Emotional Intelligence: How to Develop and Use It

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions, as well as understand the emotions of other people.

It plays an important role in personal and professional life.

It is emotional intelligence that helps us track our emotions and experiences, recognize burnout and fatigue, and, as a result, prevent conflict situations in relationships with other people and depression.

Let's take a closer look at this topic together with psychologist Ksenia Matur .

How to develop emotional intelligence

1. Increase awareness. Keep a journal of feelings and emotions: Write down your feelings and reactions to different situations, people to better understand your emotions.

Track your feelings and emotions and ask yourself the question “What did I react to this way now?”, “When did I react this way before?” This will help you to be aware of your experiences and understand their causes.

2. Develop empathy and sensitivity. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes to better understand their point of view and emotions.

3. Sociability. Try to listen thoughtfully and attentively to your interlocutor, ask questions of interest and show that you understand his feelings and that he is interesting to you.

4. Managing emotions. To calm the mind and balance the emotional state, as well as to relax and reduce anxiety: meditation, yoga practices, breathing exercises, hobbies.

How to Use Emotional Intelligence

Empathy and managing your emotions help to effectively resolve conflicts without harm to either party, or to neutralize this harm, and contribute to mediation.

Recognizing your emotions and the emotions of others when making decisions will help you make more objective and informed decisions.

Empathy and sensitivity help build relationships with other people, establish contact and mutual understanding with them.

Also, understanding the emotions of other people helps to avoid conflicts, come to a compromise solution, and contributes to the high-quality building of relationships in any area (both personal and professional).

Emotional intelligence helps in managing teams. Emotionally intelligent leaders can better understand their employees and partners, motivate employees, and create a positive work environment.

Also in business, emotional intelligence helps to find an approach to each business partner, put yourself in their place and find the most advantageous solution for all participants in the business process.

Developing emotional intelligence can be challenging, but it is definitely worth it. Experience, practice, and dedication will pay off!