Antidote defines emotional literacy as

the practice of interacting with others in ways that build understanding of our own and others’ emotions, then using this understanding to inform our actions.

Emotional literacy has a vital part to play in tackling the three great challenges facing our communities, by enabling people to:

• find ways of feeling connected to each other, and of using their relationships to process the emotions that might otherwise cause them to lash out in rage or to withdraw in despair;
• deal with the emotions that can render them unable to take in new information, and to access emotional states such as curiosity, resilience and joy that lead to a richer experience of learning.
• engage in activities that promote both physical and emotional well-being, and to broaden the range of what they can talk about with each other in ways that make it less likely they will abuse drugs and alcohol, bully their peers or engage in other forms of self-destructive activity.

Organisations can promote emotional literacy by paying attention to the quality of relationships, and by creating diverse opportunities for people to have the sort of conversations that will enable them to appreciate the thoughts and feelings of each other.

In an emotionally literate organisation or community, people will still argue with each other, become angry and sometimes lose interest in working together. But when they do, the emotions that drive these situations can be acknowledged, talked about, dealt with and learned from.

The world would be a very different place if people were enabled to develop the emotional literacy they need to bring about the sort of changes that would improve the quality of their own and everybody’s lives. Glenys Kinnock, MEP