First steps into emotional intelligence

October is the Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month and to start a journey to develop emotional intelligence, we should first understand the concept and its importance.

In simple terms, emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise and manage emotions, our own and from others, while, intellectual intelligence, measured by the IQ, refers to the ability to learn, understand and process information. There is no strict correlation between them, which means people can have high IQs and low emotional intelligence, vice versa and even high score in both or neither.

The brain is the command centre of our knowledge and emotions. Some evidence regarding this helps us to understand the importance of emotional intelligence. Although there are many complex processes happening in the brain, studies suggest that emotional intelligence is associated with two regions - the limbic region (where our emotions live) and the neocortex region (commands higher functions such as information processing). To achieve better awareness of emotional intelligence, we need to have these regions working together. Knowing this, the first step to put in practise is analyse our emotions and, with time and experience, it becomes part of our behaviours.

 Emotional Intelligence can be a better indicator of brain health than IQ, it is valuable in terms of identifying and addressing risk factors and is also linked with, for example, better stress management and lower rates of depression. When people are able to recognize and control their emotions, they're more likely to effectively overcome life’s challenges and have higher satisfaction with life. Acknowledging its importance, let’s all take time during this month to become more aware of our own emotional intelligence and find different approaches to understanding and managing our emotions.

“Experience is not what happens to you - it's how you interpret what happens to you” Aldous Huxley

Tania Alves - volunteer in the project BCV - Building communities through volunteering funded by Erasmus+