Reading: HEALTHY EATING AND MENTAL HEALTH

Healthy eating nourishes the body, including the brain, and supports mental

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health through:
 Improved overall health and vitality
 Increased ability to concentrate
 Reduced irritability and mood swings
 Lowered risk of mental illness

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There is some evidence that healthy eating may be a factor in lowered risk of
depression and improved ability to deal with stress and anxiety (Healthy U Alberta,
2009).

Physical Activity and Mental Health:

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Physical activity can make you feel good physically and build confidence.
Evidence suggests that physical activity may contribute to improved mood and
increased self-esteem, self-confidence and sense of control (UK Dept of Health,
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2004; Fox, 1999).
Some types of physical activity may provide an opportunity to connect with
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others and develop supportive relationships. Getting physically active may (CSEP,
2011):
 Make you feel better physically and feel better about yourself.
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 Improve your mood.

 Improve self-esteem
 Reduce physical reactions to stress.
 Help you sleep better.
 Give you more energy.
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Physical activity may be effective in preventing or reducing symptoms

associated with anxiety and depression. How physical activity improves mood and
relieves anxiety is not yet clear. Some theories propose that physical activity (UK
Dept. of Health, 2004; Fox, 1999):
 Increases body temperature, thus relaxing muscle tension.
 Releases feel-good chemicals that improve mood.
 Offers a “time-out” from worries and depressing thoughts.
 Increases self-confidence, feeling of competence and a sense of
mastery.
 Provides a sense of belonging and mutual support when participating
with others.

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electronic or mechanical including photocopying – without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. First Edition, 2016.
Sleep and Mental Health
Most teens need 9-11 hours of sleep every night. Problems from not being
fully rested include:
 Irritability
 Difficulty concentrating and learning
 Don’t move information from short-term to long-term memory as well
 Falling asleep in class
 Mood swings and behavior problems
 More accident prone
 More prone to depression

Suggestions for getting a good night sleep:

 Stay away from stimulants like caffeine in the evening, including

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chocolate, colas, and other caffeinated beverages. These delay sleep
and increase night waking.
 Do not go to bed hungry, have a light snack.
 Turn off any TV’s, computes, or cellphones, or just do not have
electronics in the bedroom.

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 Disengage from any stimulating activities like exercise, computer
games or talking on the phone for at least 30 minutes prior to bedtime.
Reading is much more relaxing and may help you fall asleep.
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 Taking a warm bath or shower helps prepare the body for sleep.
 If you are not feeling rested and functioning at your best most days,
talk to your parents. You may need to speak to a doctor if you are
having problems sleeping in spite of trying the above tips.
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 Try a cup of hot milk.

Activity: DEAR ABBY

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Dear Abby,
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I fell asleep in class today – once again! When I go to bed at night, I

just can’t seem to fall asleep. I lie in bed for hours and it doesn’t seem
to make a difference. When I wake up in the morning, I feel like I don’t
want to get up and go to school. This is the time that I could really
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sleep. I wish that school didn’t start until 10:00 a.m.

Please help me out! Give me some ideas on how I could get a better
sleep, so Mr. Gomez doesn’t get upset that I fall asleep in his class.

Tired at School

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electronic or mechanical including photocopying – without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. First Edition, 2016.
 Portfolio Output No. 14: Response to “Tired at School”
Pretend that you are Abby. Write an answer to the letter writer “Tired at
School”.

Activity: SLEEP AND BEDTIME ACTIVITIES DIARY

Week (date):

Day: Write in the rows below your activities before you went to sleep, starting on the
day in the week that you begin with: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

Day Time went What was I doing before I went to bed? Did this affect

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to sleep Examples: what time you
 Playing a sport went to
 Playing a video game sleep?
 Reading a book Yes No
 Watching TV

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 Talking on the phone
 Texting with friends
 Hanging out with friends

1.
C
 Others

2.
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3.
E

4.
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5.

6.
D

7.

Source: http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/programs/ps-7344-mhk-jhs-manual.pdf

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electronic or mechanical including photocopying – without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. First Edition, 2016.
 Dealing with Difficult Emotions

Shyness and anger are two emotions that can be difficult to manage in some
situations. Let us learn about them and how we can manage them to be able to be
more effective in dealing with others.

Reading: TYPES OF RESPONSES

Passive response: Behaving passively means not expressing your own needs and
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feelings, or expressing them so weakly that they will not be addressed.
 If Geneva behaves passively, by standing in line and not saying anything, she
will probably feel angry with the girls and herself. If the ticket office runs out of
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tickets before she gets to the head of the line, she will be furious and might
blow up at the girls after it's too late to change the situation.
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 A passive response is not usually in your best interest, because it allows

other people to violate your rights. Yet there are times when being passive is
the most appropriate response. It is important to assess whether a situation is
dangerous and choose the response most likely to keep you safe.
Aggressive response: Behaving aggressively is asking for what you want or saying
how you feel in a threatening, sarcastic or humiliating way that may offend the other
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person(s).
 If Geneva calls the girls names or threatens them, she may feel strong for a
moment, but there is no guarantee she will get the girls to leave. More
importantly, the girls and their friend may also respond aggressively, through
a verbal or physical attack on Geneva.
 An aggressive response is never in your best interest, because it almost
always leads to increased conflict
Assertive response: Behaving assertively means asking for what you want or
saying how you feel in an honest and respectful way that does not infringe on
another person's rights or put the individual down.
 If Geneva tells the girls they need to go to the end of the line because other
people have been waiting, she will not put the girls down, but merely state the

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electronic or mechanical including photocopying – without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. First Edition, 2016.
 facts of the situation. She can feel proud for standing up for her rights. At the
same time, she will probably be supported in her statement by other people in
the line. While there is a good chance the girls will feel embarrassed and
move, there is also the chance that they will ignore Geneva and her needs
will not be met.
 An assertive response is almost always in your best interest, since it is your
best chance of getting what you want without offending the other person(s).
At times, however, being assertive can be inappropriate. If tempers are high,
if people have been using alcohol or other drugs, if people have weapons or if
you are in an unsafe place, being assertive may not be the safest choice.

Activity: AM I ASSERTIVE?
Assertiveness is the ability to express your wishes and beliefs in a positive
way. Too little assertiveness can make you a doormat. Too much, and you can be

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bossy and aggressive.
1. Think of a time when you were a doormat.
What happened? ______________________.
What did you do? _____________________.
How did you feel? _____________________.

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Now think of a better way to handle that situation in the future. Write a better
response and practice it. C
2. Think of a time when you were too bossy.
What happened? ______________________.
What did you do? _____________________.
How did you feel? _____________________.
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Now think of a better way to handle that situation in the future. Write a better
response and practice it.
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EP
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Source: http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/lessons/schoolviol3/

Activity: RESPONSIBLE ACTION SHEET

I am the BOSS of my feelings!
1. When I get angry, it helps me feel better if I
_________________________________________ .

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electronic or mechanical including photocopying – without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. First Edition, 2016.
 2. When I feel sad, it helps me feel better if I
__________________________________________ .
3. When I feel anxious or nervous, it helps me feel better if I
______________________________.
4. When I feel grumpy, it helps me if I
________________________________________________.
5. When I feel lonely, it helps me if I
_________________________________________________.
6. When I feel embarrassed, it helps if I
______________________________________________.
7. When I feel sick, it helps me feel better if I
__________________________________________.
8. When I feel silly, I like to
________________________________________________________.

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9. When I feel disappointed, it helps me if I
___________________________________________.
10. When I am honest, I feel
________________________________________________________.
11. When I feel ______________________, it helps me feel better if I

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______________________.

Source: © 2011 by Education World®.

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http://www.educationworld.com/sites/default/files/Responsible-Action-handout.pdf

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Portfolio Output No. 16: Responsible Action
What have you learned in this Unit on Aspects of Personal Development?
Write down your plans to take responsible actions on your emotions.

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electronic or mechanical including photocopying – without written permission from the DepEd Central Office. First Edition, 2016.