Emotional Intelligence (Eq/IE)

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INTRODUCTION TO EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (FEELINGS)

WHY EMOTIONAL (FEELINGS) INTELLIGENCE MATTER

1. Defining Emotional Intelligence (feelings). Emotional Intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your feelings and emotions, as well as to recognize and influence the feelings / emotions of those around you.
2. Understanding the importance of Emotional Intelligence in your personal and professional life. Emotional Intelligence is important because it can help you improve your interpersonal relationships, both personally and professionally. 
3. Recognizing the impact of Emotional Intelligence on relationships and decision-making. Emotional Intelligence can assist you to improve your decision-making process, in four main ways: self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and social skills. Self-awareness is the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, feelings, strengths, weaknesses, and values
4. Recognizing the difference between feelings and emotions. Feelings are an interaction between your emotional energy body and your physical energy body. It is a feeling that you feel in your body. You need to know what each feeling feels like and associate it with a word and the definition of that word. This is a skill we should all learn and grow within ourselves. Emotions are energy in motion, powered by your power. We often shout these emotions as words of anger, irritation, frustration, jealousy, etc.  Each emotional word is triggered by feelings. You must learn to express your feelings, rather than your emotions, in your interactions. Just to understand the point a bit better - no robot has feelings / emotional intelligence, nor can it react emotionally in any angry way. We are humans and not robots, therefore we have feelings / emotions. 

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UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Key Components of Emotional Intelligence

1. Self-awareness: understanding your needs; recognize and identify your feelings, and what they mean to you.
2. Self-regulation: understanding and managing your feelings (emotions) and your reactions to them.
3. Acceptance: accepting yourself and others as they are, without trying to change anyone. 
4. Consideration: taking into account the feelings, circumstances and needs of others.
5. Motivation: using feelings (emotions) to achieve the ultimate goal for the mutual benefit of everyone concerned.
6. Cooperation and Collaboration: to cooperate is to the benefit of all, and to collaborate is working together for the benefit of all.
7. Empathy: the ability to emotionally understand what others feel, and to see things from their point of view, as imagine yourself in their place. 
8. Compassion: to understand and accept others where they are at. 
9. Respect: you accept someone for who they are, even when they have different opinions or views from you. 
10. Social skills: effective communication and relationship building; developing a heart-to-heart association with others, using  feelings. This develops into authentic and trusting relationships.  

 
DEVELOPING FEELINGS AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Practical Strategies for Building Emotional Intelligence

1. Mindfulness and self-reflection practices.
2. Emotional labeling and recognition techniques.
3. Active listening and empathy building. 
4. Effective communication and conflict resolution skills.
5. Being respectful and considerate of others in all circumstances.
6. Seeking feedback and learn from criticism.
7. Building effective, cooperative and collaborative relationships.

 
BENEFITS OF FEELING (EMOTIONAL) INTELLIGENCE
How Emotional Intelligence Can Improve Your Life

1. Better relationships and communication.
2. Improved decision-making and problem solving.
3. Enhanced leadership and teamwork skills.
4. Increased self-awareness and self-acceptance.
5. Reduced stress and improved mental health.
6. Improved academic and professional performance.
7. Better conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
8. Increased empathy and compassion.
9. Improved overall well-being and happiness.
10. Improved cooperative and collaborative relationships.
11. Having respect for others, improves mutual respect. 

 
APPLYING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS
Some Practical Examples 

1. Managing conflict and difficult conversations.
2. Building strong relationships and teams.
3. Making informed decisions and navigating change.
4. Coping with stress and adversity.
5. Leading and inspiring others using Emotional Intelligence.

 
SUSTAINING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Maintaining and Growing Your Emotional Intelligence

1. Continuous learning and self-improvement.
2. Seeking feedback and mentorship.
3. Practicing mindfulness and self-care.
4. Embracing challenges and growing opportunities for further development.
5. Integrating Emotional Intelligence into your daily life and work.
6. Staying adaptable and resilient in a changing world.
7. Continue to developing your feelings / Emotional Intelligence to reach your fullest potential.

HOW CAN YOU LEARN MORE
We have developed an outstanding program that you can work at in our sessions and/or at home. You then bring the feelings work into our sessions for further exploration and discussion, brining deeper understanding to you. This assists you to overcome your triggers, using what you have learned thus fare.

Our process is practical and part of everyday use, yet highly effective and impactful. We will teach you this vital skill and weave it into your personal program. We combine it with the other skills you have developed with us to date. Combining these skills with your boundary setting skills are extremely potent and highly effective, resulting in you not having to lose your cool ever again.  

This is an amazing set of skills to have, that will propel you to great success in every facet of your life. We always tell our clients that: "this is one area where wide spread learning is essential" in order to function well in life.

​Do read about the subject from external sources as well. You can only round yourself off much better!!

There is a wealth of information available on Emotional Intelligence in books, on the Internet, in workshops, etc. You can also visit the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence at: Emotional Intelligence.  This tends to be very academic in some areas and it is a great source of information.
 
To view a copy of an excellent paper on Emotional Intelligence and Why it Matters, by Dr. Cary Cherniss of Rutgers University, click on the following link: Emotional Intelligence .