Emotional & Mental Health

1. Emotional & Mental Health Nova Classical Academy

2. Fact or myth • Being emotionally healthy mean not having emotional ups and downs. MYTH • It’s normal to feel a wide range of emotions. Emotionally healthy people manage their feelings in ways that let them have fulfilling lives. • FACT

3. Mentally Healthy people U.S. Surgeon General (USDHHS, 1999) has stated that mentally healthy people: ~Can think, reason and do mental tasks. ~Can pursue productive activities. ~Have fulfilling relationships. ~Can adapt to change and cope with hardship.

4. What are emotions? Emotions are feelings about events or thoughts. Emotions occur as part of complex mental and physical sequence. 1. Something happens: a person has a though or lives through an event. 2. The person assigns a meaning to it: decide if the event is good/bad, dangerous/safe, wanted/unwanted. 3. This affects the person’s feelings:Seeing an event as good might lead to feeling pleased, proud or satisfied. Seeing an event as bad might lead to feeling afraid, guilty or disgusted. 4. Body changes follow the feeling. The feeling might trigger changes in HR, muscle tension, or release of chemicals in the brain. 5. The impulse to take action may follow. The feeling may push the person to respond to the thought or event that started the sequence.

5. Basic Emotions • Researchers believe that humans have 6 basic emotions: • 1. Happiness • 2. Sadness • 3. Anger • 4. Fear • 5. Surprise • 6. Disgust

6. Basic Emotions Continued: • Experts believe people have other basic emotions as wells: • Contempt • Love • Wonder • Rage • Shame • Desire • Courage • Hope

7. Basic Emotions Continued: • ~They are also the same for both blind and sighted people. (Science Daily, 2008) • ~ The full range of emotions is very broad. • ~The basic emotions don’t cover all the feelings people have. • ~ Facial expressions go with each 6 basic emotions. • ~ Facial expressions are the same across cultures. • ~ Facial expressions appear to be innate rather than learned.

8. Emotions and culture • Japan: • Expected to control how they show feelings. • Look mainly at the eyes to read what someone is feeling. • The eyes how emotion more subtly than the mouth and are harder to control. • (^_^) (;_;) • (Emoticons) • United States: • Feelings are shown more openly • Look at a person's mouth to read what s/he is feeling. • Mouths are thought to be the most expressive part of a person’s face. • :) :-) :( :-( • (emoticons)

9. Emotions and Culture continued: • People from different cultures may have different feelings when faced with the same event or thought. • Examples: • a food thought of as quite tasty in one culture might be viewed with disgust in another. • Some countries (United States) value independence, personal pride based on real success in widely respects. Where some countries where society values belonging and contributing to the group, personal pride might be frowned upon, no matter what the person achieved.

10. Emotions and the body • Emotions lead to physical changes in the body. • All systems respond to emotions. • A strong emotion might engage most or all body systems at the same time. • Examples: • When a person feels anger, his or her body may respond with an upset stomach or headache. • Someone with a racing heart and sweaty palms may be feeling fear. • These reactions are the body’s way of getting a person ready to take action. • Fight or flight response

11. Elements of emotional health • Express feelings in healthy ways. • Build and maintain healthy relationships. • Prevent or manage conflict and stress in healthy ways. • Use self-control skills. • Are OK with differences and respect diversity. • Seek help for troublesome feelings. • Are caring and responsible. • Have plans for the future. • ~Few people have all of these traits all the time. But with good emotional health one notices their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. They get support with things are tough and also reach out to help others.

12. A state of “Flow” • What is it? Highest state of positive emotion. • A person feels a sense of blissful absorption in the moment. Self consciousness is gone and the work seems effortless. • Often experienced by professional athletes and musicians. • Sometimes called in the “the zone” Enter a state of flow when they: • Find a task they are skilled at and work at a level that challenges their ability. • Intentionally focus sharp attention on the task at hand. • Researchers found that flow can not happen without doing the work necessary to learn a skill.

13. Benefits of expressing feelings • Link feelings to events. • Become more self-aware. • Build coping skills. • Improve relationships. ~Emotions are neither good or bad. Experts think it is helpful to think of feelings in a neutral way. ~ Just common responses to daily events. ~ Emotions play a central role in good mental health. ~When people express their emotions in ways that match their culture and their values, they are more likely to feel a sense of well-being.

14. The role of Personality Personality • Emotions, temperament(a person’s mood or style of emotional response) • Actions and thoughts • These traits are what give you an unique character. Extravert – outgoing and energetic. Dominate social encounters and also to have positive emotions more often. Introvert– quiet and more likely to follow others’ lead. They may hold back from or be more anxious about new experiences.

15. Self-Esteem • Is the way people feel about themselves – their sense of their value or worth. • Self-efficacy – refers to peoples sense of ability. • Feeling good about oneself is an important part of mental health. Researched has linked positive self-esteem to mental well-being, happiness, success and feeling satisfied.

16. Meeting Basic Needs • Abraham Maslow – American Psychologist

17. Maslow Hierarchy of Needs • 1. Physiological Needs: Basic things to stay alive. If they survival needs aren’t met, a person’s life itself is threatened. Has to have these met before s/he can fulfill any of the other levels. • 2. Safety and security: protected from harm. • 3. Love and belonging: giving and receiving affection and feeling connected to others. These include – family, friends, romantic partners and larger social groups. • 4. Self-Esteem: feeling of worth and respect for the self. • 5. Self-Actualization : a person’s ability to fulfill his or her unique potential and give back to society. • Maslow believed that people need to meet each level of need before they can move to the next one.

18. Resilience • Is defined as the ability to make good social connections and reach meaningful goals, even in the face of obstacles and risks. • Also known to describe the ability of children and adults to “bounce back” after catastrophic trauma.

19. Benefits of emotional health • Young people who are emotionally healthy: • Do better in school • Have fewer discipline problems • Miss less school • Build stronger social connections with family, friends, peers, and other adults • Have fewer symptoms of depression and other mental illness • Have a more positive self-concept • Make healthier choices about sexual behaviors • Make healthier choices about tobacco, alcohol and other drugs • Participate less in violence • Feel committed doing well

20. Review of the facts • Emotional health is a quality every person has to some degree. People can take steps to improve their emotional health. • Emotionally healthy people express their feelings in healthy ways. They build strong relationships, manage stress, use self-control and set and pursue goals. • People from different cultures may perceive and express emotions differently. • People are born with some personality traits. Other traits are shaped by the environment. • Good self-esteem is an important part of emotional health. But it must be based on true effort and success. • Ways of looking at emotional health have some common themes. They all focus on people’s capabilities; look at feelings, thoughts and behaviors; and stress the importance of feeling connected to others.

21. What to know about mental health Problems • Most people with mental Illness improve with treatment. Many can be cured. • FACT • Most people with mental illness can’t be helped. • MYTH

22. Personal Traits and experiences • Mood, temperament and biology • How resilient you are. • Body image • Having a realistic sense of their own bodies. • Drug Use • Emotionally healthy people are able to refuse offers to use drugs even from friends. • Desire to take risks • Risk taking is normal part of teens. BY pushing limits, young people learn who they are and what they can do. • Losses • Are always painful – it is the way you find support to help you cope.

23. Personal Traits and experiences Social Issues: • Family Issues • Friendships and romantic relationships • Sexual Issues • Friends taking risks • School • Too much information • Transitions

24. Environmental Challenges • Violence • Media • Lack of Resources