to try to communicate a little better, and not only through words, but also through gestures. Get closer to the people around you, draw a smile, offer a caress, a pat on the back or a hug. You will see that the reaction of those around you is different.

Likewise, the art of training in social skills requires enhancing the following aspects:

• Learn to listen, to express yourself, to communicate effectively.
• Train your assertiveness.
• Be respectful.
• Practice compassion.
• Be patient.
• Make use of intuition, another key tool to improve your Emotional Intelligence.

Seek and offer positive emotions in every moment and second of your life.  Put these keys into practice to improve your Emotional Intelligence and be happier, making others happy as well.