People with higher emotional intelligence are better in bed, study suggests
When it comes to sexual satisfaction, a certain personality trait can make you more likely to enjoy yourself, according to a new study.
Researchers have discovered that people with higher levels of emotional intelligence tend to have a better time between the sheets.
This is due to those with high emotional intelligence being more comfortable with intimacy and getting close to someone, the study authors said.
And in good news, there are steps anyone can take to improve it.
The team, from the University Of Bologna in Italy, collected data from 864 adults who were in a relationship or dating at the time of the study.
Participants were asked to complete a series of psychological assessments including those which measured emotional intelligence, attachment anxiety and avoidance, and comfort with interpersonal touch.
Analysis revealed that higher levels of emotional intelligence was linked with better sexual satisfaction.
The team found that this was mainly due to the fact that these people have a higher tolerance for emotional and physical intimacy, and had less anxiety.
They also discovered that higher levels of emotional intelligence was linked to higher body appreciation and fewer problematic sexual behaviors.
The trait has also been associated with emotional self-awareness, empathy, the ability to regulate emotions and social skills.
Luckily, for those who may struggle in this area, there are steps you can take to improve your emotional intelligence.
Experts say reconnecting with core emotions – through practicing mindfulness – can help.
'It's important that you learn how to manage stress first, so you'll feel more comfortable reconnecting to strong or unpleasant emotions and changing how you experience and respond to your feelings,' experts told Help Guide.
'In order to build emotional intelligence - and become emotionally healthy - you must reconnect to your core emotions, accept them, and become comfortable with them. You can achieve this through the practice of mindfulness.'
They added: 'Become aware of how effectively you use nonverbal communication.
'The emotional part of your brain is always on - and even if you ignore its messages -others won't.
'Recognizing the nonverbal messages that you send to others can play a huge part in improving your relationships.'
They also recommended using humor and play to relieve stress, and learning to see conflict as an opportunity to grow closer to others.
The new study was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
The authors wrote: 'The findings highlight the importance of trait emotional intelligence in mitigating negative emotions linked to insecure attachments, reducing the risk of problematic sexual behaviors, and improving overall sexual satisfaction.'
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