Simply, emotional intelligence is defined as the “ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.” It is a concept similar to empathy, or the ability to understand and feel what those around us are feeling, but applied to the self as much as to others. 

Emotional intelligence means understanding if and why something is making us feel angry, sad, or even joyful and then being able to deal with that emotion productively and healthily. The skills involved in emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

1. Self-awareness- the ability to identify your emotions and emotional triggers. Knowing your feelings helps you understand how others perceive your emotions. You might use self-awareness at work to understand how your coworkers, clients or managers view you.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
2. Self-regulation- is the ability to control and adjust your emotions to create a more positive effect. Being in control of your feelings is essential in any situation because your emotions strongly affect other people. You might control your emotions on the job by adjusting your senses to keep a professional appearance in front of clients.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
3. Motivation- is the urge and desire to do something, which relates to emotional intelligence because your desires can promote different feelings toward something. For example, having a desire to successfully complete all your daily tasks might be displayed as intrinsic motivation to your employer and a way of fulfilling your own inner needs and goals.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
4. Empathy is the ability to identify and understand another person’s feelings. Understanding the feelings of others allows you to handle workplace situations more effectively. For instance, when a coworker is showing signs of dismay, you can react with empathy to alleviate a problem that might have become worse.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
5. Social skills-  the tools used to communicate and interact with other people. Strong social skills like effective communication and respect allow you to listen, speak and resolve conflicts more effectively. Social skills can be used in the workplace to develop your career and are essential tools for leaders.

A few reasons why emotional intelligence is essential in the workplace include helping you to:

1. Understand nonverbal communication: You have the chance to fix a situation before it becomes a problem. For example, if you notice a coworker displaying non-verbal signs of sadness, you might take them aside to offer empathy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
2. Be self-aware of personal emotions:  You can use this skill to adjust your behaviour before it becomes an issue for a client or coworker. For example, if you know you had a rough night, you might attempt to change your behaviour the following workday by shifting your focus toward more positive feelings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
3. Improve efficiencies: When you are empathetic and understand other people’s emotions, you can easily make decisions and complete tasks more efficiently.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
4. Further your career: Emotional intelligence and leadership skills go hand in hand. Actively displaying abilities such as patience, active listening, positivity, and empathy can help you advance to a leadership role or earn a title promotion or raise.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
5. Encourage others to develop strong interpersonal skills: Emotions are contagious and displaying explicit motivation, empathy, responsibility, and teamwork could encourage your team to follow along.

Emotional intelligence is clearly an essential aspect of thriving in the workplace – it’ll open up new opportunities and let you connect with others. Not to mention the increased levels of positivity and satisfaction you’ll be unlocking with the ability to manage your emotions.