Chapter 2: Personality,Self Esteem, & Emotions

Section 2.3: Expressing your Emotions

Do Now: Emotional ROLLERCOASTERwriting assignment

• DIRECTIONS:

• RECALL A TIME IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE WAS A POSITIVE RESPONSE OR A NEGATIVE RESPONSE. WHAT FACTORS PLAYED A ROLE IN YOUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE? WAS THERE A REWARD OR CONSEQUENCE FROM YOUR RESPONSE? HOW DID OTHERS PERCEIVE YOUR RESPONSE? IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE THE OUTCOME, WOULD YOU AND WHY?

• THIS WRITING ASSIGNMENT IS BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, AND WILL NOT BE SHARED WITH OTHER STUDENTS OR FACULTY. THIS IS A SAFE AND PRIVATE ENVIRONMENT.

Primary emotions• HEALTHY PERSONALITY = APPROPRIATE EMOTIONAL RESPONSE

• EMOTION: REACTION TO A SITUATION THAT INVOLVES YOUR MIND, BODY, AND BEHAVIOR

• PRIMARY EMOTIONS ARE EXPRESSED IN ALL CULTURES:

• HAPPINESS

• SADNESS

• ANGER

• FEAR

HAPPINESS

• Happiness is a NORMAL RESPONSE to pleasant events.

• Makes you FEEL GOOD about yourself.

Happy

Sadness

Sadness is a NORMAL RESPONSE to disappointing events in life.

PHYSICAL RESPONSES to sadness: crying, feeling tired, “empty” feeling.

GRIEVE: period of deep sorrow.

anger

ANGER is a normal response to feeling frustrated and/or helpless

PHYSICAL RESPONSES TO ANGER: tense muscles, racing heart, rapid breathing, clenched fists.

HELPFUL ANGER: PROVIDES ENERGY, EXPRESS IN POSITIVE WAYS (EUSTRESS)HURTFUL ANGER: DESTRUCTIVE, EXPRESS IN NEGATIVE WAYS (DISTRESS)

**People who tend to express anger in a negative way are at a greater risk of developing

Heart Disease.

Expressing anger in Healthy Ways

• Guidelines to Help Express Anger in a Healthy Way

• 1. ACCEPT YOUR ANGER; IT IS A NORMAL EMOTION

• 2. IDENTIFY YOUR TRIGGERS (drug/alcohol abuse, low self esteem, lack of control, changes at home, stress, depression, )

• 3. DESCRIBE YOUR RESPONSE (journal)

• 4. SEEK CONSTRUCTIVE ALTERNATIVES• Release Excess Energy (dance, run, go to the gym)

• Avoid Certain People/Situations

• Avoid Destructive Behaviors (overeating/under eating, smoking, drinking, drugs, lashing out on social media)

• Ask for Help (family member, teacher, counselor, friend, someone you look up to)

• 5. EVALUATE YOUR PROGRESS

Losing control

• Some of the negative effects of no teen anger management can include:

• Depression and suicidal thoughts

• Drug and alcohol abuse

• Health problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, and pains

• Poor performance in school

• Poor relationships with others

• Negative or dangerous behaviors, including teen violence

• Feeling out of control

• Getting into accidents if they drive or do other dangerous things when angry

fear• FEAR is the emotion you recognize when your

safety and security are threatened.

• FEAR CAN BE HELPFUL (leave the situation)

• FEAR CAN BE HARMFUL (overreact, perceived danger)

• UNREALISTIC FEARS (phobias, anxiety attacks)

Learned emotions

• Learned Emotions = Social Emotions

• Expression depends on Social Environment

• Learned/Social Emotions:

• Love

• Guilt (I did a bad thing)

• Can be helpful!

• Shame (I’m a bad person)• Shame can lower your self-esteem

love

• LOVE is marked by deep feelings of affection/concern

• DISPLAYED THROUGH: caring words, loving touches, thoughtful actions, and more

• Expressed differently by women and men.

• ONE OF THE MOST POSITIVE EMOTIONS people are capable of feeling.

• The capacity to give and receive love is ESSENTIAL for mental health.

Love conquers all

• Notebook

Guilt and shame

• GUILT is feeling responsible for having done wrong; suffering from bad feelings about having done wrong

• BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH GUILT is to take action to correct the situation.

• SHAME is painful emotion caused by having done something wrong or improper; awareness of having done something wrong or foolish

• SHAME LOWERS SELF ESTEEM.

RECOGNIZING YOUR EMOTIONS

• NAME THE EMOTION – Be honest in the REAL EMOTION you are feeling; the root of the matter

• DETERMINE THE TRIGGER – Pinpoint the EXACT source of the feeling

• RECALL PAST EVENTS – Is this situation similar to that of one in the past? How did you handle it before? What can you do differently?

How to cope

• COPING STRATEGY – Find an “outlet” or way of dealing with an uncomfortable/unbearable situation or feeling; helpful in diffusing the matter; focus energy in a positive manner

• HELPFUL COPING METHODS:• Confront situation• Release energy by exercising/being active• Take a break (listen to music, read, write, draw)• Talk it out (friend, family, someone outside of the

situation

Defense mechanisms• DENIAL – Refusing to recognize an emotion or problem.

Ex. Parents divorce and your act as though nothing is wrong.

• COMPENSATION – Making up for weakness in one area by excelling in another. Ex. Great in math, horrible in history. Which progress report do you show first?

• RATIONALIZATION – Making excuses for actions/feelings. Ex. You don’t do your homework because you had to work or a game.

• REACTION FORMATION – Behaving in a way opposite to the way your feel. Ex. You feel guilty for picking on /bulllying a kid in class, but you cover up your feelings by making jokes about it with your friends.

• PROJECTION – Putting your own faults onto another person. Ex. You don’t do your classwork, study for tests and fail the class so you blame it on your teacher.

• REGRESSION – Returning to immature behaviors to express emotions. Ex. Sulking/pouting because you don’t get your way.