- Mental & Emotional Health - Understanding Emotions - Self-Esteem - Managing Emotions

 Self Actualization – being the best you can be

Hierarchy of Needs is a ranked list of needs essential to growth and development (5 Levels)  Level 1 – Physical Needs (Hunger, Thirst, Sleep, Shelter etc.) These needs must be satisfied in order to move up (base of pyramid).  Level 2 – Safety Needs (Secure from danger) These needs include the safety of familiar places, friends, or family.

 Level 3 – Need to belong. This includes the need to belong to a group such as a community, family, or social group.  Level 4 – Need to be recognized. This includes feeling appreciated and being able to do something well.  Level 5 – Need to reach potential. This is the quest for self-actualization (being the best you can be). 

Personal identity – your sense of yourself as a unique individual. This includes your interests, likes and dislikes, talents/abilities, values, and goals. Self Esteem – person’s value about him or herself (positive or negative)  Qualities of people with high self-esteem:  Take responsibility for their actions.  Have a positive outlook on life.  Like and accept who they are.  Can learn from their successes as well as from their mistakes.  Can build and maintain healthy relationships.

 Recognize strengths & weaknesses  Positive values  Develop purpose  Meaningful relationships  Contribute to community  Avoid risk behaviors  Constructive criticism – non-hostile comments that point out problems & encourage improvement  Self-talk –listen to what you say replace negative messages with constructive criticism

Personality – complex set of characteristics that makes you unique.  Influences on your personality: - 1) Heredity – intellectual abilities, temperament, or emotional tendencies. - 2) Environment – everything around you (friends, family, home, school etc.) - Modeling - observing & learning from the people around you. - How do the people you look up to impact your life and the decisions you make? What is the impact of a role model?

 Gender Boxes  Your little brother is running around the house, he falls and cuts his leg, he begins to cry. Your uncle tells him, “stop crying and act like a man.”  Your little sister runs into the house and is upset because the boys wont let her join the football game. Your aunt tells her, “stop that; you need to act like a lady.”  Brainstorm in groups  What does it mean to act like a man/lady?  What is the impact/consequences when you don’t “act like a man/lady”?  How does the consequence shape your behavior? Does society have an impact on how you behave/act?  Like a girl 

 How does the media impact the way you feel about yourself as an individual?  Does it impact the way you act, dress, body image, etc.?  Is this impact positive/negative? Teen Truth: Body Image  M M

Emotions – signals that tell your mind and body how to react Types Emotions -happy- sadness-love -empathy- fear- guilt -anger

Responding To Emotions  - Ask yourself what is wrong.  - Is it worth responding. (will it matter next week)  - Think about how you are going to respond.  - Feel negative? Seek positive feelings to inspire yourself. (exercise)  - Negative feelings don’t go away. (seek help) w8

Anger Cues- bodily changes during anger  Breathing & sweating increase  Heart Rate & BP increase  Dry mouth  Decreased sensitivity to pain  Increased muscle strength  Facial cues (eyebrows, lips, red face)

 Do something to relax  Re-channel your energy  Talk to someone you trust  Get physical Activity What Are Some Ways You Handle Your Anger?

 Defense Mechanism – mental process that protects individuals from strong emotions  Repression - Involuntarily pushing feelings out of thought.  Suppression - consciously pushing feeling out of thought.  Rationalization - make excuses instead of taking responsibility  Projection - putting feeling onto someone else.

 Regression - acting immature  Denial - unconscious lack of acknowledgement that is obvious to others.  Compensation - making up for mistakes through gift-giving or extreme efforts.  Daydreaming : escaping from an unpleasant situation by using your imagination.  Living in a fantasy world