1. Understanding Your EMOTIONS

2. What are EMOTIONS? Emotions – Emotions – –Def: feelings created in response to thoughts, remarks, and events Basic Emotions – Basic Emotions – –Happiness, love, jealousy, sadness, anger, fear, anticipation, & joy

3. Understanding EMOTIONS? You can not always choose when an emotion will well up inside of you, but YOU CAN CHOOSE HOW TO HANDEL IT! You can not always choose when an emotion will well up inside of you, but YOU CAN CHOOSE HOW TO HANDEL IT! People with good Mental & Emotional Health seek healthy, RESPONSIBLE ways to express their emotions People with good Mental & Emotional Health seek healthy, RESPONSIBLE ways to express their emotions Expressing Your Emotions Expressing Your Emotions

4. Identifying Your EMOTIONS? Which emotions are familiar to you? Which emotions are familiar to you? Definitions – Definitions – –Empathy:  the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings –Anxiety:  an overwhelming feeling of dread, much like fear

5. Expressing EMOTIONS? People express emotions in different ways People express emotions in different ways –We often learn how to express them by watching people close to us Learning how to understand emotions and expressing them in a healthy way is an IMPORTANT part of good Mental & Emotional Health! Learning how to understand emotions and expressing them in a healthy way is an IMPORTANT part of good Mental & Emotional Health!

6. Expressing ANXIETY & FEAR Anxious & Fearful = Anxious & Fearful = –Shorter breaths, heart beats faster, muscles tense Too much anxiety & fear = Too much anxiety & fear = –Lose of sleep or PANIC  PANIC: a feeling of sudden, intense fear

7. Expressing ANGER Unhealthy ways - Unhealthy ways - –Yelling, hitting, threatening –Holding anger inside When you feel angry… When you feel angry… 1.Exercise self-control  Take a deep breath and calm down 2.Focus on exactly what made you angry

8. Expressing ANGER Con’t 3. Think of words to communicate your true feelings 4. Calmly tell the other person who you feel and what actions has caused you to feel this way 5. Tell the person what you expect from him or her in the future

9. Understanding your EMOTIONAL NEEDS! Emotional Needs - Emotional Needs - –Def: needs that affect your feelings and sense of well-being 1. The need to feel worthwhile Need to feel you make a difference in the world Need to feel you make a difference in the world You are making a contribution You are making a contribution Working toward a short/long-term goal = a sense of accomplishment Working toward a short/long-term goal = a sense of accomplishment

10. Understanding your EMOTIONAL NEEDS! Con’t 2. The need to love and be loved –Need to feel that you are cared for –You are special to people [family, friends, classmates, etc.] 3. The need to belong –Know that others accept and respect you as you are –Find friends who are accepting, reliable, and trustworthy

11. Meet EMOTIONAL NEEDS in HEALTHY WAYS! How do your friends help you practice healthful behaviors?