Introduction
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the possession of qualities such as empathy for the feelings of other people, extensive comprehension of one’s emotions and ability to manage them. Emotions are important in life because they determine the actions taken and the decisions made. In addition, they determine the quality of interpersonal communication.
Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management are the four main areas associated with emotional intelligence that determine the quality of life. Among the four areas of EI, the self-awareness area needs personal improvement.
Discussion
Self-awareness involves the knowledge of experienced emotions and the causative factors. In addition, it involves making a connection between feelings and appropriate ways to act on them. Personal improvement is needed in this area because of the frequent loss of confidence and self-esteem in the process of acting on my emotions.
I often lose focus because of diminished self-worth and belief in personal capabilities. Precisely, poor understanding of my emotions leads to confusion because of failure to know why I act and behave in certain ways. This leads to unhappy days at work and distress.
Emotional awareness, a core factor in self-awareness, gives individuals the confidence to express themselves because they understand their feelings and are not afraid to express them.
I do things that I hate because of failure to express my feelings. I experience difficulties expressing myself most of the times for fear of hurting other people or seeming insensitive to their needs. At other times, expressing my feelings leads to disagreements and disputes. Improvement in this area will guarantee higher productivity, more happiness and better relationships.
A major factor in the process of self-awareness is an examination of personal strengths, weaknesses, goals, values ad capabilities. I am partially aware of my strengths, weaknesses and capabilities. That is why I turn down many opportunities and challenges for fear of failure. If I fully understood my weaknesses, I could work on them to leverage my strengths.
Understanding my capabilities would guarantee a happier life and higher output because I would do what I like, and avoid what is not in my field of interest. I would also embrace new challenges and opportunities. Understanding one’s capabilities creates an inward confidence and power that pushes one to exploit the innate potential to achieve life goals and objectives.
Furthermore, there is for the development of skills for coping with certain emotions. Sometimes I get so emotional that I end up doing things that land me in trouble. Such skills would include methods to relax and control myself when my emotions explode and ways to move on when feeling down.
Another important skill I need is the disposition to be honest with myself regarding my emotions. I usually fail to acknowledge my negative feelings, and as such end up acting inappropriately. This has the effect of reducing my happiness and productivity by straining my relationships. Improving this area will aid in the establishment of effective interactions that will lead to a positive outlook on life, excellent interpersonal skills and effective communication.
Conclusion
An understanding of one’s emotions is vital for a happy and productive life. In addition, acknowledging one’s emotions and responding to them in the best way is the most important aspect in self-awareness. I need to improve my self-awareness to create more happiness and improve the quality of my life.