Using a Higher EQ Against Conflict and Mental Disorders

Empathy

What is EQ?

EQ stands for emotional intelligence (Emotional Quotient). It's the opposite of IQ. EQ tests typically measure how someone handles their own emotions or those of others, and how they handle situations they can't change.

Increase EQ against psychological complaints?

The higher the EQ, the better people can understand their own emotions and those of others. Understanding and listening to your own emotions, which primarily communicate through the body via the subconscious, can be the first step toward improvement for many psychological issues. Understanding how your subconscious mind communicates through your body to the conscious mind allows you to make better, less damaging decisions for yourself.

12 Tips for Increasing EQ

By increasing your EQ, you'll be able to better understand yourself and others. This helps avoid conflict, which reduces stress. Less stress means more serotonin, and more serotonin and less stress leads to a reduction in psychological symptoms.

Here are our tips for a higher EQ.


1 Practice naming your emotions

Naming your emotions reveals how your feelings can influence your thoughts in a situation.

While feelings influence every decision you make, most people don't spend much time thinking about how they feel. In fact, they're often more comfortable saying things like, "I had butterflies in my stomach" or "I had a lump in my throat," rather than, "I felt anxious" or "I felt sad." Try translating a figurative experience, like "pissed off," into a concrete emotion, like anger.

2 Try to name someone else's emotion

If you're in an emotional situation with another person, try to identify their emotions. In most cases, you'll want to keep this to yourself, and in some cases, you can ask if someone feels the way you think they do. The ability to empathize with others is called empathy.

Using a Higher EQ Against Conflict and Mental Disorders

3 Limit the time you look at a screen

Studies have shown that screen time makes it harder to read emotions.

Staring at your laptop or smartphone for hours can diminish your ability to read other people's emotions. Consider doing a digital detox every now and then. A few days without your electronics can do wonders for your ability to read other people's emotions.

4 Try to look at previous conflicts from a different perspective

Think back to a conflict without representing your own interests, but try playing the opposing party's advocate. Try to understand the other party's arguments, even if you don't necessarily agree with them.

5 Future Conflict Avoidance Behavior

Instead of jumping into an argument or interrupting someone you disagree with, focus on developing a better understanding of how the other person is feeling.

Start paying close attention to the emotional states of others. See if you can recognize how someone is feeling and how that emotion is likely to influence their perception and behavior.

6 Decide for yourself how you feel

Never give away power over your own emotions. You have control over how you feel and react to things.

Instead of blaming your boss for driving you crazy, consider what steps you can take to calm yourself down. Instead of saying your mother makes you feel bad about yourself, focus on rebuilding your self-esteem.

7 Learn to accept your emotions

Whether at school, at work, or even in your own family, people are all too often taught, directly or indirectly, to suppress their emotions or to be ashamed of them. There's a societal attitude that negative emotional reactions indicate weakness. This isn't weakness; it's a sign of courage and self-respect.

There's a difference between having an appropriate emotional reaction and an inappropriate one, such as lashing out at a colleague. There's a difference between expressing emotions in public or in familiar situations. When you have an emotional reaction, such as overwhelming resentment or shame, acknowledge it and use it appropriately for the situation.

8 Manage your fears

When you want a certain outcome, it's easy to adopt an all-or-nothing mindset: I'll be so happy if I achieve some super hard-to-achieve goal, and my future will be ruined if I don't.

Especially when certain aspects are beyond your control, imagining alternative outcomes reduces your fears. It might seem daunting at first, but I know my alternatives will open just as many doors for me.

9 Take time for an appropriate response

If you're in a difficult conversation, you don't have to immediately find a solution or make a commitment. Stay polite and say you need some time to yourself to gather your thoughts. Things to try:

  • Go for a walk
  • Call someone for advice
  • Splash some water on your face or go outside to cool off, literally and figuratively (cooling your body temperature reduces stress)
  • Write out a scenario to organize your feelings
  • Practice a calm response
  • Do a breathing exercise

When you panic, fight-or-flight responses kick in, and rational thinking is put on the back burner. The goal is to create enough distance and time so you can come out of fight-or-flight mode and think rationally.

10 Practice gratitude

Gratitude can reframe your thoughts and help you see the positive in every scenario. Practicing gratitude when you're feeling neutral will help you feel better when emotions run high. Also, try to see what you can be grateful for when someone triggers negative feelings in you.

11 Meditation

There is a lot of evidence that meditation increases emotional intelligence.

Meditation reduces overall stress and helps you learn to recognize your own thoughts and those of others. It takes some practice to meditate well, but the increased empathy leads to a more relaxed way of life.

12 Psychedelic therapy

Psychedelic therapy works similarly to meditation, only thousands of times more powerful, and with proper guidance, it can be much easier than meditation. Psychedelic therapy also promotes a higher level of consciousness, enabling the conscious brain (frontal lobe) to connect with the primal brain, creating a stronger connection with emotions in the subconscious primal brain. As a bonus, psychedelic therapy also creates new connections in the brain, making you more aware and empathetic. Even after the first psychedelic therapy session, you'll notice a difference.

Using a Higher EQ Against Conflict and Mental Disorders
More connections in the brain through psychedelic therapy

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