✨ Activity: Emotional Intelligence

Strategies

Strengthening Your EQ

To boost your Emotional Intelligence (EQ), start with emotional awareness.

“The only way to genuinely understand your emotions is to spend enough time thinking about them to figure out where they came from and why they are there. Emotions always serve a purpose.” — Bradbury & Greaves (2009, p. 25)

Key EQ strategies from Bradbury & Greaves:

• Visit Your Values:
  Revisit your core values and reflect on how they influence your emotional responses. For example, if you value growth, ask: Am I resisting change, or am I honoring my value?
• Know Yourself Under Stress:
  Pay attention to how your body and mind respond to stress. Stress often reveals our default mindset—are you reacting with optimism or pessimism?
• Sleep On It:
  Pause before reacting. Sleep helps regulate emotions and gain perspective.
• Accept That Change Is Constant:
  Change is inevitable. Anticipating it and preparing mentally can help you feel more in control.

Cultivating Optimism

To develop a more positive outlook, try these daily habits (Gielan, 2016):

• List three new things you’re grateful for.
• Send a short note of appreciation to someone.
• Write about the most meaningful moment of your day.

As Simon Sinek puts it:

“Optimism isn’t naive. It’s an undying belief that the future is bright.”

Simon Sinek explains some steps to become more optimistic. Video: How can you be more optimistic? (1:53)

Next, continue on to Summary: Emotional Intelligence