Take a moment to think about your friends, family, co-workers, and anyone else you know. Who among them not only understands, expresses, and manages their own feelings but also displays empathy and understanding toward others? These individuals are defined in psychology as emotionally intelligent. Emotional intelligence (ET) and awareness contribute to stress relief and mental wellness because you understand your behavioral motivations as well as those from the people around you. 

How to Increase Your Emotional Intelligence

1. Perform a Self-Evaluation

Improve your ET by first turning inward. Write out what you like about yourself, as well as what you believe could use improvement, such as staying calm during stressful situations and reacting to people and events a little slower instead of always making snap judgments. Practice mindfulness, so you identify and stop negative thought patterns, and find healthy stress-relief options, such as meditating or talking walks around the block.

2. Listen & Observe

Observe the people around you and really listen to them instead of always thinking about what you will say next. Emotionally intelligent people are frequently keen observers who pick up on nonobvious signs of distress and unhappiness. They ask themselves why people act poorly instead of immediately getting angry and often correctly assess the reason, such as work or personal life stress.

3. Get Others’ Perspectives

Ask the people around you for their perspectives, so you are not always stuck on your own feelings and emotions. Show your friends, family, and associates that you value their opinions and want to learn more about how they see the world, as understanding outside perspectives broadens the mind and encourages objective, unselfish thinking and behavior.

4. Take Responsibility

Be upfront about your actions, both negative and positive. Everyone makes mistakes, and saying “I was wrong” or “I’m sorry” in no way diminishes who you are as a person. It actually has the opposite effect, as people always admire those who take responsibility for themselves and their actions instead of throwing the blame elsewhere.

5. Work With a Wellness Coach

Make appointments with your local wellness coaching center for further assistance in mindfulness training and stress relief.  Work with a life coach to strengthen your existing emotional intelligence skills, gain a deeper understanding of your actions and thought processes, and stay proactive instead of reactive.

Work with Zoe Zimmerman, the life coach, licensed massage therapist, and registered nurse behind Zoe’s Zen Time in Shawano, WI, to improve your emotional intelligence. Zoe also provides reiki and aromatherapy services to help clients self-heal, improve their energy levels, and simply feel better. Call (715) 304-6137 today to schedule your appointment, or visit them online for more about her services. Get additional stress relief and wellness tips on Facebook.