Emotional intelligence is “the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth (Mayer-Salovey, Four Branch Model of Emotional Intelligence).
Focusing on the importance of Emotional Intelligence and developing EI skills serves many benefits. Specifically, it affects one decision-making ability, relationships, and health.
- Decision-making. Having an awareness of your emotions, where they come from, and what they mean, can allow you to take a more rational, well-planned approach to how you are going to make a specific decision.
- Relationships. When one is able to understand why they are the way they are and why they react to things the way they do, they tend to gain more of an appreciation for others and who they are, which can, in turn, lead to stronger relationships, business and personal.
- Health. Many times, internal turmoil expresses itself as physical illness. Always harboring negative emotions can lead to higher stress levels in the body, which can temporarily or fatally damage it.