Have you ever seen your friend or classmate crying and feeling overwhelmed? They are very anxious and terrified. You see them as very vulnerable. Now, something is hitting inside you, and you wonder what’s wrong. You can see how miserable they are feeling.
But now you have multiple thoughts running through your mind. Should I offer her help? Should I ask her what’s wrong? Or they want to share, or you want to talk to them. You want to offer them something. These are all the emotions of caring, wanting, and connection, which are the biggest part of emotional intelligence. But here is the question.
Are you feeling empathy or compassion? These are two different words that are used interchangeably worldwide, but they both mean different things and have different distinctions. In this blog post, we are going to explore the heart of human connection that is known as compassion vs. empathy, their elements, how it helps people, and what it means. Let’s get into it without wasting any more time now.
Defining Compassion and Empathy
Let’s explore deeper and understand what these two different words, Compassion vs Empathy are:
Empathy generally means understanding someone’s feelings by imagining their feelings or what they are going through. You put yourself in their shoes and assume what they have been through.
For example, when a friend says they are horrified because of a certain situation, you remember a time when you felt the same. That is called empathy. Now, let’s talk about compassion.
Compassion is not only about feeling or processing someone’s feelings; it’s more about helping them. So, basically, compassion is an action-based element of emotional intelligence. If you see someone sad and you feel a strong need to comfort them, to make them feel better and at their best, that is called compassion.
Emotional Awareness in Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage, understand, and recognize the emotions of people and yourself. It means being smart with your emotions. The first step towards emotional intelligence is emotional awareness. Noticing and understanding your and others feelings is what makes you well aware. When you become more aware of emotions, you also get better at building connections and relationships.
How Awareness Shapes Connections
Let’s discuss how awareness can shape connections. You can relate emotions to color. If you try to see only two specific colors, let’s say green and yellow, the world of colors will be limited to you. But if you try to look around and start noticing different colors, pink, green, yellow, purple, red, you begin to see more.
This is how emotional awareness works. When you recognize different feelings, such as crying, happiness, joy, loneliness, and anger, you will understand them more deeply. This awareness will help you respond in different situations accordingly. It makes your emotional connection even better and opens the door for empathy and compassion to grow.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) shared an essential toolkit that helps individuals strengthen their emotions.
The Role of Perspective-Taking in Empathy
One of the major elements of empathy is perspective taking. Perspective taking means, to see the world through someone else’s point of view or thought process. For example, your little sister is upset because she didn’t get candies today.
You might think it’s not a big deal; you’ll get it some other day. But when you try to understand the situation from her perspective, you can realize the highlight of her day. And soon, you will understand the reason for her tears.
When we try to look at the world through someone else’s point of view, we can better understand the other person’s feelings. This makes us more supportive, patient, and kind, and it is also known as empathy.
Active Listening for Emotional Support
Active listening is the practice of paying attention to someone else’s words or stories. It’s more than hearing somebody’s words. It also means using your eyes, face, and heart to show that you care.
To ensure that you are actively listening and giving emotional support, here are a few tips for you:
- You can nod your head.
- You can make eye contact.
- You can also ask questions like, How do you feel about it?
- You can also avoid interruption or any kind of judgment.
Listening to anyone this way makes them feel heard, seen, and safe. This creates a supportive environment, and empathy grows in such honest conversations.
Building Interpersonal Skills Through Feelings
Interpersonal skills are defined as the connections we build with others based on how we talk, speak, trust, respect, and solve problems. To build strong interpersonal skills, you need to understand emotions first. You might wonder why we need to understand emotions in order to build interpersonal skills.
The answer is straightforward: People are emotional beings. When they cry, it means they are hurt, but when they smile, it means they are happy, and they grow quiet when they are sad. If you can identify these signs, you can respond accordingly. This is how your friendship will flourish.
If you have rich emotional awareness, you are a better friend, a better coworker, a better classmate, and a better team player. Compassion vs. empathy helps you become one, hence emotionally intelligent.
Applying Emotional Intelligence Daily
You don’t need to find big moments in life to use your emotional intelligence. You can find small situations and events in everyday life. Here are a few.
- You can ask a friend, listen to them, and share their worries.
- If you are upset, take a deep breath and relax your nervous system.
- When someone is having a bad day, you can offer them support or help.
- If somebody is in trouble, you can help them fix or find a solution.
These small actions help you build emotional connections and trust with other individuals. This also creates a very peaceful environment at work, the office, the gym, school, and everywhere else. Verywell Mind shares how emotional intelligence can be applied in real-life situations.
Find Emotional Support With Shine Mental Health
Finding emotional support is very important for healthy living. At Shine Mental Health, we understand and recognize that everyone deserves emotional support, kindness, and growth. If you are struggling with understanding your feelings, connecting with others, and managing emotions, we are here to help you and your loved ones.
Our team helps individuals build emotional intelligence, improve interpersonal skills, and develop tools to help them maintain emotional balance. Whether they are dealing with anxiety, feeling disconnected from the world, or experiencing stress, we are here to help them at every step of their lives.
Your feelings matter, your growth matters, and with Shine Mental Health, you are never alone. Contact us today by filling out the form on our website and take the first step toward emotional healing.
FAQs
How does emotional awareness contribute to the development of both compassion and empathy in emotional intelligence?
Emotional awareness helps you identify and understand the emotions of people around you and yourself. This also makes it easier to feel empathy and provide compassion to other individuals. You know what someone is going through, and you want to offer them help.
What role does emotional connection play in enhancing perspective-taking abilities?
Emotional connection plays a vital role in improving perspective-taking abilities. When you have a great emotional connection, you generally care more about what other people feel. This makes it easier to process things according to other individuals’ point of view, which is the heart of perspective-taling.
In what ways can active listening be utilized as an effective tool for providing emotional support?
Active listening plays a very primary role in an effective tool for providing emotional support. When people do active listening, it helps other individuals feel seen, heard, and respected. It opens the door to offering real emotional support and comfort.
How can understanding feelings contribute to the development of strong interpersonal skills?
Understanding feelings also contributes to the development of strong interpersonal skills because it allows one to understand emotions and respond accordingly. It improves connection, avoids conflicts, and builds stronger relationships. It also improves one’s skills in a way that makes friendship easier.
What are some practical applications of emotional intelligence in daily interactions to improve emotional connections?
You do not need big moments to show your emotional intelligence. You can practice them in daily life and activities. For example, you can stay calm in challenging moments by checking in with your friends. You can offer support to a person who is upset. You can also show kindness to pets and individuals. These daily habits can help you build a better emotional connection with others.
