1. Dr. Sonia Tinsley Northeastern State University College of Education
Healthy personality characteristics & expressing emotions in healthful ways
Dr. Sonia Tinsley
Northeastern State University
College of Education

2. Personality An individual’s unique pattern of characteristics.
What makes a person different from others.
Influences on personality
Heredity
Environment
Attitude
Behavior

3. Personality
Specific patterns of behavior and traits that identify and characterize an individual
Thoughts
Feelings
Behaviors
Motivation
Instinct
Temperament

4. Personality Characteristics that Promote Good Health?

5. Personality characteristics that promote good health
Ambition
Compassion
Confidence
Cooperativeness
Optimism
Persistence
Reliability
Responsibility
Respectfulness
Self-determination
Self-discipline
Sincerity
Courage
Dedication
Hopefulness
Loyalty
Honesty

6. Personality Behavior Patterns
Type A: characterized by competitive drive, aggressiveness, impatience, time urgency, free-floating hostility, insecurity
Type B: behavior that exhibits no free-floating hostility or sense of time urgency, opposite of Type A
Type C: denial and suppression of emotion
Type D: negative emotions and inhibited self-expression

7. Interesting Research
A study of nurses and teachers shows that Type A’s tend to experience more job stress
Found to be associated with coronary heart disease
Exhibited in females as well as males
Learned behavior, not genetically passed down

8. Hardiness People who are hardy have the “3 C’s”
Commitment
Control
Challenge
Hardy people are able to better withstand the onslaught of stressors
Become ill less often from stressors
Have less psychological distress, increased happiness and adjustment, happier marriages

9. Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals.

10. Expressing Emotions in Healthful Ways
Communication – the exchange of feelings, thoughts, or information with one or more persons.
Denial – a condition in which a person refuses to recognize what they are feeling.

11. Difficulty in Communicating
Many young people do not learn to recognize and express their feelings as they mature.
Children who grow up in dysfunctional families often find it difficult to express their feelings.
Instead they learn to deny their feelings.

12. Guidelines for Expressing Emotions in Healthful Ways
Identify the emotion.
Identify the source of the emotion.
Decide whether or not there is the need to respond right away.
Choose a responsible and healthful response.
Protect your health.

13. Healthful ways to express feelings
Active listening – Partner up!
Nonverbal communication – What’s My Style?

14. I-messages and You-messages
I-messages – focuses on a specific behavior or event, how that behavior or event affects the speaker, and the emotions the speaker feels as a result.
You-message – blames or shames another person. Puts down the other person and puts him/her on the defensive.

15. Develop communication skills to foster improved social relationships
Verbal communication—be a skilled sender and listener
Nonverbal communication—facial expression, eye contact, personal space, body posture
Managing conflict
Listen
Focus on what to say and how to say it
Use assertive communication with “I” statements