One way to start is by cutting back on the smart phone. Just as being glued to your smart phone can distract from real-time social interactions and hurt relationships, it also can stunt one's ability to read emotions, writes Amy Morin, a psychotherapist and Forbes contributor.
A 2014 study showed that preteens who had no access to their phones for five days at a camp "greatly improved their ability to read other people's emotions," Morin writes. "Consider doing a digital detox every once in a while," she notes. "Going a few days without your electronics could do wonders for your ability to read other people's emotions."
Understanding your emotions as a friend or a foe also can help you make better decisions. "Once you know how you're feeling, consider whether that emotion is a friend or an enemy in that moment," Morin writes. "Anger could be a friend when it helps you stand up for injustice. It could be an enemy, however, when you're entering a discussion with your boss."