Chapter 2 Taking Charge of your Health Chapter

Chapter 2 - Taking Charge of your Health Chapter 3 - Achieving Mental and Emotional Health Chapter 4 - Managing Stress Health Skills- Tools and Strategies used to make better health choices; ways to manage your health.

Building Health Skills 1. Social Skills Communication- Sending and receiving messages. - Say what you mean; carefully choose words and expressions - How you say something; calm voice; respectful tone - Good listener; eye contact - Facial expressions/gestures/body language Refusal Skills - Say NO to unhealthy behaviors (examples? ) - Explain why you are saying no - Suggest alternatives – “Let’s do this instead” - Back it up with body language – let the person know you mean it - Leave the situation if none of the above work

` 2. Mental/Emotional Skills Self- esteem- Confidence and worth you feel about yourself -Begins to develop @ birth/when you’re a newborn (feedback/care) - Examine messages to yourself (Worth) - Focus on things you do well (Confidence) -Activity: Dry Erase Board (2 things you like about yourself… one external, one internal) Stress- How your body and mind reacts to everyday demands - Re-channel energy - exercise; cleaning - Relax – Read; music - Laugh – “Laughter is the best medicine” -Best Way to Manage= Organize and Prioritize your

3. Total Health Skills - Accessing Information - Consider the source (rumor vs. fact) - Consider the Angle (advertisements) and think for yourself! - Getting Help - People in your life – parents/siblings, teachers, clergy - Resources in community- KUTO, CHADS, etc. - Print/Electronic Resources Self-management skills- Being capable of meeting life’s challenges and being worthy of happiness; taking charge of your own health

Decision Making and Goal Setting �Achieving good health begins with making responsible decisions, not just luck or genetics! �You can’t control who your parents are or what kind of environment you live in, but what can you ALWAYS control? � The older you get more responsibilities, tougher decisions �Ex: When you’re 5 --- what snack will I have today? �When you’re 16 or 17 --- what college will I go to? �Ex: When you’re 15 --- who will I take to the dance? �When you’re Ms. Sontag’s age--- is the right person to marry?

Before you make decisions and set goals, you need to know WHO YOU ARE and WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU �We call this CHARACTER �Another way to think of your character: “Who are you and what choices do you make when no one is looking? ”

Decision-Making �Decision-making skills are steps that enable you to make a healthful decision. Think of the HELP strategy when making any decision in your life. �Is it… H- Healthy? E- Ethical? L- Legal? P- Parents approve?

Steps of the Decision Making Process �There are SIX steps– see handout �Choose one scenario from the list provided and complete decision making handout for homework

Goal Setting �Hopes, dreams, goals… what’s the difference? �Short term vs. long term (less than or more than 3 months)

�See Figure 2. 10 on p. 44 in your textbook and complete goal setting worksheet (both sides) for homework

Stress stress- wear and tear on our bodies as we adjust to changes, the body and mind’s reactions to everyday demands. A natural part of life.

Two Types of Stress: 1. Eustress- Positive Stress (Examples? ) - Compel us into action - New awareness/perspective - Anticipation/Excitement - Deadlines – Are you a procrastinator? - Competition – Does it bring out the best in you? Or do you “fold”? 2. Distress- Negative Stress - Distrust of other people - Anger - Anxiety/Panic/Worry - Depression - Physical Ailments – headaches, upset stomach, insomnia, ulcers, high BP, heart disease, stroke - Optimal level of stress is different for everyone - Too little stress – bored, depressed; don’t accomplish anything

stressor-anything that causes stress How many do you have? See p. 94 figure 4. 2 -Biological Stress – physical illness/injury -Environmental Stress – poverty, pollution, natural disaster (Joplin tornado, Hurricane Sandy, etc) - Cognitive Stress – the way you perceive a situation (anxiety) - Behavioral Stress – tobacco, alcohol/drugs, exercise - Life Situations – relative/pet die, divorce, peer trouble

Sontag Life Lesson: How To Manage Stress 1. Become aware of stressors and how to respondfriends? 2. What can you change? – Realistic vs. unrealistic worries, reduce intensity, take a break. Perfectionist? 3. Reduce emotional reactions – making a mountain out of a molehill; trying to please everyone; what if? 4. Control physical reactions – relaxation techniques; breathing 5. Build physical reserves – exercise and diet help 6. Maintain emotional reserves – pursue realistic goals (not pipe dreams) *There are THREE things, and only three things, you can do when you find yourself in a difficult or stressful situation.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than success, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, gift, or skill. It will make or break a company. . . a church. . . a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. . . we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you. . . We are in charge of our attitudes.