10 DYNAMICS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS - ECONOMÍA

The dynamics and activities of emotional intelligence can be applied in the school, work, family context and even on a personal level. This skill is essential for success in work and personal life. With it, the person will learn to relate to others, understand them, understand their own emotions, and be assertive.

Emotional intelligence is one of the many skills that we possess and, therefore, it is important that we work on it and train it. We can do it through dynamics.

Being a person with high emotional intelligence has multiple benefits on a personal and interpersonal level. It involves a change in lifestyle and in the way we deal with our relationships and our communication style.

We can become emotionally intelligent people, practicing and acquiring certain habits.

In this post, I show you 10 dynamics related to emotional intelligence. Before putting them into practice, take into account what the objectives of each of them are and what type of groups they are best suited for. If necessary, you can make certain changes to adapt them to your needs.

Various studies that have been carried out over the years, show data that shows how people who obtain higher grades, only their success is related to 20% with the intelligence quotient. In the remaining 80%, we find other factors and one of the most important is emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence and other abilities that are closely related not only help us to be more human. They have multiple other consequences of a marked positive nature and among which the ability to make decisions in a rational way stands out.

1- Accentuate the positive

Objective: To improve the concept of oneself through the exchange of impressions with colleagues.
Time required: approximately 20 minutes.
Group size: the group must not exceed 25 people.
Place: room or large classroom that allows interaction between colleagues.
Materials needed: papers and pens.
Steps to follow:

The facilitator will begin by explaining what is common about the negative nature of self-praise. Later, he will ask them to sit in pairs.
Each one should tell their partner:

-Two parts of your body that you like.

-Two qualities that you like about yourself.

-A capacity or own expertise.

There is a time for reflection with the whole group in which they analyze how the exchange has gone, if they have felt comfortable talking about themselves in a positive way, etc.

Others: Negative comments will not be accepted.

2- You are worth it!

Objective: Demonstrate the Pygmalion effect.
Time needed: about half an hour.
Group size: medium - sized group, about 20 people.
Place: room or large classroom that allows interaction between colleagues.
Materials needed: papers, pens, ten coins and a card with a painted circle in the middle.
Steps to follow:

The facilitator will ask for two volunteers. They should leave the room while the dynamics are explained to the rest of the group.
The group is divided into two subgroups. Group 1 should encourage and motivate the first volunteer, the second volunteer will be treated indifferently. Group 2 has to act in a neutral way towards the first volunteer and discourage the second.
The first volunteer enters and is asked to toss the coins trying to get them to enter the circle on the cardboard that is about 2 meters away.
It is repeated with the second volunteer.
Reflection on the result and how the volunteers have felt. The facilitator introduces the Pygmalion effect and is debated.

3- Compass of emotions

Objective: to distinguish the different emotions we feel at certain times.
Time needed: about half an hour.
Group size: it can be done in a medium-sized group or individually.
Place: room or large classroom in which each person has space to work individually.
Materials needed: sheet of paper on which the compass rose is painted, something to write on.
Steps to follow:

We paint joy to the north and reflect on the question: What have I achieved?
To the south, we reflect the answer and we will respond, What have I lost?
Between both emotions, we will place the achievement we have achieved, or the failure. It is important to make a positive reading.
In the east, we will put the anger. We will think about what attacks me or makes me feel at risk.
On the west side, we place fear. At this point, we will reflect on what our fears are.
We unite anger and fear through the threat and pay attention to identifying the threats that we have in mind.
In the rest of the points, we can place other emotions that are present.

Discussion: if the activity is carried out in a group and there is sufficient trust, people who wish to can share their emotions with their colleagues.

4- Use metaphors

Objective: to learn to express the emotions we feel in a certain area of our life through the use of metaphors.
Time required: about 45 minutes.
Group size: it can be done in a medium-sized group or individually.
Place: room or large classroom in which each person has space to work individually.
Necessary materials:
Steps to follow:

The group facilitator will ask everyone to select an area of their life that they would like to reflect on. It can be: work, leisure, family, friends, health, etc.
Individually, each one thinks about anecdotes from the area they have chosen and what emotions those memories evoke.
Then, they should think about what image the people who are part of that field have of you. Try to explain it with an adjective or an image.
People who so wish can share it with the rest of their colleagues.

5- The dictionary of emotions

Objective:

Learn to catalog the emotions we experience.
To promote teamwork.

Time needed: it can be done with the group over time. It is an activity that can be done in the long term.
Group size: it is indifferent. It is important that there is trust and that the members are comfortable talking about their emotions.
Place: classroom or large room.
Materials needed: notebook and pen or it can be done in digital format.
Steps to follow:

The person in charge of leading the group will propose the idea of making a dictionary of emotions written by themselves.
For this, they must reserve work time. So that is one more task to be done in that group.
Spaces for reflection will be promoted to talk about emotions, or the facilitator will propose a specific emotion and, together, they will elaborate a definition of it.

Discussion: the result is a dictionary developed together so that they can have it and work individually.

6- Potato!

Objective: to reconsider the facial expression of certain emotions.
Time needed: 30 minutes, approximately.
Group size: medium, about 20 people.
Place: classroom or large room.
Materials needed: cards on which emotions are written.
Steps to follow:

The facilitator will ask for a volunteer who will have to come out to represent the emotion that appears on the card they take.
The partners must guess what emotion it is. Between all of them, they can characterize it and even accompany it by the verbal and non-verbal communication that accompanies it. Also, they can tell when they felt that way.
The facilitator will continue to ask for volunteers to characterize the different emotions that appear on the cards.

7- Situations

Objective:

Check how the group would act in certain situations.
Promote feelings of empathy.

Time needed: 45 minutes, approximately.
Group size: medium, about 20 people. If it is less, it will take less time.
Place: room or large classroom in which each person has space to work individually.
Materials needed: cards with pictures or news (depending on the age and level of the group).
Steps to follow:

The facilitator of the group will explain that they will present to the group a series of situations and that each one, individually, must think about each one of them. A list of questions can be attached, such as the following: what feelings do the people who appear, how do you think they feel, how would you feel in their place, what would you do if you were them, etc.
They are given time to answer it individually, and then a group discussion follows.

Others: it is important to approach this activity carefully depending on the group it is aimed at. Also, you can choose the situations depending on the issue you want to address in a certain way.

In this case, reflection is proposed in the first place individually and then in a group. This condition can be altered and done first in subgroups and then the whole world debate, or it can be done directly in a broad debate.

This series of questions must be assessed by the person in charge of managing the group.

8- Lazarillo

Objective: to promote trust among group members.
Time needed: about 15 minutes.
Group size: should not exceed 20 people.
Location: preferably outdoors. In case it is impossible, a large room clear of furniture.
Materials needed: eye masks that prevent seeing.
Steps to follow:

The facilitator will ask them to stand in pairs. Once they are done, he will distribute to each one of them a mask or handkerchief.
One of the members of the couple will cover his eyes in such a way that he does not see anything.
The person who does not have his eyes covered should guide his partner according to the orders that the facilitator is saying. For example: we walk, we turn right / left, we jump, we run, etc.
In no time will you be able to touch your partner. You can only address him by speaking to him.
After a while, the roles are changed. At this point, it is interesting that the facilitator changes the orders or repeats them in a disorderly way so that no one expects what to do.
Final reflection of the whole group in which they will express how they have had each other and if they have trusted their partner.

9- Where are we?

Objective: develop creativity.
Time needed: about an hour.
Group size: maximum 30 people.
Place: large room.
Materials needed: no materials are required.
Steps to follow:

The facilitator will divide the group into subgroups depending on the size of the group.
To each one, without the other teams knowing it, he will tell them what situation or circumstance they should represent.
Each team rehearses the performance for a few minutes.
When everyone is ready, they will represent the situation to the rest of their classmates and they will try to guess it.

Discussion: After each group has presented their situation, it is proposed to hold a debate in which each member of the group can express how they felt doing the representation. The importance of teamwork and respect among colleagues will be emphasized.

10- Art-therapy

Objective: to learn new ways of expressing emotions.
Time required: 40 minutes.
Group size: it is indifferent.
Place: room or large classroom in which each person has space to work individually.
Materials needed: continuous paper or cardboard, colors to paint with (pencils, markers, tempera).
Steps to follow:

The person who leads the group will indicate to them that through this dynamic what they intend is for each one to express their emotions by expressing them on paper.
Each one will take a seat where they will have access to the surface to paint and the colors.
The facilitator will play music and each one must express on paper how they feel. During this time, it is forbidden to talk or communicate with other colleagues.
If you want to address the goal of expressing different emotions, different songs will be played that encourage different emotional expressions. For example: joy, sadness, loneliness, etc.
When the facilitator deems it appropriate, he or she will cut the music and encourage a group discussion to explore individual emotions.

Discussion: the drawings, or some of them, can become part of the decoration of the room.
Others: in another session or after making the drawings, other ways of expressing emotions can be proposed, for example, through the body and dance.

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Other dynamics of interest

Group dynamics for young people.

Assertive communication dynamics.

Motivational dynamics.

Dynamics of self-esteem.

Group integration dynamics.

Dynamics of creativity.

Trust dynamics.

Leadership dynamics.

Dynamics of conflict resolution.

Dynamics of values.

Presentation dynamics.

Teamwork dynamics.

References

Goleman, D. Emotional Intelligence.
Group dynamics in emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence in teaching work.
Wilensky, P. Handbook of practical Emotional Intelligence.
García, L. Activities of Emotional Intelligence.
126 Dynamics of Emotional Intelligence. The counselor's pharmacy.
Vivas, M; Gallego, D; González, B. Educate the emotions.
Examples of games to work on emotions in class. International University of Valencia.

10 DYNAMICS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS - ECONOMÍA - 2025