Subject: Personal Development

Topic: Improving Emotional Intelligence

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand what is emotional intelligence;
2. Identify the varied emotions;
3. Determine the relationship between Emotional Intelligence and emotions
4. Determine the effects of emotions;
5. Be able to exemplify on ways to manage emotions.

Case Analysis:
Marie is a 13 year old gifted teenager with ability to play any musical instrument. Often she
is harassed by her inability to perform due to her need to comply with much school workload.
Playing musical instrument is her therapy as it soothes her mind. Such inability made her throw
tantrums which some people consider as highly immature. Such manner of expressing her
emotions made people think that she is emotionally immature.
Is Marie of a very low Emotional Intelligence?

1. What is Marie’s therapy as she confronted by much school workloads?

2. Why does she throw tantrums?
3. Does that mean that she is emotionally immature?
4. Is it true that such behaviour manifests low emotional intelligence? Why?

Lesson Content:
Emotions come from a latin word “Emovere” which means “to move out”. Emotions are
spontaneous responses to certain stimuli. It is natural and random response to situations that may
cause anger, sadness, happiness and fear. They are caused by stimulus that demands either
positive or negative reactions. Emotions are complex, a state of feeling that result in physical and
psychological changes influencing behaviors. It arouse the nervous system. Emotions emanate from
the right area of our brain that is basically subjective and feeling. Furthermore, it has to be noted
that emotions results from our perception of a specific situation. Even the imagined “death of a
loved one” can already trigger responses and emotions which can be determined through verbal and
non-verbal responses which may include facial expressions and gestures.
Physiological reactions may result from certain emotional state that may even lead to
“psychosomatic illness”. This is an illness that is produced by the brain as it perceives its current
reality. An anxious, grieving and angry brain can definitely poison its own physical self.

What kind of emotions affect you?

a. Positive Emotions- a classification of pleasant emotion which may include happiness,
excitement, joy, relief, triumph, jubilation. It connotes an expression where one finds himself
smiling or laughing with a feel of “elation”. These comes from positive experiences especially
when one is able to attain or satisfy his expectations and desires.
b. Negative Emotions- a classification of emotion involving sadness, disgust, annoyance,
anxiety, anger, jealousy, fear and the like. It is shown through facial expression that is
manifested in an unhappy face, tears, discomfort, pain, and even psychosomatic illness.

Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence was defined by Peter Salovey and John Mayer (1990) as the ability to
perceive and express emotions accurately and adaptively, to understand emotions and emotional
knowledge, to use feelings to facilitate thought and to manage emotions in oneself and others.
Moreover, it refers to an individual’s ability to determine emotions and how it can be utilized to
decide well on situations that pertains to the self and the significant others. Gardner also stated
that emotional intelligence is one’s ability to understand people. Appreciating what drives them and
how one can do to come up with cooperative work that can result to a harmonious relationship and
greater productivity.
Why adolescents need high emotional intelligence
 As everyone knows, the period of adolescence is the most tumultuous stage in terms of
physical, cognitive, psychological and social adjustments that teenagers go through. If these young
people have an understanding of their own intense feelings and the capacity to manage them, they
may be able to cope better with the challenges during the transition stage. For instance, mood swings
and bouts of anger can be better controlled if emotional intelligence is enhanced.
In school academic performance and intelligence quotient matter a lot. There are times though
when an adolescent who excels academically may not necessarily be adept socially. A high IQ may
not be necessarily followed by skill in interpersonal relations.
A lot of factors define success I life, and emotional intelligence is one indispensable factor. By
increasing young peoples’ emotional quotient, they are not only able to cope better with changes, but
are also able to assist other people to become efficient, competent, and eventually successful in life.
People with high emotional quotient have the ability to reduce their stress, improve their
relationship with other people, and manage their lives better, all of which lead to success and
happiness.

5 Major categories of skills involving emotional intelligence:

1. Motivation-the individual is optimistic to achieve what he/she desires for oneself and others.
It is enjoying what you do, working towards achieving goals, and not being motivated by money
or status.
2. Self-awareness-ability to recognize your own emotions, strengths and limitations, and their
impact on others around you.
3. Self-regulation-allows you to wisely manage your emotions and impulses.
4. Social skills-effective at managing relationship that benefits everyone involved.
5. Empathy-able to identify, understand and sensitive to other’s emotions.

Steps to manage variety of emotions pervading the mind and body:

1. Determine the emotions that afflicting you
2. Decipher what have caused those emotions
3. Find a confidante or a person to trust
4. Express your emotions
5. Have a moment of silence and keep calm
6. Accept that life is a challenge that you need to face it
7. Develop a mantra and repeat it to yourself
8. Develop freshness of appreciation
9. Be grateful for everything
10. Emit positivity

Activity: Journal Writing about Anger. Write this in 1 whole sheet of paper.
1. List 5 things that make you the most angry
2. What thoughts go through your mind when you get angry at someone?
3. What thoughts could you substitute in order to help you with your anger?
4. What are some of the poor choices you have made as a result of your anger?
5. What could you do different next time in order to avoid making poor choices when angry?

Reference: Caparas, Maria Vida G. (2018), Personal Development: Discovering the Key to Success,
Abiva Publishing House Inc.
Magalona, Ethel, Sadsad, Evelyn (2016), Personal Development: Theory and Practice,
MINDSHAPERS CO., INC.