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What would be the first thing that will pop into your mind if someone said the word “Intelligence”? It is highly likely that you will immediately start to think of math, logic, or even science. This is because we have been tuned to focus sharply on the analytical component of intelligence. You would have hardly called someone “intelligent” in your life who were not good at things like math and logic. Ever since the years of pre-school, we have been taught that the primary criteria of defining intelligence are via a person’s analytical skills. However, as per psychology, there is another side to intelligence; a side that is just as important or perhaps even more important on certain occasions. This component of intelligence is called “Emotional Intelligence”.

The concept of “Emotional Quotient” represents that logic is not the only perspective with which different problems can be seen. More often than, emotions are considered as the opposite of thinking. In reality, however, emotions can only be defined as an alternate perspective. The world-renowned scientist, Charles Darwin, stated in his “Theory of Evolution” that the origin of emotions can be traced to the evolution of the human brain. For instance, with evolution, our brain developed a novel experience of a negative emotion called “fear”. It was because of this emotion that our forefathers were able to recognize the environment that was threatening for their survival.

This signifies that emotions are a valuable tool for the process of decision making in our day to day lives. It gives us an alternate perspective of the things which broadens our view and enables us to make an informed decision. Therefore, it is just as important to focus on improving your emotional quotient (EQ) as it is to strengthen your intelligence quotient (IQ) if you are looking forward to leading a balanced life. However, you can’t work on your emotional intelligence unless you are familiar with what does it entail. Taking this into consideration, we have highlighted the four conspicuous pillars of emotional intelligence to enhance your understanding of the EQ.

1.

Being Aware Of Your Emotions

The first component of your emotional intelligence is the awareness about your own emotions. Remember that almost all of your emotions have two primary ingredients. The psychological component of your emotion is confined to your attitude, the thoughts which run through your mind when you are experiencing the emotion or your beliefs. The physical component, on the other hand, is the sensation that runs through your body as you experience the emotion. For example, if you are excited, you could have thought of an imminent joyous event in your mind that translates into a bodily sensation of a ticklish feeling in your stomach.

More often than not, putting a label to the emotion that you are experiencing is more than sufficient for its effective management. Reflecting on your emotions and observing the associated thoughts and sensations is a fine practice for a better understanding of your emotions. It enables you to see essentially how does your brain function? The familiarity with what you are feeling, the thoughts in your mind, and the physical sensations that are accompanied by them is the component of your emotional intelligence. For the purpose of improving your EQ, therefore, you need to master the art of understanding your emotions.

2.

Managing Your Emotions

The second pillar of your emotional intelligence is the skill to effectively manage and respond to your emotions. You can think of it as a multiple-choice question. You have been told that none of the answers are wrong, but you are required to choose the most suitable answer. How do you determine the one response that is the most suitable, you ask? This selection is primarily dependent on the situation. For instance, if you are giving a presentation to your potential clients and they are failing to understand your point, it is likely that you would be confronted with the emotion of frustration, annoyance, or even anger. But responding to this emotion by yelling at your clients can only be construed as inappropriate for the situation.

There are multiple strategies that can be used for

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