Chapter 2 Check Your Health and Wellness Skills In this chapter, you will learn skills for maintaining your lifelong health and wellness and promoting health and wellness in your community and world. To understand the skills you currently use, take the following inventory of your behaviors. Indicate how well you think you use each skill. Use a scale of 1–5, 1 meaning you do not use the skill and 5 meaning you feel completely comfortable using it. Skill How Well Do You Use Each Skill? I evaluate multiple courses of action before making a decision. I set goals that have results I can easily measure. When I set a goal, I plot a specific and reasonable time line for completing it. I leave situations if people pressure me and do not respect my decisions. I verify the information I read online with other, reliable sources. I check whether information on a website comes from a cited scientific study. I compare health products that have the same active ingredients. I visit the doctor for an annual checkup or wellness exam. I stay home from school and go to the doctor when I need medical care for an illness. I keep a list of community resources that are available to provide help and support. I participate in community service. Total: Add up your responses to each statement. The higher your score, the more comfortable you feel practicing health skills related to making decisions, setting goals, evaluating and applying health information, and advocating for health. Which skill do you think is most important for you? Which skill is the most challenging for you? Which skill would you most like to improve? In this chapter, you will learn how to perform these skills better and more often. Health and Wellness Skills Lesson 2.1 Making Decisions and Setting Goals Lesson 2.2 Using Health Information Lesson 2.3 Accessing Health Services Lesson 2.4 Advocating for Community and Public Health Look for the skills icon throughout this chapter for opportunities to practice your health skills. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 32