Wellness Health Class

Wellness Health Class

Objectives:

The objectives of this class are to help the sophomores learn some basics on sleep, nutrition, and depression, as well as some ways to feel better, relax, and de-stress. Also, we hope to bring some closure to health as a whole, by having the sophomores fill out an evaluation and just end on a positive, relaxed note.

Activities:

Situations

- assign 2 or 3 kids to each situation and give them about 5 minutes to plan a skit that they will then present to the rest of the class. Have one group present, then discuss the issues in that presentation, and repeat...

Situation 1: Person 1 is driving a car; he/she is irritable, and barely awake, bragging about 4 hours of sleep and lots of diet coke (or other high caffeine drink) - everything that person 2 and 3 say really annoys them. Person 2 and 3 are rested, and just typical, confused by person 1’s behavior, telling them they need more sleep. Person 2 and 3 are going on and on about something big that happened at school, which also annoys person 1. Act out a scene of them in the car - make it a thriller with an unexpected twist.

Notes on sleep: (maybe chose a few favorites to read aloud to the class)

- drinking caffeine 3-6 hrs before bed can double the time it takes to fall asleep, and quadruple the times a person wakes during the night (nicotine causes similar problems b/c it is also a stimulant)

- teens need 8.5 to 9.25 hrs of sleep nightly

- immune system is most active during sleep - so sleep more when sick or to prevent illness (duh)

- 35% of Americans have insomnia: difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or poor sleep quality

- sleepy drivers cause 100,000 car crashes and more than 1,500 deaths a year (National Highway Traffic Safety Admin)

- alcohol may help a person fall asleep, but the sleep will be more restless, also “real” REM/deep sleep doesn’t happen until you are sober

- warm milk can help sleep b/c it has tryptophan which is an amino acid that triggers release of hormone serotonin which causes sleepiness.

-  getting 6-8 less hours of sleep than usual over a week can impair mental efficiency and reaction time, cause depression, anxiety and irritability.

-  You CAN catch up on sleep – so be sure to allow time for this

Situation 2: Depression

Person 1,2 and 3 are at a party. Person 1 is moping and is closed off, constantly saying that they should go because they do not feel like being there, claiming that they are tired because they haven’t been able to sleep. Person 2 and 3 are confused because they remember how person 1 used to always love going out. Person 3, however, keeps lecturing person 1 about how pathetic they are being - giving person 1 a hard time about the change in their personality.

Situation 3: Depression

Person 1 is talking to their parents. Person 1 is telling the parents about his/her inability to concentrate and how their grades have been slipping. He/she also confides in his/her parents that he/she has started eating more and putting on weight. The parents are supportive, asking questions but mostly listening. They are at a giants game and the conversation is constantly being interrupted.

Notes on Depression:

- grief/ a depressed mood is not clinical depression which is more complex, persistent and severe -> with grief it is important to let your feelings happen, share them with someone and recognize that the “grief process” will go back and forth b/w pain and healing

- if you are in a depressed mood: go do something you would ordinarily do if not feeling down, resist the drug/alcohol “cure,” get exercise, release feelings (hit pillow, cry, talk, write), keep a journal/diary, and give yourself something to look forward to

- if depressed mood persists: talk to someone about seeking professional help, be open to more than talking - antidepressant medication

- every year almost 5,000 teens (b/w ages 15-24) kill themselves - this makes it the third leading cause of death in adolescents and the second in college aged youth.

- what you can do to help a friend: offer help and listen (don’t lecture), trust your instincts (don’t be afraid to seek help), pay attention for suicidal talk and take it seriously, and seek professional help.

TYPES:

- major depressive disorder: five or more of the following symptoms for 2 or more weeks that interferes with your daily life

1- depressed/irritable mood most of the day nearly every day

2- loss of interest/pleasure in previously enjoyed activities

3- significant weight loss/gain; increased/diminished appetite

4- insomnia or hypersomnia (too much sleep)

5- feelings of restlessness/being slowed down

6- feelings of fatigue and loss of energy nearly every day

7- feelings of worthlessness, or excessive/inappropriate guilt almost daily

8- diminished ability to think/concentrate; persistent indecisiveness

9- recurrent thoughts of death- thoughts of suicide with or without attempts

- dysthymic disorder: tends to be with teenagers, long lasting depressive symptoms - lasts at least a year without going symptom free for more than two months. Main symptoms:

1- poor appetite 2. sleep problems (too much/too little)

3- low energy level/ fatigue 4. low self esteem 5. feeling hopelessness

6. poor concentration/difficulty making decisions

- bipolar disorder: major mood swings - from highly energetic (maniac) to depression

Situation 4: Nutrition

It is finals time, person 1 decides that since he/she didn’t do as well as he/she wished earlier in the semester, these finals are really important. Person 1 has been staying up late studying—eats dinner at their desk, and sleeping through their alarm in the morning so they are tired. In lieu of taking the time for his/her usual granola, fruit and yogurt, they have been having merely orange juice. People 2 and 3 are really close to person 1 and they have noticed that person 1 ahs been out of it and dazed. What can 2 and 3 do to help person 1 get the proper nutrition to make it through finals and fee good?

Notes on Nutrition:

-  nutrition intake is important for how our brain functions so eating well can help success in school

-  rules for successful eating:

§  drink enough water - always eat breakfast

§  eat every 3 hours and never skip meals

§  enjoy essential fats (fish, avocado, olive oil, flaxseed, peanut butter, almonds, tuna)

§  your brain and muscle rely on glucose – you get this from carbs like brown rice, whole grains, bagels, fruit, veges, dried fruit, pasta, cereal

§  have variety in your diet – different colors and types of food help ensure that you get essential vitamins and minerals

- blueberries have been shown to reverse memory loss and elderly regained balance and motor coordination. In another study, people who ate half a cup of blueberries before a test did 35% better than those who did not -> brightly colored fruits and veges are good for this (strawberries, grapes, cherries, and spinach)

-  fish is believed to improve brain power b/c the omega-3 fatty acids help brain develop -> good source is salmon or flaxseed

-  B Vitamins will help your overall memory – key for memorization with speeches, memorizing formulas, or large quantities of info b/f an exam. Ie: pork, nuts, legumes, beans, enriched cereals, dark leafy greens like spinach, eggs, milk, meat and fish

Numbers ect. to make EVERYONE WRITE DOWN:

SF suicide prevention hotline: 415-781-0500 (24 hrs)

Youth Crisis Hotline: 800 - HIT- HOME (448-4663)

Relaxation activity stations

Possible activities:

-meditation

-basketball or volleyball in the gym

-music/sleeping on tennis ct

-making healthy snack

-creative writing/poetry

-arts and crafts ... make something