Sometimes people get too caught up in their emotions and get overwhelmed. Others push emotions away and try not to feel at all. Neither of these is an effective strategy. Emotional Intelligence is about being smarter with your feelings, using emotions and thoughts together. We live in a time of complexity. Stress is always rising. Even children are experiencing greater distress. We have incredible technology to communicate, yet more people feel more isolated than ever before. There is a growing amount of research proving that using emotional intelligence can battle this problem. Emotional Intelligence can allow you to form stronger relationships, be and feel healthier, make better decisions, and achieve more effective results. One solid fact is that emotions are part of human biology. THEY ARE THERE FOR A REASON! Emotions are chemicals and are part of the process that makes our brains and bodies work. They act as signals. Maybe there is a threat, perhaps an opportunity has shown itself, a memory has been recalled, a goal is achieved, or a joke is told. Emotions signal the body to regulate basic human functions such as heart rate, blood flow, muscle response, body temperature, and more. This may cause a fight, flight, or freeze reaction. It could mean that your face turns red and your palms get sweaty. An emotion can bring tears to your eyes, make you laugh, make you scream, or make you swoon. Some people think its convenient to leave emotions out of it, but the very opposite is true. Allowing yourself to notice your emotions and respond alongside them will help you understand your feelings and thoughts, becoming more self-aware, and thus developing personally. Ignoring your emotions means that you are literally disregarding what your brain is telling you! This can cause your brain to be confused and it attempts to re-route itself since that emotion did not do the job that it was supposed to. This process can cause an assortment of symptoms such as mood swings, low self-esteem, anxiety, negative self-talk, depression, and even physical illnesses! One of the beautiful aspects of emotional intelligence is that it can be learned! In partnership with Six Seconds (an emotional intelligence network), I am on a mission to fight the stigma of emotional health and to raise awareness of emotional intelligence. As a certified Six Seconds Assessor and Practitioner, along with my passion for human connection and compassion, I would love to help you grow your emotional intelligence and assist you on a journey to living a healthier, happier life.
