Building Emotional Intelligence Isn't as Hard as You Think

These five skills can be practiced now:

R: Recognize

Being able to recognize and managing any feelings is the first step. There may be times where you’ve got a headache or a pain that only until later you realized was caused by some emotional stress. A “Mood Meter” is a technique that involves asking yourself two simple questions. How much energy does this emotion have? And how pleasant is this emotion?

By identifying which category these emotions fall into, we can wisely deal with them.

U: Understand

“Why am I feeling this way?” By understanding and asking questions about what causes us to feel a certain way, this can reduce anxiety. The introspective practice can help sort out why you are feeling that way you are. It takes time, so be patient.

L: Label

Simply recognizing what may be the cause for emotion, what you feel just doesn’t cut it. It’s essential to label and give it a proper name. We must expand our emotional vocabulary and elaborate instead of just using words like “good” and “bad.”  As the saying goes, “if you can name it, you can tame it.”

E: Express

These last two are about what to do with your emotions. Expressing your emotions may seem embarrassing, or if you’re vulnerable may even injure yourself. But, “hurt feelings don’t vanish on their own,” according to Bracket. It’s important to express them some way, so they’re not piled up.

R: Regulate

Coping with our feelings is the last emotional skill we need to learn. No matter if we decide to express them or not, they eventually impact us greatly and if they’re not sorted then they’ll impact our lives. It’s crucial to learn how to deal and accept them wisely.