Mental, Social, and Emotional Health Introduction – what is it?

It’s time to change your mind about mental health Mental health. It's the way your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect your life. Good mental health leads to positive self-image and in turn, satisfying relationships with friends and others. Having good mental health helps you make good decisions and deal with life's challenges at home, work, or school (APA).

It’s time to change your mind about mental health It is not uncommon for teenagers to develop problems with their mental health. National statistics indicate that one in every five teens has some type of mental health problem in any given year. The problems range from mild to severe. Sadly, suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens (APA).

It’s time to change your mind about mental health If you broke your leg or came down with pneumonia, you wouldn't let it go untreated. Often however, young people ignore mental health problems thinking they will "snap out of it," or that they are something to be ashamed of. That kind of thinking prevents people from getting the help they need. Sometimes getting help is a matter of changing your mind (APA).

What is Mental Health? According to the APA (American Psychology Association) mental health is: The ability to feel good about yourself The ability to feel good about your relationships with others Being able to cope with life’s changes

Skills for developing good mental and emotional health Communicate your emotions appropriately Developing healthy supportive relationships with peers and adults Knowing how to cope with stressful situations Setting short and long term goals and taking action to achieve them Advocating for health and helping others Things we should say more often

What motivates our behavior? The hierarchy of needs is one of the best-known theories of motivation. Created by psychologist Abraham Maslow, the hierarchy is often displayed as a pyramid, with the most basic needs at the bottom and more complex needs at the peak.

Physiological Needs The basic physiological needs might seem simple– these include the things that are vital to our survival. Some examples of the physiological needs include: Food Water Breathing Shelter Sleep

Security and Safety Needs For the second level, the requirements begin to be a bit more complex. At this level, the needs for security and safety become primary. People want control and order in their lives, so this need for safety and security contributes largely to behaviors at this level. Some of the basic security and safety needs include: Financial security Heath and wellness Safety against accidents and injury Reasons to be secure/safe: Finding a job, obtaining health insurance and health care, contributing money to a savings account, and moving into a safer neighborhood. Free of Fear

The Lower Level Needs… Together, the safety and physiological levels of the hierarchy make up what is often referred to as the basic needs (lower level needs). Maslow believed that lower-order needs must be met before higher-order needs

Social Needs The social needs in Maslow’s hierarchy include such things as love, acceptance and belonging. Some of the things that satisfy this need include: Friendships Romantic attachments Family Social groups Community groups Churches and religious organizations In order to avoid problems such as loneliness, depression, and anxiety, it is important for people to feel loved and accepted by other people. Personal relationships with friends, family, and lovers play an important role, as does involvement in other groups that might include religious groups, sports teams, book clubs, and other group activities.

Liking and Respecting Yourself Self Esteem Liking and Respecting Yourself At the fourth level in Maslow’s hierarchy is the need for appreciation and respect. When the needs at the bottom three levels have been satisfied, the esteem needs begin to play a more prominent role in motivating behavior. Feelings of accomplishment and prestige Personal worth Sense of value by others Making a contribution to the world. Participation in professional activities, academic accomplishments, athletic or team participation, and personal hobbies can all play a role in fulfilling the esteem needs.

When you reach your full potential Self-Actualization "What a man can be, he must be," Maslow explained, referring to the need people have to achieve their full potential as human beings. When you reach your full potential According to Maslow’s definition of self-actualization: "It may be loosely described as the full use and exploitation of talents, capabilities, potentialities, etc. Such people seem to be fulfilling themselves and to be doing the best that they are capable of doing... They are people who have developed or are developing to the full stature of which they capable."

Let’s Dig Deeper into Self Esteem…

Self Esteem – What is it? You can't touch it, but it affects how you feel. You can't see it, but it might be there when you look at yourself in the mirror. You can't hear it, but it's there when you talk about yourself or when you think about yourself. What is this important but mysterious thing? It's your self-esteem! Self Esteem: How much you like and respect yourself

Self Esteem – What is it? Many psychologists think that high self-esteem has a positive effect on health while low self-esteem has a negative effect on health. The most important thing to know about self-esteem is that it means seeing yourself in a positive way that's realistic, which means that it's the truth. So if you know you're really good at piano but can't draw so well, you can still have great self-esteem!

What is your level? Self Esteem Video

Strategies for Improvement Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses Set ambitious yet realistic goals for yourself Do not be too hard on yourself Rely on your values Learn to accept compliments Look beyond your own concerns Do not focus too much on appearance

Let’s Practice

Why you should like someone like me… Write a two to three paragraph “cover letter” … the topic is why someone should like you. This letter should depict the special qualities that make you unique and valuable as a person.