Imagine you’re bored and broke and want to go to the cinema with your friends. You decide to ask your parents for money. You go downstairs and find your father frowning at the telly - his football team is losing. But your mother is singing along to her favourite song. You know that the best person to ask for money is your mother. In figuring this out, you’ve used your emotional intelligence.

Emotional Intelligence is about being aware of what’s happening in your head and heart and knowing how other people feel. It’s about being aware of your impact on others. You can use this knowledge to create successful relationships with others.

Emotional health is fundamental to effective learning - happy people remember information more effectively than unhappy people. But emotional intelligence doesn’t just help you out at school or work - your emotional intelligence will affect you all through your life. If you can manage your own feelings well and deal effectively with others, you are more likely to live a happy life, excel at work and personal relationships.