Good emotional intelligence in seniors translates into a better quality of life.
Our current society reflects a negative approach towards aging; turning years is often associated with a physical decline and diminished cognitive abilities, which causes situations of social isolation, loneliness, and, therefore, emotional imbalance. It is vital to prioritize emotional intelligence development and encourage and support others to achieve it.
Developing emotional intelligence takes time and training. Dimensions such as empathy, emotional regulation, or social skills significantly favors the aging process itself. The objective is to raise awareness, internalize and manage emotions optimally, and thereby achieve healthy aging, more positive self-knowledge, and a better quality of life.
Which practices can help maintain a good level of affective and emotional well-being?
Developing openness to experience
Learning to be more flexible and dynamic, better recognizing our emotional states, naming them, and externalizing them are part of that emotional dynamic throughout the life cycle. Curiously, we learn to identify fear, sadness, or anger easily, but we also need to learn to identify joy, illusion, and enthusiasm, the diary of pleasant experiences at the end of the day is of great help.
Avoid focusing our motivation on a single goal
Life is full of experiences that we must adapt to our lifestyle and needs.
Own and develop our narrative
Learning to develop a change through written representation, capturing our fears and discomfort, and trying to give meaning to bad experiences makes it easier to begin to tell ourselves and take into reality the narrative of the life we want to live.
Forgive
Forgiveness makes us keep a broader mind and helps us take the focus off the negative, without excuses or reproaches. The letter of forgiveness is an excellent tool, mainly in the face of an unfinished issue with someone from our past or that “emotionally moves” us; it can achieve that balance.
Gratitude
In addition to being an antidote against depression, it characterizes an optimistic and harmonious person, which is why daily gratitude exercises and reflection help to promote more positive states.
Development of social skills
Although it sounds “a cliché,” going to social events, participating in associations, and developing inter and intra-group interactions provide the person with security and confidence, reinforcing their emotions.
Active listening
We must focus on what they are telling us, we pay attention, and in the end, we reflect on what we feel before that conversation or message from others. With this, we promote communication, social interaction, and empathy.
Development of creativity and openness to beauty
These strengths, if we also carry them out in company, fill us with greater fulfillment: going to museums, developing a painting, creative writing, dance, etc., can be examples of this.
Depolarize thought
Practicing activities such as yoga or “mindfulness” helps emotional balance by eliminating judgments and value labels about what happens around us.
The path to emotional intelligence also includes:
- Be aware that life is running out. This accepted personal reality causes behavior to focus on emotionally rewarding experiences. Future promises no longer matter; you want to enjoy well-being here and now.
- Make a balance of everything lived and experienced. From this, you can decide to stay only with what is considered rewarding. This approach is a personal filter that encourages day-to-day to see the positive side of things, thus generating quality bonds and evaluating each situation from a more optimistic perspective.
- Experience is one of your strongest pillars to achieving emotional intelligence. Since the years have taught them to manage certain emotions better, they better understand the processes, self-regulate and at the same time know how to connect with the needs of others.
As you can see, Emotional Intelligence is an essential pillar to achieving personal balance, making it possible for a person to feel valuable and secure on a personal level and in relation to the people around them. Growing up emotionally healthy, living in the present, adapting to the environment, and developing a relaxed and optimistic approach is synonymous with active and successful aging.