Emotional Intelligence.doc

Emotional Intelligence (EQ)Five Key Skills for Raising Emotional Intelligence When it comes to happiness and success in life, emotional intelligence (EQ) matters just as much as intellectual ability (IQ). Emotional intelligence helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at work, and achieve your career and personal goals. Learn more about why emotional intelligence is so important and how you can boost your own EQ by mastering five core skillsWhat is emotional intelligence? Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with(有共鸣) others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence impacts many different aspects of your daily life, such as the way you behave and the way you interact with others. If you have high emotional intelligence you are able to recognize your own emotional state and the emotional states of others, and engage with people in a way that draws them to you. You can use this understanding of emotions to relate better to other people, form healthier relationships, achieve greater success at work, and lead a more fulfilling life. Emotional intelligence consists of four attributes: Self-awareness You recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior, know your strengths and weaknesses, and have self-confidence. Self-management Youre able to control impulsive feelings and behaviors, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances. Social awareness You can understand the emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially, and recognize the power dynamics in a group or organization. Relationship management You know how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others, work well in a team, and manage conflict. Why is emotional intelligence (EQ) so important?As we know, its not the smartest people that are the most successful or the most fulfilled in life. You probably know people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially inept and unsuccessful at work or in their personal relationships. Intellectual intelligence (IQ) isnt enough on its own to be successful in life. Yes, your IQ can help you get into college, but its your EQ that will help you manage the stress and emotions when facing your final exams.Emotional intelligence affects: Your performance at work. Emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of the workplace, lead and motivate others, and excel in your career. In fact, when it comes to gauging（测定） job candidates, many companies now view emotional intelligence as being as important as technical ability and require EQ testing before hiring. Your physical health. If youre unable to manage your stress levels, it can lead to serious health problems. Uncontrolled stress can raise blood pressure, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, contribute to infertility, and speed up the aging process. The first step to improving emotional intelligence is to learn how to relieve stress. Your mental health. Uncontrolled stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and depression. If you are unable to understand and manage your emotions, youll also be open to mood swings（心境不定）, while an inability to form strong relationships can leave you feeling lonely and isolated. Your relationships. By understanding your emotions and how to control them, youre better able to express how you feel and understand how others are feeling. This allows you to communicate more effectively and forge stronger relationships, both at work and in your personal life. How to raise your emotional intelligenceTo improve your emotional intelligenceand your decision-making abilitiesyou need to understand and control the emotional side of your brain. This is done by developing five key skills. By mastering the first two skills, youll find skills three, four, and five much easier to learn.Developing emotional intelligence through five key skills:Emotional intelligence (EQ) consists of five key skills, each building on the last: The ability to quickly reduce stress The ability to recognize and manage your emotions The ability to connect with others using nonverbal communication The ability to use humor and play to deal with challenges The ability to resolve conflicts positively and with confidenceEmotional intelligence (EQ) skill 1: Rapidly reduce stressHigh levels of stress can overwhelm the mind and body, getting in the way of your ability to accurately “read” a situation, hear what someone else is saying, be aware of your own feelings and needs, and communicate clearly.Being able to quickly calm yourself down and relieve stress helps you stay balanced, focused, and in controlno matter what challenges you face or how stressful a situation becomes. Realize when youre stressed Identify your stress response Discover the stress-busting techniques that work for you Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 2: Emotional awarenessBeing able to connect to your emotionshaving a moment-to-moment awareness of your emotions and how they influence your thoughts and actionsis the key to understanding yourself and others.Many people are disconnected from their emotionsespecially strong core emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and joy. This may be the result of negative childhood experiences that taught you to try to shut off your feelings. But although we can distort, deny, or numb our feelings, we cant eliminate them. Theyre still there, whether were aware of them or not. Unfortunately, without emotional awareness, we are unable to fully understand our own motivations and needs, or to communicate effectively with others.Emotional intelligence skill (EQ) 3: Nonverbal communicationBeing a good communicator requires more than just verbal skills. Often, what you say is less important than how you say it, or the other nonverbal signals you send outthe gestures you make, the way you sit, how fast or how loud you talk, how close you stand, or how much eye contact you make. In order to hold the attention of others and build connection and trust, you need to be aware of, and in control of, this body language. You also need to be able to accurately read and respond to the nonverbal cues that other people send you.These messages dont stop when someone stops speaking. Even when youre silent, youre still communicating nonverbally. Think about what you are transmitting as well, and if what you say matches what you feel. If you insist, “Im fine, while clenching your teeth and looking away, your body is clearly signaling the opposite. Your nonverbal messages can produce a sense of interest, trust, excitement, and desire for connectionor they can generate fear, confusion, distrust, and disinterest.Tips for improving nonverbal communication Focus on the other person. If you are planning what youre going to say next, daydreaming, or thinking about something else, you are almost certain to miss nonverbal cues and other subtleties in the conversation. Make eye contact. Eye contact can communicate interest, maintain the flow of a conversation, and help gauge the other persons response. Pay attention to nonverbal cues youre sending and receiving, such as facial expression, tone of voice, posture and gestures, touch, and the timing and pace of the conversation.Emotional intelligence (EQ) skill 4: Use humor and play to deal with challenges Humor, laughter, and play are natural antidotes（解药） to lifes difficulties; they lighten your burdens and help you keep things in perspective. A good hearty laugh reduces stress, elevates mood, and brings your nervous system back into balance.Playful communication broadens your emotional intelligence and helps you: Take hardships in stride. Smooth over differences. Simul