Emotional Literacy

Profs and Pints, Hosted Jan. 20th, 2026

A person with dark hair wearing a white jacket standing at a bar, drinking from a glass, near a person with curly hair wearing a light-colored sweater. The bar has bottles of alcohol and two large screens displaying text about emotions and response indicators. The lighting is dim with blue and orange hues.

Emotional literacy is the ability to recognize, understand, name, and express emotions in ways that support self-awareness, regulation, and connection with others. Though often seen as an individual skill, my talk highlights its impact at both the personal and systemic levels.

“Emotions are just indicators. Before you can regulate an emotion, you have to feel the emotion”.