Emotional Intelligence
“Emotional intelligence is defined as being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustration” (Grant & Kinman, 2012).
Sometimes understanding what other people are thinking can be easier than knowing and understanding what we ourselves are thinking. We all are human and so while we may understand that we are angry, sad, worried, or nervous; expressing our emotions productively often does not come easy.
I also feel these emotions like everyone else. Nervous that my partner might not understand what I’m trying to say or what I am feeling. Frustrated at the traffic because it’s not going fast enough when I’m late, or sometimes even just sad because I am stressed out from a long day. Feeling upset, and frustrated about things that are out of my control is something that we as humans are all guilty of. Being able to express our emotions in a helpful manner, and positive outlet is one thing that I advocate for both in and out of my workplace.
Recognizing our own feelings is a large part of what psychotherapists do. Being able to understand ourselves first, allows us to understand and support others. Everything is always interchanging and playing a role with the other; understanding why we do the things that we do will help us to better understand the emotions that we are feeling and empathize with ourselves. It also enables us to empathize, with and understand others’ experiences. Understanding and empathy for these life events are what is going to make for a successful therapist, partner, and or human in the world that we live in. All of this plays a role in not only our daily lives but in the lives of all the people around us.
We are all constantly changing, learning, and growing in this world that we live in. More importantly doing so with grace, understanding, and kindness for the journey that we are all on. Commitment to the practice of self-love, self-advocacy, and self-understanding is persistence in the face of frustration.
References
Grant, L., & Kinman, G. (2012). Enhancing Wellbeing in Social Work Students: Building Resilience in the Next Generation. Social Work Education, 31(5)