Emotional intelligence makes us more aware and in control of our thoughts and emotions. Honing your emotional intelligence can help you keep your emotions in check and make you a more confident communicator.

The first step is awareness. Pay close attention to your emotions and responses in different situations. Keep your emotions balanced and try to understand why you feel that way. Recognise, too, the emotions in others and try to understand their effect. Use that to guide your behaviour.

When you’re more empathetic and compassionate, you’re likely to be more successful. Conversely when you or the other person are both stressed and feel like you can’t make the other see your point, you lose common ground.

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Conflict is unavoidable in any kind of relationship, whether it’s at work or at home. To resolve conflict in a positive way, learn to let go of grudges and to focus on the issue at hand. Don’t get personal. Figure out what lies at the core of the disagreement and work with the other person on resolving it.

Think of it as both of you against the problem, not each other. The aim is to compromise with others, not win the argument — that’s constructive conflict, and it helps both of you grow. Besides, you can always agree to disagree without losing respect for each other.

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Ever met someone who appeared friendly but somehow seemed disengaged? When people don’t appear entirely genuine, they can risk alienating others. Instead of making pointless small talk, ask questions that people are excited to answer and listen attentively. Go beyond the surface and get to know them as you would a friend.

Questions like “What are you doing right now that excites you?” or “What would you be doing if you didn’t have to worry about money?” gets people to open up quickly.

It’s easy to talk, and much harder to listen. Good communication calls for good listening skills.

Many people are usually focusing on what to say next instead of listening to what others are saying. Doing so not only shows that you are not paying attention, you also won’t truly connect with the other person. Take the time to listen before speaking, and don’t be in a hurry to launch into your point. And remember to make eye contact while you listen and speak.

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Our body language can convey a lot more than we are aware of in any given situation. Research has shown that most of the communication happens non-verbally. Listen to not just what people are saying, but also how they are saying it.

Pay attention to your non-verbal cues such as eye contact (an appreciate length of time is three seconds before looking away), good posture (bunching indicates low self-esteem and potentially something to hide) and hand gestures (folded hands indicate a reserved nature, while gesticulating shows openness). These can tell more about you than the things you say.

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Social media can be both a boon and a bane to your image. While it may be easy to curate your virtual persona and reflect only the best of you, what really matters is what you are like in person. Like Maya Angelou said, people won’t remember what you said, but how you made them feel.

Embrace your authentic self and reflect the same personality that makes you unique. Others will appreciate what you bring to the table and you don’t have to compromise who you are. Plus, authenticity leads to greater trust, which in turn helps you build stronger relationships both online and offline.

Healthy, positive relationships can raise your confidence and make you more forthcoming and sociable. Sociability is a muscle that becomes stronger the more you exercise it. Even if you’re not a “people person”, the more you engage in social interaction, the more rewarding it will be.

To build and maintain good relationships, make the effort to check in on and catch up with your contacts. It’s always nice to receive a message or phone call from a friend, after all. Reaching out only when you need something from others is an indication of how you view the relationship.

There’s confidence, and then there’s arrogance. Sometimes, we get so preoccupied with trying to appear self-assured that we come across as conceited instead.

Confidence is more than just knowing your own value; it’s also being of value to others. People gravitate to someone who affirms and lifts them up instead of simply flaunting their own merits.

Make sure you’re talking with someone, and not at them. And try to find a common ground that makes the other person able to relate more to you. For instance, instead of talking about your achievements, share about the challenges along the way and ask if they have encountered something similar when going after their goals.

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Meeting new people can broaden your perspective and world view. It also raises your emotional intelligence because you get to exercise your people skills and grow in empathy. The more varied your social circle, the less confined you are in your thinking and the more comfortable you become with meeting different people.

When meeting new people, get to truly know them by letting them express themselves without leaping to snap judgements or interrupting them with your own opinions.

Asking for feedback shows that you are not only willing to understand other viewpoints and value others’ impression of you, but are constantly looking to improve your communication skills. By working on the feedback you receive, you learn to communicate better and grow more receptive to criticism, which builds resilience and emotional maturity.

Take time to seek feedback such as “What’s one thing I could improve?” or “What do you think you might have done differently?” to find out if you’re effectively communicating your point.

Be receptive, not defensive, when you’re given feedback, even if it’s a negative one. Find ways to learn and improve instead of jumping to defend yourself, which can put up even more walls between you and others.

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