1. Personality, Self-Esteem
and Managing Stress
Name ________________
Period:_______________

2. Personality and Mental Health: Describing Personality
PERSONALITY: the qualities and traits, including behavior & feelings, that are characteristic of a specific person.
How would you describe your own personality?
EXTROVERT: friendly, outgoing
INTROVERT: person whose thoughts and feelings are directed inward

3. Personality and Mental Health: Describing Personality
OPTIMIST: person who focuses on the positive side of things and expects a favorable outcome
PESSIMIST: person who focuses on the negative side of things and expects an unfavorable outcome
ASSERTIVE: self-assured; able to stand up for oneself and express feelings in an non-threatening way
PASSIVE: holding back one’s feelings and yielding to others
AGGRESSIVE: communicating one’s opinions and feelings in a way that may seem threatening or disrespectful to others

5. Assertive Messages Nonverbal Messages
Sit or stand tall, look directly at the person, use a steady voice, use appropriate gestures
Verbal Messages       I-messages: I   (think, feel, need, want, believe)   .
Refusal Skills
Saying the word “no”, repeat “no” if necessary, give your reasons, show that you care

6. Name that trait! 1. You get up, leave the room and slam the door.
(passive-aggressive)
2. You say, " I want to see the program I was watching. Please change the channel back."
(assertive)
3. You yell, "What are you, stupid? Don't you see I'm watching my show?“
(aggressive)

7. Personality and Mental Health The Healthy Personality
MENTAL HEALTH: the state of being comfortable with oneself, with others, and with one’s surroundings.
People who are mentally healthy are:
Realistic about strengths and weaknesses
Avoid high risk behaviors (drugs, tobacco, etc.)
Fun loving and are able to relax alone or with others
Able to LAUGH at themselves
View a change as a challenge and an opportunity
Put their talents and abilities to good use.
Able to feel enjoyment and a sense of achievement
Respect everyone’s value as a human being –including their own

8. Personality and Mental Health: How is Personality Formed?
1.Heredity: born with distinct temperaments
2.Environment: modifies traits
MODELING: copying the behavior of others
Friends, family, school, teachers, and culture
American teens spend more than 50% of their time with other teens
PEER GROUP: people who are about the same age and share similar interests
By young adulthood your personality traits are fairly well established
Still able to work to change traits with which you are not satisfied

9. Self-Esteem and Your Health
SELF-ESTEEM: the confidence and worth that you feel about yourself
More than any other factor, SELF-ESTEEM has a DIRECT effect on all aspects of your health- mental, social, and physical.

10. HIGH SELF-ESTEEM:
Realistic views of strengths & weaknesses, remains positive even when they fail at a task, accept selves as they are, form close relationships, values self by taking care of health & avoiding risky behaviors
LOW SELF-ESTEEM:
Negative opinion, judge self harshly, worry about what others think of them too much, “act” in public, lack self- confidence

11. How is self esteem formed?
Over the years you have received feedback - messages from others that indicate who they think you are or what they think you are like.
Positive and negative feedback from parents, peers, media – both verbal and nonverbal.
A person with mostly positive feedback will have high self esteem
A person with mostly negative feedback will most likely have low self esteem and fragile mental health.

12. Self-Esteem: Self-Esteem and Your Health
Improving self- esteem:
Learn to focus on strengths
Select friends who will support & encourage you to do your best
Avoid dwelling on defeat
Practice good health habits
Avoid doing things that “go along with the crowd”
Set goals for yourself
Take time each day to do something you enjoy
Avoid negative thinking
Have the ability to LAUGH at yourself
Teens with low self- esteem…
Increased chance of serious health problems
More likely to use drugs
More likely to drop out of school
More likely to suffer from eating disorders

13. Substituting realistic self-talk for negative self-talk
Cognitive Distortion
Negative Self-Talk
Realistic Self-Talk
Focusing on Negatives
School is so discouraging- nothing but one hassle after another
School is pretty challenging and has its difficulties, but there certainly are rewards
Expecting the worst
Why would my parents want to talk with me if not to yell at me?
I wonder why my parents want to meet with me. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
Overgeneralizing
(After getting a poor grade on a paper) Just as I thought- I’m incompetent at everything
I’ll start working on the next paper earlier. That way, If I run into problems I can consult with the teacher.

14. Substituting realistic self-talk for negative self-talk
Cognitive Distortion
Negative Self-Talk
Realistic Self-Talk
Minimizing
I won the speech contest, but none of the other speakers were very good. I would not have done as well against stiffer competition.
It may not have been the best speech I’ll ever give, but it was good enough to win the competition.
Blaming Others
I wouldn’t have eaten so much last night if my friends hadn’t insisted on going to that restaurant.
I overdid it last night. Next time I’ll make different choices.
Magnifying
events
They went to a movie without me. I thought we were friends, but I guess I was wrong.
I’m disappointed they didn’t ask me to the movie, but it is not that big a deal.
Believing you’re the cause of everything
Molly seems so depressed today. I wish I did not have that argument with her yesterday.
I wish I handled the argument better, but I don’t even know if she is still mad about that. Either way Molly is responsible for her actions.

15. Expressing Emotions: Common Emotions
EMOTIONS: are signals that tell your body how to react – they are simply the way your body and mind respond to input
Love:
Many types of love (ex. Between family members, in marriage, and love between friends)
Felt towards places, things, & people
One of the most positive emotions people are capable of
Ability to give and receive love is essential to mental health

16. Common Emotions
Empathy – is the ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels.
It is being able to “walk” in another’s shoes.
When you are empathetic, you can reach out to others and receive their gestures of warmth and caring in return.
As with all emotions, it is not healthy to be overwhelmed with concern for other’s feelings at the expense of your own needs.

17. Expressing Emotions: Common Emotions
Anger:- When people let their emotions carry them into anger, they face dangers of losing friendships, losing their jobs, or precipitating violence from those whose actions have upset them. Positively directing emotional energy is essential to healthy living.
Anger can be helpful or harmful
How can it be helpful???

18. What is the best way to deal with anger?
1. Accept and recognize feelings – DO NOT ignore them!!
2. Find a HEALTHY way to express those feelings! Go for a walk, scream, punching bag – no, not your younger brother
3. After you have calmed down…and it may take several days, think about EXACTLY what made you angry
4. Consider what constructive action you can take to improve the situation or prevent another angry episode.

19. Expressing Emotions: Common Emotions
Anger:
Primary Emotions that cause Anger
Disappointment
Embarrassment
Jealousy
Hurt Feelings
Frustration
Fear

20. Expressing Emotions: FEAR
GUILT: Can stop you from doing something you know is wrong
Too much guilt could lead to doubt in oneself
Best way to deal with guilt is to correct the situation if possible and to talk about your feelings
HAPPINESS
Strong positive emotion
Normal response to pleasant events in one’s life
What makes you feel happy?
Do what makes you happy
The good feelings that result from activities which make you happy will stay with you for the rest of you life

21. Expressing Emotions: Common Emotions
Sadness:
Sorrow or unhappiness
Normal response to disappointing events in one’s life
Feeling usually passes quickly, but prolonged sadness could be a sign of depression
DEPRESSION: an emotional state in which you feel hopeless and worthless
GRIEF: a period of deep sorrow
Overcoming sadness:
Admit emotion
Share feelings

22. Expressing Emotions: Coping with Your Emotions
COPING STRATEGY: A way of dealing with an uncomfortable or unbearable feeling or situation – used consciously or unconsciously
Also known as:
DEFENSE MECHANISMS: An unconscious or conscious a way of defending oneself against difficult feelings
Sometimes coping strategies can protect you from painful events, but if overused, they can stunt emotional growth. If depended upon too much, one may not learn to express true feelings.

23. Expressing Emotions: Defense Mechanisms
Denial
Refusing to recognize the existence of an emotion
Identification
Assuming the qualities of someone you admire
Compensation
Making up for weakness in one area by excelling in another area
Rationalization
Making excuses for feelings and/ or actions
Projection
Putting your own faults onto another person
Daydreaming
Fantasizing to escape unpleasant reality

24. Coping with Your Emotions Defense Mechanisms
Displacement
Transferring emotions from the original source to an inanimate object
Regression
Reverting to immature behavior to express emotions

25. Expressing Emotions: Coping with Your Emotions
Other Coping Strategies
Confront situation, turn it into a positive if you can
Release energy by exercising, cleaning, etc.
Take a break by reading, walking, writing in a journal, etc.
Talk through you feelings with someone you trust
Harmful Coping Strategies
Strong emotions could cloud a person’s judgment
A person could turn to coping strategies which make the situation worse for him/ her
Acting out in violent ways
Using alcohol or drugs
Withdrawing from friends and family

26. Managing Stress What Causes Stress? How Stress Affects the Body
Stress and Personality
Managing Stress

27. Managing Stress

28. So just what is stress and what causes it???
STRESS: is a reaction of the body and mind to threatening or challenging events in one’s life.
You experience stress when situations, events, or people make demands on your body and mind

29. What Causes Stress?: The Many Causes of Stress
STRESSOR: something that causes stress
Major life changes: new school, moving to a new town
Everyday problems: lost shoe, missing keys, etc.
Physical surroundings: crowded bus, weather, jammed locker
At moderate levels, stress can improve your ability to concentrate and perform at your best.

30. Stress can be positive!!! Positive Stress
Promotes growth and accomplishment
Also called EUSTRESS
Examples:
Feelings before athletic event/ musical performance
Does it help you to perform better?

31. Stress can be Negative Negative Stress
Decreases ability to concentrate and perform
Also called DISTRESS
Examples:
Nervous to the point of being sick
to your stomach
Difficulty doing every day tasks
Boo for negative stress .

32. How Stress Affects the Body: Stages of Stress –General Adaptation syndrome
Alarm Stage
Body releases adrenaline into the bloodstream
Burst of energy
Heart beats faster
Increased rate of breathing
Decreased amount of blood to the skin and digestive system
Muscles tighten
Pupils widen
Mind more alert to take in information
FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE:
a series of physical changes that prepare the body to react to stress

33. Stages of Stress Resistance Stage
Body tries to recover from alarm stage and go back to normal
homeostasis
A steady state or balance; the normal, balanced state of the body’s internal systems
All stressors trigger the same stress response in the body, but at different levels of intensity

34. How Stress Affects the Body: Stages of Stress
Exhaustion Stage
_ only occurs if distress continues
over a long period of time
Body is worn down and no longer has enough energy to fight off the stressor
More susceptible to illness, because body remains in unbalanced state
Most likely to enter this stage if stressor is out of your control, or if stressor continues for a long time

35. How Stress Affects the Body: Recognizing the Signs of Stress
Physical Signs
Muscle tension
Headache
Upset stomach
Pounding heart
Increased sweating
Dry mouth
Trembling/ twitching
Emotional Signs
Irritability
Anger
Impatience
Nervousness
Forgetfulness
Negative thinking
Excessive worrying
Loss of interest
Cry easily

36. How Stress Affects the Body: Recognizing the Signs of Stress
Behavioral Signs
Sleep problems
Loss of appetite
Overreacting
Drug abuse
Hurrying
Withdrawing from relationships
Criticizing others
Fidgeting
By recognizing these signs early, you may also be able to prevent some of the more serious effects of stress.

37. How Stress Affects the Body: Stress and Illness
Severe or prolonged stress can affect health
Illness can be brought on or made worse by stress
Lowered resistance to infection (body less able to fight off infection)
Makes some conditions more difficult to control
Asthma: attacks more likely
High Blood Pressure: increased blood flow
Heart Disease: heart must work harder when under stress

38. Stress and Personality
How you react to a stressor could depend on….
Is this situation a threat to my well- being?
Do I have the necessary resources to meet the challenge?
Time
Skills
Experience
Energy
Just as your personality is unique, so is the way you react to potentially stressful situations

39. Stress and Personality: Personality Type
TYPE A PERSONALITY
Behavior pattern characterized by competitiveness and a strong desire to succeed
Try to accomplish as much as possible in a short time
Driven to accomplish goals
Set high standards for self

40. Personality Type Type B Personality
Behavior pattern characterized by calmness, less competitive, and not as concerned about accomplishment
Less likely to feel stressed if you do not meet standards
Less likely to develop stress related illness
May cope with challenges by ignoring them

41. Stress and Personality
Perfectionism – is a person that accepts nothing less than excellence from him/herself
Perfectionist sometimes take things too far
Can lead to a vicious cycle of trying harder and never being satisfied
Perfectionist often have trouble meeting deadlines and taking risks
They suffer from high levels of stress

42. How to break the cycle of perfectionism
It’s not easy!!!
Accept that you cannot be perfect
Take pride in the things that you do well rather than focusing on your mistakes. As a result, you will have a lower level of stress and an increased level of satisfaction

43. Stress and Personality
Negative thinking:
People with negative thinking only increase their level of stress. They make it almost impossible to succeed.
One way to stop negative thinking is to “coach” yourself through an upcoming stressful event. In your mind, go through the event, step by step, giving yourself positive messages such as “I can do this.”

44. Stress and Personality
Hardiness – some people experience a great deal of stress but do not become ill as a result. These people have what is called a “hardy personality.
They view stressful events as challenges or opportunities rather than threats
They are deeply involved in and are committed to whatever they are doing.
They have a sense of control over what they are doing. They feel that they can influence the outcome of the stressful event.

45. Three steps for managing stress
Step one:
Identify the source: In order to manage stress, we must identify where it is coming from. Identifying the source of stress can be trickier that it might seem at first!

46. Three steps for managing stress
Eliminate the source of the stress, if possible. Sometimes it is possible to get rid of the source of stress. For example, a student who has too much to do can eliminate an extra- curricular activity, or work fewer hours at a part time job

47. Three steps for managing stress
Change the way we handle stress. Instead of engaging in negative thinking ( I can’t do it ) we can think positively!
We can deal with it head on, or discuss it with a supportive person.

48. Managing Stress
Managing stress helps to restore the balance in you life
Managing stress prevents the stressors from taking control and making you ill
Additional ways to handle stress
Eat well
Exercise regularly
Express your feelings
Say “NO” to alcohol and drugs

49. Managing Stress: Stress Management Techniques
Confronting the Problem
Devise a plan to solve the problem
Many stressors in your life are things that you can work to change
Direct your energy toward those things you are able to change
Time Management
Do you often wish there were more hours in the day?
Do you put things off until the last minute?
Poor time management is one of the BIGGEST contributors to stress

50. Managing Stress: Stress Management Techniques
Physical Activity
Provide the body with an outlet for built up energy
Take your mind off problems
Give yourself a chance to relax
Do activities that you enjoy

51. Stress Management: Stress Management Techniques
Relaxation
A state when the mind and body are resting
Deep breathing relaxes muscles, take in more oxygen which helps the body function better
Progressive relaxation: concentration on each group of muscles in the body one at a time
Read a book, take a nap, listen to music, stretching, take a hot shower, etc.
Mental rehearsal -
- Practice event in your mind, imagining yourself performing at your best
- Increases confidence in ability to perform
- Often done by Olympic athletes

52. Stress Management: Stress Management Techniques
Humor
Laughter helps to relieve feelings of stress
Deals quickly with stressor
Can be harmful if laughter is used to cover up true feelings or if used inappropriately
Getting Help When You Need It
Recognize when stress is becoming overwhelming
Sharing your problems often helps you to see them more clearly