MENTAL HEALTH: Understanding Your Emotions Ms. Mai Lawndale High School

Understanding Your Emotions Understanding your emotions is important to mental health Emotions – strong, immediate reactions that you feel in response to an experience What are some examples of emotions? If you are aware of your emotions, you can learn to express yourself constructively, appropriately, and clearly

Understanding Your Emotions People in all societies and of all ages have emotions Emotions are often displayed through facial expression and body language Emotions can also cause physical changes such as increased heart, perspiration, or even sickness Emotions are not necessarily good or bad, but it is how you deal with your feelings that really matters

Common Emotions We will be discussing a few common emotions that all people experience at different points throughout their life … LOVE ANGER FEAR GRIEF GUILT

Love A strong affection for another person Love can be expressed through words, touch, or action to show care and concern Just as love can be expressed in a variety of different ways, there are also many different types of love (friendship, family, dating, marriage, country, humanity, etc.)

Anger Strong feeling of displeasure that can range from annoyance to complete fury It usually leads to an increase in heart rate and a warm feeling in your face People may feel anger from frustration, disappointment, or displeasure Anger can be a good or bad emotion, depending upon how people deal with it

Anger Hostility may be in the form of nasty comments or ignoring people Hostility is one negative way of expressing the emotion of anger Anger can also be good like when you see something unjust happening and you feel angry, so you want to change it

Strategies for Managing Anger Recognize your own anger Always listen carefully to what an angry person is telling you Try to express respect along with anger Notice your own reactions, especially your physical reactions Focus your attention on the present problem and avoid thinking of old grudges

Fear Fear is when you believe you are in danger Fear can make you sweat, increase heart rate, and your muscles tense up Fear is sometimes good like when it results from an accident or fire, or make you jump out of the way of a moving car Fear can also come from the unknown, or fear of failing or being hurt, or losing something important to you (anxiety)

Fear Anxiety can also be caused by tests in school, a first date, or talking in front of people Since fear cannot be avoided, it is useful to know how to deal with it in a healthy way When you feel fearful, it is best to admit your emotion and express it to someone who cares about you to help you deal with it Jealousy is another emotion that deals with fear of losing something you already have

Grief Grief is deep sorrow caused by the loss of someone or something (like death of a loved one or divorce or parents) Grief, although painful, should not be thought of as a negative emotion, but a natural emotion that reminds us of our ability to love and form friendships It is important to deal with grief in a healthy way because although it hurts, it can hurt even more when people pretend that the loss does not matter

Grieving Process (approaching death) 1. Denial – rejection of truth 2. Anger – rage and resentment towards religion or other people 3. Bargaining – use good behavior to avoid the inevitable 4. Depression – hopeless and sorrow 5. Acceptance – quiet expectation When feeling pain from loss, you should allow yourself to experience the grieving process and share your feelings

Guilt Feeling of having done something wrong For example, stealing or cheating on a test Guilt can be a helpful emotion because it can help you live according to your conscience and your standards Learning whether guilt is reasonable will help your overall mental wellness

In Conclusion… Some people think that emotions are mysterious, but they can be understood The ability to understand and express your emotions builds your self- confidence and helps you communicate with others Ignoring or hiding your emotions only makes it harder to deal with them later

In Your Wellness Journal… EMOTIONAL TIMES Think of a time when you felt love, anger, fear, grief, or guilt. What event caused the emotion, and how did you deal with it? If you could, would you go back in time to react differently?