How tough are you emotionally? For example, are you the type of person who can’t seem to get over heartbreak, or are you able to pull yourself out of a rut and move forward? According to a recent study published in the journal Behavioral Psychology, people who can overcome adversities are more likely to lead happier lives than those who can’t seem to get a handle on their emotions.
In an effort to find out how resilience or emotional strength affects people, researchers from the Basic Psychology Unit at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona asked 254 students from the Faculty of Psychology to answer questionnaires, which measured their emotional intelligence. Among the participants, 20 percent appeared to show characteristics of being resilient. This same group of individuals also reported being more satisfied with their lives and feeling like they had more control over their emotions and state of mind.
A large part of being happy is learning to let things go. If you want to lead a more fulfilling life, it's time to train yourself to become emotionally stronger. Start by working on your self-esteem, for example, and you'll find that the rest will become easier.
(Photo by Herman Yahaya via Flickr Creative Commons)
