Achieving Mental and Emotional Health Unit 2 Achieving Mental and Emotional Health

Journal Activity… Write as many characteristics as you can think of that describe a person with good mental health. Circle those characteristics that apply to you. Then select a characteristic that you would like to develop. Write a paragraph about what you can do to strengthen that characteristic.

What is Mental and Emotional Health? The ability to accept yourself and others, express and manage emotions, and deal with the demands and challenges you meet in your life. Important part of your total health! It is normal to have Ups and Downs Examples?

Importance of Mental and Emotional Health Mentally Healthy people are generally: Happy Enjoy their lives Confidant Comfortable spending time alone or with others Flexible Can cope with a wide variety of feelings and situations It influences your physical and social life too!! 10 Tips for Maintaining Mental & Emotional Health

Characteristics of Good Mental and Emotional Health Sense of Belonging Being close to family members, friends, teachers, and others provides you with support Sense of Purpose Recognizing that you have value and importance as a person lets you set and reach goals Positive Outlook Seeing the bright side of life reduces stress and increases your chances of success. Self-Sufficiency Having the confidence to make responsible decisions promotes your sense of independence and self-assurance Healthy Self-Esteem Having healthy self esteem helps you accept and recover from difficulties and failures

Developing Personal Identity and Character Lesson 1

Your Personal Identity Your sense of yourself as a unique individual! One of the most important tasks you will accomplish during your teen years. Your identity changes throughout your life as your interests change

How Identity Forms Values: setting standards & expressing beliefs Self-Control: degree to which a person regulates his or her own behavior Self-Respect: high regard for one self Body Image: what you think you look like Personality: an individuals unique pattern of characteristics Opinions Experiences Relationships: family, friends, peers Personal Goals

Importance of Character What is character? Character: the distinctive qualities that describe how a person thinks, feels, and acts. Good character: is a person who uses self-control to act on responsible values. It is a vital part of healthy identity.

How character affects decision? If character is based on positive values you will develop attitudes & habits that help making good decisions easier Role Model: someone whose success or behavior serves as an example for you

Building Blocks of Good Character Trustworthiness Being dependable, loyal and honest. Respect Treating others as you want to be treated, respect their differences and refrain from violence. Responsibility Use self control, think before you act, consider the consequences, being accountable for your decisions. Honesty Refusing to lie, steal and mislead anyone.

Building Blocks of Good Character Fairness Play by the rules, take turns, share, being a good sport and not taking advantage of others Compassion Being sensitive to the needs, wants and emotions of others, being forgiving. Good Citizenship Advocate for a safe and health environment, obeying laws and rules, showing respect for authority and protecting environment.

Showing Good Character The character trait fairness includes being a good sport. Describe ways in which you can be a good sport. Suppose your friend asked you to water her plants while she and her family are away on vacation. She has given you the keys to her house. Describe how you would exhibit the character trait of trustworthiness in this situation. Suppose you are at a music store with your friend. He suggests that you steal some CDs. You refuse. What character traits are you exhibiting by making this decision? Suppose your friend has to have emergency surgery to remove her appendix. She will have to spend time in the hospital and at home recovering. What could you do to show compassion for your friend?

Develop a Healthy Identity Recognize your strengths and weaknesses Be honest and realistic Demonstrate positive values Practice good character! Develop a purpose in your life Provides you with a framework to build a healthy identity Form meaningful relationships Provide a support system, help you build confidence and develop a sense of security Avoid unhealthful high-risk behaviors Don’t use tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs Contribute to the community Gives you a sense of accomplishment and belonging!

Developing Your Self-Respect Lesson 2

Character Check… Are you proud of your actions? Do your actions reflect responsible actions? Remember…Good character is your use of self-control to act on responsible values. What is Self-Respect? High regard for one self

Group Work… In groups brainstorm a list of actions teens can take to meet their need for belonging and affection such as joining an after school club.

Choose actions that promote self-respect… Do you respect yourself? Do you expect other to respect you? You must show yourself self-respect…WHY? Why is spending time with members of your family or a mentor a good way to promote self-respect? Why is exercising a good way to promote self-respect?

Actions that promote self-respect Pay attention to your appearance Make a list of your responsible actions and review the list often Be a friend to yourself by enjoying activities by yourself Write a feelings journal Make spending time with members of your family or a mentor a priority Care for other people the way you would like them to care for you Let other people know what helps you feel special Support the interests of family members and friends & ask them to support your interests. Ask family members & friends which of your actions show you have character Get plenty of exercise to generate feelings of well-being

Making a Good Decision Six steps to making a good decision Identify or recognize the problem Consider your values – how do your personal values influence the way you make decisions List the different options Weigh the consequences – did you look at all possible outcomes Decide and act Evaluate your decision – Was it effective? Will you use the process again? Learn from your mistakes to achieve a better outcome.

Developing Your Self-Esteem Lesson 3

Self-Esteem… What is it? What is it made of? A person’s belief about his or her worth. How much you value, respect, and feel confident about yourself. If you feel valued, loved, and accepted by others, you will value, love, and accept yourself. All the experiences & interpersonal relationships. Trying new challenges can raise your sense of competence (having enough skills to do something). Self-Esteem affects your overall attitude and health!

How to develop self-esteem? BELIEVE YOU CAN SUCCEED! Encouragement (Positive) – belief that he or she is worthy & deserves respect. Criticism (Negative) – belief that he or she is not worthy & does not deserve respect. Try and replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts!

Effects of high self-esteem? Outgoing…like to meet new people. Don’t worry about how others will judge them. Courage to express themselves. Lives are enriched with each new encounter. Nicer to be around. Ideas are met with interest because others want to hear what they have to say. Magnets to positive opportunities. People with high self-esteem have an “I think I can” attitude!

Effects of low self-esteem? Do not believe in themselves. See themselves failing before they begin. Have a hard time forgiving their mistakes. Believe they can never be as good as they should be or as others. Afraid to show their creativity because they will be ridiculed. Dissatisfied with their lives. Spend most of their time alone. Complain and criticize. Worry about everything and do nothing. People with low self-esteem have an “I can not do it” attitude!

Benefits of Healthy Self-Esteem? Proud Of yourself and your abilities, skills, & accomplishments Confidence To try new things Success Physically, Mentally, Emotionally. How you react emotionally to situations affects your self-esteem

Improving Self-Esteem Choose friends who value and respect you (improve relationships) Focus on the positive characteristics Exhibit a good attitude Replace negative talk with positive talk (become a self-talker) Try new activities, discover new talents Exercise regularly to feel more energized Accept things you can not change Follow the example of successful people

Final Thought… You are a unique individual. No one else is like you in the whole world. This makes you special already! Our time in this world is limited. Make it happen for you so you leave your mark in history!

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs A ranked list of those needs essential to human growth and development, presented in ascending order, starting with the basic needs and building toward the need to reach your highest potential Strive to be the best that- you can!

Expressing Emotions in Healthful Ways Lesson 4

Understanding Your Emotions What is an emotion? Emotion – A specific feeling. Signals that tell your mind and body how to react. What you think and feel can affect what happens to your body, and what happens in your body can affect how you think and feel. Neither good nor bad, the way you express them can produce good or bad consequences. It is normal to feel as if your emotions and swinging from one extreme to another, or to feel overcome by emotions during puberty. Hormones - chemicals produced by your glands that regulate the activities of different body cells

Emotions! Examples?? Happiness Sadness Love Fear Guilt Anger Anxiety

Understanding Your Emotions Mind-body connection – relationship between a person’s thoughts, emotions and bodily responses. Empathy- the ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels (Different from sympathy!) Harmful ways of dealing with emotions: exaggerate their emotions pretend to have no feelings hurt another person deliberately while expressing emotions

Express Emotions Positively Ask yourself these questions to help recognize your emotions and express them positively! Why do I feel the way I do about this event? Will this even matter later on in my life? Why should I wait before responding? What can I do to feel better? Who can I ask to help me deal with my negative feelings?

How does someone express emotions in healthful ways? Identify the emotion Identify the source of the emotion Decide whether or not you need to respond right away Choose a responsible & healthful response Protect your health

Angry Feelings…(p 97) What is anger? What is anger trigger? What is anger cue? What is hidden anger? What is hostility? What is serotonin?

Angry Feelings… Feeling of being irritated or annoyed Thought or event that causes a person to become angry Body change that occurs when a person is angry Anger that is not recognized & expressed in inappropriate ways Chronic state of anger Chemical that is involved in controlling states of consciousness & mood

Symptoms of Anger Rapid breathing Increased heart rate Rise in blood pressure Increased sweating from sweat glands in face Sweaty palms Dryness of the mouth Increased alertness Decreased sensitivity to pain Tensed eyebrows Pursed lips Reddening of the face

Anger-Management Skills Healthful ways to control & express anger Keep an anger self-inventory What are your symptoms? What causes your anger? Has anger grown over time? Is anger justified? Are you overreacting? Use self-statements to control anger Use I-messages instead of You-messages Write a letter Write in a journal Reduce the effects of anger with physical activity Use other safe physical actions to blow off steam Breathe deeply Keep a sense of humor Rehearse what to do in situations that you know are anger triggers Talk with a parent, guardian or mentor

Defense Mechanisms Repression Are mental processes that protect individuals from strong or stressful emotions and situations. Repression Involuntarily pushing unpleasant feeling out of ones mind Regression Returning to behaviors or characteristics of a younger age rather than dealing with the problems in a mature manner Denial Unconscious lack of recognition of something that is obvious to others Projection Attributing your own feelings or faults to another person or group Suppression Consciously & intentionally pushing unpleasant feelings out of your mind Rationalization Making excuses to explain a situation or behavior rather that taking responsibly for it Compensation Making up for weakness or mistakes through gift giving or hard work

Difficult Emotions Handling fear: Recognize that you are afraid and figure out what is causing this fear Dealing with guilt- think about the cause, admitting a mistake, apologizing, and promising to be more thoughtful will help manage feelings of guilt Managing anger- figure out what's causing the anger, and deal with it in a healthful way! Techniques to reduce the intensity of your emotions: Deep breaths Relax your muscles Listen to soothing music, read a book, imagine sitting on the beach Pull yourself away from the situation (until you calm down) Analyze your emotions by writing about them in a journal Talk to someone you can trust