Interpersonal Communication and Relationships Unit 2 Achieving Mental and Emotional Health Chapter 3

What is Mental and Emotional Health? Accept yourself and others Express and manage emotions Deal with the demands and challenges of life It is important part of your total health

Developing Your Self-Esteem Ch 3, Lesson 1 Characteristics of Good Mental and Emotional Health Sense of belonging – feeling close to others (family, friends, school/support) Sense of purpose – you have value, recognize your importance as an individual

Characteristics of Good Mental and Emotional Health Positive outlook – bright side of life stress and success Self-sufficiency – confidence to make responsible decisions promoting sense of independence and self-assurance Healthy self-esteem – accept and recover from difficulties and failures

Good mental and emotional health helps you develop healthy self-esteem Define self-esteem Define resilient

Self-esteem – how much you value, respect, and feel confident about yourself Good self-esteem will affect your overall attitude and health choices you make How does someone develop self-esteem and/or raise self-esteem?

Believe you will succeed, and if you don’t, think about reasons why Unique abilities – try and try again (new challenges, practice, perspective) “Self-talk” – encourage or criticize? Positive self-talk will strengthen esteem; replace negative thoughts

Benefits of Healthy Self-Esteem: Confidence Try new activities, sports, clubs – learn new tasks, get a job Difference between being good at some things not good at all things Realistic expectations

Suggestions to improve self-esteem: Choose friends who value and respect you Focus on positive aspects Work on accomplishments not perfection Exercise regularly, sleep 8-10 hours/day Volunteer to help someone else Accept the things you can’t change, focus on changing the things you can

Resilient – handle stress in positive ways; the ability to adapt effectively and recover from disappointment, difficulty, and crisis

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS Theory that creates a ranking order of needs for each human to reach their full potential (pg. 70 in Glencoe Health Book) LEVEL 1: PHYSICAL (food,water,sleep,shelter) LEVEL 2: SAFETY (security from danger) LEVEL 3: BELONGING (to love and be loved) LEVEL 4: RECOGNITION (achievement & recognition) LEVEL 5: REACHING POTENTIAL (self-actualization)

Mental and Emotional Health Unit 2 Chapter 3, Lesson 2 Developing Personal Identity and Character

Personal Identity and Character Traits Personal Identity: your sense of self as a unique individual Personality: a set of characteristics that makes you unique Student activity – write down a list of characteristics about yourself (at least 5 qualities) on the back of your study guide

Character: distinctive qualities that describe how a person thinks, feels, and behaves Character Traits – Integrity (ethical values) Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship – WCPSS School Traits (we follow and practice in school and class)

Working toward Positive Identity Recognize your strengths and weaknesses Demonstrate positive values Develop a purpose in your life Form meaningful relationships Avoid unhealthful high-risk behaviors Contribute to the community Finding something you love to do is one way to promote a healthy identity. Look at page 75, figure 3.7 *Recognize strengths – be honest and realistic; be proud of yourself. *Recognize weakness – set a goal to develop healthy habits with planning and commitment *Demonstrate values – takes practice and courage (WCPSS character trait we focus on this unit) *Develop purpose – setting short-term and long-term goals to achieve *Meaningful relationships – positive support system (family, friends) who help build confidence, encourage improvement *Risk-taking – part of life; healthy risks (sports, new activity, public speaking, making new friends); unhealthy risks (using tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs, reckless driving, gang activity) *Community – extended support system (services & resources to meet your needs); volunteering is a good way to give back and be a good citizen; improves quality of life for others, gives you sense of accomplishment and increases self-esteem

Turn to page 75, Figure 3.7, read the “Tips for Promoting a Healthy Identity” and make a list of your skills and strengths… on the same page you listed your characteristics Label the page with the title “My Skills and Strengths” to be turned in at end of lesson for participation grade

Mental and Emotional Health Unit 2 Chapter 3, Lesson 3 Expressing Emotions in Healthful Ways

Understanding Your Emotions signals that tell your mind and body how to react Hormones: chemicals produced by your glands that regulate the activities of different body cells

Hormones can make you feel as if your emotions are swinging from one extreme to another (i.e. “Mood Swings”). It’s normal to feel overcome by emotions during your teen years

Managing Your Emotions Positively through Empathy: the ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels Understand that some people may feel uncomfortable expressing their feelings

Learning to recognize and express emotions Ask yourself: Why do I feel this way? Will this event matter later in life? Why should I wait before responding? What can I do to feel better? Who can I ask to help me deal with these feelings? Finding something you love to do is one way to promote a healthy identity. Look at page 75, figure 3.7

Responding to Difficult Emotions using Defense Mechanisms: mental processes that protect individuals from strong or stressful emotions and situations Sometimes used unconsciously but will still need to resolve the problem

Common Defense Mechanisms: Repression Regression Denial Projection Suppression Rationalization Compensation Fill in the definitions – pg. 81, figure 3.11

Damaging Emotions Fear Guilt Anger How do you deal with these feelings?

Learn to manage damaging emotions: Handling Fear- recognize the fear Dealing with Guilt – what’s the cause? Managing Anger – most difficult to handle take time to calm down; relax, breathe deep channel energy in a different direction talk with someone you trust

Student Activity - Answer the following questions on a sheet of paper to turn in: What are five common defense mechanisms? List three strategies for handling anger in a healthful way. What role do hormones play in affecting a teenager’s emotions? Describe what can happen when you take time to think before you respond to a strong emotion. How can this help you stay healthy?