There’s a topic many of us are uncomfortable talking about, but it's time we bring it into the light: emotional intelligence.
Most of us grew up learning about everything except how to navigate and validate our emotions. And this lack of understanding often continues to affect us well into adulthood, creating cycles that we unknowingly pass down to the next generation.
During childhood, many girls were taught that expressing their emotions meant they were being overly dramatic, while boys learned that "real men don’t cry."
These messages silenced our emotional experiences and prevented us from learning how to process and manage our feelings. Instead of understanding and embracing our emotions, we were taught to suppress them, leaving us ill-equipped to handle emotional challenges as adults.
The truth is, most of us never learned how to balance our feelings and thoughts. In fact, it can feel like it’s shameful not to already know how to do this.
But why would we? If our parents didn't understand emotional intelligence themselves, how could they teach us? This is where neuroscience helps us understand the gaps.
The Neuroscience of Emotions
Our brains, particularly during childhood, are wired to respond to emotional and social cues.
The prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for regulating emotions and making decisions, only fully develops in our mid-20s.
During our formative years, we rely heavily on adults to model how to manage emotions. Without this guidance, our brains often default to survival mechanisms—suppressing feelings, becoming reactive, or emotionally disconnected.
When we are taught to “suck it up” instead of addressing our emotions, our brain’s amygdala—our emotional alarm system—can become overactive. We get stuck in a cycle of fight or flight responses, unable to properly process emotions.
It’s no wonder so many of us struggle with anxiety, stress, or difficulty forming deep emotional connections.
Imagine a World Where Emotional Intelligence Was the Norm
Now, imagine what life could look like if we were all taught emotional intelligence from a young age, both at home and in school.
Imagine a classroom where children are encouraged to express their feelings, learn how to manage conflict in healthy ways, and develop empathy for one another. At home, imagine parents who guide their children through emotional highs and lows with understanding and support.
This world isn’t a dream—it's a future we can create by breaking the cycle of emotional neglect. If emotional intelligence became a key skill, we’d have healthier relationships, better mental health, and a more resilient society.
3 Ways to Develop Emotional Intelligence
Self-awareness practices: Start by paying attention to your own emotional responses. Journaling, meditation, or simply taking a few moments to reflect on your feelings helps you become more aware of your emotional state and its impact on your thoughts and actions.
Hypnosis for emotional healing: Hypnosis is a powerful tool to explore and reframe emotional patterns. It allows you to access the subconscious mind, where deeply ingrained emotional responses reside, and rewire them.
Through guided hypnosis, you can release old emotional blockages, improve emotional regulation, and build a healthier relationship with your feelings.
Empathy and emotional regulation techniques: Developing empathy allows you to understand others’ emotions. Actively listen to others without judgment and practice seeing things from their perspective.
Techniques like deep breathing, cognitive reframing (challenging negative thoughts), or mindfulness can help calm the brain’s emotional response, giving you more control over how you react to situations.
Breaking the Cycle
It’s up to us to learn and develop emotional intelligence. By committing to this, we can reshape our relationships, how we parent, and even how we view ourselves.
The cycle of emotional neglect can end with us, creating a future where emotional intelligence is valued and passed down to the next generation.
Ready to Break the Cycle?
If you're ready to develop your emotional intelligence and break free from old patterns, you're not alone.
Book a free call today and let’s explore how hypnosis and other powerful tools can help you heal, grow, and thrive emotionally. It's time to create a brighter future for yourself, be bold!
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