Your Mental and Emotional Your Mental and Emotional HealthHealth

Mental/Emotional Health Mental/Emotional Health – the ability to accept – the ability to accept yourself and others, adapt to and manage yourself and others, adapt to and manage emotions, and deal with the demands and emotions, and deal with the demands and

challenges you meet in lifechallenges you meet in life

Maslow’s Hierarchy Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needsof Needs

Ranked list of those needs Ranked list of those needs essential to human essential to human

growth and development, growth and development, presented in ascending presented in ascending order, starting with basic order, starting with basic

needs and building needs and building toward the need for toward the need for

reaching your highest reaching your highest potential.potential.

Level 1 – Physical

Need to satisfy basic needs of hunger, thirst, sleep and shelter

Level 2 – Safety

Need to be secure from danger

Level 3 – Belonging

Need to love and be loved, need to belong

Level 4 – Feeling Recognized

Need to achieve, need to be recognized

Level 5 – Reaching Potential

Need for self-actualization

Level 1 – Level 1 – Physical NeedsPhysical Needs

Survival needsSurvival needs– FoodFood– WaterWater– SleepSleep– Shelter Shelter

Level 2 – Level 2 – Need for SafetyNeed for Safety

Safeguarding yourself from physical harmSafeguarding yourself from physical harm Sense of security – safety of familiar places Sense of security – safety of familiar places

and peopleand people

Level 3 – Level 3 – Need to be loved and Need to be loved and belongbelong

Need to give love and feel lovedNeed to give love and feel loved We are social – we need to interact with We are social – we need to interact with

others others Want to belong Want to belong

– A communityA community– FamilyFamily– FriendsFriends– Social group (team or school club)Social group (team or school club)

Need to be Valued and RecognizedNeed to be Valued and Recognized

Need to be appreciatedNeed to be appreciated Valued by family, friends, and peersValued by family, friends, and peers You can meet this need by participating in You can meet this need by participating in

productive activitiesproductive activities

Level 5 – Level 5 – Need to reach your Need to reach your potentialpotential

Self-actualization – striving to become the Self-actualization – striving to become the best you can bebest you can be

Having goals that motivate and inspire youHaving goals that motivate and inspire you

Meeting your needsMeeting your needs

Meeting your needs affect your mental and Meeting your needs affect your mental and emotional healthemotional health

Some people choose risky ways to meet Some people choose risky ways to meet their needstheir needs– Joining a gangJoining a gang– Sexual activitySexual activity

What are some ways to meet your needs in What are some ways to meet your needs in a healthy way?a healthy way?

Understanding your personalityUnderstanding your personality

Personality – a complex set of characteristics Personality – a complex set of characteristics that makes you uniquethat makes you unique

Personality is an important factor in how you Personality is an important factor in how you choose to meet your needschoose to meet your needs

Influences on your personalityInfluences on your personality HeredityHeredity

– Plays a role in determining a person’s basic Plays a role in determining a person’s basic intellectual abilities and temperamentintellectual abilities and temperament

– May also influence risk-taking behaviors and May also influence risk-taking behaviors and talentstalents

EnvironmentEnvironment– Everything that surrounds you in your day-to-day Everything that surrounds you in your day-to-day

lifelife Every person, place, object, event, or activity in your Every person, place, object, event, or activity in your

lifelife

– Role modelsRole models Modeling – observing and learning from the behaviors Modeling – observing and learning from the behaviors

of those around youof those around you

Influences on your PersonalityInfluences on your Personality

Personal Behavior Personal Behavior is an Aspect of your is an Aspect of your personality you have the most control overpersonality you have the most control over– How you make decisionsHow you make decisions– What decisions you makeWhat decisions you make– Recognizing consequencesRecognizing consequences– Actions you takeActions you take

Your Personal IdentityYour Personal Identity

A sense of who you areA sense of who you are– Your interestsYour interests– Your likes and dislikesYour likes and dislikes– Your talents and abilitiesYour talents and abilities– Your values and beliefsYour values and beliefs– Your goalsYour goals

Your Developmental AssetsYour Developmental Assets

External AssetsExternal Assets SupportSupport

– Family support, positive family Family support, positive family communication, caring communication, caring neighborhood, parental neighborhood, parental involvementinvolvement

EmpowermentEmpowerment– Serving a purpose by having a Serving a purpose by having a

role in the community, being role in the community, being valued by adults in the valued by adults in the communitycommunity

Boundaries and ExpectationsBoundaries and Expectations– Clear rules and consequences, Clear rules and consequences,

adult role models, high adult role models, high expectationsexpectations

Constructive Use of TimeConstructive Use of Time– Creative activities, youth Creative activities, youth

programs, time at home, sportsprograms, time at home, sports

Internal AssetsInternal Assets Commitment to LearningCommitment to Learning

– Being motivated to achieve, Being motivated to achieve, being involved at school, doing being involved at school, doing homework, readinghomework, reading

Positive ValuesPositive Values– Compassion, equality and Compassion, equality and

social justice, integrity, honesty, social justice, integrity, honesty, responsibility, self-controlresponsibility, self-control

Social CompetenciesSocial Competencies– Planning and decision making, Planning and decision making,

interpersonal communication, interpersonal communication, tolerance of different cultures, tolerance of different cultures, peaceful conflict resolution skillspeaceful conflict resolution skills

Positive IdentityPositive Identity– Personal power, self-esteem, Personal power, self-esteem,

sense of purpose, positive view sense of purpose, positive view of personal futureof personal future

The building blocks of development that help young people The building blocks of development that help young people grow up as healthy, caring and responsible individualsgrow up as healthy, caring and responsible individuals

Working Toward a Healthy IdentityWorking Toward a Healthy Identity

Recognize your strengths Recognize your strengths and weaknessesand weaknesses– Accept and take pride in your strengthsAccept and take pride in your strengths– Asses your weaknesses and set goals for improvementAsses your weaknesses and set goals for improvement

Don’t be overly self-criticalDon’t be overly self-critical

Demonstrate positive valueDemonstrate positive value– Make sure your behavior reflects your personal values and Make sure your behavior reflects your personal values and

standardsstandards

Develop a purpose in your lifeDevelop a purpose in your life– A framework for your mental health as you growA framework for your mental health as you grow– Establish goals and working to achieve themEstablish goals and working to achieve them

Working Toward a Healthy IdentityWorking Toward a Healthy Identity

Form meaningful relationshipsForm meaningful relationships– Enable you to express yourself and share experiencesEnable you to express yourself and share experiences– Give you a support systemGive you a support system

Contribute to the communityContribute to the community– Your community is an extended support system for your Your community is an extended support system for your

familyfamily– Provides services and resources to meet many of your Provides services and resources to meet many of your

needsneeds

Avoid unhealthful risk behaviorsAvoid unhealthful risk behaviors

Self-EsteemSelf-Esteem

A healthy identity will A healthy identity will increase self-esteem and increase self-esteem and give you a higher level of give you a higher level of mental/emotional healthmental/emotional health

Comes from Comes from understanding you are a understanding you are a unique and valuable unique and valuable personperson

People with high self-esteemPeople with high self-esteem……

Take responsibility for their behaviorTake responsibility for their behavior Generally have a positive outlook on lifeGenerally have a positive outlook on life Like and accept who they are overallLike and accept who they are overall Try to learn from their successes as well as Try to learn from their successes as well as

from their mistakesfrom their mistakes Build and maintain healthy relationshipsBuild and maintain healthy relationships

Ways to improve your self-esteemWays to improve your self-esteem

Focus on the positive things not the Focus on the positive things not the negativenegative

Think of appropriate way to share your Think of appropriate way to share your positive attributespositive attributes

Engage in behaviors that will promote your Engage in behaviors that will promote your healthhealth

A Positive OutlookA Positive Outlook

People with a positive outlook live longer People with a positive outlook live longer and are healthier (mentally and physically)and are healthier (mentally and physically)

Remind yourself that no matter what Remind yourself that no matter what happens, there is always hopehappens, there is always hope

Make plans to address problemsMake plans to address problems Look at challenges as opportunities for Look at challenges as opportunities for

growth and learninggrowth and learning

Self-talkSelf-talk Replace negative messages with constructive Replace negative messages with constructive

criticismcriticism Remember everyone makes mistakesRemember everyone makes mistakes Encourage yourselfEncourage yourself