developing personal identity & character

health ch. 3

personal identity

the sense people have of themselves as an unique individual

personality

complex set of characteristics that make us unique

what are the factors that help form our identity?

experiences w/ family and friends

values and beliefs

role models

surroundings and cultural backgrounds

personal taste

interests

goals

character

the qualities that describe what a person thinks, feels, and behaves

what are the traits of good character and integrity?

trustworthiness

respect

responsibility

fairness

caring

citizenship

ways you can work towards a positive identity…

list your skills & strengths

surround yourself with positive, supportive people

find something you love to do & do it frequently

contribute to the community

stop making life a contest

develop a purpose in life

repression

involuntarily pushing unpleasant feelings out of one’s mind

regression

returning to behaviors characteristics of a younger age

denial

unconscious lack of recognition of something that is obvious to others

projection

attributing your own feelings or faults to another person or group

rationalization

making excuses to explain a situtation or behavior, rather than taking responsilbilty for it

compensation

making up for weakness and mistakes through gift giving, hard work, or extreme efforts

hormones

chemicals produced by the glands of the endocrine system. They are an important role in emotional changes

empathy

understand how someone feels, when going through a difficult time

defense mechanisms

protects individuals from strong or stressful emotions. They will only work for a short amount of time

how to respond to difficult emotions?

take several deep breaths

relax your muscles

get away from the situation until you calm down

write your emotions down

talk to someone about how you feel

suppression

consciously and intentionally pushing unpleasant feelings out of one’s mind