Keep calm and make good choices: People with higher emotional intelligence are better decision makers, reports a new study from the University of Pennsylvania.
Emotional intelligence (EI) determines how well you process and understand emotions—it’s a sub-skill that allows you to recognize why events make you feel a certain way. “People have a tendency to use their emotional states as springboard when making a decision,” says lead researcher Jeremy Yip, Ph.D.
Sometimes this can help you—like if you use frustration about a work project to fuel you to find other solutions. But if you have low EI, you could be strongly influenced by unrelated anxiety—like worrying out about a well-rehearsed presentation because a fight with the Mrs. is on your mind.
While some of your EI is genetic, you can still buff up. And that’s important considering studies show that people tuned in to their emotions have more career success, leadership talent, better health, and happier relationships. Try one of these tricks to up your EI.
Recognize your weakness: When you’re anxious about a decision, ask yourself two questions: What is causing me to feel this way right now? Are my feelings relevant to the decision that I need to make? Recognizing that negativity is coming from an external source can help remove it. A Swiss study reported that people in a bad mood rated the weather as more disagreeable—but once gloomy participants were made aware of their mood, the grey cloud lifted.
Pick up a serious book: In a recent study from the New School for Social Research, people who read literary fiction—like Life of Pi or The Great Gatsby—scored higher levels of empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence. Part of EI is comprehending your and others’ emotions, and literary fiction showcases characters with realistic problems and emotions. Even just a few pages can help: In some cases, participants only had to read for a few minutes for test scores to improve.
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