Here's how you can overcome challenges in developing emotional intelligence as a mid-career professional.

Take the time to reflect on your own emotions, reactions, and behaviours. Consider keeping a journal to track your thoughts and feelings throughout the day. Ask for feedback from colleagues, supervisors, or friends on how you handle emotional situations. Use this feedback as an opportunity for growth and improvement. Put yourself in others shoes and try to understand their perspectives and emotions. This can help build stronger relationships and enhance your emotional intelligence. Practice active listening and communication skills to effectively resolve conflicts and misunderstandings. Approach difficult conversations with empathy and openness.

If you haven't developed your own emotional intelligence, it will be very difficult to overcome these barriers. Fostering EQ first by learning how to bring the unconscious conscious. This means breaking down old limiting beliefs and asking yourself where these beliefs stem from. You can't change a habit if you aren't aware of it. Being honest with yourself and caring how you feel and why you feel the way you do is a good first step. Journaling, reflecting and asking yourself the hard questions will help you start to tap into these uncomfortable feelings and start the journey inward.

Identifying obstacles is the first step in improving your EI. Some tips to help you pinpoint and address these challenges include the following: ?? Identify ingrained behaviors that hinder your emotional skills. ?? Consider how your work environment influences your emotional growth. ?? Understand that encountering internal and external resistance is normal. ?? Determine which aspects of EI, like empathy or self-regulation, need improvement. ?? Create targeted objectives to address identified barriers effectively. Recognize and address these barriers to improve your emotional intelligence.

One of the greatest things I ever did was become a practitioner of humility. Humility is perceived very negatively these days whether it be in the work center, film, television, etc. To have humility is to be granted, not only the exposure of your lack of particular knowledge, but a new and much more superior means of achieving both knowledge and wisdom, as well as the ability to further hone your emotional intelligence. Humility is knowing, and more importantly, accepting, that you know nothing at all. Only then are you granted the superior will to achieve an even higher learning and emotional intelligence. So, let go of pride and what you already know, and choose Humility so to pursue what you do not know.

In order to grow, you've got to get feedback on your practice. One important component of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. Your emotional intelligence skills will require you to see your improvement through other people's eyes, that is a part of self awareness . The feedback you gather will show you if your perception of your growth is correct.

Mindfulness can be a game-changer for enhancing your emotional intelligence. By being fully present and aware, you can better understand your thoughts and feelings, leading to improved emotional control and empathy. A few examples include: ?? Deep Breathing ?? Daily Meditation ?? Mindful Moments ?? Guided Meditation Embracing mindfulness can transform how you handle stress and interact with others. It is really helpful to build a self care routine that incorporates mindfulness, to help you thrive personally and professionally.

1. Educate yourself about emotional intelligence through books, courses, and workshops. 2. Understand emotional theories and how emotions influence behavior. 3. Apply EI concepts in your professional life to gain practical experience. 4. Seek feedback from colleagues and mentors to identify areas for improvement. 5. Practice active listening, empathy, and communication strategies in your daily interactions.

Another very effective tactic to overcome challenges to developing emotional intelligence is to reflect on what has triggered you. If you have a hard time receiving the feedback, it may be more to it than you think. It can be discouraging and difficult to hear feedback but sometimes that is because it is triggering something that you may need to address. You will need to become an emotional scientist. Becoming an emotional scientist will require you to be curious not judgemental. Stay curious about why you are feeling what you are feeling, use empathy to understand the feedback you have received, and analyze the triggers.