Emotional Intelligence Exercises & Techniques

Emotions and feelings are different:

Feelings are usually based on mental association between external and internal factors leading to a cognitive reaction linked to this mental association. Those feelings are usually linked to belief and conditioning. Feeling happy, feeling blessed, relaxed, grateful… those are all feelings built upon a stimulus. Emotions operate on a more complex level. While feelings last for a short period of time, emotions usually last longer, and they have a more accute influence on us. Here is the interesting part however, emotions and feelings are indeed different, but there is a correlation between them. Feelings lead to emotions. Lingering feelings of excitement and happiness, can lead to an emotional state of joy. Feelings of disappointment, devestation and grief can lead to an emotional state of sadness. I’ll give you an example:

You were expecting a job promotion, only to realize after a while, that you will not be getting the promotion. As soon as you heard the news, feelings rush in. You felt disappointed and frustrated. If those feelings last for a while, they will develop into emotions linked to anger or sadness.

However, if you got the promotion you were hoping to get, you will feel happy and ecstatic. Those feelings, in the case where they last for a while…