It was once said by Aristotle that “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”. As emotional beings, it may seem surprising when we can’t exactly describe how we feel. We might feel down one day, and happy the next, but still not be 100% sure why.
Learning about our emotions can help us better understand the changes in our well-being. This is often referred to as emotional intelligence. Being emotionally intelligent enables us to recognize emotions, describe them and understand their effects on ourselves.
Reflecting on our emotions can help us better understand why our moods change.
We can develop our emotional intelligence by asking ourselves questions that allow us to reflect on how we feel. These questions may help us better understand what we are feeling, and why we are feeling that way.
Thinking about today’s mood:
– What word would I use to describe my mood today?
– What are the reasons for my current mood today?
– Why do the reasons for my current mood make me feel this way?
Thinking about yesterday’s mood:
– What word would I use to describe my mood yesterday?
– What are the reasons for yesterday’s mood?
– Why do the reasons for yesterday’s mood make me feel that way?
Comparing yesterday’s mood to today’s mood:
– What was the difference between my actions yesterday and today?
– What was the main action I took which influenced my mood?
Thinking about tomorrow’s mood:
– What action can I take tomorrow that will positively affect my mood?
– If I were to take that action, what kind of emotions would I feel?
– If I were feeling positive tomorrow, what would it enable me to do during the day?
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