How well do you know yourself?
It involves gaining self-awareness through introspection, self-reflection, and insight.
This form of intelligence allows people to plan, make decisions, and pursue goals effectively.
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“Intrapersonal intelligence describes how well we understand ourselves and how we use our self-awareness to guide our lives.
Understanding your inner world allows you to relate and interact with your external environment more effectively.
It is one of themultiple intelligencesdescribed by psychologistHoward Gardner.
Gardner suggests that intelligence isn’t just asingle mental capacity.
Instead, he believes that people can possess several different kinds of intelligences (nine, in fact).
People who possess strong intrapersonal intelligence areindependentand aware of their motivations.
This can help them feel more independent, capable, and intrinsically motivated to achieve their goals.
Intrapersonal intelligence is also an important aspect ofemotional intelligence.
Emotional intelligence refers to a person’s ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions.
Intrapersonal knowledge helps strengthen emotional intelligence.
Research suggests that perceived intrapersonal emotional intelligence can play a beneficial role in academic success.
Intrapersonal vs. Interpersonal Intelligence
Intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligence are sometimes confused with one another.
Where intrapersonal intelligence focuses on understanding the self, interpersonal intelligence is centered on understanding other people.
However, Morgan explains that anyone can learn and strengthen their intrapersonal abilities.
Intrapersonal means within the individual self or mind.
So these skills center on things like self-awareness,resilience, emotional understanding, and adaptability.
She suggests working through the card sort until you’ve selected a maximum of five values.
Next, think about how well you are living in alignment with thosecore values.
How can you integrate these values into your life more?
Which areas of your life are these values not present?
This can be a great way to guide your decisions and identify areas of incongruence in your life.
Make Time for Yourself
Self-discovery is essential for intrapersonal intelligence.
Give yourself thetime and spaceto get to know who you are a little better.
Think of your journal as a guidebook to yourself.
It can hold your memories as well as your emotions, aspirations, and fears.
Treat Yourself Kindly
Showing yourselfcompassionis an important intrapersonal skill.
Being kind to yourself can help you build a deeper, more positive connection with how you are feeling.
Give yourself encouragement when you’re feeling stressed.
Treat yourself like you would a friend.
And don’t forget that everyone makes mistakes.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulnessbuilds a greater appreciation of the present moment, including your feelings and perceptions.
Talk to a Therapist
Some people may have a more difficult time cultivating intrapersonal intelligence.
Barriers may hold them back, or they may encounter challenges when trying to do this on their own.
Morgan recommends that people facing such struggles reach out to a licensed mental health therapist for guidance.
Therapy challenges us to voice our inner thoughts and emotions, which essentially helps us to better understand ourselves.
Therapy can be a powerful tool for self-exploration.
A personal vision board is a visual representation of your goals and aspirations.
It incorporates things that are important to you, such as images and quotes.
This can be a great way to learn more about yourself and give yourself something to work towards.
Regulating Emotions
The ability to manage your emotions is a key component of intrapersonal intelligence.
This can lead to angry outbursts that can negatively affect your mood, relationships, and even your job.
Consider starting a creative journal where you record your thoughts, experiences, and reflections.
Don’t be afraid to get creative, and consider using writing prompts as a springboard for self-exploration.
This ability involves being particularly skilled at understanding your own thoughts, feelings, strengths, and motivations.
For example, people with a strong sense of intrapersonal intelligence may enjoy careers focused on introspection and self-reflection.
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