Chapter 1 Personal Development 21
When you feel angry, talking with someone you trust may help, 1-13. Talk
with a friend who is not involved. Do not ask your friend, however, to take
sides or tell you what to do. All you may need is for someone to listen while
you share your feelings.
Another way to manage your anger is by doing some type of physical
activity. Walking, running, swimming, or biking may improve your mood.
Anger is only one negative emotion. You also need to fi nd appropriate
ways to deal with other negative emotions, such as envy and fear. You may
feel hurt if a close friend spends time with someone else. If you really care
about your friend, it will be okay to share him or her with others. Talk with
your friend about how you feel. This may be all you need to ease your feelings
of jealousy. Sharing your feelings is often a good place to start.
Positive Emotions
Positive emotions are the ones that make everyone feel good. Many of the
positive emotions you feel are the result of your relationships with others. You
have fun being with your friends. You enjoy doing activities with your family.
Happiness and laughter are often the result.
Many of your relationships are based on love. You feel love for your family
and close friends. You may feel you are in love with someone special. This
love may become a strong emotion for you to deal with in your teen years.
Learning to express your feelings of
love in an acceptable way can be an
exciting challenge.
Social Changes
During adolescence, social changes
often have to do with how you relate
to others. You interact with many
people every day. Some are family
members and friends. Others are
classmates, teachers, and neighbors.
Some you know very well. You may
only exchange a few words with
others. Learning to communicate and
get along with others is an important
developmental task of adolescence.
Another part of social
development is learning how to
act in each of your roles. A role is a
pattern of expected behavior. You
already fi ll many roles. You are a
son or a daughter, and possibly a
brother or a sister, 1-14. You are also
a student, a friend, and maybe an
employee. In each of these roles,
people expect you to behave in
1-13 Friends of any age provide the support you need
for handling emotions.
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Refl ect
Vocabulary