Self-Regulation is one of the five skills that make up Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), alongside Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Empathy, and Social Skill.
This article aims to explain what Self-Regulation means and why it is important in enhancing EQ.
Role of Self-Regulation
Self-Regulation can either be behavioral or emotional, and both play a significant role in our lives.
Behavioral Self-Regulation means acting in the best interest of oneself, consistent with one's values, and making decisions for the long-term.
For instance, getting up early for work, even if one dislikes it, to earn a living. This can be said that behavioral Self-Regulation is working effectively.
Emotional Self-Regulation means controlling one's impulsive and negative emotions and adapting to changing circumstances. It implies changing a bad mood and remaining calm despite negative emotions. This can be said to be emotional Self-Regulation working effectively.
Self-control is often confused with Self-Regulation, but they are different. Self-control is a conscious effort to suppress strong impulses, while Self-Regulation is an automatic, unconscious process that prevents strong impulses from occurring.
Importance of Self-Regulation skill
Individuals with high levels of self-regulation possess the ability to manage and control their emotions effectively. For instance, they are capable of restraining impulsive behavior that may escalate a situation or motivating themselves when feeling down. In simpler terms, they can adeptly adjust their emotional state and actions in response to their surroundings.
Self-regulation is crucial in the workplace as it helps us to manage our emotions better in an environment where we need to be in control. Since the workplace demands more control over our emotions, it is essential to regulate our emotions and behavior. This ensures that we don't shout at our colleagues or subordinates, say or do things that make others feel uneasy, or behave in ways that are socially inappropriate.
Self-regulation and motivation are closely related to each other. Motivation plays a significant role in controlling one's emotions and actions. An individual's motivation for success directly impacts their performance. Higher self-regulation leads to better control over one's behavior and helps in working towards a goal. Achieving a goal with higher self-regulation enhances one's sense of purpose and self-esteem, leading to greater well-being.
How to Improve Self-Regulation Skills
Self-regulation is a crucial skill that anyone can develop with practice. To begin with, try the following steps:
1. Practice mindfulness through breathing exercises.
2. Consume a healthy diet, drink enough water, and limit alcohol intake.
3. Allocate time to relax and reduce stress levels through self-hypnosis.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Get enough sleep, ideally 7-8 hours.
6. Make time for activities that you enjoy outside of work.
7. Laugh often.
8. Spend some time alone.
9. Maintain work-life balance.
While these may seem like common practices, they can significantly reduce stress and provide the energy required for self-regulation. Start by evaluating your own habits.
In addition to these steps, coaching ca be also a great way to enhance your emotional intelligence skills and engage in self-discovery and self-learning.
Coaching can be a great way to improve your emotional intelligence skills and engage in self-discovery and self-learning. BrainMaid offers executive coaching services to help you develop the necessary leadership skills to creatively and innovatively lead teams and people.
Leaders need to be able to anticipate how decisions, words, and actions will affect the entire organization, and the thinking skills required for strategy and next actions to stay one step ahead of the curve.
BrainMaid offers free 30-minute trial coaching.
If you are interested, please click here.