EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Definition:
Emotional Intelligence refers to the capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for monitoring ourselves and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships. 

Goleman, 1995
Characteristics of Emotional Intelligence:

In his book titled "Emotional Intelligence Why It can Matter More Than 1Q” 1995. Daniel Goleman, an American psychologist, developed a framework of five elements that define emotional intelligence

1. Self-Awareness

People with high emotional intelligence are usually very self- aware. They understand their emotions, and because of this, they don't let their feelings rule them. They are confident because they trust their intuition and don't let their emotions get out of control. They're also willing to take an honest look at themselves. They know their strengths and weaknesses and they work on these areas so they can perform better.

2. Self-Regulation

This is the ability to control emotions and impulses. People who self-regulate typically don t allow themselves to become too angry or jealous and they don't make impulsive careless decisions. They think before they act.

 Characteristics of self-regulation are thoughtfulness, comfort with change, integrity and the ability to say no.

3. Motivation

 People with a high degree of emotional intelligence are usually motivated. They are willing to defer immediate results for long term success. They are highly productive love a challenge and are very effective in whatever they do

4. Empathy

 This is perhaps the second-most important element of emotional intelligence. Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand the wants, needs, and viewpoints of those around you. People with empathy are good at recognising the feelings of others, even when those feelings may not be obvious.

As a result, empathetic people are usually excellent at managing relationships, listening and relating to others. They avoid stereotyping and judging too quickly, and they live their lives in a very open, honest way.
5. Social Skills

Those with strong social skills are typically team players. Rather than focus on their own success first, they help others develop and shine. They can manage disputes, excellent communicators and are masters at building and maintaining relationships. It's usually easy to talk to and like people with good social skills.

How to Improve Emotional Intelligence

The good news is that emotional intelligence can be learned and developed. As well as working on your skills in the five areas above, use the following strategies to improve your Emotional Intelligence

. Do a self-evaluation. Identify what are your weaknesses. Have the courage to look at yourself honestly it can change your life.

. Examine how you react to stressful situations. Do you become upset every time when there's a delay or something doesn't happen the way you want? Keep your emotions under control when things go wrong. Simple techniques that can help you are count numbers 1 to 10. drink water dose you and take a deep breath.

• Take responsibility for your actions. If you hurt someone's feelings, apologe directly don't ignore what you did and avoid a person.

. Do not make an immediate judgment: postpone it.

• Do not have a rigid attitude, be flexible so you can see another's point of view

• Be proactive when an opportunity arrives and do not wait to be told what v do

Try to improve and maintain your social skills

Emotional intelligence is an awareness of your actions and feelings - and how they affect those around you. It also means that you value others, listen to their was a needs, and are able to empathise or identify with them on different levels