emotional well-being
Emotional well-being refers to a state of mental health in which an individual is able to effectively cope with the daily stresses of life, maintain positive relationships, and experience a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Emotional well-being involves being aware of and regulating one's emotions, having a positive outlook on life, and feeling a sense of control over one's own thoughts and actions. It is important to note that emotional well-being does not mean that someone is always happy or free from negative emotions, but rather that they are able to manage their emotions in a healthy way and maintain a positive overall outlook on life.
All of the other topics on this website have an impact on your emotional well-being: connect with others, sleep well, move your body, manage your stress levels, be kind,... Go take a look at the other pages and see what you can do to improve your emotional well-being.
emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, interpret, demonstrate, control, evaluate, and use emotions to communicate with and relate to others effectively and constructively.
It is essential for good interpersonal communication. Some experts believe that this ability is even more important in determining life success than IQ.
The concept of emotional intelligence (EI) can be traced back to early discussions in the mid 1930s by psychologists and researchers, but it gained significant recognition and popularization through the work of psychologist Daniel Goleman in the 1990s.
The groundwork for emotional intelligence was laid by researchers like Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer in the 1980s. They introduced the term "emotional intelligence" and proposed a model that included the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively. However, it was Goleman who brought the idea into the mainstream with his groundbreaking book, "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,"
Here are a few ways in which emotional intelligence contributes to success in the workplace:
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Effective communication: Employees with high emotional intelligence are better able to communicate their thoughts and feelings clearly and respectfully, leading to more effective communication and fewer misunderstandings.
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Collaboration: Employees with high emotional intelligence are better able to work collaboratively with others, understand their perspectives, and find common ground, leading to better teamwork and outcomes.
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Leadership: Emotional intelligence is a critical trait in effective leadership, as it allows leaders to understand and empathize with their employees, motivate and inspire them, and make decisions that are in the best interests of the team.
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Conflict resolution: Employees with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to manage conflicts and work collaboratively towards finding solutions.
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Adaptability: Employees with high emotional intelligence are more adaptable to change, able to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity, and are more resilient when facing challenges.
What you can do to improve your emotional intelligence
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Get to know yourself. Peer feedback is one way to improve your self-awareness and can help to uncover blind spots.
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Learn your triggers, know how you are likely to respond in particular situations.
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Empathize. Try to see things from others' perspectives and get to know people around you.
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Take into account body language and other non verbal signs instead of only the verbal aspect.
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Own your emotions. Take responsibility for how you react to others.
Emotional agility
Emotional agility is being flexible with your thoughts and feelings so that you can respond optimally to everyday situations. Emotional agility means accepting that we experience a full spectrum of emotions perceived as good, bad and indifferent—which is perfectly normal. It means holding these emotions loosely and looking at them not as directives, but simply as data to help us take value-based actions.
Now, what is the difference between emotional intelligence and emotional agility? Explained shortly emotional intelligence is defined as being aware of and in control of your own emotions. Emotional agility is about accepting your inner experience.
People that master emotional agility are able to tolerate higher levels of stress and endure setbacks while remaining engaged, open, and receptive. They understand that life isn’t always easy, but they continue to act according to their values and long-term goals.
What can you do to become emotionally more agile
The bottom line is that emotional agility in the workplace is an important part of making sure employees can be open to their colleagues and experiences. People who are emotionally agile excel at taking a moment to reflect on situations, rather than impulsively reacting with anger or frustration. They may not have as much need to be right, and they may be more focused on working together instead of only advancing their own interests.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Motivation
Motivation is a state of being that enables us to act or behave in a particular way. This implies that motivation is the feeling we have when we feel like taking actions. Apart from habits, almost everything in life requires motivation to be done.
In self-determination theory, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are distinguished from one another.
Initial research focused on intrinsic motivation being the best kind motivation, but recent research brought a more nuanced view.
As an employer or manager you don't always have an impact on intrinsic motivation, but you can have an impact on making the job/tasks seen as meaningful, by showing what the impact is.
You can find some advice on how to get and maintain motivation in the visual below.
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Crucial conversations
A crucial conversation is a conversation where the stakes are high, opinions vary and emotions run strong.
When facing a crucial conversation we can do 3 things:
1) We can avoid them
2) We can face them and handle them poorly
3) We can face them and handle them well
It is in human nature to avoid crucial conversations, but the good news is that we can handle crucial conversations with skill by learning how to look at them differently. The video below will guide you in having these conversations where the stakes are high.
Crucial conversations by K. Patterson, J. Grenny, R. Mcmillan, and A. Switzler
stimulate positive emotions
Positive emotions are much more than mere 'happiness'. Positive emotions include hope, interest, joy, love, compassion, pride, amusement and gratitude. They're those moments when you're genuinely happy, thankful, or amazed. Psychologists like Barbara Fredrickson and Martin Seligman highlight how these positive emotions aren't just fleeting feelings; they can actually do some powerful stuff. They can broaden our thinking, making us more creative, and over time, they build up our personal strengths. So, it's not just about feeling good in the moment; it's about creating a life that's filled with these positive vibes, which can help us bounce back from tough times and make meaningful connections with others. Increasing positive emotions helps individuals build physical, intellectual, psychological and social resources that lead to resilience and overall well-being.
Read the article explaining the broaden and build theory of Barbara Frederickson by clicking on the button below. The role of positive emotions in positive psychology.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS (RAK)
A random act of kindness (RAK) is doing something nice for someone else, without them asking and without you doing it for anything in return. It might seem like something small or logical to do, but how many times do you actually do this?
The interesting part here is that random acts of kindness not only have benefits for the receiver but also for the giver. Some of the advantages are listed here below:
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Increased feelings of self-worth
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Makes you feel loved
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People that are more kind have 23% less cortisol (stress-hormone)
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An increase of oxytocin which helps to lower blood pressure
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Helps with anxiety
CHALLENGE
Incorporate at least one random act of kindness per week in your activities. Below you can find some ideas and inspiration.
