Inspiration for You

7 Ways to Improve your Emotional Quotient

1. Get moving: regular exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and help people stay calm.
2. Eat lots of plants:  A plant-based diet with sufficient tryptophan, tyrosine, and omega 3 can help people recover from major depression and anxiety.
3. Let the sun shine in:sufficient light from the sun can improve vitamin D levels and brain serotonin levels, leading to an improved mood.
4. Close the blinds and go to bed:  Adequate sleep in a dark environment can improve nighttime melatonin levels, which in turn can help daytime energy levels and memory.
5. Turn on the tunes:  listening to melodic, harmonious music improves mood, reduces stress, lowers cortisol levels, and improves brain function.
6. Don't believe distorted thoughts: Analyzing your own thoughts for distortions and correcting your faulty thinking dramatically improves emotional intelligence.
7. Contemplate scripture: Reading, analyzing, and contemplating passages from the Bible can enhance the function of the frontal lobe of the brain, thus improving emotional intelligence.

Source: Neil Nedley is a practicing physician and author of several books including Depression— The Way Out and The Lost Art of Thinking: 30 Strategies to Improve Emotional Intelligence and Achieve Peak Mental Performance.