Life Skills

Personal WellnessWhat do playing basketball with your friends, throw- 61ing a water bottle in the recycling bin, and watchingthe news on television have in common? They allcontribute to your personal wellness. Like well-being,wellness affects your happiness, comfort, and satisfac-tion. Wellness is a lifestyle choice, which means youcontrol it by making choices about different areas ofyour life. When you choose to eat an apple instead ofa donut, you are contributing to your physical well-ness. When you choose to tell your sister why shemakes you angry, you are contributing to your emo-tional wellness. When you choose to skip school, youare interfering with your intellectual wellness.➤ Make a table with three columns. In column 1, writeone of the roles you have in life, such as student, friend,son, daughter, brother, or sister. In column 2, writesomething that you did yesterday in that role that madeyou feel proud or happy. In column 3, write somethingthat you did in that role that did not make you feelproud or happy. Discuss your table with the class.

62 Chapter 4 ■ Personal WellnessAnalyzing WellnessWellness is not a one-timeevent, like a check-up. It’ssomething you make part ofyour life and do all the time,like taking a walk every day orwriting a daily blog.W ellness is when all of the areas of your life are Six Areas of Wellness working together to make you healthy, happy, and confident. Wellness is not an accident. It Six areas of your life contribute to your complete well-happens when you make healthy choices about the way being. The first four are the same areas of well-beingyou live your life. that you read about in Chapter 1.When you make wellness part of your lifestyle—the way ■ Physicalyou think and behave every day—you take control of your ■ Emotionalhealth and well-being. Instead of letting other people ■ Socialdetermine what is best for you, you accept responsibility ■ Personalfor your health and happiness. There are two more areas of wellness. Intellectual wellness has to do with the way you think and learn. Environmental wellness has to do with the environment in which you live.

Personal Wellness ■ Chapter 4 63Physical Wellness Roadblocks to WellnessBeing physically fit makes you alert and energetic. You can focus when you are atschool or work and have lots of energy for enjoying your friends and other activi- Sometimes, the way you think orties. Things that contribute to physical fitness include: act in a situation can affect your wellness. Positive thoughts and■ Routine medical care actions contribute to wellness;■ Getting enough sleep negative thoughts and attitudes■ Eating right are roadblocks to wellness.■ Regular exercise Low self-esteemPhysical activity is one of the best things you can do to promote your own well-ness. It keeps your heart and other muscles strong, increases your energy level, Conflicting valuesimproves self-esteem, and—best of all—it’s fun. Inflexible standardsEmotional Wellness Unrealistic goalsBeing emotionally healthy makes you confident and enthusiastic. You can thinkclearly and critically, set realistic goals, and make healthy choices. Things that con- Risky decisionstribute to emotional wellness include: High self-esteem■ High self-esteem■ Positive self-concept Positive values■ A way to express thoughts and feelings■ A positive attitude Flexible standardsYou are angry because your brother is hogging the computer. How might anger Realistic goalsaffect your emotional wellness? What can you do to reduce your anger? Healthy decisions TECH CONNECT How can you use critical thinking A pedometer is a small electronic device that counts the to identify whether a factor number of steps you take. Most models also tell you the will contribute to wellness or number of miles or kilometers you walk and calculate interfere with it? how many calories you burn. Advanced models store data for days and can connect to a computer or other device so you can export the data into a spreadsheet program for analysis. Walking is one of the easiest, cheapest, and most convenient means of being physically active. Wearing a pedometer encourages you to set fitness goals, because it keeps track of your progress and motivates you to succeed. Do you know of any other technologies that might help motivate you to be physically active?

64 Chapter 4 ■ Personal Wellness Wellness Factors Social WellnessFactors that influence your wellness Being socially fit makes you comfortable and relaxed. You can communicate effec-include: tively with others and have fun with your friends. Things that contribute to social wellness include:✔ Self-esteem✔ Values ■ An open-minded attitude towards others✔ Standards ■ Acceptance and respect from others✔ Goals ■ A sense of belonging✔ Health ■ Effective communication skills✔ Safety✔ Decision-making Your friends don’t understand why you want to eat lunch with the new kid in school. How can you communicate that it is important to you? Being tolerant of people who are different from you contributes to your social wellness. “I am Personal Wellnessintellectually fiteven though I Being personally fit makes you happy and satisfied with yourself. You understand your own strengths and don’t get all weaknesses, and you recognize the things that influ- As.” ence you. Things that contribute to personal wellness include: ■ Self-awareness ■ A realistic self-concept ■ Having flexible standards ■ Setting realistic goals It is important to you to go to your friend’s birthday party, but you know her parents are not going to be home. How can you resolve your conflicting values?