EMOTIONAL LITERACY

1. What is emotional literacy?

The term "emotional literacy" was introduced by Claude Steiner in 1997. Steiner believed that emotional literacy is the most important tool for helping people, especially children, deal with their emotions and thus improve their quality of life. He also divided emotional literacy into five separate parts:

1.     Recognizing one's own feelings;

2.     Feeling empathy;

3.     Learning to manage one's emotions;

4.     Solving emotional problems;

5.     Integrating all of the above, also called emotional interaction.

Emotional literacy - the ability to understand, express, and effectively manage emotions - is a very important skill for adults in both personal and professional life. Adult emotional literacy involves understanding how emotions manifest and change a person’s behavior and thinking. By exploring practical strategies for developing emotional literacy, we aim to provide adults with the tools needed to navigate a complex emotional environment.

Eight basic emotions / Robert Plutchik:

1.     Sadness

2.     Fear

3.     Disgust

4.     Anger

5.     Joy

6.     Surprise

7.     Curiosity

8.     Hope

Others: happiness, anxiety, love, depression, contempt, pride, shame, envy.

·       We experience about 30 emotions per hour.

·       We go through about 500 emotional states daily.

·        Joy, satisfaction with oneself, often alternates with dissatisfaction, despair.

·        Anxiety, tension, and disappointment with everything lead to a feeling of indifference and emptiness. This feeling arises when realizing that childhood has ended, yet one is not fully grown up. In the past, emotions were of little concern, but now their importance is being recognized. It is said: "People are angry and frustrated, so we need to listen to them." Interestingly, such phrases often arise when a crowd is not just angry but expressing aggression. Recently, there has been talk about the anger of participants in movements like the family march. Emotions are neither good nor bad, unless they are pleasant or unpleasant. They always convey information that needs to be heard. Specifically, anger can transmit unmet expectations (both personal and others'), crossed boundaries, etc. It provides energy to defend oneself.

2. Why is emotional literacy important?

Developing emotional literacy can help lead a more balanced and fulfilling life. Emotional literacy development—from recognizing and naming emotions to empathetic listening and conflict resolution—can improve emotional intelligence, which includes not only the recognition and identification of emotions.

The more accurately we understand what emotion we are experiencing, the better we can address needs. For example:

·       If feeling sad and lonely, offer a hug or another expression of warmth.

·       If disgusted by vegetables, gradually get used to them because they are healthy.

·       If angry, find a way to vent or acknowledge that we all get angry sometimes, like when we have to go to work. In any case, we try to understand emotions and respond to them as legitimate and appropriate.

But if we ignore emotions, they will not disappear; instead, they will become a complex tangle, making it incredibly hard to understand what we feel and what we truly want. However, emotions are not commands, and throwing plates is a behavior that shouldn’t be accepted unconditionally. It’s better to encourage more appropriate behavior to express needs and never shame someone for their "wrong" behavior.

Teaching emotional literacy to an angry crowd might be too late, though it would be great if we could recognize at least a few important feelings, accept them, and address the real issues behind them. However, let those who’ve shaped the education system over the last 20 years gnaw their nails. It would also not be very respectful to teach one’s "wise interpretations" about what those expressing anger truly feel or about the economic insecurity behind their outbursts against minority groups. But what should I do with my own fear, anger, and helplessness? Maybe I should relax a bit and join those comfortably settled in the Paupys district of Vilnius, who keep inviting: “Not to protest, but to feast.” Do I have the right to step back from the news and casually wave my feet on a folding chair by the lake while the planet is burning, migrants are stuck between two borders, and relatives are putting each other down on social media? My answer is yes, I can sit and face the sun and wind, but that’s not the same as sitting on a folding chair for too long.

3. A few ways to achieve emotional literacy

           • Achieve emotional regulation.

• Tolerate confrontation and strong emotions from others.

• Acknowledge mistakes.

• Be honest.

• Recognize anxiety.

• Ask for help and support.

• Be active.

• Set your values and follow them.