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This piece was originally posted on The Mighty and is re-posted here with permission. 

Having autism can be tough, because you often have people who do not understand you or care about you making fun of the way you look, walk and talk. It’s a continuous battle I deal with every day. Sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it, but you are not alone. I have two simple ideas for how  to enhance your emotional intelligence and restore your mind with positive thoughts.

How can we enhance our emotional intelligence?

Listen to your body.

A gut feeling you have about a particular situation such as quitting your job is a sign that something is not right about the situation. If your body gives you an alert signal about a certain situation, pay heed because it may save you from a dangerous outcome. Listening to these signals and the root feelings of the sensations in your body can help you process your power of reason.

Always ask yourself, “How do I feel?”

Keep a daily journal to record your feelings, using a score of 0-10 with 10 being the highest and 0 being the lowest. If you’re having a bad day, examine what transpired that day to made you feel down and how it connects with your overall feelings. With time and reflection, writing will allow you to identify your stressors and what makes you feel better.

Know when it’s time to quit.

There is a time to stop looking and pondering over bad feelings and thoughts and learn how to shift. Look back at past feelings and thoughts for a short period of time, just to see what caused you to become stressed, sad, angry and work to manage your feelings about or avoid those persons, places or things. People with high EQ can often bounce back emotionally when having a bad thought or feeling and remain positive.

I also follow the “Three Rs” for restoring one’s mind with good thoughts and getting rid of bad ones.

Recognize: First and foremost we must recognize the bad thoughts and feelings and take ownership so we can take action.

Replace/Restore: Replace bad thoughts and feelings in your mind and restore them with positive ones. Throw out bad feelings and watch them pass by out of your mind like a passing car. Allow good thoughts to flow in and allow them to run rampant through your mind.

Repeat: You will have negative thoughts, so it is important to repeat this process frequently, or every time you have a bad thought or feeling.

Example: My brother told me that I would never amount to anything. I recognized the bad thought I was having and I replaced it by saying, “I am worthy.” I repeated that thought in my head over and over, and put a little post on my wall in my room and by my mirror so I can see it every day.

Keep being different and unique, because it sets you apart and makes you special.

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