Understanding Mental and
Emotional Health
Mental and emotional health is the ability
to deal in a reasonable way with the
stresses and changes of daily life.
People who are in good mental and
emotional health usually:
 Have a positive attitude and outlook on life.
 Accept their limitations and set realistic
goals.
 Have a positive view of themselves and
others.
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ME vs MYSELF - - mental and emotional health
Good mental and emotional health is essential to good overall
wellness. Many “me vs myself” conflicts begin because of
poor health in one of these areas:
 Expressions of feelings
 Coping skills
 Stress management
 Anger control
 Self concept/self esteem
 Personality
Understanding Who You Are
Good mental and emotional health means:
 Understanding and accepting yourself.
 Recognizing your strengths and working
towards improving your weaknesses.
 Recognizing that you are a unique individual.
The teen brain
The pre-frontal cortex is responsible
for long term decision making and
doesn’t finishing maturing tunil the
mid 20’s. Therefore, most
decisions teens make, unless they
are taught decision making skills
are based on emotions
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
Your characteristics make you different from
everyone else and form your personality
Your personality plays a key role in your mental
and emotional health. It is unique and makes
you who you are.
The three most important factors that influence your
personality are:
Heredity, relationships and Environment
in which you grow up
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
Understanding Self-Concept
The view that you have of yourself is called
your self-concept.
Healthy self concept is when a teen is able to
accurately be aware of their strengths and
weaknesses and try to improve them.
Some teens, however, focus only on what
they see as their faults.
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
Self Esteem is one factor that is closely
related to your self-concept.
The way you feel about your body, your mind,
your emotions, and your interactions with
others are all part of your self-esteem.
High self-esteem enhances self-confidence
whereas low self esteem causes depression
and other mental health issues
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
Benefits of healthy Self-Esteem
Accepting
constructive
feedback
Respecting
your health
and the health
of others
Seeing the
positive
side
Showing
responsibility
Having self-confidence
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
People with high self-esteem are more likely to
practice good health habits and avoid harmful
behaviors.
People with low self esteem are more likely to
try drugs and make other poor, un-healthy and
risky behaviors in order to fit in or hid their
feelings
You can work to improve your self-esteem and
self-confidence.
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
To build your self-esteem and self-confidence:
Set realistic goals for yourself.
Recognize your strengths.
Ask for help when you need it.
Learn to accept constructive feedback.
Learn from mistakes and failures, but don’t dwell on
them.
 Develop positive character traits.
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Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
Respect people’s individual differences by:
 Trying to avoid judging people according to
your own culture, environment, age, and
background.
 Recognizing the values that have been formed
by people’s families, personal experiences,
and other sources.
 Appreciating unique qualities in individuals.
 Consider the other person’s views and feelings
when making a decision that might affect
them.
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality :
Attitudes and Behavior
Your attitudes and behavior affect your
mental and emotional health.
 Positive attitudes lead you to practice
behaviors that promote your health.
 Negative thoughts and feelings may lead you
to behave in ways that harm your mental and
emotional health.
Self Concept, Self Esteem and Personality
Creating a Positive Cycle
Changing Behavior
This teen has never worked with clay before.
Although she feels uncertain about her ability, she
decides to give it a try.
Changing Thoughts
Now that she has
experienced success, she is
more likely to experiment
with other new activities.
Changing Feelings
Her efforts earn her
encouragement from
others, so she feels
more confident.
Understanding Your Emotions and Feelings
Emotions cause feelings but are often combined
and the terms used inter-changeably —
They effect every aspect of your personality and
all areas of PISES/wellness
Although you can’t stop yourself from feeling
emotions, you can figure out healthy ways to deal
with and express them.
Understanding Your Emotions and Feelings
To be able to manage and express
emotions in positive ways, you need to
recognize what you feel.
Although you can often identify emotions,
you may sometimes find that many
different emotions are tangled up together.
Expressing Your Emotions and Feelings
Everyone reacts differently to certain situations.
 Some people have no difficulty talking about their
feelings.
 Others may reveal their emotions in a subtle way
through their body language.
 Others act our violently towards others
No matter how you have been taught to manage
your emotions, you can learn to express them in
healthy ways.
Expressing Your Emotions and Feelings :
Dealing with Fear and Anger
If not managed effectively, fear and anger
can lead to harmful behaviors.
To manage fear, try the following:
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Talk about it.
Laugh.
Relax.
Plan ahead of time how you will deal with a
situation that frightens you.
Expressing Your Emotions and Feelings :
Dealing with Fear and Anger
To handle anger in a healthful way:
 Take a deep breath and calm down or “take a
break”.
 Focus on what made you angry, and think of how
to express your true feelings.
 If you are angry with someone, calmly tell the
person how you feel.
 If you are angry with a situation, talk it over with
a trusted adult, or with a friend.
 Use other anger control techniques such as
exercise, sustained deep breathing, writing about
it, etc.
Coping with Change
Everyone experiences change – it is a
part of life.
Although most changes have positive
results, each one involves some type of
loss.
Sometimes the loss causes you to feel
grief or sorrow.
Coping with Change (cont’d.)
Emotional and physical reactions involved
in the grieving process include the
following:
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Shock and denial
Anger and resentment
Hurt
Inadequacy
Fear and anxiety
Guilt
Depression
Physical symptoms
Acceptance
Avoiding Unhealthful Behaviors
When teens become confused by their
emotions, they may deal with their feelings
in unhealthful ways.
These unhealthful behaviors can damage
physical, mental/emotional, and social
health.
Avoiding Unhealthful Behaviors
(cont’d.)
Coping strategies can help you maintain a
positive attitude when dealing with
strong emotions.
 Writing a journal can help you figure out
what you feel and why.
 Exercising or talking to a friend can help you
blow off steam or combat boredom.
 Doing volunteer work or taking up a new
hobby can help you redirect your emotion
into positive activities.