Mental health refers to how people think, feel, and act when confronted with life’s challenges. It has an impact on how we deal with stress, interact with others, and make decisions. Individuals’ mental health has an impact on how they view themselves, their life, and the people in their lives. Mental health, like physical health, is crucial at all stages of life.
In addition, it has received more attention in the popular news and scholarly study. Mental health is undeniably on the rise, and it may soon reach levels that strain the system. Whilst there has been much work in the area of mental health, research is required on the link between mental health, spiritual intelligence, and emotional intelligence.
A research study conducted in the Gorgan City, North of Iran has explored the link between spiritual intelligence, emotional intelligence, and mental health. The data was collected from 247 high school students including 124 males and 123 females in the age range of 14-17. This study found out that spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence can predict mental health. This is why spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence should be integrated into schools.
5 Ways Cultivating Emotional Intelligence Influences Mental Health
Mental health can strike anybody. Age, gender, culture, or career have no bearing on mental health. There are numerous reasons why mental health issues arise, and no two cases are alike. The research mentioned above aims to show how emotional intelligence might aid in the prevention of mental illness. Self-awareness, emotion regulation, motivation, empathy, and connection development are all examples of emotional intelligence.
1. Self-awareness
It is the ability to recognize and appraise one’s own emotions, as well as the impact they can have on one’s own life. Self-awareness allows people to recognize their strengths and opportunities for improvement. This alone can help someone suffering from mental illness appreciate their existing situation. Self-awareness is a key component of emotional intelligence that has been studied in a variety of contexts. It is thought that by becoming aware of one’s emotions at a lower level, one might recognize concerns much earlier in mental health. Mental health is an essential topic, and knowing the facts would allow us to deal with problems sooner.
To put it another way, prevention is preferable to cure. As a result, developing self-awareness is critical for mental health and balance. For example, I have begun to build awareness when I am self-aware of my actions and can recognize that they are not assisting me in controlling my emotions. I can build techniques to control my emotions based on this recognition. For example, I might not take on more responsibilities since they cause me to get more stressed, which leads to a loss of emotional control. In addition, I may discover areas in which I excel and use these to boost my self-esteem. Indeed, it is through the development of self-confidence that one can cultivate positivity to improve one’s thinking and feelings of happiness, thus facilitating balance.
2. Controlling emotions
The ability to control one’s emotions could be crucial in dealing with mental illness. Our emotions might change throughout the day, and their nature can influence whether or not we can manage them. Minor concerns can become huge due to an inability to cope while dealing with mental health. Emotion regulation is a difficult skill to master and should be practiced on a regular basis. Setting objectives, mindfulness, deep breathing, meditation, positive self-talk, listening to music, and reflective practices are all common ways of regulating emotion. Setting goals allows one to recover concentration and direction in order to finish activities. After achieving these objectives, one might begin to restore emotional control.
We can stay in the present moment through mindfulness. Humans have a proclivity for concentrating on past and future events/possibilities. We don’t spend enough time in the now, which is crucial. In other words, we have influence over the present and can do something about it. The past has passed us by, and the future has yet to arrive. As a result, it is suggested that people use mindfulness to assess their current condition and begin to set tiny goals that can be achieved.
Mindfulness can assist people in appreciating their current circumstances and figuring out how to deal with each one. Deep breathing, for example, helps people stay in the moment and regain mental and physical balance. Meditation is a discipline that not everyone enjoys, but when done correctly, it can be quite beneficial. Meditation does not have to be religious; it can be related to any type of practice. It can aid mental health patients by providing scope and focus, as well as providing energy through deep breathing and movement. Energy deficiency is, in reality, a prevalent condition linked to mental health.
3. Motivation
Motivation has been advocated by theorists as a prerequisite and need for enabling growth. Extrinsic (external) and intrinsic (internal) requirements exist in everyone. These requirements can be physical, physiological, psychological, nutritional, or a mix of these. The use of process goals can help to direct motivation more effectively. Motivation is one of the most important factors in mental health since it may generate the necessary energy. Lack of motivation is thought to be linked to one component of mental health. As a result, employing motivational tactics (such as goal planning and positive self-talk) may be able to reverse this trend.
4. Empathy
Empathy is the act of putting oneself in another person’s shoes. People should cultivate empathy because it reduces feelings of loneliness and seclusion. However, there are opportunities to use empathy. Empathy, it is suggested, allows one to appraise and examine things from the perspective of another. If a person with mental illness has a close relationship with another sufferer, they can recognize empathy. Joining clubs or meeting new people might help you develop empathy.
5. Managing relationships
The ability to form relationships can be the foundation for creating mental health support opportunities. Building relationships provide an opportunity to meet new people and work on tasks that promote cohesion. Of course, the nature of the mental illness makes this challenging, but it is doable given enough time and space. People can open up and gain greater trust coherence by forming new connections or deepening existing ones. Opening up and talking to people through relationship development is, in fact, a cornerstone of mental wellness.
4 Methods to Develop Spiritual Intelligence for Better Mental Health
Spiritual intelligence is a full picture of human intelligence that increases the human ability to connect to a higher power and a sacred entity. It also increases the human ability to ask questions about the meaning of life and the world in which we live. Spiritually intelligent people are more adaptable and self-aware, and they have a comprehensive perspective on life’s existence and difficulties. Spiritual intelligence refers to a variety of techniques for coordinating intrinsic life and the spirit with eternal life, which can lead to happiness and better life quality.
Spiritual intelligence is a more accurate measure of intelligence that begins the process of knowledge, kindness, honesty, desire, affection, inspiration, and harmony by releasing the potential and capabilities of the true nature (or soul). Spiritual intelligence, on the other hand, is a clear image of human intelligence that expands the human capacity to become linked to great power and a sacred. Those with a high level of spiritual intelligence, on the other hand, are more adaptable and uncomfortable and have a whole attitude toward dealing with life’s difficulties.
It also demonstrates a person’s overall perspective on the value of happiness and its assessment to demonstrate how much he or she enjoys his or her life. Spiritual intelligence is a practice and has four dimensions, which are detailed below.
1. Existential critical thinking
Existential thinking refers to the ability to observe the creation of life, the reality of things, the existent cosmos, time, space, and other metaphysical experiential problems with a critical eye. Further critical existential thinking may have the potential to consider non-existential matters that are present in one’s life.
2. Personal meaning production
All physical and intellectual experiences are linked to capability and purpose, which may include the individual’s purpose of living standard or lifestyle.
3. Transcendental awareness
The ability to become aware of transcendent dimensions/patterns of the self is known as transcendent awareness and people, as well as the physical world, in various phases of recognition, as measured by the ability to become cognizant of their courtship of one’s own body and self.
4. Conscious state growth
A refined and better state of consciousness that may include pure concentration, a proper cohesion process, and a sensation of oneness is a potential for conscious state expansion. It could also contain further personal discretion and various other states such as serious contemplation, prayer, and much more.
In summary, spiritual intelligence and emotional intelligence could be used as an instrument to make mental health better.