Building Health
Skills
How do you do it?
Learning Goal:
• Understand the difference between effective
communication and ineffective communication.
• Relate how good decisions lead to successful selfmanagement.
o What do you already know ?
o What do you want to know?
Health Skills
Health Skills, or Life skills, are specific tools and
strategies that help you maintain, protect and
improve all aspects of your life.
Activity: In your groups, create a list of all the health
skills you can think of. Brainstorm with your group and
think about what skills are necessary to maintain,
protect and improve ALL aspects of your life…
Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal Communication, or the exchange of
thoughts, feelings, and beliefs between two or more
people, is a vital health skill.
Effective Communication
Was that an example of effective communication?
What did you observe that was ineffective?
How could that conversation been classified as
effective communication?
What skills do you think are necessary to achieve
effective communication?
Effective Communication
Use “I” messages to state your position. This helps to avoid
placing blame.
Use a respectful tone. Be mindful of facial expressions and
gestures.
Avoid interrupting the speaker. Show that you are listening
by asking questions and nodding.
Do you do this with your friends? Teachers? Parents?
And most importantly, be honest!
Communication: The
Ball’s in Your Court
Activity: Work with one or two people in your group. Each
pair or 3 should read the following passage on page 29
When Mark arrives late at the basketball court, his friend
Phillipe throws the ball at him, shouting, “You’re a half hour
late!”
“Well, excuse me, Mr. Punctual, “ Mark laughs.
“You’re never on time. It’s like you assume I have nothing
better to do than wait around for you, “Phillipe says.
“Sorry, bud, but some things came up, “Mark answers.
“Yeah? Well, I’m outta here. “Phillipe throws up his hands
and turns to walk away.
“Wait, let me explain, “ Mark says calmly.
Phillipe hesitates, wondering how to respond.
Communication: The Ball’s in
Your Court cont…
Answer the following questions:
What would you do?
How can Mark and Phillipe use effective
communication skills to continue their discussion more
effectively? Write an ending to this scenario, using the
guidelines below.
1. Use “I” messages.
2. Speak calmly and clearly, using a respectful tone.
3. Listen carefully, and ask appropriate questions.
4. Show appropriate body language.
Any volunteers care to share?
Refusal skills
Refusal Skills are communication strategies
that can help you say no when you are
urged to take part in behaviors that are
unsafe or unhealthful, or that go against
your values.
Please pay attention to
the scenario?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omp9V3GmHkA
Refusal Skills
Say “NO” in a firm voice
Explain why. Tell them it goes against your values.
Suggest something else.
Use appropriate body language. Look them in the eye.
Leave if necessary.
Did our volunteer do this?
So you now know how to
manage others with
communication and
refusal skills, but what
about managing myself???
Learning Goal
• Understand how the decisions you make daily
impact your ability to manage yourself in a positive
or negative way
Personal Skills
Practicing Self-Management. Making good choices
today will benefit you later in life. Exercising, eating
well, maintaining relationships, building self-esteem.
Activity: Imagine I am a genie. I have the ability to
grant you 3 wishes. You have exactly 1 minute to
write down 3 wishes (can’t wish for more wishes).
What did you wish for?
Why?
Self Management
Read the “Letter from a Doctor” to the class.
Imagine this letter is addressed to you…
Dear ____________________________,
I regret that I have bad news for you. As you recall,
we ran a number of medical tests last week. The
results of those tests have been returned to me.
Unfortunately, they confirm that you have a
terminal disease. I have consulted a number of
experts, and all agree that there is no cure or
treatment for your disease. You can except to live
for another two weeks or, at most, two months.
Yours sincerely,
L.L. Lessen, M.D.
Self Management
After reading the letter take a good look at the 3
wishes you wrote down.
Does this news change your 3 wishes at all?
If you want to change anything based on the news
you received, do it now.
Does anyone want to share what they changed?
Self Management
-If this news you received were true, are you happy
with your healthful behaviors?
-Would you change any behaviors in your life?
-Did the 3 wishes activity make you think about things
any differently?
Stress Management
Learning Goal
• Analyze what causes stress and the long-term effect
of stress on health.
• Research and utilize multiple strategies to manage
stress effectively.
o What do you already know?
o What would you like to know?
Stress!
What is stress? Based on what you just watched, get
into your groups and write a definition of stress.
Stress
• All stress is a response to a stressor, or a physical or
psychological demand that requires a person to
adapt to a situation.
• Balloon Activity: Take out a piece of paper and
draw a circle. Inside of the circle, write all of the
stressors in your life.
Stress
The air in the balloon is equal to the stress in your life.
Did the balloon pop? Could it?
What might happen to a person’s wellness if stress
goes unmanaged?
What strategies are effective in managing stress?
(1 effective strategy equals a puff out of the balloon)
Stress Test
Take a copy of the “Stress Test” and pick the two
biggest stressors in your life. Answer the questions.
Get with a partner and share what you wrote. Make
suggestions or comments on your partner’s strategies
to manage the stress.
Stress Test
Directions: Identify two specific stressors in your life.
Write a word or phrase to identify each stressor on one
of the lines below.
• 1. Choose one of the stressors you named
and answer the following questions.
o A. what details help explain this stressor ?
o B. how do you feel about this stressor ?
o C. why do you feel stress in response to this
person, thing, event, or situation?
o D. What unsuccessful efforts have you
made to manage this stressor?
2. List 3 specific strategies you can use to
manage or cope with the stressor.
High Level Stressors
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Death of a parent
Divorce of parents
Break-ups
Getting a job
Money Trouble
Failing at school
Parent losing job
Loss of a pet
Moving
Illness
Low Level Stressors
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Vacation
Christmas or other holidays
Change in eating habits
Change in sleeping habits
Traffic ticket
Change in personal appearance
Ending of school
Physical Effects of Stress
What can stress do to the body?
Rapid, shallow breathing
Pounding of the heart
Increased blood pressure
Sweating
Dizziness
Sleeplessness
Loss of Appetite
Weight loss/Weight gain
Substance abuse
Psychological Effects of Stress
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Anxiety
Depression
Impulsive behavior
Low self-esteem
Avoiding activities
Inability to concentrate
Loss of energy
Loss of joy
Stress/Self Management
Keeping balance in your life by practicing stress
management and self-management will help overall
wellness…
Learning Goal
• Analyze what causes stress and the long-term effect
of stress on health.
• Research and utilize multiple strategies to manage
stress effectively.
o What have you learned?
o How will you make this relevant in your life?
Character Blog for next Class
• Due 4/2/15
Blog Assignment
Topic: Building Character/ blog debate
• www.Kidblog.org
• I would like you to reflect on the difficulties effecting
American society today such as, escalating crime
(knockout in Philly), drugs and alcohol abuse,
violence, racial tension, and murder/ suicide, to
name a few. Too often the media’s news headline is
frequently negative. Define Character in your own
terms. Has America lost its character? Did America
ever have character? What do you think is the
cause of these difficult problems in America? Sound
Off!
Let’s Review for a Test!