What Is Emotional Intelligence (EQ) & Why Does It Matter?

What Is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?

Emotional intelligence, otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ is not something you are born with. However, it is something you can continue to work on.¹ The concept of emotional intelligence is noted in psychological research and is recognized for its importance in personal success, mental health, and interpersonal relationships. Emotional intelligence is considered more relevant when assessing work-related outcomes such as productivity, management styles, individual performance, and interpersonal skills.²

Components of Emotional Intelligence

Within emotional intelligence, four domains are considered to make up EQ. For employers who look at one’s EQ, they will take these four factors into consideration.

• Self-management: Allows recognition and regulation of often uncomfortable emotions. Employers look at self-management as it relates to managing work-related stress.³
• Self-awareness: The ability to understand your emotions, how your reactions impact others, and understanding how others’ emotions impact you.⁴
• Social awareness: Recognizing when others are in distress and being flexible to the environment around you.⁵
• Relationship management: Ability to be assertive, respectful, and non-defensive when addressing interpersonal conflict.⁶

Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important

Having emotional intelligence is essential to navigating life stressors effectively while still being able to maintain both working and personal relationships. Although IQ was commonly utilized to assess a person’s abilities, it is now thought that IQ does not give an accurate picture of the whole person and their abilities.²

Emotional intelligence impacts all areas of life, including:

Personal Life

Having high emotional intelligence can enhance personal well-being, resilience, and self-esteem. Emotional intelligence skills like emotional regulation can help individuals navigate challenges, reduce stress, and achieve greater satisfaction in personal relationships and life pursuits.

Professional Success

Emotional intelligence in the workplace holds incredible weight as it can impact the work environment and contribute to better teamwork, leadership, and overall job performance. The four pillars that encompass emotional intelligence are factors that employers look for in a potential employee, as those with higher emotional intelligence will add to company culture and performance in a positive way.

Studies continue to be conducted to evaluate the correlation between emotional intelligence and professional success. One study indicated that those with higher emotional intelligence scores had increased social and interpersonal skills and time management skills compared to those with lower emotional intelligence scores.⁷

Physical Health

Although it might seem far-fetched for emotional intelligence to be connected to your physical health, numerous studies have shown that those with higher emotional intelligence have fewer health concerns. Those who were studied who had low emotional intelligence were noted as struggling with physical health concerns related to diet, exercise, and drug use.⁸

Mental Health

Lack of emotional intelligence can impact mental health as it indicates poor emotional regulation and social skills. Having skills like emotional awareness and emotional regulation can protect against mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and contribute to greater overall psychological well-being.

9 Characteristics of Emotionally Intelligent People

You may find that those around you in school or your workplace have high emotional intelligence just through observation of their behaviors. Those with high emotional intelligence will hold desirable characteristics that you can work on having as well.

Here are 9 traits of emotionally intelligent people:

• They embrace change
• They have a strong sense of self-awareness
• They show empathy toward others
• They pursue progress, not perfection
• They have balanced lives
• They’re curious and eager to learn
• They’re grateful for what they have
• They express themselves assertively
• They’re receptive to feedback⁹

What Causes Low Emotional Intelligence?

The environment that we grew up in can have a significant impact on emotional intelligence. Contributing factors that may lead to lower emotional intelligence include experiencing childhood trauma and having a caregiver with low emotional intelligence.

Some mental health conditions associated with lower levels of emotional intelligence include:

• Borderline personality disorder (BPD): Those who have BPD often how low emotional intelligence due to experiencing adverse childhood events. BPD often comes with the struggle to regulate emotions effectively, which can indicate low emotional intelligence.
• Depression: Although depression might not necessarily cause lower emotional intelligence, an individual having a lower EQ can contribute to feelings of depression.
• Substance abuse: When looking at one’s inability to cope, a negative coping skill might be using substances. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between substance use and low emotional intelligence.¹⁰
• Social anxiety: Someone with low emotional intelligence would struggle with social skills, interpersonal effectiveness, and connection. An individual who struggles with social anxiety would likely have lower emotional intelligence.

How to Develop & Improve Emotional Intelligence

The great thing is – emotional intelligence is not just something you are born with. This means that anyone can work to develop and improve their emotional intelligence. It will require increased awareness and a willingness to unlearn things you might have been taught.

Some strategies for improving emotional intelligence include:

• Active listening: Building rapport and establishing connections can contribute to emotional intelligence. This is a skill that can assist you in increasing your emotional intelligence by working on social skills.
• Empathy: Another way to build on your social skills involves practicing empathy. Empathy allows you to understand what the other person is feeling and see things from their perspective.
• Mindfulness: A key factor of high emotional intelligence is awareness. One way we can practice this is by engaging in mindfulness. Some mindfulness practices include meditation or breathwork.

When to Seek Professional Help for Low Emotional Intelligence

Low emotional intelligence can lead some people to engage in destructive or self-destructive behaviors or use self-harm to regulate their emotions. If you are engaging in substance misuse, self-harm, or other dangerous activities, it would be helpful to reach out for some support. Going to therapy can provide space to address underlying mental health conditions and improve emotional intelligence. If you are unsure where to start, an online therapist directory can be a helpful resource as it provides an easier way to narrow down your search by insurance, preferred gender, and provider specialties.