Holistic Development is a new age concept that is trending in educational institutions today. Holistic development through education from the early stage of a child’s life has become more important today than in the last century. Holistic Development means the development of intellectual, mental, physical, emotional, and social abilities in a child so that he or she is capable of facing multiple facets of challenges that come across in life.
Holistic development is a comprehensive approach in learning which aims to develop multiple facets or abilities of a human brain. Nowadays, most companies or organisations don’t only consider a student’s overall academic performance but also consider the holistic development of students when they recruit for various jobs. This makes the holistic development of students very important.
With the way technology is advancing and education methods changing, the parents are now interested in making their kids learn all-round development. From the beginning, a child is exposed to a variety of sports and activities that enable him/her to learn new things. This has resulted in a complete change in the way students are taught in schools as well.
Now, holistic development has many parts to it. One such part I’ll be talking about is the emotional quotient. Emotional Quotient is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathise with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict. Emotional intelligence, as it is also called, helps you build stronger relationships, succeed at college and work achieving your career and personal goals.
The ability to express and control emotions is essential, but so is the ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. The emotional quotient consists of five important dimensions:
1. Knowing one’s emotions.
2. Controlling one’s emotions.
3. Recognising others’ emotions.
4. Controlling others’ emotions.
5. Improvement in emotional control.
Self-management is where you’re able to control impulsive feelings and behaviour, manage your emotions in healthy ways, take initiative, follow through on commitments, and adapt to changing circumstances. Self-awareness is recognising your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behaviour. You should know your strengths and weaknesses and have self-confidence. Social awareness is when you have empathy. You can understand emotions, needs, and concerns of other people, pick up on emotional cues, feel comfortable socially and recognise the power dynamics in a group. Relationship management is knowing how to develop and maintain good relationships, communicate clearly, inspire and influence others. Working well in a team, and manage conflict also add to this.
Now, you may wonder why Emotional Quotient is important.
Emotional intelligence can help you navigate the social complexities of a workplace, lead and motivate others, and excel in your career. In fact, many companies now rate emotional intelligence as important as technical ability and employ tests related to it to hire someone. Uncontrolled emotions and stress can also impact your mental health, making you vulnerable to anxiety and depression. If you are unable to understand, get comfortable with, or manage your emotions, you’ll also struggle to form strong relationships. This in turn can leave you feeling lonely and isolated and further exacerbate any mental health problems. By understanding your emotions and how to control them, you’re better able to express how you feel and understand how others are feeling. This allows you to communicate more effectively and forge stronger relationships, both at work and in your personal life.
