The Need for Emotion Education and Vocabulary
Only about one in five adults can name more than three emotions they feel regularly, indicating a widespread lack of emotion education. Emotion education involves building emotion skills from preschool through the workplace. The foundational principle is that people must "name it to tame it" or "label it to regulate it". If individuals do not truly know how they feel and why, it is impossible to support them in managing their emotions.
A key skill is distinguishing between similar emotions, which helps determine the appropriate action. For example:
- Anger is typically associated with perceived injustice, while disappointment relates to unmet expectations.
- Anxiety concerns uncertainty about the future. Stress is having too many demands with insufficient resources. Pressure involves a significant stake dependent upon one's action or behavior.
- Envy is wanting what another person possesses, whereas jealousy is fearing that someone else getting something will take it away from you.
Emotional Intelligence and the RULER Model
Emotional intelligence is defined as using your feelings wisely to achieve your goals; it is goal-oriented and functional. The RULER model outlines five key skills for developing emotional intelligence: