12 Emotional Intelligence Activities: To Improve Self-Awareness

If you want to increase your self-awareness, emotional intelligence exercises can make a significant difference. These exercises are not only easy and useful, but they also possess the ability to assist you in identifying, comprehending, and controlling your emotions successfully.

Let’s take a thorough approach and rephrase the text step by step, without adding or removing any information, while maintaining the same meaning: Having self-awareness is akin to possessing a concealed special ability; it enables you to maneuver through life with a heightened comprehension of both yourself and those around you. Consequently, let us delve into these impactful exercises for emotional intelligence that aim to bolster your self-awareness.

1. Practice mindfulness

To begin with, the initial exercise on the agenda centers on mindfulness, a straightforward yet influential method that aids in keeping oneself grounded in the present instant. The following steps detail how one can engage in the practice of mindfulness.

Focus on your breathing: Begin by finding a quiet spot where you can sit comfortably. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Notice the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in and out. This simple act of focusing on your breath can help you become more aware of your body and your current state of mind.
Observe your surroundings: Another way to practice mindfulness is by thoroughly observing your surroundings. You could be in your room, at a park, or even on a bus—it doesn’t matter. Just take a moment to notice the colors, sounds, smells, and textures around you. This practice can help you stay grounded in the present moment.
Mindful eating: We often eat our meals while scrolling through our phones or watching TV, missing out on the actual experience of eating. Try practicing mindful eating. Pay attention to the taste, texture, and smell of your food. This helps you enjoy your meal more and also makes you more aware of your body’s signals of hunger and fullness.

The purpose of these exercises in emotional intelligence is not to clear your mind of thoughts, but to simply observe them without making any judgments. Mindfulness teaches you to acknowledge and accept your emotions and thoughts as they are, which is an important step in enhancing your self-awareness.

2. Keep a journal

Journals serve as reflections of thoughts and emotions, thus making them valuable instruments for exercises in emotional intelligence. Engaging in journaling can enhance understanding of feelings, enable tracking of patterns and triggers, and facilitate the processing of intricate emotions.

Write about your day: At the end of each day, take a few moments to write about what happened. What were the high points? The low points? How did certain events or interactions make you feel? This can help you understand your emotional responses better.
List your emotions: Create a list of emotions that you felt throughout the day. Feeling words not only help you articulate your emotions better but they also help you to identify them, which is a key aspect of self-awareness.
Reflect on your entries: After a while, take some time to go through your entries. You might start to notice patterns or triggers for certain emotions. This can be a powerful way to gain insights into your emotional habits.

There is no correct method for keeping a journal. It is important to establish a regular habit of journaling, similar to brushing your teeth. With time, you will discover that journaling is a beneficial practice for enhancing self-awareness and engaging in emotional intelligence exercises.

3. Create space for self-reflection

Creating space for self-reflection can help you focus on your thoughts and emotions, just like a quiet room helps you concentrate on a good book. This is one of the most effective exercises for enhancing self-awareness in emotional intelligence. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can do it:

Find quiet time: It might be early in the morning before everyone else is awake, during a lunch break, or late at night when the day’s chores are done. The point is to find a time when you can be alone with your thoughts.
Unplug from distractions: Turn off your phone, computer, and TV. These devices often fill our minds with information, leaving less space for self-reflection.
Let your mind wander: Don’t try to control or guide your thoughts. Let them flow freely. You might be surprised at what comes up when you give your mind the freedom to explore.

Self-reflection does not involve reaching a specific goal or resolving an issue. Rather, it entails impartially observing one’s thoughts and emotions. By allowing time for self-reflection, individuals may gain a better grasp of their feelings and responses, ultimately making it a highly advantageous exercise for enhancing self-awareness in emotional intelligence.

4. Ask for feedback

One effective way to enhance self-awareness and develop emotional intelligence is by soliciting feedback. Requesting feedback serves as a reflective tool that not only reveals one’s outer appearance but also exposes their actions and attitudes. Utilizing feedback to improve oneself can be easily accomplished by following these simple steps.

Choose the right people: Ask for feedback from people who know you well and who you trust. This could be a close friend, a family member, or a work colleague. They should be able to provide honest and constructive feedback.
Ask specific questions: Instead of asking general questions ask specific questions.
Respond with gratitude: Receiving feedback can sometimes be uncomfortable, but remember, it’s an opportunity for growth. Thank the person for their feedback, even if it’s not what you wanted to hear.

Asking for feedback can be challenging at times, but it is a highly effective exercise in emotional intelligence. It provides an alternate view of oneself and can uncover areas for growth that may have gone unnoticed. Therefore, who will be the recipient of your feedback request today?

5. Set an awareness trigger

Many of us may initially start writing an emotions diary but then forget to continue doing so. Therefore, setting an awareness trigger, such as an alarm that sounds multiple times a day, can be a useful way to stay on track.

By utilizing this alarm, you can ensure that you regularly evaluate your emotional state. Once the alarm is triggered, take a minute to reflect on your feelings and their underlying causes. This straightforward method can enhance your self-awareness concerning emotions, and you may be pleasantly surprised by its effectiveness.

6. Develop your feelings vocabulary

To describe how you are feeling and assess the intensity of your emotions, employ a tool such as the wheel of emotions. Utilize the words from the wheel of emotions in points 1, 2, and 3 of this post. Avoid adding or omitting any information while rephrasing.

7. Know who and what pushes your buttons

Instead of considering situations in a broad sense, it is more beneficial to identify the precise factors that cause your reactions. By recognizing your triggers, you can gain a better understanding of things and allocate more time to compose yourself.

By having a clear understanding of why your colleague irritates you, you will be more equipped to handle the irritation and effectively address the situation.

Rather than lashing out, you can choose to either accept the situation, considering it insignificant, or assertively suggest a solution or compromise that promotes peaceful coexistence with your colleague in the future.

8. Ask yourself why you do the things you do

In situations where we act in a manner that is unlike our normal behavior or that we later feel remorseful about, it is useful to reflect on the reasons behind our actions.

What emotion influenced your behavior?
Can you remember if this happened at other times?
Was there a trigger (a person or a situation)?

9. Don’t treat your feelings as good or bad

When you feel an emotion, refrain from making judgments about it. Simply observe your feelings without attempting to determine whether they are positive or negative. If you criticize your emotions, it will merely result in accumulating further emotions, such as guilt or anxiety.

Rephrasing: The key is to think step by step in order to understand your feelings clearly; adding or removing information will only lead to confusion.

10. Observe the ripple effects of your emotions

In order to have a positive influence on others, it is crucial to be mindful of both your emotions and the reactions of those around you.

Imagine being a team leader who frequently experiences anger without realizing it. Consequently, you find it perplexing that your team members consistently appear tense and refrain from providing ideas or suggestions when faced with an issue.

Due to the possibility of facing your anger, they might choose to avoid saying anything you dislike, which could lead to them being less assertive and less innovative when it comes to problem-solving.

11. Accept your discomfort

If you find it uncomfortable or even painful to confront your emotions, there might be things you don’t want to acknowledge. However, don’t allow this to hinder your efforts in developing self-awareness.

Instead of resisting or trying to push away your emotions, it is important to acknowledge and accept them. Being more understanding and gentle with yourself is necessary. Ignoring your emotions won’t make them disappear; they will only resurface unexpectedly.

12. Feel your emotions physically

The connection between the body and the mind is very strong. Your body experiences every emotion before you become conscious of it.

When you find yourself alone with a few spare minutes, take part in this exercise. Shut your eyes and pay attention to the sensations in your body. Take note of your breathing pattern. Observe the pace of your heartbeats. Can you sense any tightness or strain in your muscles throughout your body?

Now envision yourself experiencing an emotion, perhaps recalling a past situation. Reflect on it with as much clarity as you can muster.