Emotional intelligence (or “EQ”) is the ability to perceive, interpret, demonstrate, control, evaluate, and use emotions. Described this way, it’s easy to see the link between emotional intelligence and addiction. Dealing with challenging emotions is the number one cause of relapse, and for many of us who struggle with addictive behaviors, we never developed the skillset necessary to cope with these emotions in healthy ways.
We’ve invited Nick (The People DisPleaser); Mike, founder of Sober Press, and sober author Ginelle to share what they’ve learned about emotional intelligence. Anyone who is actively in recovery from addiction knows they need to develop their EQ. Listen to this podcast episode all about the value of emotional intelligence, and how to develop the skills and mindset necessary to stop the emotional struggle.
In this episode:
- Learning to recognize feelings and emotions
- How Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown helped us learn to name emotions
- Using somatic exercises to develop intuition, aligning the heart and the mind
- Finding the courage to learn and practice vulnerability
- The value of talking to others, either in the recovery community or in counseling
- Kindness and honesty as emotional skills
- How our natural reactions evolve over time
- Recognizing the physiological and emotional value of crying
- Learning to allow feelings to be exactly what they are
- How feelings and emotions are influenced by others
- the 5 parts of emotional intelligence
For more on coping with emotions, check out this podcast episode!
Nick Pollard, Born in April of 1980, is a world-renowned coach and speaker specializing in People Pleasing, Codependency, and Addiction. With over 50 million views on his social media channels, Nick has become a thought leader in personal growth and change. He ranks in the top 10% of coaches worldwide.
Nick had a (in his own words) less-than-ideal childhood. His father was an alcoholic, workaholic, se* abuser. The latter would later push Nick to his psychological end, which landed him in a hospital in 2009. After that, Nick struggled mightily to hold his life together but could not (or so he felt) battle the mounting demons and turned to drugs and alcohol to solve the problem. It did not solve the problem, and roughly 9 years later, a change had to be made. Nick willingly checked himself into rehab, and the PeopleDisPleaser was born.
Since then, Nick has traveled the world, learning and helping others and communicating his journey. His love for seeing people grow and the “light bulb go on and then explode” is what he credits, his drive.
Nick has formed and sold many companies and been very successful in business. His first entrepreneurial venture at age ten was door sales in his car wash company that would later net him enough money to buy fireworks for the Fourth of July. “My parents said we did not have any money. I knew that was a lie, but I went anyway. I have made my own money since.”
If you ask Nick what he feels the key to success is, he would say, “Do the work. It is not fashionable or even slightly pretty. Just do the work.”
He enjoys walking on the beach, working out, and traveling. He spends time with his two cats, Azula and Zuko, and reads and works when he is not on the road.
Hello! My name is Mike, I’m an alcoholic, dog person, designer, and human.
My quit date is April 9, 2019.
I’m originally from New Orleans and have lived in the south most of my life. However, I did live in Portland, Oregon for a while, where I started my career as an advertising Art Director.
I now live in Austin, TX where I continued my career working for a large ad agency.
I resigned from that job to pursue a career in freelancing. Just a few months after I got sober.
Being newly sober and embarking on a whole new lifestyle was a bit crazy to make such a huge change early in sobriety, but I did it. It was a calculated decision. My counselor in IOP, my private counselor, and a social worker strongly recommended it as it was a trigger for my drinking and using weed.
I founded SoberPress during the pandemic. It was an endeavor that helped me stay clean as I navigated being in isolation because of COVID-19. In August of 2020, I launched my Instagram page: @soberpress, and serendipitously found an amazing supportive community online. At the same time, I was working on establishing a blog soberpress.org where I would soon feature stories of recovery from around the world.
I’m very much involved in the community holding ambassadorships, appearing in podcasts, running SoberPress on Facebook, and helping with SoberHope.
Links:
Website: https://www.soberpress.org/
Instagram: @soberpress https://www.instagram.com/soberpress/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3509692239095770
Sober Hope-Austin Texas: https://www.facebook.com/groups/616558783253253
Ginelle Testa is an upcoming author who’s been sober for over ten years. She got sober when she was 21. Her book is about addiction recovery and is titled “Make a Home Out of You: A Memoir.” It’s the idea that she made homes in people and substances instead of in herself, learning finally to make a home in herself.
Ginelle Testa
Author, Make a Home Out of You: A Memoir
Published Sept 2024 with She Writes Press
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