Mental and Emotional Health Mrs Farver Mental Health

Mental and Emotional Health Mrs. Farver

Mental Health - definition �Mental Health – reflects a person’s ability to cope with the daily demands of life (i. e. deal with stress), have a positive self-concept, and be free from mental illness.

Emotional Health - definition �Emotional Health – reflects a person’s ability to express all emotions in a positive way, and be able to talk about emotions and ask for help when needed.

What is Self-Concept / Self. Esteem? �Self-Esteem: is a measure of how much you value, respect, and feel confident about yourself.

Benefits of High Self-Esteem � 1. Increased Respect: ◦ Respect themselves ◦ Take care of themselves ◦ Respect their personal values, as well as the values of others ◦ They will not pressure others to participate in risky behavior � 2. Increased ability to reach goals: ◦ You’re more likely to set realistic goals for yourself ◦ More likely to stick with your goals ◦ More likely to achieve their goals due to effort

Benefits of High Self-Esteem Continued � 3. Increased willingness to try: ◦ Have the will to try new things ◦ Don’t get discouraged easily � 4. Increased feelings of value: ◦ Feel they are valuable to family, school, and the community ◦ More likely to ask for help when needed ◦ More likely to volunteer and help others

Risks of Low Self-Esteem � Vulnerable to peer pressure � Lack of respect for self and others � Makes risky behavior decisions � More at risk for depression and suicide � Often have poor mental health � More critical of themselves and others

Characteristics of High vs. Low � High ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ Self-Esteem: Speaks up for self Respects self and others Has confidence Tries new things Feels valuable to society Adjusts to change Feels optimistic Makes decisions based on values � Low Self-Esteem: ◦ Feels insecure ◦ Disrespects self and others ◦ Vulnerable to peer pressure ◦ Doesn’t feel valuable ◦ Feels depressed ◦ Fears failure ◦ Uses drugs and alcohol ◦ Feels pessimistic ◦ Behaves destructively

Improve your self esteem � 1. Use Positive Self-Talk ◦ The things you say to yourself strongly affects the way you see yourself ◦ We are constantly talking to ourselves, whether we realize it or not ◦ Self-talk = coaching yourself about your own self-worth. ◦ Tell yourself you’re valuable. Tell yourself your worth it. Tell yourself you can do what you set out to do. � 2. Act with integrity: ◦ Integrity is the characteristic of doing what one knows is right. ◦ Live by the values and beliefs you believe in.

Improve your self-esteem (cont) � 3. Choose supportive friends: ◦ It’s easier to treat yourself well if the people you know also speak well of you. ◦ Avoid critical, disrespectful people. � 4. Accept yourself: ◦ People with high selfesteem do not think they are perfect. ◦ They see all their imperfections and still think of themselves as valuable.

Stress Defined � STRESS = The body’s and mind’s response to a demand � STRESSOR = situation or thing that puts a demand on the body or mind (the thing that causes the stress)

Eustress vs. Distress � Eustress = Positive ◦ Energizes and helps you reach a goal or accomplish something ◦ Examples: �Getting married �Having a baby �Starting a new job � Distress = Negative ◦ Makes one sick or prevents one from accomplishing a goal ◦ Examples: �Giving a speech �Problem �Guilty

Types of Stressors � Environmental Stressors: ◦ Examples: pollution, poverty, crowding, noise, natural disasters, etc. � Biological Stressors: ◦ Examples: illness, disability, injury, etc.

Types of Stressors Continued � Thinking Stressors: ◦ Any mental challenge, ex: test � Behavioral Stressors: ◦ Examples: using tobacco, alcohol, poor timemanagement, or anything that put stress on your body � Life Change Stressors: ◦ Examples: death of a loved one, getting married, moving, etc.

Responding to stress - 3 Stages 1. Alarm – Body and mind go into high alert and the hormone adrenaline is produced and released into the body. This produces the fight or flight response. �Breathing speeds up �Heart beats faster �Muscles tense �Pupils dilate �Digestion slows �Blood sugar increases

3 stages of stress response continued 2. Resistance – Make the decision for fight or flight. You are resisting the stress in this stage. ◦ Endurance levels rise for a period of time and can produce extra strength, speed, etc

3 stages of stress response continued 3. Fatigue – after prolonged exposure to the stressor the body loses the ability to adapt and a tired feeling takes over. Three types of fatigue set in: ◦ Physical – weak and tired muscles causing soreness ◦ Psychological – feeling overwhelmed, worried, depressed ◦ Pathological – body has trouble fighting off illness due to weakening of immune system

Chronic Stress � Chronic Stress = long-term stress with no relief (very bad) Can lead to depression and other illness ◦ Alarm Stage = become alert ◦ Resistance Stage = eventually become unable to resist disease ◦ Exhaustion Stage = body can’t handle resistance anymore, organs and immune system suffer

Dealing with Stress � Take care of yourself! � Exercise regularly or do something you enjoy � Get enough rest � Eat right � Learn to relax ◦ Breathing exercises ◦ Tension-releasing exercises � Manage your time � Change your attitude – positive thoughts � Develop resiliency – ability to bounce back from stress

Developing Resiliency � Develop your assets: ◦ Know when to ask for support ◦ Empowerment ◦ Set Boundaries ◦ Productive use of time ◦ Commitment to learning ◦ Positive values ◦ Positive Social skills ◦ Positive identity