Understanding emotions leads to understanding self

October is a month that celebrates both mental and emotional health in a big way. This article features information about two ways that emotional awareness is highlighted in the first full month of Fall.

The first is Emotional Intelligence Month, an annual campaign that gives people resources and materials to educate themselves on emotions and how individuals can control them. A lack of emotional awareness could lead to poor decision-making, and decisions made when not in the right mindset can put lives in danger.

This month-long campaign encourages people to discuss the healthy and harmful reactions to emotions. Taking assessments allows people to understand why they feel the way they do and what to do to improve. Emotional intelligence shows us the significant impact of emotions on how people apply their minds to any particular situation.

In Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s book The Growth of the Mind, he said, “Refining what we mean by intelligence is a most important issue . . . Intelligence reflects the mind doing its most important work . . .” He goes on to tell us that “our definition of intelligence should focus on the general process whereby individuals reason, reflect and understand the world . . . Emotions, not cognitive stimulation, serve as the mind’s primary architect.”  This goes to show that people need to understand and reflect on emotions rather than focus on what intelligence itself means.

Emotional Wellness Month relates closely to Emotional Intelligence Month, and it is also celebrated in October. When people have intel on emotions, emotional wellness goes up. Education allows people to understand how to handle emotions. Mental and emotional stress can lead to negative physical reactions, a weak immune system, and poor health. Emotional Wellness Month allows people to process feelings in a healthy, positive way and manage everyday stress.

Maintaining a healthy emotional balance helps people make positive choices, helps them with relationships with family or friends, and helps them achieve goals more easily.

While Emotional Intelligence Month and Emotion Wellness Month are considered two different campaigns, work very close together. People need to educate themselves on how they feel and why, and then they can figure out how to relieve negative emotions or stress. Activities that are known to be stress-relieving, such as yoga, can help people achieve a sense of emotional wellness, but it all starts with a sense of emotional intelligence.