How Emotions Impact Our Behaviour: Understanding the Role of Emotional Intelligence

We all experience emotions on a daily basis, whether it’s joy, sadness, anger or fear. But have you ever wondered how those feelings actually influence our behaviour? The answer lies in understanding the role of emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise, understand and manage our own emotions, as well as those of others. It plays an important role in our daily lives, from how we interact with those around us to how successful we are in our professional lives. 

By developing our emotional intelligence, we can better understand our own emotions and those of others, which can improve our behaviour and relationships. 

Through this article, we’ll explore the various ways that emotions impact our behaviour and how understanding the role of emotional intelligence can help us make better decisions and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

What is emotional intelligence?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to identify, understand and manage emotions in ourselves and others. It’s the ability to use our knowledge of emotions to make better decisions and solve problems. While IQ is a person’s ability to solve problems using logic, EI is their ability to solve problems using emotions. It’s important to note that EI isn’t a stand-alone concept. It’s often used to describe traits that are also included in our personality. 

Through this article, we’ll explore the various ways that emotions impact our behaviour and how understanding the role of emotional intelligence can help us make better decisions and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

How does emotional intelligence affect our behaviour?

To understand how emotions impact our behaviour, it’s vital to first understand how emotions affect the brain. This happens in two main ways: 

First, when we experience an emotion, the brain releases hormones that influence our physiology. These include the hormones responsible for digestion, sexual arousal, and stress. 

Second, the emotions we experience activate different brain areas, leading to distinct behavioural responses. For example, anger is associated with increased activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for controlling our emotions. This explains why emotions can impact our behaviour even when we aren’t aware of them. They occur at a physiological level and activate the brain in different ways without us being aware of it.

The link between emotions and decision making

Decision-making is the process we use to conclude when presented with a problem. It occurs when we’re presented with different options, decide which one we prefer, and choose the best solution. How we make decisions is often influenced by our emotions. For example, when we feel anxious, we’re more likely to favour options that give us a sense of control, which can help reduce our anxiety levels. This can explain why people who experience high levels of anxiety are more likely to be risk-averse. 

However, when we’re experiencing strong emotions, our decision-making abilities are also impacted. This can lead to impulsive decisions or decisions based on faulty logic. Fortunately, there are several ways that we can manage our emotions to improve our decision-making skills. These include keeping a journal, meditation and staying hydrated.

The importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace

At the heart of emotional intelligence lies the ability to understand and manage emotions. This can be applied to the workplace in some ways. For example, one of the most important ways to apply emotional intelligence in the workplace is to recognise the emotions in others. By understanding the emotions that your team members are experiencing, you can better help them through challenges. You can also use your knowledge of emotions to guide effective communication and problem-solving. 

You can also apply emotional intelligence when deciding how to respond to challenges. Using logic to make decisions is important, but it’s also important to consider our emotions. This can help us remain calm and collected in the face of stress. Managing emotions at work can be challenging for many people, which is why many companies are now beginning to incorporate emotional intelligence training into their onboarding programs. This can benefit employers and employees because it helps improve performance and productivity.

The importance of developing emotional intelligence

When it comes to applying emotional intelligence in our everyday lives, the earlier we begin, the better. Through this article, we’ll explore the various ways that emotions impact our behaviour and how understanding the role of emotional intelligence can help us make better decisions and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. This can help us improve our relationships, reduce conflict, and improve our overall well-being. It’s important to note that while emotions can be helpful, they can also get in the way of achieving our goals. This is especially true when they’re experienced as overwhelming feelings that disrupt our ability to think clearly. When this happens, it’s essential to step back and manage our emotions, so they don’t impact our daily functioning. This can be done through the use of emotion regulation techniques. These include the use of meditation, the practice of gratitude, and the use of positive affirmations.

Strategies for managing emotions

While emotions are an essential part of our daily lives, they can also disrupt our ability to think clearly and lead happy successful lives. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to manage our emotions, including: 

Journaling - This can be an effective way of managing strong feelings such as anxiety or sadness. Taking a few minutes each day to write your thoughts and feelings down can help you unload some of the emotion and gain a better appreciation of what’s really going on. 

Meditation - This is an excellent way to give yourself a break from the emotions that are causing you stress and tension. By taking a few minutes each day to focus on your breathing, you can help reduce the amount of stress hormones in your system, as well as increase your ability to cope with challenges. 

Gratitude - Keeping a gratitude journal can be an effective way to manage negative emotions and increase your level of well-being. By taking a few minutes each day to write down the things you’re grateful for, you can get a better appreciation of your life and reduce the amount of negative emotions in your life. 

Positive affirmations - This is an excellent way to break the cycle of negative thinking and begin to see yourself in a more positive light. By repeating positive statements to yourself throughout the day, you can interrupt your negative thinking and improve your outlook on life.

Learning to recognise emotions in others

We all experience a wide range of emotions in a given day, so it can be difficult to recognise what someone else is experiencing. It can be even more challenging when you feel strong emotions. In this case, it’s important to learn how to manage those emotions by using one or more of the strategies outlined above. Once you’re able to manage your emotions, you can better recognise what others are feeling. This can be helpful in several ways, including improving your ability to communicate and empathise with others. In addition, understanding other people’s emotions can help you determine the best way to respond to them. For example, if someone is feeling sad, you can respond in a way that helps them feel better, like offering a shoulder to cry on. If someone is feeling angry, you can respond in a way that doesn’t escalate the situation, like listening to their concerns.

The connection between emotions and motivation

Motivation is the desire to take action, combined with the energy required to complete a task. Thinking of motivation as a flame that needs to be fed can be helpful. When we experience emotions, they often fuel our motivation. For example, being happy can lead to increased motivation and productivity, while being angry can lead to decreased motivation. When our motivation is low, it’s important to understand the emotions that are impacting our motivation levels. This can help us determine what action to take in order to increase our motivation. This could include taking a break to reduce stress levels or finding a way to feed the flame of your motivation so that you can finish your tasks.

CEO of EQ Academy

Ush Dhanak

Ush Dhanak is one of Australia’s leading experts on emotional intelligence, EQ coach and trainer and a popular keynote speaker at events around the world. She’s the founder and CEO of Emotional Quotient (EQ) Academy, the online hub for emotional intelligence courses, workshops EQ resources in Australia.

She also works with schools to teach emotional intelligence skills and supports HR departments to get the best from their employees.

It’s about understanding the brain and using science-based methods to rewire it and create new ways of working and thinking. EI programs can help boost job performance by 12 per cent.

Learn more about EQ Academy https://eq.academy/eq-lab/