1. Mental & Emotional Health

2. Mental/Emotional Health What is it? ◦ The ability to accept yourself and others, express and manage emotions, and deal with the demands and challenges you meet in your life Most people have ups and downs in life How you deal with those ups and downs can affect your mental health positively or negatively.

3. Characteristics of Good Mental and Emotional Health Sense of belonging ◦ Feeling close to family members, friends, teachers, and others provides you with support Sense of purpose ◦ Recognizing that you have value and importance as a person lets you set and reach goals Positive outlook ◦ Seeing the bright side of life reduces stress and increases your chances of success

4. Continued Self-sufficiency ◦ Having the confidence to make responsible decisions promotes your sense of independence and self-assurance Healthy self-esteem ◦ Having healthy self-esteem helps you accept and recover from difficulties and failures

5. Self-Image Self Image ◦ How we see ourselves: mental picture or image we have of ourselves Formed by our past experience (successes and failures) Self-image is a reflection of who we are Unfortunately people do not always see themselves as they really are.

6. Improving Your Self-Image Never form a negative image of yourself after one or two bad experiences. Look at yourself realistically as possible Identify your strengths and weaknesses You can develop a more positive self- image by setting and achieving goals.

7. Goal Setting One that is realistic One that is manageable ◦ Break into sub goals (short term goals) One that is measureable ◦ So you know you have achieved (jogging) One that is meaningful ◦ What you want to, not what you need to do

8. Realistic? My goal is to grow to 6 feet 6 inches tall ◦ No My goal is to increase my push ups on the next push up test by 5. ◦ Yes

9. Measurable/Manageable My goal is to have an A in math class each week ◦ Yes ◦ Keep track of homework grades ◦ Study ◦ Come in for extra help

10. Meaningful SOMETHING YOU CARE ABOUT PASSIONATE ABOUT

11. Tips for Achieving Your Goals Have a positive attitude It is OK to make mistakes If you do not reach a particular goal, do not think of it as a failure Praise yourself for any progress Identify any areas that need improvement Use your imagination