Rewiring My Mind: Part Ten - Emotional Literacy as Young Adults

Hello there Beauties!

I was talking to a friend just yesterday about growing up and maturing as it relates to becoming emotionally literate as young adults. I’ve realised that many people associate literacy with being able to read and write, but there’s a lot more depth and profoundness to it. I’ve come to understand that there are levels and layers to being literate, and as you grow older, you discover and experience them. 

Literacy is described as being able to read, write, talk, and listen to successfully communicate and make sense of the world (What Is Literacy?, n.d.). On a surface level, you’re literate if you can master the four basic components of language learning: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. This, however, is not to say that I don’t think being literate (in this simple context) isn’t important, and shouldn’t be celebrated because it’s a privilege, because it is. I am very thankful that I could freely learn and master those skills as a child. 

However, being literate linguistically does not automatically equate to being a fully functioning person. What do I mean? I can break it down in this way: 

• Being able to read, write, listen, and speak without comprehension is moot. If you cannot understand what you have read, written, said, or heard, that ability is futile. Therefore, comprehension is a key part of literacy.

Now what is Emotional Literacy? 
Emotional literacy is a concept that underpins an individual's understanding of emotion. At its most fundamental, it entails the ability to recognise and categorise emotions in ourselves and others. Furthermore, emotional literacy includes proper coping strategies and emotional expression (What Is Emotional Literacy?, n.d.).

In layman’s terms, it’s being able to regulate and understand emotions, but not just yours. 

Bella, where are you going with this? (Bear with me).

If as a young adult you: 

• Cannot express your feelings without disrespect, manipulation, lying, or anger, you’re not emotionally literate. 
• Cannot respectfully disagree with someone else, while staying true to yourself and your opinion, you’re not emotionally literate. 
• Cannot be held accountable or hold yourself accountable for your actions, you’re not emotionally literate. 
• Cannot identify, acknowledge, or process your emotions in a healthy (very subjective, I’m not a psychologist) way, you’re not emotionally literate. 
• Cannot communicate properly (speaking with clarity, listening and reading with comprehension, confront and express your feelings/thoughts into words), you’re not emotionally literate. 
• Cannot discern when things no longer need access to your energy, or leave situations, relationships, places and things that no longer serve you. 
• Cannot set and maintain boundaries for yourself, you’re not emotionally literate. 
• Cannot identify and understand your privileges, you’re not emotionally literate. 

These are just some ways I have been actively working on as a young adult. I’m nowhere near perfect, but it gets better with maturity. I say all this to say, make sure you’re stepping into adulthood with emotional literacy. We need to be healthy and happy adults, so we can contribute positively to a healthier and happier generation to come. 

Love from all ends, 

Bella. 

QOTD: How are you being emotionally literate this week? 

References: 

What is Emotional Literacy? (n.d.). https://www.theraplatform.com/blog/486/what-is-emotional literacy#:~:text=Emotional%20literacy%20is%20a%20concept,of%20emotions%20in%20appropriate%20ways. 

What is literacy? (n.d.). National Literacy Trust. https://literacytrust.org.uk/information/what-is-literacy/