We all know that there are people who handle stress better than others, but how well do you handle stress?

Are you the type of person that can remain calm under immense amounts of pressure? Are you able to talk things out without getting overly upset? Are you the type of person that can handle social situations that are uncomfortable or awkward? These are questions you may want to ask yourself to gauge how emotionally intelligent you are. If you have not read our post on what Emotional Intelligence or EQ is, we recommend giving it a quick read!

If you answered yes to all of these questions chances are you have a high EQ.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) or your emotional quotient (EQ), is your level of ability to acknowledge, understand, make sense of and manage/control the emotions you feel, as well as the feelings/emotions of other people. Those that have a higher EQ will be able to communicate with others more effectively, show appropriate amounts of concern or empathy when needed, and can handle and overcome highly stressful, confrontational and uncomfortable situations.

The first true mention of the phrase “emotional intelligence” is believed by many, to have been coined by Michael Beldoch, a  psychologist at Cornell University. Michael Beldoch wrote a research paper in 1964 that mentions emotional intelligence. Then in 1966 in the psychotherapeutic journal called ‘Practice of child psychology and child psychiatry’ more mention of emotional intelligence can be found. In this journal there is a paper entitled ‘Emotional Intelligence and Emancipation’ written by B. Leuner.

It wasn’t until the early 1990’s when The theory of emotional intelligence was introduced. This theory was first proposed by John D. Mayer and Peter Salovey but did not gain any real popularity until around 1995.

The New York Times bestselling author and psychologist Daniel Goleman wrote a book in 1995 entitled ‘Emotional Intelligence’ which was a best seller in a host of different countries. This is what boosted the general public’s interest in EQ.

In his book, Daniel Goleman referenced the 5 major components of emotional intelligence, they are:

• self-regulation
• self-awareness
• empathy
• motivation
• social skills

While it is very true that some people naturally have high emotional intelligence, but some others may have to really work towards improving their EI. Research has proven that you can increase your emotional intelligence through focused work on one’s emotional skills. Learning how to properly identify and regulate your emotions during difficult situations can be challenging but it is very possible. Some may need assistance in building up their EQ. Luckily, there are tons of online courses and workshops created for this very thing. If things are really tough for you emotionally it may be time to consider reaching out to a behavioral or mental health professional to guide your progress and help you with tips, coping mechanisms and other resources. Never be ashamed to reach out for help if needed!

Click HERE to take the quiz to see where you rank when it comes to your Emotional Intelligence!

The post Quick History of Emotional Intelligence appeared first on Just Simply Sound Advice.