Emotional Intelligence (EI or EQ) describes a person's ability to recognize emotions, to understand their effect, and to use that information to guide thinking and behavior — helping you make better decisions and reach goals more quickly.

　　情绪智商指的是一个人能够辨别情绪变化,理解它们的影响,并使用这些信息来指导思想和行为的能力，可以帮助您做出更好的决策,更快地达到目标。

　　Here are 7 practical ways to sharpen your EQ.

　　下面有7个实际可行的方法来提高你的情商。

　　1. Reflect on your own emotions

　　1.反思自己的情绪

　　For example, think about how you typically respond when you read an email that makes you angry. By identifying your own emotions and reactions, you become more mindful and can start to build control.

　　例如，想想您在读让您生气的电子邮件时，通常会作何反应。你会变得越来越谨醒，并开始注意自我控制。

　　2. Ask others for perspective

　　2.征询别人的观点

　　We see ourselves differently than others see us. Ask a friend or close colleague how you react when they're emotional. The answers will help you achieve a more accurate view of yourself.

　　我们看自己不同于别人看我们。问你的朋友或者关系好的同事，他们情绪化时，你的反应如何。他们的答案将帮助您对自己有个更准确的定位。

　　3. Be observant

　　3.要细心些

　　Armed with this newly acquired knowledge, you can be more observant of your current emotions. Self-reflection and thinking about what others have shared will help you to be more in tune with what you're feeling.

　　有了这些新获得的知识,你可以对自己当下的情绪表现地更细心。自我反省和思考别人所分享的观点将会帮你跟自己的感觉更加地一致。

　　4. The pause

　　4.三思而后行

　　"The pause" is as simple as taking a moment to stop and think before we act or speak — an ability that's hindered by factors like added stress. Practice pausing before responding to an upsetting email, or before posting comments on social media.

　　“三思而后行”简单如：停一停，欲说话或行为前停下来先作思考，就是一种因外加压力而受阻的能力。学会在回复让人情绪不安的邮件或发布社交媒体评论前先停下来好好思考的习惯。

　　5.Focus on feelings, not events

　　5.关注个人感受而不是事件

　　Showing empathy means trying our best to see a situation through another person's eyes. We may not understand why they feel uncomfortable, angry, or hurt. But we can all relate to those feelings, and that helps us relate to the person.

　　换位思考意味着站在别人的角度看待事情本身。我们可能不理解为什么他们感觉不舒服,生气,或者受伤。但是我们可以通过联系那些情感来帮助自己联系那些人。

　　6. Don't take offense

　　6.别动怒

　　Criticism is never easy to take: But when you receive it, there are two choices: You can let emotion get the best of you, or you can learn from it. Don't let emotion close your mind to negative feedback. Use it to make you better.

　　批评不容易接受，但在受到批评时，你有两个选择：可以让情绪打败你或者可以从中学习。不要让情绪蒙蔽自己，让自己消极以对。而是要利用它使自己变得更好。

　　7. Practice, practice, practice

　　7.练习,练习,再练习

　　Like any other skill or ability, practice makes ... better. Of course, it's impossible to have perfect control over your emotions. But keep practicing these steps and you'll start to harness the power of emotions — and use them to work for you, instead of against you.

　　像其他任何一种技能或者能力一样，熟能生巧。当然，人不可能完美地控制自己的情绪。但是坚持练习这些步骤，你就会开始管理情绪，让它们为你工作，而不是攻击、阻碍你。

（编辑：何莹莹）