Six paths of how emotional intelligence strengthens our psyche!

Six paths of how emotional intelligence strengthens our psyche!

A new study by the University of Witten/Herdecke illuminates the relationships between affecting awareness, emotional intelligence and mental illnesses. Christopher Heine and Prof. Dr. Michael Dufner examine how the recognition and understanding of own and foreign emotions influences mental health. The findings come from a series of experiments with 256 participants who were presented to 76 emotional pictures. Their feelings were assessed and the facial muscles were analyzed using electromyography (EMG). UniWh.de reports that ...

A central result of the study is that people who have a better harmony between their own feelings and the corresponding facial expressions are able to better recognize emotions of others. This affective awareness could therefore have a decisive influence on the assessment of emotional situations, which is of great importance in therapeutic contexts.

affective awareness and mental health

The researchers found that people with the ability to classify their emotional reactions more clearly, tend to make healthier decisions and react more appropriately to stressful situations. These results could possibly help to better understand mental illnesses such as depression or eating disorders and to effectively support individuals in therapy. In addition, the first results show that women tend to have a higher affective awareness than men, although the causes of this are still unclear. Further studies are already being planned.

The role of emotional intelligence

emotional intelligence includes the ability to recognize your own and foreign emotions and to react appropriately. People with a higher EQ are not only more successful in different areas of life, but also better able to manage stressful situations and regulate their emotions. Empathy, a central component of emotional intelligence, enables people to understand the emotions of others and improve interpersonal relationships.

It is increasingly recognized that emotional intelligence can be learned and promoted by targeted training methods such as mindfulness techniques or empathy training. Studies show that targeted exercises to improve emotional intelligence can also increase resilience towards psychological stress.

Research at the interface between affecting awareness and emotional intelligence shows how important it is to develop these skills. The knowledge of the University of Witten/Herdecke could not only contribute to better therapy for mental illnesses, but also increase the general quality of life of people.