1. Deepen Self-Reflection for Better Self-Awareness 

Understanding your own emotions and how they impact your decisions and behavior is the foundation of EI. 

Actionable Insight: Schedule 10 minutes at the end of each day to journal about moments when emotions influenced your actions. Ask yourself: 

• What emotion did I feel? 

• How did I respond? 

• Was that response constructive? 

This habit builds an accurate emotional map to guide future reactions. 

2. Practice Empathy by Perspective-Taking 

Improve relationships by intentionally considering others’ feelings and viewpoints before reacting or making decisions. 

Actionable Insight: In meetings or conversations, pause and ask yourself: “What might this person be experiencing right now?” Then reflect that understanding back with phrases like, “It sounds like you’re feeling…” or “I see this is important to you because…” 

3. Manage Emotional Reactions with Mindful Pausing 

Emotions can be intense and knee-jerk responses often cause friction. 

Actionable Insight: Develop a pause technique — when you feel triggered, take a slow, deep breath and count to five before responding. This simple practice prevents reactive comments and opens space for thoughtful replies. 

4. Ask Open-Ended Questions to Foster Dialogues 

Encourage openness and deeper understanding by inviting others to share their feelings and challenges. 

Actionable Insight: Use questions like: 

• "How are you feeling about this project?" 

• "What challenges have you encountered?" 

• "What support would help you succeed?" 

Open-ended questions create a safe space for authentic communication. 

5. Express Genuine Appreciation Regularly 

Positive reinforcement strengthens motivation and emotional bonds. 

Actionable Insight: Make it a daily habit to acknowledge someone’s specific effort or achievement. Instead of generic praise, say things like, “I really appreciate how you handled that tough client issue yesterday — your calmness made a big difference.”