Ten (10) Core Life Skills Plus One (1)

Oh my I just enrolled for my dissertation.  This is the last phase of my post graduate studies in Education. This one is rather the most challenging part where i will be researching on the 10 core life skills defined by the World Health Organization (this one i happen to browse over the internet and i found it to be a two thumbs up for a research in the public school where i am currently assigned.

"Life skills include psychosocial competencies and interpersonal skills that help people

make informed decisions, solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate

effectively, build healthy relationships, empathize with others, and cope with managing

their lives in a healthy and productive manner."

What are these 10 core life skills?.  Let me share what I got from my research some most of it came from  from the World Health Organization.

1.  Self-awareness -  includes recognition of ‘self’, our character, our strengths and weaknesses, desires and dislikes. Developing self-awareness can help us to recognize when we are stressed or feel under pressure. It is often a prerequisite to effective communication and interpersonal relations, as well as for developing empathy with others.

2.  Empathy - To have a successful relationship with our loved ones and society at large, we need to understand and care about other peoples’ needs, desires and feelings. Empathy is the ability to imagine what life is like for another person.

 3.  Critical thinking - thinking is an ability to analyze information and experiences in an objective manner.  

4.  Creative Thinking -         is a novel way of seeing or doing things that is characteristic of four components – fluency (generating new ideas), flexibility (shifting perspective easily), originality (conceiving of something new), and elaboration (building on other ideas)

5.  Decision making -  helps us to deal constructively with decisions about our lives. This can have consequences for health. It can teach people how to actively make decisions about their actions in relation to healthy assessment of different options and, what effects these different decisions are likely to have.

6.  Problem-solving -   helps us to deal constructively with problems in our lives. Significant problems that are left unresolved can cause mental stress and give rise to accompanying physical strain.

7.  Interpersonal Relationship -          help us to relate in positive ways with the people we interact with. This may mean being able to make and keep friendly relationships, which can be of great importance to our mental and social well-being. It may mean keeping, good relations with family members, which are an important source of social support. It may also mean being able to end relationships constructively.

8.  Effective Communication -   means that we are able to express ourselves, both verbally and non-verbally, in ways that are appropriate to our cultures and situations. This means being able to express opinions and desires, and also needs and fears. And it may mean being able to ask for advice and help in a time of need.

9.  Coping with Emotions -       means involving recognizing emotions within us and others, being aware of how emotions influence behaviour and being able to respond to emotions appropriately. Intense emotions like anger or sadness can have negative effects on our health if we do not respond appropriately.

10.  Coping with Stress -    means recognizing the sources of stress in our lives, recognizing how this affects us, and acting in ways that help us control our levels of stress, by changing our environment or lifestyle and learning how to relax.

I was caught at how these skills would really help us thrive with the many challenges with life.  I would want to check these with the grade 7 students with hope that i would be able to respond as their Guidance counselor by creating activities that would fill in the gaps. Hmmm yahhh i know what you are thinking...I will be working on a lot of variables but...but I feel it...it can be done...By God's grace...:-)

Lastly,even if I will not include in my research Prayer...I will have to propose that 10 core life skills plus Prayer will bring it to perfection.  Prayer...can break walls and the impossible (by human assessment) to a reality and shall I say..."miracles do happen"What do you think?

PS...i will soon be writing modules enhancing life skills for our children...I pray that I would be able to deliver them well to help us in parenting our own children:-)