My overall emotional intelligence score is quite high (76), but it is evident that I need to train to become more emotionally intelligent. It is also clear that I am better at managing emotions rather than identifying them as my self-awareness score is 72, and my social awareness score is even lower (67). My self-management score is 81, and relationship management score is 85. The completion of the survey is a valuable experience as I used to think I could manage my emotions and understand my own and other people’s feelings. The survey helped me to unveil certain gaps in my emotional intelligence.
As for the strategies to use to self-develop, it is possible to start with practicing mindfulness. I should spend more time contemplating on my feelings. Meditation can be an effective strategy to employ. As for other people’s emotions, I can acquire the necessary skills talking to my friends about their feelings. I can try to identify my close one’s emotions. For example, during our conversations, I can pay more attention to people’s facial expressions and other types of non-verbal communication. I will ask them about the way they feel.
Although I am rather good at self-management, it is still possible to self-develop. I will try to be more patient and positive. Whenever I feel angry or frustrated, I will take several deep breaths before saying anything. Breathing will help me to calm down and to manage my emotional state. I will also try to be more empathetic. I try not to judge others, but sometimes I still have quite a negative attitude towards other people’s behaviors and emotions. One of the strategies to employ in such situations is thinking of different behavioral patterns and different ways to respond to the situation an individual is facing. I will also put myself in other people’s shoes. As far as relationship management is concerned, I will also use breathing as a way to keep calm. I am a very positive and calm person, but there are situations when I become too angry. Several deep breaths will help me to become myself again.
The first step to improve my emotional intelligence is the use of a journal. I will start a journal where I will highlight various cases when I experienced different emotions and the way I responded and should have responded. For instance, I can write down a brief description of the situation and the way I behaved and felt. I will also mention the strategies I used or could have utilized to become more emotionally intelligent. I can add descriptions of some non-verbal tools of communication used by people I know. Clearly, I will highlight my experiences in the journal on a daily basis.
The next step will involve practice. I will practice managing my emotions and dealing with feelings of other people. I will also highlight these experiences in my journal. I will try to learn more about the way people express their emotions. This learning will involve watching videos, reading Internet articles and scholarly sources, and observing people’s behaviors.
As for measuring my progress, I will count instances when I was angry or behaved improperly. My journal will help me to do it as various cases will be highlighted. I will also try to identify the exact number of people who are glad or reluctant to communicate with me. If the number of people who have a positive attitude towards me increases, it means I have certain progress. Of course, I will not stop self-developing even when I feel I have become better at understanding emotions or get higher scores in various tests. I will try to acquire new skills and knowledge in this area.