Here's how you can boost your emotional intelligence through self-reflection as a mid-career professional.

1 Understand EI

Emotional intelligence is a multifaceted skill encompassing self-awareness , self-regulation , motivation, empathy, and social skills. As you navigate the complexities of your career, understanding these components is crucial. Self-awareness involves recognizing your emotions and their impact on your thoughts and behavior. Self-regulation allows you to control or redirect disruptive emotions and adapt to changing circumstances. Motivation is your drive to achieve for the sake of accomplishment. Empathy, the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people, is vital for managing relationships . Finally, social skills enable you to build networks, find common ground, and build rapport.

2 Reflect Daily

Incorporating daily self-reflection into your routine can significantly enhance your emotional intelligence. Take a few moments each day to contemplate your emotional responses to various situations at work. Consider why certain events trigger specific emotions in you and how these feelings affect your interactions with colleagues. Reflect on both positive and negative experiences; understanding what brings you joy and fulfillment can be just as enlightening as recognizing what causes stress or frustration. This habitual introspection will help you identify patterns in your emotional reactions and enable you to manage them more effectively.

3 Journal Emotions

Keeping a journal is a tangible way to track your emotional trends and triggers over time. Write about your day-to-day experiences and the emotions they evoke. Don't just focus on the events, but delve into the 'why' behind your feelings. This practice can reveal recurring themes and help you understand the root causes of your emotional responses. By regularly reviewing your journal entries, you can gain a clearer perspective on how to handle similar situations in the future with greater emotional intelligence.

4 Seek Feedback

Another method to boost your emotional intelligence is by seeking feedback from trusted colleagues or mentors. Ask them how they perceive your emotional responses in various professional scenarios. This external perspective can provide valuable insights that you might overlook during self-reflection. Be open to constructive criticism and use it as a catalyst for personal growth. Remember, the goal is not to validate your feelings but to understand how they influence your behavior and how others perceive you.

5 Set Goals

Once you have a better understanding of your emotional tendencies, set specific, achievable goals for improvement. These might include developing greater empathy , learning to remain calm in stressful situations, or improving your communication skills during conflicts. Break these goals down into actionable steps and monitor your progress. For instance, if you aim to become more empathetic, you could set a goal to ask more questions during conversations to better understand others' perspectives.

6 Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged with whatever you're doing at the moment — free from distraction or judgment, and aware of your thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. It's a skill that can improve self-regulation and reduce stress. By practicing mindfulness , you can learn to observe your emotions without being overwhelmed by them, which is a key aspect of emotional intelligence. Whether it's through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply taking a moment to pause and reflect, mindfulness can help you become more attuned to your emotional state.