?When individuals develop mindfulness, they develop greater self-awareness, allowing them to identify their emotions accurately and understand their impact on behaviour and decision-making. This heightened self-awareness lays the foundation for the development of emotional intelligence.

Mindfulness is like a training ground for emotional intelligence. When you’re mindful, you’re learning to pause and really observe your feelings without letting them take over. Say you’re feeling stressed or frustrated—mindfulness helps you notice that emotion as it rises rather than reacting impulsively. This creates a little breathing room where you can choose how to respond, not just react. Over time, mindfulness helps you recognize emotional patterns, making it easier to understand why you feel a certain way. That awareness is a big part of emotional intelligence: you’re not only better at handling your own emotions but also more attuned to others’ feelings, helping you build stronger, more empathetic connections.

Emotional Intelligence requires the right beliefs and understanding of what emotions are and what their role is. Our egos will make us believe that - Emotions make us weak, emotions are to be controlled and not shared, emotions are difficult hence best avoided etc. This leads us to not addressing our emotions either as expression or releasing in a proper manner - by suppressing them...which will impact many areas of our life, including health. Our relationship with our emotions has to change, by changing our mindset and beliefs towards them - emotions play a key role in our life, they are important and strengthen our relationships with self and others, emotions make us strong when we learn to manage them, instead of controlling them.

Struggling to manage emotions? Mindfulness can enhance your emotional intelligence, helping you respond rather than react. Start by observing your emotions without judgment, allowing yourself to feel without suppression. By staying present, you gain insight into what triggers certain feelings, building self-awareness. Mindfulness also fosters empathy, as you become more attuned to others’ emotions. Through regular practice, you improve emotional regulation, respond with clarity, and develop resilience in challenging situations. In time, this awareness helps you navigate both personal and professional relationships with a balanced, thoughtful approach.

When I’m struggling with my emotions, mindfulness helps me pause and notice what I’m feeling before reacting. Just taking a breath and observing gives me more control and understanding, so I can respond calmly. It’s made a big difference in how I handle emotions and connect with others.