Ever heard of the term EI before? Or maybe you have just heard of the term AI? Either way both of them is very important, just in different ways.

Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a great thing, let us consider the most important thing for ourselves in this moment which is Emotional Intelligence (EI). Emotional Intelligence is “the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.”

Emotional intelligence can be one of the hardest things to accomplish. In fact, it can be twice as difficult to master (depending on your personality) compared to creating Artificial Intelligence which is intelligence demonstrated by machines.

Emotional Intelligence is a very broad umbrella. It is extremely complex because it varies from person to person. What one person might consider weak in their emotions could be something positive to another person. It is all based on personal beliefs.

I highly recommend watching the short film on YouTube below to better understand how emotional intelligence can relate back to you.

Did you recognize some flaws in your emotions that you might have not have noticed before? If you did, that is great! If not, keep this video in mind next time your emotions start to stir and make note of what you did after your emotions came out of you, why the action that followed arose and how you could have handled the situation better. 

Now that you are mindful of emotions, let’s move into some helpful tips to recognize, decipher and change your emotions, if necessary.

1. Be Mindful

The first step in bettering emotions is to understand the flaws of it and admitting that there is room for improvement. Let’s face it, there is always room for improvement in anything you do.

2. Think Critically

Consider your situation and ask yourself some basic questions:

• Was it acceptable for me to act this way?
• Did I send the wrong message to a person dear to me?
• Is there anything that is effecting me to act out this way?
• What could I have done better?
• Should I have done something better?
• What do people think of me because of this?

3. Plan for better next time

Although there is always times we wish we would have handled things differently, there is almost always a next time. If there is a similar situation that comes up in life, take a minute to really consider your best option. Let the first emotion hit you however it likes, but make that easy transition into the better, next emotion that is more fitting for the situation.

This life changing process is not going to happen over night, but it will pay off if you can master your emotions in the long run. I have seen people lose high paying jobs for avoidable problems just because the lack of emotional intelligence. Don’t be that person, be better.

Photo by Tom Pumford on Unsplash