It’s not a degree. It’s not even a job title.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is the framework that will shape every relationship you build, every decision you make and every career opportunity you pursue as a young adult.
The best time to start building it? Yesterday.
But the next best thing? Right now — and enrolling in a gap year program is one of the most effective ways to get started.
A structured young adult gap year gives you real-world challenges and mentorship that fosters emotional growth more quickly than anything that classroom can teach.
That being said, there’s a problem. A big one.
Few young adults are actually working on their EQ.
And while that may not worry you now, just wait until you see the data.
Here’s what’s covered:
- Emotional Intelligence: What Is It?
- How (And Why) Young Adults Are Falling Behind
- Low EQ Ruins Careers, Mental Health and Relationships
- The 4 Biggest Levers You Have to Build Your EQ
Emotional Intelligence: What Is It?
Emotional intelligence is defined as the capacity to recognise, understand and control your emotions while reading and responding to the emotions of those around you.
Simple enough, right?
Here’s the hard part:
Mastering EQ is about as easy as it sounds.
At least, mastering all five categories that EQ is broken up into:
- Self-awareness
- Self-regulation
- Motivation
- Empathy
- Social skill building
That’s why young adults who dedicate time to improving their EQ will always outpace their peers who don’t.
To make matters worse, studies show that young adults today have lower EQ scores than any generation prior.
How (And Why) Young Adults Are Falling Behind
Guess what? The numbers don’t lie.
Young adults have been scoring lower on Emotional Intelligence tests for years, and data from the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence App further proves it.
The State of the Heart 2024 report published by Six Seconds, a global non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing emotional intelligence research and awareness, highlighted a global decrease of 5.54% in EQ scores from 2019 to 2023. For those who don’t love the numbers, that decline was seen in every EQ metric evaluated.
(Gen Z came in last.)
What’s causing this sudden crash?
Heavy reliance on social media, limited in-person interaction and jobs-not-schooling delays are just a few factors causing young adults to spend less time learning emotional intelligence skills in real-world settings.
Enrolling in a nature-based therapeutic program as part of a young adult gap year offers young people immersion in the real world without having to spend their whole summer working at a cafe or store.
Without genuine conversation, true community challenge, and real human connection young adults are experiencing more anxiety, burnout, and are staying socially isolated than ever before.
Oh, and if you want some hard numbers? 45% of young people between the ages of 10 to 24 have reportedly experienced mental health struggles in the past two years alone.
Mental health and EQ go hand in hand, and as young adults fall behind in developing essential people skills, there is also a visible decline in mental health.
Low EQ Ruins Careers and Relationships
If you want to hear some bad news…
IQ gets you hired. Emotional intelligence will keep you there.
Research from Carl University discovered that EQ factors into 58% of a job performance, while 90% of top performers at their career are high EQ individuals.
Sure, knowing how to do your job is important. But who you are as a person, and how you interact with others will determine whether you’ll receive a promotion or not.
But it’s not just your career. Emotional intelligence helps you regulate your mental health and build relationships that actually enrich your life.
Without a well-rounded EQ, many young adults tend to:
- Experience burn out at faster rates
- Hold shallow friendships
- Blow disagreements way out of proportion
- Have a hard time asking for help
- Shut down when faced with a challenge
It’s no wonder why so many young adults struggle to hold a long-term job or fall into a cycle of toxic relationships.
The 4 Biggest Levers You Have to Build Your EQ
Don’t worry, you’re not doomed forever.
While EQ does tend to decline with age, it is also a learned skill that can be developed with time and practice.
Here’s how to start building yours:
1. Journal
There are many ways to build self-awareness, but journaling is one of the most straightforward and impactful on a daily basis.
Taking time to write down an experience that triggered an emotional response, and reflecting on why you reacted the way you did is a great way to build self awareness overtime. Start by journaling for 10 minutes a day and watch yourself grow!
2. Practice Sitting With Discomfort
A lot of counterproductive behavior comes from the inability to sit with an emotion or feeling without trying to change it.
This is especially true for young adults who don’t know how to process their emotions in a healthy way. Learning how to be present with your emotions builds self regulation and allows you to learn how to respond instead of react.
This takes time. But it can be learned.
3. Spend More Time Having Real Conversations IRL
Social media won’t improve your EQ. In fact, it’s probably doing the complete opposite.
While spending so much time scrolling on phones, real world human interaction gets neglected. Emotions can’t be properly understood if only seen through what people choose to post on social media.
Young adults need to spend more time talking to people face to face. Whether that be through starting a gap year with a community group, joining a sports team or even just taking up hobbies with friends.
Real connection does not happen over a text or social media DM.
4. Enroll In A Program That’s Built For Real Growth
This is where a gap year can come in clutch.
When learning and growing with a group of like-minded individuals that are all trying to better themselves, growth happens faster than expected.
Structured personal growth (like what you’d find at gap year programs for young adults) allows you to forget about your day-to-day life at home and focus on bettering yourself through real-world experiences and mentorship.
Invest In Your EQ — You’ll Thank Yourself Later
Going through life with a high EQ is worth the investment.
People with high EQ’s are able to handle stress more productively, maintain healthier relationships and overcome mistakes faster.
Not to mention that only 36% of people around the world are even considered emotionally intelligent.
Do yourself a favor and start building your EQ as early as possible.
Emotional Intelligence Recap
If you had to choose one skill to improve on for the rest of your life, what would it be?
For young adults, the answer is clear: Emotional Intelligence.
EQ affects your mental health, your ability to perform at your job and build relationships that will last. For young adults looking to jumpstart their future, there’s no better time than now to invest in yourself.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Emotional Intelligence affects your mental well-being, job performance and relationships.
- Young adults have lower EQ scores than any other generation due to less face-to-face social interaction and an over-reliance on digital communication.
- Low EQ leads to burn out at work, weaker friendships, and difficulty managing emotions.
- Journaling, spending time with people IRL, and enrolling in a program that forces you out of your comfort zone are all great ways to start building your EQ.
- Emotional Intelligence is arguably the most important skill you can improve on as a young adult.
So what are you waiting for? Start improving your EQ today!
