Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
Featured Image: Emotional intelligence is responsible for 58 per cent of a person’s performance. | Courtesy of Pixabay
There are different types of intelligence. There’s academic, creative, and practical to name a few. It’s emotional intelligence (EQ), that gives a person that ability to read their own instinctive feelings along with that of others. Experts believe this type of intelligence, the ability to read, understand, and respond to emotions, is crucial in predicting health, happiness, and success.
The theory of emotional intelligence and the term itself, originated at Yale and the University of New Hampshire. Peter Salovey and John Mayer, wrote about the theory in 1990. Their work demonstrated how emotions significantly impacted an individual’s thinking and behaviour. Emotional intelligence is about a person being able to use their emotions to inform their thinking.
According to Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, there are five key elements to emotional intelligence. Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.
Emotional intelligence can be thought of as an individual’s ability to be self-aware; in other words, able to recognize and understand their behaviour and emotions. Self-management occurs when someone is in control of their emotions and responses. Self-motivation encompasses internal resources to reach goals. Empathy is the ability to understand others emotions, and social skills constitute the ability to build and maintain relationships.
EQ assists a person in a variety of ways. From aiding their physical and mental well-being, to a person’s ability to inspire and lead. It is what individuals use to effectively manage their relationships and deal with conflict resolution.
Emotional intelligence is a gateway to a balanced life and is essential in every aspect of life. For a person’s physical health, emotional intelligence aid’s in managing stress, which in turn helps maintain good health. For mental well-being, EQ affects a person’s attitude, and can help alleviate anxiety, and avoid depression. A higher level of EQ has a direct correlation to a positive and happier outlook on life.
When it comes to leadership, the ability to understand what motivates others, leads to the building of stronger bonds in the workplace. An effective leader is one that recognizes the needs of others and helps meet those needs.
While a person’s IQ is relatively fixed, EQ is not. Emotional intelligence can be improved, but it does take work. However, over time it is worth it, because it is something that will not only benefit an individual’s work life, but also their general happiness.
