If you think maturity comes with age, you are highly mistaken. You might have come across young people who are quite mature in their understanding. On the flip side, you may have met people who do not reflect the maturity expected of their age.
What is the mystery? What is it that creates the difference? How do some people become better players (of life) while others struggle to stay in the game?
We have answers to every question you have. Stick by as we unravel the science behind it and elaborate on the ways in which you can correct them.
What is emotional maturity?
Emotional maturity is when we don’t act upon our impulses; instead, we keep a balanced and focused approach to everything that life throws our way. And if you think it only comes on its own and there’s no other way to cultivate it in our conduct consciously, think again.
Has it ever happened that you have witnessed a similar situation twice but chose to respond differently? Well, this is what’s called evolution. When we learn from our experiences and change our responses based on our understanding, we become emotionally resilient.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), emotional maturity is closely linked to emotional intelligence (EQ), which is a better predictor of success in personal and professional life than IQ.
When we reflect back on the people, situations, and instances before we decide to act, this is when emotional maturity finds its way.
Ways to Become More Mature
Maturity doesn’t come from staying at the surface level. It demands commitment and sincerity. There are ways in which we can learn to become mature before life throws us into difficult situations.
According to a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, emotional maturity is associated with higher life satisfaction, better relationships, and greater resilience.
Follow the below-mentioned steps to cultivate maturity within your being.
#1: Patience is the Key
When we embark on the journey of developing maturity and a deeper understanding of life, we must develop patience. Have you ever noticed how easily you slip into the temptation of speaking out loud during fights and arguments? It’s easy to raise our voices and react impulsively, but maintaining calm and composure when we have a lot to say reflects a different level of self-control and maturity.
When you are in difficult situations, learn to control your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Take a pause to have a fair contemplation on the matter, and then choose to act. When you do this, you’ll be amazed to find that keeping patience helps you gain a bigger perspective of things and often changes your perception as you stick by it.
#2: Self-Reflection is Crucial
The journey of becoming mature and resilient starts with reflecting on your actions and reactions. It is vital that you introspect and observe your actions to gain a sound understanding of yourself. Reflect on any previous instance that revealed a truth about you. For instance, your attention was brought to the fact that you act defensive when someone pinpoints your mistake.
It doesn’t always have to be the case where you learn your lessons the hard way. You can adopt a proactive approach toward life and try to understand the real intentions behind your actions. When you do this, you’ll see that with the help of self-reflection, you have started to shift your beliefs and thoughts, and eventually, it shows up in your reality.
#3: Commit to Personal Growth
Finding maturity comes with remaining committed to your personal growth. You’ll often see—life has a way of knocking you down whenever you are at the top. Isn’t it?
The real intent is not to make you fall off the ladder. It’s when life sows the seed of resilience within you. This is when you must commit to your personal growth and don’t step back from taking the progressive steps. You can practice self-compassion and take steps towards building a positive relationship with yourself. Try journaling your daily events in a wellness journal, and you’ll see how it changes your life for good.
SHOP ON AMAZON#4: Cultivate Humility
Humility is necessary to cultivate if you want to dive deeper into emotional resilience. Understand the mechanism of life and see how it operates. Pick your life experiences, and most definitely, there’ll be an instance where life must have taught you to remain humble. Isn’t it?
As kids, we were all obsessed with our own needs. It takes maturity to learn how to be patient and humble toward others. Also, it is equally essential when we have to coexist in a world where we are dependent on others. When we ingrain this virtue in our behavior, following a deep understanding of how the world operates—and our role in it—we become emotionally mature.
🎭 Activity
Reflect on the event when you practiced humility in response to a particular action. How did it make you feel? What are the thoughts that ran through your mind?
#5: Stay Persistent
Maturity isn’t for people who struggle to remain persistent. In fact, persistence is one trait that you’d commonly find in all those who have mastered the art of living with maturity and resilience.
It is crucial that you work toward your growth and don’t hide when situations get tougher. Showing up in the face of life is where you start understanding its true meaning. This is when virtues like resilience and persistence become a way of life. Until life puts you in situations where you grasp the significance of persistence, don’t step back from contemplating this subject. By doing so, you’ll smoothly transition from being impulsive to becoming an emotionally intelligent person.
Characteristics of a Mature Person
#1: Responsible
A mature person knows how to shoulder his responsibilities. He owns up to his actions, mistakes, and shortcomings and tries to mend them to build harmonious relationships.
#2: Non-Judgmental
Mature people are often non-judgmental in their conduct. They understand the importance of remaining neutral to people, circumstances, and situations.
#3: Empathetic
People who have mastered the skill of maturity understand the importance of empathy. They know how being empathetic is crucial to establishing trust and building deeper connections.
#4: Resilient
Only a person who can bounce back from his setbacks and keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity deserves to be called mature. Mature people are often resilient and convert hardships into opportunities.
#5: Patient
Patience is a crucial trait of maturity. A mature person knows the value of practicing patience, especially in situations of delay, difficulty, and frustration. A patient person understands that not everything happens on their timeline.
#6: Open-Minded
Mature people listen and try to understand everyone’s perspective. They know the importance of being flexible and don’t hold onto their opinions and viewpoints. They embrace change and are willing to mold as the situation demands.
#7: Committed
Mature people demonstrate commitment. They are dedicated to their roles and responsibilities and never step back from their word or commitment.
Conclusion
Maturity comes as we deepen our understanding of life. As we begin to approach our life situations with patience, empathy, and resilience, we start getting different results. Try to be observant towards your actions, and maturity will become part of your way of life. Try to make some conscious efforts with respect to cultivating maturity within you, and you’ll make an easy transition from being immature to being a highly mature individual.
FAQ’s
Emotional maturity is when we resist the temptation of acting upon our impulses and try to understand the totality of the situation—looking beneath the surface. Emotional intelligence is a broader term that suggests managing and regulating our emotions as well as the feelings of other people. Overall, we can conclude that an emotionally mature person is on the path to becoming emotionally intelligent, as they navigate through life’s problematic instances with resilience and determination.
Emotionally mature people are well-equipped to handle difficult situations easily and gracefully. Also, it’s a vital life skill we must learn to smoothly sail through life. When we learn to manage and regulate our emotions and bring ourselves into sync with life, we live a life of fulfillment and contentment.
Yes, undoubtedly. The more you learn to manage your complex emotions, the more mental peace you are likely to attain. When we increase our awareness, we strive to lead a stress-free life. Our mental state is responsible for our emotional responses, and how we manage our emotional state is what determines our mental state.
Yes, most certainly. If you are determined to work towards your emotional growth and stability, you’ll most likely learn through the instances that you experience in life. All you need is to adopt a learning mindset and observant behavior, where you scan everything from your behavior to your responses based on your emotions and impulses. Once you learn to remain watchful of your conduct, nothing can stop you from mastering your own emotions.
What distinguishes emotional maturity from emotional intelligence according to the APA?
