A 20 1-3Mental Alertness

WHAT IS AN IRONMAN TRIATHLON?

A competition where you swim 2.4 miles, followed by a 112 mile bike ride, then run 26.2 miles

• A person from Fortville competed in one. It took him 15 hours, he burned 15,000 calories, while eating only a six-inch sub sandwich and a few dozen salt tablets.

• Have you ever trained hard for something?

To perform well in athletics it takes practice and hard work.

To perform well in “mental fitness”:

1. Choose behaviors that promote a healthy mind (eat right, sleep, exercise, don’t do drugs).

2. Develop good character (do the right thing).

A 23 CHARACTER TRAITS Honesty: Telling the truth to the best of your

knowledge. Play by the rules, don’t cheat. Respect: Treat others with dignity, as you would like to

be treated. Be considerate of others’ feelings and tolerant of people’s differences and beliefs. Never make fun of people!

Fairness: Show equal respect and courtesy to everyone; treat everyone the same.

Caring: Feel empathy for those who are in pain or distress. Try to help others who are in

trouble if you can. Citizenship: Obey the laws and do your part to make your community a better place. Responsibility: accountable for your actions; No Excuses!

MENTAL ALERTNESS QUIZ1. Why won’t a man living in Boston be buried

west of the Mississippi?

2. If a Dr. gave you 3 pills and told you to take one every half hour, how long would the pills last?

3. How many animals did Moses take on the ark?

4. How many outs in an inning?

5. Some months have 30 days, some months have 31 days, how many months have 28 days?

These trick questions show the importance of mental alertness.

Mental Alertness: ability to think clearly, to reason, to solve problems.

These behaviors help promote a healthy mind.

“If you don’t use it, you will lose it”!

What activities help promote a healthy mind to keep it sharp?

Personality: blend of physical, mental, and social traits.

Pessimist: sees the negative side of things.

Optimist: sees the positive side of things.

“When Life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Journal: Write down one thing that has

happened to you and what you did to “Make Lemonade out of Lemons”.

Journal: Write down 5 personality traits that describe you. Ex. Funny, caring, outgoing, shy, energetic, athletic, polite, musical, thoughtful, positive, etc.

POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH SURVEY – Y OR N

1 I feel comfortable with myself. 2 I do not push people around or allow myself to be

pushed around by others.3 I set realistic goals for myself.4 I am able to think for myself and make my own

decisions.5 I am able to express love and show interest in others.6 I can laugh at myself.7 I am able to deal with most situations that come my

way.8 I put my best effort into what I do and get satisfaction

from what I do.9 I accept my responsibilities and am responsible.

2 THINGS THAT INFLUENCE YOUR PERSONALITY

1. Heredity: traits you inherited from your parents

ex. Hair, eyes, nose, body build, musical or

athletic ability, intelligence, etc.

2. Environment: your surroundings and experiences you have (external things)

ex. Home, school, people around you

SELF-RESPECT: TAKE PRIDE IN YOURSELF, YOUR APPEARANCE, BEHAVIOR. TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING

10 Ways to Improve Your Self-Respect

1. Set goals and plans to reach them.2. Develop a skill or talent.3. Make a list of things you do well.4. Work to do your best in school.5. Get involved in school clubs & activities.6. Develop a trusting relationship with at least 1

adult.7. Choose friends who encourage you to do your best.8. Spend time with friends and adults who are

supportive.9. Volunteer to help another person.10. Keep a neat appearance.

IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE FRIENDS WHO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT YOU, WHO HELP YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

Journal Activity:

Draw a large box in your journal where you have at least half a page to write in. Write your name on top of the box so people will know

who’s journal they are writing in. You will rotate around the room, writing positive

comments in each person’s journal. Even if you don’t know them very well, think of something positive to say.

Keep it short, then sign your name. Ex. Good basketball player, good at guitar,

Pretty eyes, nice hair, great smile, smart, athletic, nice, sense of humor, fun, good listener, etc. If someone already wrote a comment, try to write

something different.

Some kids choose harmful ways to feel good. They try to feel good without working hard and training. Just like athletes who try to cheat and take shortcuts, some kids try to take “shortcuts” for quick highs but then this causes them to feel bad about themselves – no self-respect.

Addictive behavior: repeated and difficult to stop.

Compulsive: irresistible urge to repeat behavior; feel compelled to do it, can not stop!

COMMON ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS IN TEENS

Money addiction: You buy things you can’t afford You buy things you don’t need You shop when you’re stressed You shop to relieve boredom

Gambling addiction• Have the “urge” to gamble• Buy lottery tickets, even though illegal for minors

Perfectionism • Think you must be perfect to be OK• Are never satisfied• Get stressed when you can’t do everything perfectly• Might have an eating disorder to stay “perfect” weight

Exercise addiction: * Feeling like you can’t exercise enough * Neglecting friends, family, and school in order to exercise.

Relationship Addiction:• Feeling obsessed about another person• Ignoring friends and family to be with a person• Doing whatever another person tells you to do

Addiction to cigarettes, alcohol, & drugs• Trying to change mood by using harmful substances• Smoking when you feel stressed• Having a drink to relax• Taking pills whenever you feel depressed

Some people are drawn to people with addictive behaviors or maybe this is the type of environment you are used to.

Enablers: people who support or allow addictive behaviors to continue. Ex. Elvis, MJ, L Lohan

Formal Intervention: action people take to get help for addicts, they come up with a plan…..

- individual, group, or family therapy - counseling

- rehabilitation

Relapse: the return to addictive behavior

MENTAL ALERTNESS QUIZ

1. Ability to think clearly, reason, solve problems.2. See the positive side of things.3. See the negative side of things.4. Blend of physical, mental, and social traits.5. Your surroundings and experiences you have.6. When you behave responsibly & feel good about

yourself.7. Behaviors that are difficult to stop.8. The irresistible urge to repeat behavior – can’t stop!9. People who allow/support harmful behaviors.10 .The return to an addiction.11. Action taken by people to get help for addicts.12. Character trait where you show empathy.