Mental-health-and-stress.docx

Mental Health and Stress 1. 1. Mental Health (An Introduction) Understanding Stress • Eustress • Distress Coping with Stress 2. 2. What is Mental Health? Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. 3. 3. Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including: • Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry • Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse • Family history of mental health problems 4. 4. Early Warning Signs • Eating or sleeping too much or too little • Pulling away from people and usual activities • Having low or no energy • Feeling numb or like nothing matters • Having unexplained aches and pains • Feeling helpless or hopeless • Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual 5. 5. • Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared • Yelling or fighting with family and friends • Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships • Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head • Hearing voices or believing things that are not true • Thinking of harming yourself or others • Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school 6. 6. Positive mental health allows people to: • Realize their full potential • Cope with the stresses of life • Work productively • Make meaningful contributions to their communities 7. 7. Ways to maintain positive mental health include: • Getting professional help if you need it • Connecting with others • Staying positive • Getting physically active • Helping others • Getting enough sleep • Developing coping skills 8. 8. Eustress vs. Distress Understanding Stress Positive Stress Negative Stress 9. 9. Eustress Eustress, or positive stress, has the following characteristics: • Motivates, focuses energy. • Is short-term. • Is perceived as within our coping abilities. • Feels exciting. • Improves performance. 10. 10. Distress Distress, or negative stress, has the following characteristics: • Causes anxiety or concern. • Can be short- or long-term. • Is perceived as outside of our coping abilities. • Feels unpleasant. • Decreases performance. • Can lead to mental and physical problems. 11. 11. Examples of negative personal stressors include: • The death of a spouse. • Filing for divorce. • Losing contact with loved ones. •The death of a family member. • Hospitalization (oneself or a family member). • Injury or illness (oneself or a family member). • Being abused or neglected. • Separation from a spouse or committed relationship partner. 12. 12. • Conflict in interpersonal relationships. • Bankruptcy/Money Problems. • Unemployment. • Sleep problems. • Children's problems at school. • Legal problems. 13. 13. Examples of positive personal stressors include: • Receiving a promotion or raise at work. • Starting a new job. • Marriage. • Buying a home. • Having a child. • Taking a vacation. • Holiday seasons. • Retiring. • Taking educational classes or learning a new hobby.

Characteristics of Mental Health Mental health is more than just the absence of mental illness. It includes how you feel about yourself and how you adjust to life events. However, the National Mental Health Association cites 10 characteristics of people who are mentally healthy. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

They feel good about themselves. They do not become overwhelmed by emotions, such as fear, anger, love, jealousy, guilt, or anxiety. They have lasting and satisfying personal relationships. They feel comfortable with other people. They can laugh at themselves and with others. They have respect for themselves and for others even if there are differences. They are able to accept life’s disappointments. They can meet life’s demands and handle their problems when they arise. They make their own decisions. They shape their environment whenever possible and adjust to it when necessary.

11. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD MENTAL HEALTH LESSON ONE: 2. WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? Mental Health is the key to wholesome adjustments; it denotes a sound mind and it means facing and accepting the facts clearly 3. WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? Mental health is determined by the way a person feels about himself. 4. CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD Mentally Healthy people possess certain characteristics. People develop mental health to different degrees. 5. 1. HAVING A POSITIVE SELF-CONCEPT Mentally healthy persons have a positive self concept. Having a positive self concept makes way for an objective judgment. This ability is also called RATIONALITY, GOOD SENSE, and even COMMON SENSE . 6. 2. Taking responsibility for yourself They do NOT blame others for what happens to them nor do they see themselves as victims in their world. THEY MAKE DECISIONS ON HOW TO HANDLE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS OR ASK OTHERS IF HELP IS NEEDED. 7. 2. Taking responsibility for yourself S E L F R E A L I Z I N G D R I V E This is the habit of working hard to one’s full capacity. THIS IS A MUST 8. 3. Having Satisfying relationships Mentally healthy people accept others as they are and respects individual differences. They can give LOVE and SUPPORT. They are sensitive to the needs of others. They communicate CLEARLY They are HONEST and are willing to build an honest relationship 9. 4. Adapting to Changes They Understand that learning to adapt can be a painful process. They accept that change is a natural way in daily living They adapt to new situations by changing what can be changed and accepting what cannot be changed

12. WHAT IS STRESS ? 13. Stress is the reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed upon them. It arises when they worry that they can’t cope. HELP ME! 14. 6. WHAT IS STRESS ? 15. Stress is the “wear and tear” our minds and bodies experience as we attempt to cope with our continually changing environment. I HATE YOU 16. 7. DEFINITION S = P > R Stress occurs when the pressure is greater than the resource 17. 8. STRESS FEELINGS

• Worry

• Tense

• Tired

• Frightened

• Elated

• Depressed

• Anxious

• Anger

18. 9. TYPES OF STRESSORS

• External

• Internal

19. 10. EXTERNAL STRESSORS

• Physical Environment

• Social Interaction

• Organisational

• Major Life Events

• Daily Hassles

20. 11. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

• Noise

• Bright Lights

• Heat

• Confined Spaces

21. 12. SOCIAL INTERACTION

• Rudeness

• Bossiness

• Aggressiveness by others

• Bullying

22. 13. ORGANISATIONAL

• Rules

• Regulations

• Deadlines

23. 14. MAJOR LIFE EVENTS

• Birth

• Death

• Lost job

• Promotion

• Marital status change

24. 15. DAILY HASSLES

• Commuting

• Misplaced keys

• Mechanical breakdowns

25. 16. INTERNAL STRESSORS

• Lifestyle choices

• Negative self - talk

• Mind traps

• Personality traits

26. 17. LIFESTYLE CHOICES

• Caffeine

• Lack of sleep

• Overloaded schedule

27. 18. NEGATIVE SELF - TALK

• Pessimistic thinking

• Self criticism

• Over analysing

28. 19. MIND TRAPS

• Unrealistic expectations

• Taking things personally

• All or nothing thinking

• Exaggeration

• Rigid thinking

29. 20. PERSONALITY TRAITS

• Perfectionists

• Workaholics