Forget the bubble baths and expensive serums—real self-care is about leveling up your emotional intelligence.
When we think about self-care, we often picture face masks, bubble baths, and yoga classes. But real self-care—the kind that leads to lasting change—goes deeper than that. It’s about understanding yourself, regulating your emotions, and strengthening your relationships. That’s where emotional intelligence comes in.
As Mental Health Awareness Month approaches, it’s time to start looking at mental wellness from a broader perspective. While therapy is an incredible resource, not everyone has access to it. The good news? You don’t have to be in therapy to start working on your emotional well-being. Emotional intelligence is something you can develop right now, using simple, practical tools that fit seamlessly into your daily life.
What Is Emotional Intelligence & Why It Matters
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your emotions effectively. It’s also about tuning into the emotions of others, which helps build stronger relationships, improve communication, and increase empathy. Research shows that people with higher emotional intelligence experience lower stress levels, better mental health, and greater success in both personal and professional life.
But here’s the problem: While we’re taught math, science, and history in school, no one really teaches us how to handle emotions. That’s why so many people struggle with managing stress, setting boundaries, and expressing their feelings in a healthy way.
How to Make Emotional Growth Part of Your Routine
Because emotional development isn’t just a therapy-room concept, right? One of the biggest misconceptions about emotional intelligence is that it takes years of therapy or a psychology degree to develop.
In reality, it belongs in your daily routine, right alongside your skincare and morning coffee. Whether you’re navigating friendships, chasing after career goals, or just trying to stay sane in this chaotic world, emotional intelligence is your secret weapon.
Think of it as the habit stacking you didn’t know you needed—simple practices that fit right into your existing routine. Here’s how you can start incorporating emotional intelligence into your daily life:
✔️ Start your day with a self-check-in. Before reaching for your phone, take a moment to ask yourself, “How am I feeling today?” Naming your emotions is the first step to understanding them.
✔️ Use reflective listening. The next time a friend vents to you, try repeating back what they said in your own words to confirm you understand. This simple habit deepens connections and improves communication.
✔️ Pause before reacting. When something triggers you, take a breath before responding. Practicing emotional regulation helps you avoid knee-jerk reactions that can lead to regret.
✔️ Set micro-boundaries. Protect your energy by setting small, everyday boundaries—like muting notifications after work or saying no to plans when you need rest.
✔️ Write it out. Journaling for just a few minutes a day can help you process emotions and identify patterns in your thoughts and feelings.
✔️ Recognize emotional patterns. We often experience the same emotions repeatedly without realizing the underlying triggers. Emotion-tracking exercises and tools can help you connect the dots between your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors—so you can break unhelpful patterns and build healthier ones.
✔️ Practice gratitude and self-compassion. Emotional intelligence isn’t just about managing difficult emotions—it’s also about amplifying positive ones. Take a moment each day to acknowledge something you appreciate about yourself or your life. Our self-compassion exercises help you reframe negative self-talk and build a stronger, more supportive relationship with yourself.
Emotional Growth That's As Easy As Brushing Your Teeth
This is where we step in and where saying "I'm fine" stops.
Feelings Found makes emotional conversations easier, whether it’s with yourself, your family, your friends, or your entire community. From daily check-ins to deeper self-reflection, we help you turn feelings into something you can see, name, and navigate — because when you have the right tools, talking about emotions becomes part of everyday life.
How to Habit Stack Your Mental Health Routine
Our tools help people identify, understand, and express their emotions and needs in a way that fosters self-awareness, deeper relationships, and overall mental wellness.
- While you make your iced coffee 💚 use The Feelings Wheel to get specific about what you’re feeling
- While you do your morning pages 💚 use The Needs Wheel to identify what you need, based on your current feelings
- While you go for a walk or meditate 💚 use The Body Sensations Wheel to connect your physical sensations with your underlying emotions
- While you have a moodboard date night with your bestie 💚 use The Values Deck to find what is most important to you
A Fresh Angle As We Head Into Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health care goes beyond therapy—and everyone deserves access to tools that help them grow emotionally.
By incorporating our tangible tools into daily life, you’re not just “working on yourself”—you’re building stronger relationships, boosting resilience, and stepping into a version of yourself that’s more confident and more self-aware.
