Knowing Mental Changes | Health and Physical Education for Class 8 PDF Download

 Page 1


Knowing Mental 
Changes
IntroductIon “Health is a state of complete physical, 
mental and social well-being and 
not merely the absence of disease or 
infirmity”.
WHO, 2001
This Unit discusses issues related 
to mental health and managing 
various situations. The ‘Fact Sheet’ 
given in the Unit covers mood swings 
in adolescence and how to remain 
healthy.
GuIdelInes for the t eacher ? ? It is important to read the 
material thoroughly before 
organising the activities.
? ? It must be ensured that 
the process of organising 
the activities is based on 
participatory approach. One 
needs to make sure that 
students are engaged in the 
learning process and are active 
learners. Thus, we as teachers 
can try to make this learning as collaborative as possible 
to ensure their maximum participation. 
This Unit will help 
a teacher to enable 
students to:
? ? understand the 
meaning of mental 
health and mental 
illness.
? ? observe the 
behaviour of 
different people 
and learn to 
manage social 
relationships.
? ? manage and 
regulate emotional 
changes within 
oneself.
? ? equip them in 
goal setting 
and identifying 
strategies to 
achieving the 
goals.
Objectives
1
Unit
Page 2


Knowing Mental 
Changes
IntroductIon “Health is a state of complete physical, 
mental and social well-being and 
not merely the absence of disease or 
infirmity”.
WHO, 2001
This Unit discusses issues related 
to mental health and managing 
various situations. The ‘Fact Sheet’ 
given in the Unit covers mood swings 
in adolescence and how to remain 
healthy.
GuIdelInes for the t eacher ? ? It is important to read the 
material thoroughly before 
organising the activities.
? ? It must be ensured that 
the process of organising 
the activities is based on 
participatory approach. One 
needs to make sure that 
students are engaged in the 
learning process and are active 
learners. Thus, we as teachers 
can try to make this learning as collaborative as possible 
to ensure their maximum participation. 
This Unit will help 
a teacher to enable 
students to:
? ? understand the 
meaning of mental 
health and mental 
illness.
? ? observe the 
behaviour of 
different people 
and learn to 
manage social 
relationships.
? ? manage and 
regulate emotional 
changes within 
oneself.
? ? equip them in 
goal setting 
and identifying 
strategies to 
achieving the 
goals.
Objectives
1
Unit
 
a ctIvIty 1.1: Self care wheel
Material required: Notebook, charts, 
models, posters and blackboard
The teacher asks the students to 
make a ‘self care wheel’ as shown 
in Fig. 1.1 and writes down one 
activity suitable for each heading. 
For example, ‘physical domain’ 
includes ‘riding a bicycle’, and 
‘sharing lunch with a friend’ comes 
under ‘social domain’. ‘Emotional 
domain’ includes, ‘I feel happy when 
my team wins a Kabaddi match’ and 
an example under ‘psychological 
domain’ is: ‘Your classmate falls in the playground, you choose 
to offer first aid rather than laughing at the classmate’. Now, 
write more activities under each domain.
The teacher, then, writes all responses and concludes 
if the students have understood the four domains. This 
understanding will help the students to communicate and 
socialise with people around them effectively and adjust 
successfully in the society. 
1.2: Knowing myself or self-awareness
Material required: Notebook, charts, models, posters and 
blackboard
The teacher asks the students to write down three of their 
strengths and three weaknesses.
In the end, the teacher asks them to think and state incidents 
when a quality helped them to cope up with a situation, and a 
weakness that had a negative impact on their minds.
The teacher can sum-up all student responses and help 
them become aware of their self-image.
Fig. 1.1: Self care wheel
Page 3


Knowing Mental 
Changes
IntroductIon “Health is a state of complete physical, 
mental and social well-being and 
not merely the absence of disease or 
infirmity”.
WHO, 2001
This Unit discusses issues related 
to mental health and managing 
various situations. The ‘Fact Sheet’ 
given in the Unit covers mood swings 
in adolescence and how to remain 
healthy.
GuIdelInes for the t eacher ? ? It is important to read the 
material thoroughly before 
organising the activities.
? ? It must be ensured that 
the process of organising 
the activities is based on 
participatory approach. One 
needs to make sure that 
students are engaged in the 
learning process and are active 
learners. Thus, we as teachers 
can try to make this learning as collaborative as possible 
to ensure their maximum participation. 
This Unit will help 
a teacher to enable 
students to:
? ? understand the 
meaning of mental 
health and mental 
illness.
? ? observe the 
behaviour of 
different people 
and learn to 
manage social 
relationships.
? ? manage and 
regulate emotional 
changes within 
oneself.
? ? equip them in 
goal setting 
and identifying 
strategies to 
achieving the 
goals.
Objectives
1
Unit
 
a ctIvIty 1.1: Self care wheel
Material required: Notebook, charts, 
models, posters and blackboard
The teacher asks the students to 
make a ‘self care wheel’ as shown 
in Fig. 1.1 and writes down one 
activity suitable for each heading. 
For example, ‘physical domain’ 
includes ‘riding a bicycle’, and 
‘sharing lunch with a friend’ comes 
under ‘social domain’. ‘Emotional 
domain’ includes, ‘I feel happy when 
my team wins a Kabaddi match’ and 
an example under ‘psychological 
domain’ is: ‘Your classmate falls in the playground, you choose 
to offer first aid rather than laughing at the classmate’. Now, 
write more activities under each domain.
The teacher, then, writes all responses and concludes 
if the students have understood the four domains. This 
understanding will help the students to communicate and 
socialise with people around them effectively and adjust 
successfully in the society. 
1.2: Knowing myself or self-awareness
Material required: Notebook, charts, models, posters and 
blackboard
The teacher asks the students to write down three of their 
strengths and three weaknesses.
In the end, the teacher asks them to think and state incidents 
when a quality helped them to cope up with a situation, and a 
weakness that had a negative impact on their minds.
The teacher can sum-up all student responses and help 
them become aware of their self-image.
Fig. 1.1: Self care wheel
 
Table 1.1
My qualities
Strengths Weaknesses
1.3: Understanding others
Material required: Notebook, charts, models, posters and 
blackboard
The teacher asks the students to choose a friend or a relative. 
The students have to imagine what emotions this person has 
experienced in places mentioned in Table 1.2. The teacher, then, 
compiles the responses of the students and discusses those 
with them to explain how they should react when the friend or 
relative experiences a particular emotion. For example, when I 
exercise, I feel happy; my friend feels sad or bad when teachers 
scold him in front of the class.
The teacher can sum-up all the responses and help the 
students observe that in different situations, different people 
experience different emotions. The emotions are not permanent 
for a particular person. That is why, on the basis of the emotions 
observed we cannot categorise or label a person as happy, sad 
or angry.
Table 1.2
Different emotions in different situations
What does my 
friend or relative 
(name) feel
Home School Neighbour Society
Happy
Sad
Anger
Stress
Shame
Page 4


Knowing Mental 
Changes
IntroductIon “Health is a state of complete physical, 
mental and social well-being and 
not merely the absence of disease or 
infirmity”.
WHO, 2001
This Unit discusses issues related 
to mental health and managing 
various situations. The ‘Fact Sheet’ 
given in the Unit covers mood swings 
in adolescence and how to remain 
healthy.
GuIdelInes for the t eacher ? ? It is important to read the 
material thoroughly before 
organising the activities.
? ? It must be ensured that 
the process of organising 
the activities is based on 
participatory approach. One 
needs to make sure that 
students are engaged in the 
learning process and are active 
learners. Thus, we as teachers 
can try to make this learning as collaborative as possible 
to ensure their maximum participation. 
This Unit will help 
a teacher to enable 
students to:
? ? understand the 
meaning of mental 
health and mental 
illness.
? ? observe the 
behaviour of 
different people 
and learn to 
manage social 
relationships.
? ? manage and 
regulate emotional 
changes within 
oneself.
? ? equip them in 
goal setting 
and identifying 
strategies to 
achieving the 
goals.
Objectives
1
Unit
 
a ctIvIty 1.1: Self care wheel
Material required: Notebook, charts, 
models, posters and blackboard
The teacher asks the students to 
make a ‘self care wheel’ as shown 
in Fig. 1.1 and writes down one 
activity suitable for each heading. 
For example, ‘physical domain’ 
includes ‘riding a bicycle’, and 
‘sharing lunch with a friend’ comes 
under ‘social domain’. ‘Emotional 
domain’ includes, ‘I feel happy when 
my team wins a Kabaddi match’ and 
an example under ‘psychological 
domain’ is: ‘Your classmate falls in the playground, you choose 
to offer first aid rather than laughing at the classmate’. Now, 
write more activities under each domain.
The teacher, then, writes all responses and concludes 
if the students have understood the four domains. This 
understanding will help the students to communicate and 
socialise with people around them effectively and adjust 
successfully in the society. 
1.2: Knowing myself or self-awareness
Material required: Notebook, charts, models, posters and 
blackboard
The teacher asks the students to write down three of their 
strengths and three weaknesses.
In the end, the teacher asks them to think and state incidents 
when a quality helped them to cope up with a situation, and a 
weakness that had a negative impact on their minds.
The teacher can sum-up all student responses and help 
them become aware of their self-image.
Fig. 1.1: Self care wheel
 
Table 1.1
My qualities
Strengths Weaknesses
1.3: Understanding others
Material required: Notebook, charts, models, posters and 
blackboard
The teacher asks the students to choose a friend or a relative. 
The students have to imagine what emotions this person has 
experienced in places mentioned in Table 1.2. The teacher, then, 
compiles the responses of the students and discusses those 
with them to explain how they should react when the friend or 
relative experiences a particular emotion. For example, when I 
exercise, I feel happy; my friend feels sad or bad when teachers 
scold him in front of the class.
The teacher can sum-up all the responses and help the 
students observe that in different situations, different people 
experience different emotions. The emotions are not permanent 
for a particular person. That is why, on the basis of the emotions 
observed we cannot categorise or label a person as happy, sad 
or angry.
Table 1.2
Different emotions in different situations
What does my 
friend or relative 
(name) feel
Home School Neighbour Society
Happy
Sad
Anger
Stress
Shame
 
1.4: Understanding your worries
We all experience worry and stress in our lives. Stress can be 
described as a person’s pattern of behavioural responses to 
situations that disturbs the mind, making it difficult to cope. 
All stressful situations are not inherently bad or destructive. 
Some increase and improve our performance like the stress 
experienced during the preparation for exams motivates you to 
study. The teacher asks the students to fill in the table given 
below (Table 1.3).
Table 1.3
Different situations and responses
S. 
No.
Situation/
Event
How do you feel 
about it?
Reason behind 
the event
Ways to 
overcome
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The teacher will sum-up all the responses and draw the 
students’ attention to a comic strip (Fig. 1.2). Through an 
interactive session with them, the teacher will discuss that in 
stressful situations, different people respond differently. Some 
get ‘aggressive’, while others become ‘passive’. The teacher 
states that ‘both the behaviours are not regarded as ‘healthy’. 
We must understand that situations are temporary. If we think 
and respond to a situation with a calm mind, we can get through 
the stressful situation easily.
1.5: Healthy lifestyle
Healthy lifestyle is a pattern of decisions and behaviours that 
determines a person’s health and quality of life. Some health 
impairing behaviours are staying awake late in the night, 
spending a lot of time playing video games, spending too much 
time watching television, eating junk food, lack of physical 
Page 5


Knowing Mental 
Changes
IntroductIon “Health is a state of complete physical, 
mental and social well-being and 
not merely the absence of disease or 
infirmity”.
WHO, 2001
This Unit discusses issues related 
to mental health and managing 
various situations. The ‘Fact Sheet’ 
given in the Unit covers mood swings 
in adolescence and how to remain 
healthy.
GuIdelInes for the t eacher ? ? It is important to read the 
material thoroughly before 
organising the activities.
? ? It must be ensured that 
the process of organising 
the activities is based on 
participatory approach. One 
needs to make sure that 
students are engaged in the 
learning process and are active 
learners. Thus, we as teachers 
can try to make this learning as collaborative as possible 
to ensure their maximum participation. 
This Unit will help 
a teacher to enable 
students to:
? ? understand the 
meaning of mental 
health and mental 
illness.
? ? observe the 
behaviour of 
different people 
and learn to 
manage social 
relationships.
? ? manage and 
regulate emotional 
changes within 
oneself.
? ? equip them in 
goal setting 
and identifying 
strategies to 
achieving the 
goals.
Objectives
1
Unit
 
a ctIvIty 1.1: Self care wheel
Material required: Notebook, charts, 
models, posters and blackboard
The teacher asks the students to 
make a ‘self care wheel’ as shown 
in Fig. 1.1 and writes down one 
activity suitable for each heading. 
For example, ‘physical domain’ 
includes ‘riding a bicycle’, and 
‘sharing lunch with a friend’ comes 
under ‘social domain’. ‘Emotional 
domain’ includes, ‘I feel happy when 
my team wins a Kabaddi match’ and 
an example under ‘psychological 
domain’ is: ‘Your classmate falls in the playground, you choose 
to offer first aid rather than laughing at the classmate’. Now, 
write more activities under each domain.
The teacher, then, writes all responses and concludes 
if the students have understood the four domains. This 
understanding will help the students to communicate and 
socialise with people around them effectively and adjust 
successfully in the society. 
1.2: Knowing myself or self-awareness
Material required: Notebook, charts, models, posters and 
blackboard
The teacher asks the students to write down three of their 
strengths and three weaknesses.
In the end, the teacher asks them to think and state incidents 
when a quality helped them to cope up with a situation, and a 
weakness that had a negative impact on their minds.
The teacher can sum-up all student responses and help 
them become aware of their self-image.
Fig. 1.1: Self care wheel
 
Table 1.1
My qualities
Strengths Weaknesses
1.3: Understanding others
Material required: Notebook, charts, models, posters and 
blackboard
The teacher asks the students to choose a friend or a relative. 
The students have to imagine what emotions this person has 
experienced in places mentioned in Table 1.2. The teacher, then, 
compiles the responses of the students and discusses those 
with them to explain how they should react when the friend or 
relative experiences a particular emotion. For example, when I 
exercise, I feel happy; my friend feels sad or bad when teachers 
scold him in front of the class.
The teacher can sum-up all the responses and help the 
students observe that in different situations, different people 
experience different emotions. The emotions are not permanent 
for a particular person. That is why, on the basis of the emotions 
observed we cannot categorise or label a person as happy, sad 
or angry.
Table 1.2
Different emotions in different situations
What does my 
friend or relative 
(name) feel
Home School Neighbour Society
Happy
Sad
Anger
Stress
Shame
 
1.4: Understanding your worries
We all experience worry and stress in our lives. Stress can be 
described as a person’s pattern of behavioural responses to 
situations that disturbs the mind, making it difficult to cope. 
All stressful situations are not inherently bad or destructive. 
Some increase and improve our performance like the stress 
experienced during the preparation for exams motivates you to 
study. The teacher asks the students to fill in the table given 
below (Table 1.3).
Table 1.3
Different situations and responses
S. 
No.
Situation/
Event
How do you feel 
about it?
Reason behind 
the event
Ways to 
overcome
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The teacher will sum-up all the responses and draw the 
students’ attention to a comic strip (Fig. 1.2). Through an 
interactive session with them, the teacher will discuss that in 
stressful situations, different people respond differently. Some 
get ‘aggressive’, while others become ‘passive’. The teacher 
states that ‘both the behaviours are not regarded as ‘healthy’. 
We must understand that situations are temporary. If we think 
and respond to a situation with a calm mind, we can get through 
the stressful situation easily.
1.5: Healthy lifestyle
Healthy lifestyle is a pattern of decisions and behaviours that 
determines a person’s health and quality of life. Some health 
impairing behaviours are staying awake late in the night, 
spending a lot of time playing video games, spending too much 
time watching television, eating junk food, lack of physical 
 
activity, etc. Unhealthy 
lifestyle affects both 
our physical health 
and psychological 
functioning. Due to 
unhealthy lifestyle, 
one may experience 
fatigue, problems like 
nausea, irritability, 
anxiety, feeling of 
helplessness and 
hopelessness. Thus, 
an individual must 
include healthy habits 
in the daily schedule 
to stay healthy and fit. 
The teacher can ask 
questions like:
 • What should 
the students 
eat to remain 
healthy?
 • What are their 
goals in life?
 • How does a 
healthy diet 
maintain physical growth and development?
The teacher discusses these answers in class. S/he also 
highlights the importance of sleep and nutrition to maintain 
physical and mental health. The teacher explains the importance 
of sleep in healing and repairing of tissues, as well as, blood 
vessels. Sleep deficiency increases the risk of heart and kidney 
diseases, high blood pressure and many other health-related 
problems. The teacher discusses various ways to sleep adequately 
(around 8 hours daily). Some of the factors that aid the above 
are as follows:
Fig. 1.2: Response towards a 
stressful situation