Emotional Intelligence: What is It and Why it Matters?

Have you ever met someone who seems to handle social situations with ease and builds strong personal relationships effortlessly? It is someone who doesn’t have to try too hard to assess situations and build connections with others.

These people also know how to effectively manage their emotions under pressure and are the perfect people to be around. The question is, how do some people have these distinct characteristics while others don’t?  This could be a sign of high emotional intelligence (EQ).


Understanding Emotional Intelligence: The Way to a Better Life

We often find people wondering “What is emotional intelligence?” because they are unable to differentiate EQ from other characteristics. Emotional intelligence refers to your ability to understand and use your emotions.

It also refers to one who manages their own emotions in positive ways. It also encompasses a person’s ability to understand and empathize with others. However, what’s interesting is that this emotional understanding requires plenty of learning and development.

IQ and EQ: The Never-Ending Debate

Traditional intelligence (IQ) has long been the point of focus for professionals and even laypeople. However, IQ primarily focuses on your cognitive abilities, which might not be everything in social situations.  The human mind is complex and cognitive abilities might not necessarily suffice for it in each case.

Emotional intelligence is equally important for success in personal and professional life. A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 85% of employers rate emotional intelligence as a more important job competency than IQ.

So, even if you’re focused on your career, your EQ will play a vital role in your long-term success. People with high EQ have an edge in several areas. These individuals are often better at:

  • Resolving conflict  
  • Motivating themselves  
  • Communicating clearly  
  • Building strong personal relationships 
  • Adapting to change 

If you think about it, emotional intelligence equips individuals with essential skills to manage everyday life problems and achieve goals more efficiently.


Learning the Core Components of Emotional Intelligence

Now that we have established the importance of emotional intelligence, learning what makes EQ is just as crucial. Identifying the core components of emotional intelligence helps individuals in developing it in their personality.

Emotional intelligence is a complex concept with different sides. However, it doesn’t mean that EQ is impossible to understand. The best way to learn about it is to focus on the key components contributing to it.

Helply - Emotional Intelligence Skills

According to the work of Daniel Goleman, a prominent psychologist, and author of the groundbreaking book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,  these components include:

Social awareness

Learning how to read social situations is crucial today. We need to focus on different aspects, read between the lines, and focus on subtle indicators. These indicators involve:

  • Understanding other people’s emotions 
  • Picking up on nonverbal cues 
  • Being sensitive to social situations.

Self-regulation

Expecting to understand others before you learn about yourself is a little unrealistic. You need to begin with self-regulation and assessment, but what does it mean? This refers to the ability to manage your emotions effectively. After all, you will develop intelligence emotionally if you learn about yourself first.

Some steps to include in this process include expressing your feelings appropriately. It could also include coping with difficult emotions in healthy ways, rather than self-sabotage.

Self-awareness

Learning about your emotions is the first step to developing emotional intelligence. However, you need to move beyond just understanding your emotions. Instead, you need to focus on recognizing triggers and how these emotions impact thoughts and behavior.

Once you notice all of this, managing these changes becomes easier. However, building self-awareness is more of a learning process. So, don’t expect to become an expert in a few weeks.

Relationship management

Our relationships have a direct impact on our mental health. People who are brought up in a healthy environment have higher levels of development than those who aren’t. People who survive in toxic relationships put their bodies in fight mode subconsciously, making their lives harder.

However, relationship management can be a key to avoiding all of this. After all, it is the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships.  It also includes learning how to communicate effectively and address potential issues.

Moreover, relationship management also includes learning how to resolve conflict constructively. When your relationships improve, so does your mental health. You learn how to handle people in your life, without compromising your mental wellness.

Motivation

People are driven by purpose, even though this purpose varies for individuals. People who rely on external motivation often face dips in their mood and drive. Consequently, they find it harder to achieve goals. On the other hand, if someone masters intrinsic motivation and sets goals, the rest of the process becomes easier.

People learn about taking initiative, which is great for increasing productivity. Emotional intelligence helps individuals learn they are more in control and are responsible for their goals.


The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Personal Relationships and Well-Being

Helply - Impact of Emotional Intelligence in Personal Life

Emotional intelligence (EQ) isn’t just about work performance or social popularity. EQ can be great for personal life and overall well-being. Here’s how:

Stronger Relationships

Our relationships make us who we are. They have an impact on our upbringing and our development through different phases of life. High EQ people are better at understanding the emotions of other people and themselves.

This allows them to build and maintain healthy, supportive relationships. These individuals know how to get their point across effectively. They know how to empathize with loved ones and handle conflict constructively.

These features are great for personal life development. A study by the Gottman Institute found that couples with higher emotional intelligence enjoy marital satisfaction. Similarly, EQ translates to a positive impact on other parts of our life as well.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety

Emotional intelligence equips individuals with stress management tools effectively. Most people feel stressed because they are unable to understand social situations.

However, learning about emotional triggers can be a good way to improve your EQ. Similarly, healthy coping mechanisms can help. These steps can also significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels, making lives easier.

Improved Self-Esteem

How you see yourself will impact your behavior in life. You wouldn’t want to burn down your confidence and self-esteem. As soon as you learn how to regulate emotions, the rest of the process becomes simpler. It lets professionals cope with challenges in a healthy way. The higher self-esteem creates a feeling of empowered and in control of one’s life.


Emotional intelligence is recognized as a key player in a happier, more fulfilling life. Developing EQ can be the key to a stable, mentally rewarding and holistic life. However, developing this EQ might not be as easy for everyone.

You can always try self-help techniques to learn about emotional intelligence, but it might not always work. After all, developing EQ requires unlearning several notions and thoughts, which is challenging.

Therefore, you should seek professionals to make the process easier. For instance, the experts at Helply are well-versed in the components of EQ discussed. They can help you understand and develop it, so make sure you talk to them.

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