Developing Emotional Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence refers to the ability to recognize, interpret and process emotions in yourself and others. While genetics, upbringing and environment all play a role, there are steps you can take to develop your emotional intelligence over time. Get to know yourself. Emotionally intelligent people are self-aware. They have a realistic appreciation of their strengths and weaknesses, and how they come across to others. Peer feedback is one way of improving your self-awareness and may uncover a few emotional blind spots. Learn your triggers. Linked to the notion of self-awareness is knowing how you are likely to respond in particular situations. Think about how you felt last time you were under pressure. Did these feelings help or hinder you? Recognizing emotions, and the source of these emotions, can shift your emotional state.