Title: The Link Between Emotional Intelligence and Happiness: 7 Habits to Practice
Subtitle: Developing Emotional Intelligence can significantly contribute to one’s happiness and overall well-being
Los happiness experts they agree: to be happy you learnas if learn to live. And learning to live has a lot to do with the development of our emotional intelligence. They are many studieswho have analyzed the potential link between the emotional skillshe individual well-being and the subjective happiness. Today, science amply supports it. If from childhood we learned more and better to use our emotional intelligenceto practice the teachings of positive psychologywe had a much better chance of be happy in childhood and in adulthood. We are quite in need of these psychological arts, but the increase in social concern about the problems of mental healthit can be a perfect shuttle to improve.
The 5 capacities of emotional intelligence help you to be happier
The emotional intelligence It is the ability to perceive, understand, assimilate, and regulate the own emotions and those of others. Peter Saloveythe famous American psychologist expert in emotional intelligence has developed this concept articulating it on the 5 skills of the personal intelligences that, moreover, are correlative to what we understand as true maturity in adulthood:
1. Knowing your own emotions. Be aware of yourself and what we feel.
2. The ability to control/modulate emotions. Having the ability to attend to and regulate them without repressing them.
3. The ability to motivate oneself. Have the ability to maintain attention, motivation, and creativity.
4. The recognition of other people’s emotions or empathy. Detect other people’s feelings.
5. Control of relationships. Keep the time healthy relationships.
The 7 habits that happy people practice
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand, assimilate, and regulate one’s own emotions and those of others.
What role do all these have? skills In day-to-day? The people that they train daily are emotional intelligence develop healthy habits that allow them be happier. It’s not that you have fewer problems, uncertainties, difficulties, doubts, or insecurities in life. It is that you know flow with them. It sounds easy, but putting it into practice is not so easy. To understand it better, we have selected the 7 habits that people with high emotional skills and experience shows that practicing them helps them to be happier than the rest. Are these:
1. They are curious people. They do not stagnate, they are always open to know. Restless intellectually and socially, they do not hesitate to expose themselves to new situations, even if it is a challenge and they have to deal with their fears. Travel, learn, read… everything that puts us in motion feeds our mind and our happiness. Says the expert happiness Tal Ben Sahar in his book happier despite everything: “We need to do positive questions (…) These are just some questions that can stimulate curiosity, broaden your sights and, in turn, contribute to your well-being as a person: When am I happiest? How can I be happier? Where do I feel my life has meaning? How can I find more meaning in life? What positive habits do I have? How can I incorporate other positive habits? What do I like to learn? How can I further fuel my curiosity?”
2. They don’t jump to conclusions. Before giving an opinion or deciding weigh things well. We are not referring to falling into rumination, but to give yourself some time, not to rush to avoid making the wrong decision or interpreting something that has happened. Besides, trusting our intuition and reasoning is crucial for our decisions to be consistent with our values. This attitude is a key characteristic of Happy people. “Learn to take decisions not only favors our emotional health and self-esteem but it is essential to achieve our purposes and to be able to advance in life; feel that we are masters of our destiny,” explains the clinical psychologist Laura Rojas-Marcos.
3. They practice the mind-body connection.
We know that emotions are felt and stored in our body. There is a unity between what happens in our mind and what the body expresses. If we learn to read our emotions in it, our emotional intelligence multiplies. “Research in neuroscience shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to make friends with what is happening within ourselves,” explains psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, famous for his work The body keeps score.
4. They recognize emotions as friendly messengers.
There are no emotions bad in themselves; they can all carry important messages about ourselves. The sadness or happiness, the fear or calm are signs that can motivate us to address issues, to grow personally, to make decisions that will help us have greater inner harmony and happiness.
5. They understand the true meaning of anger.
Anger, as an emotion, is very important when it helps us protect a legitimate space. As the psychologist Ana Belén Medialdea says, “anger can help us become aware of many things and set limits when we feel invaded. Without anger, we would be puppets. So it is not about avoiding feeling it but, rather, feeling it, listening to it, channeling it, and managing it.” The function of anger is to help us defend ourselves against injustices and bring out our roar of dignity. Fundamental to protect our happiness.
6. They feel deep compassion for others
People with high emotional intelligence are very aware of the need to conjugate the “we” and experience a deep desire to help others. They understand that a simple act of goodness can transform someone’s day. They know that by offering support, understanding, and kindness, they can contribute to the collective well-being of humanity.
7. They practice self-compassion.
The empathy towards ourselves is as important as the one we practice towards others. Hence, people with great emotional intelligence practice self-care, set limits, be kind to yourself, and forgive yourself. According to the psychologist Courtney Warren, the better you feel about yourself as a person, the easier it will be for you to be yourself no matter what situation you find yourself in. According to the psychologist, when you feel that you are not up to how you would like to be, remember that life is a continuum learning. The goal is not to be perfect; it is to learn from your mistakes so as not to repeat them again.
In conclusion, by developing emotional intelligence and practicing these seven habits, individuals can significantly enhance their happiness and lead a more fulfilling life. These strategies help individuals navigate challenges, improve relationships, and cultivate a sense of inner peace and well-being.