Health is a combination of physical, social, and mental/emotional well-being. Our health is measured by the habits we practice as well as the habits we don't practice. When all three sides of health are balanced we have total health or wellness. What does your health triangle look like? What are some good health habits that you practice? What are some health habits you could work on to improve your health triangle?
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Influences on HealthYour health is influenced by personal factors and outside factors. These factors include heredity, environment, family/culture, peers. media, technology, behaviors, and attitude. In this lesson you will explain the role these factors and your behavior plays in your health. You will also describe how your attitudes affect your health.
Decision MakingWe make decisions all the time. For instance, some decisions you may have made today are what clothes to wear or what to eat for breakfast. For most people these are small decisions that don't require a lot of processing. As we get older, we find that some of our decisions become more grandiose and require more time and thought. This is when we should apply the six steps in the decision making process: 1 = state the situation; 2 = list the options; 3 = weigh the possible outcomes; 4 = consider values; 5 = make a decision and act; 6 = evaluate the decision.
Vocabularydecision: a choice that you make
consequences: results; sometimes positive and sometimes negative. risk: a chance of something happening; can be positive or negative. cumulative risk: the addition of one risk factor to another increasing the chances of harm or loss. values: beliefs your feel strongly about that help guide the way you live; your belief about right and wrong Communication SkillsWe communicate in many ways each day. We communicate through verbal and nonverbal ways such as talking and body language. Sometimes we send mixed messages when our actions and words don't match up. Learning and practicing good communication skills helps maintain and improve our relationships with others.
Conflict ResolutionThe fist step in preventing conflicts is understanding what causes them. If we practice Habit # 5 - Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood, many conflicts can be deflated. Sometimes in reaching a resolution we have to negotiate in order to reach a compromise. The Talk Strategy is also an effective way to resolve conflict: T = Take a time-out, A = Allow each person to tell his or her side, L = Let each person ask questions, K = Keep brainstorming a "Win-Win" for both parties involved in the conflict.
Stress ManagementWhat gets you stressed out? Is it homework, tests, friends, parents, or something else. Everyone experiences stress. How we manage that stress determines a lot of how we act and the things we do.
Did you know that there are two types of stress? Eustress is good stress such as physical activity, doing homework, and studying for a test. Distress is bad stress and can cause physical and mental illness. One way to manage stress is to practice Habit #3: Put First Things First. |
Health Skills
Health skills are skills that help us become and stay healthy. Everyday we use health skills in some way. For example we use decision making skills each day when we decide what to wear or eat. We set goals or begin with the end in mind to accomplish success. Health skills could be considered life skills. The 10 health skills include accessing information, practicing healthful behaviors, stress management, communication skills, refusal skills, conflict resolution, decision making, goal setting, and advocacy.
Vocabularyprevention: practicing health and safety habits to remain free of disease and injury
health skills: skills that help you become and stay healthy communication: the clear exchange of ideas and information advocate: encouraging other people to live healthy lives Goal SettingWhat do you daydream about? Goals start out as dreams. What we do to make our dreams come true becomes goal setting. Goals are something we hope to accomplish. There are two types of goals, short-term and long-term. Long-term goals can be broken down into short-term goals.
Refusal SkillsRefusal skills are ways of saying NO effectively to high risk behaviors. Sometimes friends and peers pressure us to do things that can harm our health or the health of others. This is why practicing abstinence is important. When faced with a tough situation remember the STOP Strategy: s = Say NO in a firm voice, T= Tell why not, O = Offer other ideas, P = Promptly Leave.
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