Learning Targets

After studying this lesson, I will be able to
 explain how mental health means much more than not being mentally ill.
 discuss the varying levels of mental health.
 describe how self-esteem is directly related to an individual’s general level of wellness.
 describe Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs pyramid.
 state three main factors that influence the development of one’s personality.
 describe how emotions influence overall health.
 discuss ways to achieve and maintain emotional health.
Mental Emotional Health: the ability to accept yourself and others, adapt to and manage emotions, and deal with the
demands and challenges you meet in life. Characteristics of good mental/emotional health include:
 Sense of belonging – feeling close to family members, friends, teachers, and others who provide you with
support.
 Sense of purpose – recognizing that you have value and importance as a person lets you set and reach goals.
 Positive Outlook – seeing the bright side of life reduces stress and increases your chances of success.
 Self-sufficiency – having the confidence to make responsible decisions promotes your sense of independence
and self assurance.
 Healthy self-esteem – helps you accept and recover from difficulties and failures
Signs of Good Mental/Emotional Health
 You are realistic about your strengths and weaknesses
 You are responsible for your personal behavior
 You avoid high-risk behaviors
 You are open-minded, flexible and able to see several sides of an issue.
 You are fun-loving and able to relax alone or with others.
 You respect your own needs as well as the needs of others.
 You respect each person’s value as a human being – including your own.
 You invest time and energy in developing nurturing relationships.
 You express your emotions in ways that do not harm yourself or others.
 You put your talents and abilities to good use.
 You view change as a challenge and an opportunity.
Self-Esteem – how much you value, respect, and feel confident about yourself. Self –esteem can be improved by doing
the following:
 Avoid criticizing yourself, or spending time with people who criticize you
 Set realistic expectations, and don’t expect everything to be “perfect”
 Choose friends who value and respect you
 Focus on positive aspects about yourself
 Work toward accomplishments rather than perfection
 Consider your mistakes as learning opportunities.
 Try new activities to discover hidden talents.
 Write down your goals and the steps you will take to achieve them.
 Exercise regularly to feel more energized.
 Volunteer your time to help someone.
 Accept the things you can’t change, and focus your energy on changing the things you can.
Developing Self-Awareness – understanding your needs and meeting them in healthy ways will help you reach your
highest potential.
1. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: a ranked list of those needs essential to human growth and development,
presented in ascending order, starting with basic needs and building toward the need for reaching your highest
potential.
Level 1 – Physical: the need to satisfy basic needs of hunger, thirst, sleep, and shelter.
Level 2 – Safety: the need to be secure from danger both physically and psychologically.

Level 3 – Belonging: the need to love and be loved, or need to belong
Level 4 – Feeling Recognized: the need to achieve and be recognized; feel self-worth.
Level 5 – Reaching Potential: the striving to become the best that you can be

Personal Identity – your sense of yourself as a unique individual. It includes:
 Your interests
 Your likes and dislikes.
 Your talents and abilities.
 Your values and beliefs
 Your goals
Personality: a complex set of characteristics that make you unique. Your personality sets you apart from other people
and determines how you will react in certain situations. Influences on your personality include:
1. Heredity: It plays a role in determining a person’s basic intellectual abilities and temperament, or emotional
tendencies. It also may influence behaviors such as risk-taking and talents such as athletic or artistic abilities.
2. Environment: Includes everything that surrounds you in your day-to-day life.
a. Modeling: observing and learning from the behaviors of those around you

Good Character Traits – Six traits are commonly used to describe good character. By demonstrating these traits in your
actions and behaviors, you show others that you have integrity, or a firm observance of core ethical values.
1. Trustworthiness – you are honest, loyal and reliable (you do what you say you will do)
2. Respect – you are considerate of others and accept their differences
3. Responsibility – you think before you act and consider the consequences. You are accountable for your
choices and decisions, and don’t blame others for your actions.
4. Fairness – you play by the rules, take turns, and share. You are open-minded, and you listen to others. You
don’t take advantage of others.
5. Caring – you are kind and compassionate. You express gratitude, are forgiving towards others, and want to
help people in need
6. Citizenship – you advocate for a safe and healthy environment at school and in your community. You obey
rules and laws, and show respect for authority.

Developing a Healthy Identity – you may think that your family and circumstances form your identity, but you control
who you become through your choices and decisions.
1. Recognize your strengths and weaknesses.
2. Demonstrate positive values
3. Develop a purpose in your life
4. Form meaningful relationships
5. Contribute to the community
6. Avoid unhealthy risk behaviors
Emotions: Signals that tell your mind and body how to react.
1. Happiness - being satisfied or feeling positive.
2. Sadness - a normal, healthy reaction to difficult life events.
3. Love - involves strong affection, deep concern, and respect
4. Empathy - the ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels.
5. Fear - a safeguard or protection if you need to respond to a real threat
a. Rational Fear: a reasonable fear that is helpful.
b. Irrational Fear (Phobia): Unreasonable fear, which can get in the way of leading a normal life.
6. Anger - a normal reaction to being emotionally hurt or physically harmed and may range from a simple
annoyance to a boiling rage.
a. Hostility: the intentional use of unfriendly or offensive behavior.
7. Guilt - an emotional response from acting against one’s values or from failing to act when action might have
brought about a better outcome

Defense Mechanisms: mental processes that protect individuals from strong or stressful emotions and situations.
1. Repression: Involuntary, unconscious pushing of unpleasant feelings below the surface and out of conscious
thought.
2. Suppression: Conscious, intentional pushing of unpleasantness from one’s mind.
3. Rationalization: Making excuses to try to explain a situation or behavior rather than directly taking responsibility
for it.
4. Regression: Reverting, or turning back, to behaviors more characteristic of an earlier stage of development
rather than dealing with the conflict in a more mature manner.
5. Denial: Unconscious, involuntary lack of acknowledgment of something that is obvious to others.
6. Compensation: Wanting to cover up weaknesses and mistakes by making up for them through gift-giving, hard
work or other extreme efforts.
7. Projection: Being unaware of attributing one’s own feelings or faults to another person or group

Write 5 sentences in your own words about what you learned from the info sheet.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1 answer

Mental health encompasses a range of emotional and psychological states, highlighting that it is not solely the absence of mental illness but also the presence of positive mental well-being.
Self-esteem plays a crucial role in overall wellness; it reflects how we value ourselves and directly influences our ability to handle life's challenges effectively.
Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs illustrates that individuals must satisfy basic physiological and safety needs before pursuing emotional connections and self-actualization, highlighting the progression of human development.
Personal identity is shaped by a combination of factors, including heredity and environment, which influence our personality traits and how we respond to various situations.
Emotions serve as signals that guide our reactions, and understanding defense mechanisms can help us manage our emotional responses more effectively, leading to healthier coping strategies.