The Importance of Emotional Intelligence for the Climate Crisis

We can choose to ignore our feelings, let them overwhelm us, or use them as fuel to face complex challenges head-on.

Low emotional intelligence can mean that people can’t manage even small amounts of stress, are more prone to anxiety and depression, and are more at the mercy of sudden changes to their mood. When we’re in “fight or flight mode”, we are far more prone to binary thinking, meaning that everything is good or bad, black or white, us or them — not exactly what we need the most right now, when we are being called to solve complex problems and work together toward solutions.

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Struggling to “Find your Purpose?” Maybe You’ve Fallen for One of These 7 Myths…

What if your calling doesn't match current economic demands? What if your purpose isn’t out there, wrapped with a pretty bow, waiting to be found?

In this article I explore 7 myths surrounding purpose and passion, and why so many people wrap themselves up in knots trying to figure out exactly what they were put here to do.

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Crying With Strangers : The Power of Expressing Emotions in a Group

The practice of sharing emotions in a circle is nothing new, yet few of us feel as if we can safely express our deepest emotions even to our closest friends. So when I took part in a collective ritual of sharing our grief, fear and anger over what is happening to the planet, I was surprised by the results…

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How “The Power of Now” Changed My Life

In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle explores the way that we spend the majority of our time (mentally) in the past or the future - very rarely on the actual present moment.

He explores questions like “well, if I never think about the future, how will I plan things? Won’t I just become a bum lounging around on my parents’ sofa?” - or something along those lines.

..Yes, of course, we need to be careful not to use mindfulness or the power of Now to encourage people to put up with unacceptable situations. If your house is actually on fire, don’t just sit still and focus on the feeling of the flames burning your skin - you get the f*** out and call the fire brigade…

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7 Ways to Cultivate More Hope (+ Why Optimism Isn’t What You Think)

When I told people I was preparing, slowly, for the oncoming forced quarantines and potential shortages of food in the supermarkets, I was told not to be paranoid. When I voiced the fact that the global stock market is crashing, that trading had even been suspended, that our money may not be safe in our banks, I was told to be more optimistic.

Well, to me, being optimistic is not about covering our eyes and ears and singing "la la la everything will be fine". That's Pollyanna-ism, denial, self-delusion, or toxic positivity - and that may have served you just fine so far, but in the end it's only going to be more painful when you realise that sometimes you have to make tough decisions and act…

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How to start dealing with uncertainty (let’s face it, we pretty much have to)

Right now, we are full of uncertainty – when will all this end? When will things go back to normal? WILL things go back to normal? What if I lose my job? What if I catch the virus?

This is bad news, because our brains love certainty and control - at least, to a certain point. How can we learn to embrace uncertainty when it feels so scary? Why is the current pandemic so stressful for us? And why are we so obsessed with control in the first place? Read on to find out, plus a powerful exercise to help you separate what you can control from what you can’t.

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Emotional Intelligence, Self-love Gwyneth Jones Emotional Intelligence, Self-love Gwyneth Jones

The problem with striving to be happy (especially during a global pandemic)

Striving to feel happy all the time is not a realistic (or desirable) goal. In fact, studies show that the active pursuit of happiness can make you unhappythe more we value happiness, the less happy we feel when in low-stress situations. In other words, the thought “my life is easy and stress-free right now — so why don’t I feel happy?” causes us to feel more disappointment at our own emotions, leading us to feel even worse.

I know you don’t WANT to feel anxious — nobody does. But if you’re beating yourself up for not being OK right now, then please take a deep breath and read on.

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Why Emotional Intelligence is So Important Right Now

Now, more than ever, understanding how your brain and body respond to stress is vital for facing the chaos we find ourselves in. The word “Emotional Intelligence” has been a bit of a buzzword in the world of business ever since Daniel Goleman’s book of the same title burst onto shelves in 1995.

More often than not, it is a skill taught to managers by well-meaning coaches with the promise of making them more successful, likeable, and perhaps boosting sales and reducing their staff turnover. But is Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, more than just a scientific-sounding method of “winning friends and influencing people”? And how can understanding it help us in times of crisis?

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