Teens & Tattoos

Teens & Tattoos

Teens & Depression

Teens & Depression

Your character counts

Character is the way you think, feel, and act. Your character is reflected in your attitudes, views, and words.

Traits of good character

Trustworthiness
People who are trustworthy are reliable –they keep the promises they make.

Respect
Demonstrating respect means showing regard for other people, for property, and for authority. This involves treating others the way you’d like them to treat you.

Responsibility
Accepting responsibility means being willing to take on duties or tasks. It also means being willing to accept blame for mistakes you have made. A responsible person accepts the consequences of his or her actions and decisions.

Fairness
A fair person judges a contest on the basis of talent. She or he doesn’t just award first prize to a friend in the contest. Fairness also includes being a good sport. It means knowing how to accept defeat when you lose and not showing off when you win.

Caring
Caring means treating others with understanding. Caring people are kind and consider the feelings of others. They try to help others when they can.

Citizenship
Being a good citizen means following rules and obeying laws. Good citizens also take action to make their community better. This is called advocacy. Advocacy is taking a stand to make a difference.

Making responsible decisions

What are some decisions you made today? Decisions are choices that you make. Some decisions are small, such as what to eat for breakfast or what to wear. Other decisions are tougher. They can have serious consequences or results.

The decision – making process

Big decisions are a little like math problems. They should be broken down into smaller parts before they can be solved. Using the following six-step process can help you make responsible decisions.

Step 1: state the situation
Before you can make a situation, you should understand the situation. Ask yourself the following: What are the facts? Who else is involved?

Step 2: list the options
Once you have analyzed the situation, think of your options. Try to cover all the possibilities. You may want to ask other people for suggestions.

Step 3: weigh the possible outcomes
Consider your options carefully. Remember the word HELP when working through this step:
-H (healthful) what health risks, if any, will this option present?
-E (ethical) does this choice reflect what you and your family believe to be ethical, or right?
-L (legal) does this option violate any local, state, or federal laws?
-P (parental approval) would your parents approve of this choice?

Step 4: consider values
Values are beliefs you feel strongly about that help guide the way you live. Values reflect what is important to you and what you have learned is right or wrong. Your values should guide any important decision you make.

Step 5: make a decision and act on it
You’ve weighed your options. You’ve mapped out the risks and consequences. Now you’re ready for action. Choose the course that seems best and that supports your values. Make sure you are comfortable with your decision. If not, look at other options or ask a trusted adult for help.

Step 6: evaluate the decision
After you’ve acted on your decision, look at the results. Were they positive or negative? Were there any unexpected outcomes? Was there anything you could have done differently? If the action you took wasn’t as successful as you’ve hoped, try again.

Skills for a Healthy Life

One of the keys to good life is the prevention of illness and injury. Prevention means practicing health and safety habits to remain free of disease and injury. You can prevent illness and injury in many ways. Wearing protective gear during certain activities, such as bike riding or playing baseball, can help you prevent injury to your body. You can help prevent common illness such as colds by washing your hands often.

These examples demonstrate health skills. Health skills are skills that help you become and stay healthy. Health skills can help you improve your physical, mental/emotional, and social health. Like reading, math, and sports skills, health skills effect throughout your life.

Accessing Information: You know how to find valid and reliable health information and health – promoting products and services, including medical resources on the internet.

Practicing Healthful Behaviors: You take action to reduce risks and protect yourself against illness and injury.

Stress Management: You find healthy ways to reduce and manage stress in your life.

Analyzing Influences: You recognize the many factors that influence your health, including culture, media, and technology.

Communication Skills: You express your ideas and feelings and listen when others express theirs.

Refusal Skills: You can say no to risky behaviors.

Conflict Resolution: You work out problems with others in healthful ways.

Decision Making: You think through problems and find healthy solutions.

Goal Setting: You plan for the future and work to see your plans through.

Advocacy: You take a stand to work for the common good and make a difference in your home, school, and community.

Your Total Health

What sports and other activities do you participate in? What kind of foods do you eat? What kind of people do you spend time with? Your answers to these and similar questions reflect your total health. HEALTH is a combination of physical, mental/emotional, and social well – being. These parts of your health work together to build good overall health.

Often, good health is pictured as a triangle with equal sides, and they’re connected. If you ignore any one side, your total health suffers. By the token, if you make improvements to one side, the others benefits.

Physical health is measured by what you do as well as what you don’t do. Teens who want to be healthy avoid harmful substances such as tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs. They balance the amount of time they spend watching TV or playing computer games with physical activity. Physical activity includes things such as playing sports, hiking, aerobics, swimming, dancing, and taking a walk. By avoiding harmful substances, you can stay healthy. In other words, being physically healthy means taking care of your body.

You can develop good mental/emotional health by learning to think positively and to express your feelings in healthy ways. Positive thinking is a good strategy to use when you are feeling sad or down. Try focusing your attention on all of the good things in your life, such as your friends, family, and activities you enjoy. Then the cause of your sadness might not seem so bad. Likewise, recognizing and building your strengths will help you feel good about yourself.

Good social health means communicating well with and having respect for family, friends and acquaintances. It also means building relationships with people you can trust and who can trust in return.