ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY

ADDIS ABABA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

General Psychology (Psyc 1011)

Topic: Introduction to Life Skills

Section 8
Group Members Id No.
1. Daniel Fantahun Haile UGR/5649/15
2. Edoniyas Reyot Retta UGR/4076/15
3. Essey Tesfamichael Araya UGR/9377/15
4. Feven Tewelde Haile UGR/0805/15
5. Girum Yirgalem Birhane UGR/4244/15

Submitted to: Mr. Deresse Mekonnen

Submission date: April 24th, 2023
 Table of Contents

Overview 1

Definition and Nature 1

Goals 2

How to develop life skills? 3

1. Social Skills 3

2. Thinking skills 4

3. Emotional thinking 4

Components 5

Critical thinking 5

Self Confidence 5

Self-awareness 6

Self-esteem 6

Decision Making 6

Interpersonal relationships 7

Effective communication 7

Problem solving 7

Peer resistance 9

Leadership 10

Collaboration 11

Time management 12

Resilience 13

Perspective-taking 14

References 15
 OVERVIEW
If you want to be successful, happy, excited, and fulfilled, you will need to use life skills. They optimize
your ability to achieve your goals and help you maximize your potential. Many crucially important
skills fall into the broad category of life skills.

This can include critical thinking, communication skills, writing skills, and other essential skills. These
life skills can be applied to benefit your everyday life and longer-term satisfaction.

They are beneficial to your career and personal life, too. But although life skills seem necessary, many
people struggle with developing them. It can be difficult to identify which skills are truly important to
your growth and development.

With time, dedication, and listening to your inner emotions, you can identify what you truly want,
though. In this article, we will give you an overview of how to build life skills and show examples of
crucially important skills.

DEFINITION AND NATURE

Life skills are defined as “a group of 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 and manage their lives
in a healthy and productive manner.” according to World Health Organization (WHO).

UNICEF defines life skills as “a behavior change or behavior development approach designed to
address a balance of three areas: knowledge, attitude and skills”. The UNICEF definition is based on
research evidence that suggests that shifts in risk behavior are unlikely if knowledge, attitudinal and
skills based competency are not addressed. Life skills are essentially those abilities that help promote
mental well-being and competence in young people as they face the realities of life. Most development
professionals agree that life skills are generally applied in the context of health and social events.
They can be utilized in many content areas: prevention of drug use, sexual violence, teenage
pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention and suicide prevention. The definition extends into consumer
education, environmental education, peace education or education for development, livelihood and
income generation, among others. In short, life skills empower young people to take positive action to
protect themselves and promote health and positive social relationships.

Life skills is a term used to describe a set of basic skills acquired through learning and/or direct life
experience that enable individuals and groups to effectively handle issues and problems commonly
encountered in daily life. It is also defined as Life skills are a group of empowering skills that enable
people to cope with life and its challenges and changes. Life skills support psychosocial well-being,
promoting good communication, positive thinking, analytical skills and goal setting, cooperation and
coping. Strengthening life skills helps individuals and communities to manage challenges and risks,
maximize opportunities and solve problems in co-operative, non-violent ways.

1
They include creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, the ability to
communicate and collaborate, along with personal and social responsibility that contribute to good
citizenship – all essential skills for success in the 21st century, both for healthy societies and for
successful and employable individuals.

Life skills are essentially those abilities that help to promote mental well-being and competence in
young people as they face the realities of life. Hence, students who are able to understand and use
these skills, along with their educational qualifications, will be better placed to take advantage of
educational and employment opportunities.

Life skills touch upon issues that are:

 Real: they actually affect people’s lives.

 Topical or relevant
 Sometimes sensitive: they can affect people on a personal level, especially when family or
friends are involved.
 Often controversial: people disagree and hold strong opinions about them.
 Ultimately moral: they relate to what people think is right or wrong, good or bad, important
or unimportant in society.

GOALS
Life skills are a set of important tools to ensure that an individual leads a fruitful life. These set of
tools can be used by everyone across all age groups, especially by adolescents because of their
vulnerability to health problems.

Democracies need active, informed and responsible citizens, who are willing and able to take
responsibility for themselves and their communities and contribute to the political process.

Democracies depend upon citizens who, among other things, are:

 aware of their rights and responsibilities as citizens

 informed about social and political issues
 concerned about the welfare of others
 able to clearly articulate their opinions and arguments
 capable of having an influence on the world
 active in their communities
 Responsible in how they act as citizens.
These capacities do not develop unaided; they have to be learnt. While certain life skills may be
acquired through our everyday experience in the home or at work, they are not sufficient to
adequately equip citizens for the active role required of them in today’s complex and diverse society.

The Basic Life skills provides readily available tools to deal with challenges/demands of daily lives the
youth face, from managing their emotions to make an informed decision. It also helps develop

2
children’s personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities, and realize their true potential
through learning to know oneself and others, and make effective decisions to live harmonically
together in the society(source=taken from a program held by UNICEF for the youth)

If citizens are to become genuinely involved in public affairs, then a more systematic approach
towards citizenship education is essential.

Why do we learn about life skill (overall?)

 It helps them to develop self-confidence and successfully deal with significant life changes
and challenges, such as bullying and discrimination.
 It gives them a voice at school, in their community and in society at large.
 It enables them to make a positive contribution by developing the expertise and experience
they need to assert their rights and understand their responsibilities, while preparing them
for the challenges and opportunities of adult and working life.
 Human beings are full of potential, which manifests itself in our ability to do exemplary
things, such as ground-breaking scientific research, commendable social services,
outstanding achievements in various fields, and so on. Psychologists believe that we are all
endowed with the ability to excel. Life skills assist us in realizing and utilizing our potential.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, goals, and determination, we are unable to realize our
dreams due to impediments caused by poor life skills. Indeed, the importance of life skills is
indispensable as they not only aid in realizing our potential but also in living a contented
and meaningful life.

HOW TO DEVELOP LIFE SKILLS?

Developing Life Skills is a life-long process that helps individuals grow and mature; build confidence
in one’s decisions taken on the basis of adequate information and thought, and discover sources of
strength within and outside. It is noteworthy that, from times immemorial, every culture and society
has invested in educating and empowering its younger generation to lead fulfilling and responsible
lives.

This skills are divided into three categories

1. Social Skills

 Self-awareness -focuses on valuing oneself, including our personality, attributes, tastes and
distastes. By developing attributes like self-awareness, we will be able to comprehend the
amount of stress or pressure a person is in. It is important to develop self-awareness to
eventually develop empathy, effective communication and interpersonal relationships.
 Empathy-is one of the major tools needed to form a positive relationship among our loved
ones and our society. The value of imagining one’s life from their perspective can be learned
by empathy. Empathy is important because it improves our communication with others and
can help us understand and accept others better. Empathy can also drastically improve
social interactions, especially between multicultural individuals and societies.
3
  Assertiveness- a form of behavior characterized by a confident declaration or affirmation of a
statement without need of proof; this affirms the person's rights or point of view without
either aggressively threatening the rights of another (assuming a position of dominance) or
submissively permitting another to ignore or deny one's rights or point of view.
2. Thinking skills

 Creative Thinking -is an ability to analyse and interpret information in a systematic manner.
Critical thinking is highly responsible for influencing and recognising behaviour that can be
used to lead a well-balanced life.
 Time management- the ability to prioritize tasks, set goals, and make effective use of one's
time.
 Critical 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 others’ ideas).
3. Emotional Thinking

 Coping with stress- Stress is the psychological and physical strain of tension generated by
physical, emotional, social, economic or occupational circumstances, events or experiences
that are difficult to manage or endure. Coping with stress means recognizing the sources of
stress in our lives, recognizing how they affect us, and how we act in a way that helps us
control our levels of stress by changing our environment or lifestyle, and learning how to relax.

How to cope with stress

 Recognize sources of stress in our life
 Recognizing how these affect us
 Identifying ways that help to control our levels of stress
 Learning how to relax to minimize tensions
 look for a psychologist or other mental health provider who can help you
 Meditating-a practice that involves focusing or clearing your mind using a
combination of mental and physical techniques

 Coping with emotion- means 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 don’t respond to
them appropriately.
Steps for dealing with emotions

 Identify your emotions.

 Analyze why the situation bothers you.
 Analyze the effect the situation has or can have on your life.
 Decide what you can or cannot change.

4
  Select a positive way to react.
 Think of something positive you can learn from the situation.

COMPONENTS
Critical Thinking

Everyone thinks; it is our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted,
partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce,
make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought. Shoddy thinking is costly, both in
money and in quality of life. Excellence in thought, however, must be systematically cultivated.
Learning to think critically is hence a crucial step.

Critical thinking etymologically defined has its origin from the Greek word “Kritikos”, meaning able to
judge or discern.

Critical thinking can be defined as a wide range of cognitive skills and intellectual dispositions needed
to effectively identify, analyze and evaluate argument, beliefs and actions.

Critical thinking is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions:
clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth and
fairness. Logical correctness and completeness are some of the most important intellectual standards
of critical thinking.

Critical thinking is a key life skill with countless of benefits in every aspect of our lives. It encourages
curiosity, enhances creativity, reinforce problem solving ability, foster independence etc.

Self Confidence

Confidence comes from the Latin word “Fidere”, which means to trust; in other words, self-confidence
means we trust our knowledge, skills and abilities.

Self-confidence is an individual’s trust in his or her own abilities, capacities and judgment, or belief
that he or she can successfully face day to day challenges and demands. It is an attitude about one’s
own skills and abilities. It means accepting and trusting oneself, having a sense of control in one’s own
life, knowing strengths and weakness well, and having a positive view of oneself. Being able to set
realistic expectations and goals, communicating assertively and ability to handle criticism are
characteristics of a self-confident individual.

Having high or low confidence is rarely related to your actual abilities, and mostly based on your
perceptions. Perceptions are the way you think about yourself and these can be flawed. Confidence
gives skills and coping methods to handle setbacks and failure, which makes it a vital component of
life skill.

5
 Self-Awareness

Self-awareness the ability to perceive and understand what makes you up as an individual including
your personality, actions, values, beliefs, emotions and thoughts. It is a psychological state in which
the self becomes the center of attention.

Self-awareness can also be defined as the ability to see yourself clearly and objectively through
reflection and introspection. It is the recognition of your own emotional state at any given point in
time.

‘It is wisdom to know others; it is enlightenment to know one’s self.”- Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher.

Self-awareness maybe the most vital skill we have to navigate in our lifetime. If we can manage our
own emotions, we are more than able to exert an impact on the emotional vibe of a family, a work
situation or a social encounter. All of that is to say, self-awareness can be incredibly useful in driving
more aware and fulfilled life.

Self Esteem

Self-esteem is confidence in one’s own worth or abilities. It is how we value and perceive ourselves
based on our opinions and beliefs about ourselves which can feel difficult to change.

Self-esteem is your overall opinion of yourself your beliefs about your abilities and limitations.

Self-esteem is shaped by your thoughts, relationships and experiences, including those related to
culture, religion and social status.

There are three ranges of self-esteem:

 Overly high self esteem

 Low self esteem
 Healthy self esteem
Having an accurate and balanced self-view is an essential component of life skill.

Decision Making

Decision making is a selection process where one two or more possible solutions is chosen to reach a
desired goal. It is a reasoning process based on assumptions of values, preferences and beliefs of the
decision maker.

When making a decision, opinions and choices are formed via mental processes which are influenced
by biases, reason emotions and memories. The simple act of deciding supports the notion that we
have free will. We weigh the benefits and costs of our choice, and then we cope with the
consequences. Factors that limit the ability to make good decisions include incomplete information,
urgent deadlines and limited physical or emotional resources.

6
Our decisions have transcending effects in our lives. They not only affect us but also others; hence,
having a good decision skill is a crucial component of life skill.

Thus, life skills are basic skills that help individuals in leading a meaningful life and better adjustment
in the society.

Interpersonal Relationships

Interpersonal relationships (or interpersonal relation) define a social association, connection, or

affiliation between two or more persons. They vary in degrees of intimacy, self-disclosure, duration,
reciprocity, and power distribution. The main themes or purposes of the interpersonal relations
are: family, kinship, friendship, love, marriage, business, employment, clubs, neighborhoods, ethical
values, support and solidarity. Interpersonal relations may be regulated by law, custom or mutual
agreement, and form the basis of social groups and societies. They appear when people communicate
or act with each other within specific social contexts, and they thrive on equitable and
reciprocal compromises.

Interpersonal relationships help us to relate in positive ways while interacting with people and being
able to make and keep friendly relationships that are of great importance for our mental and social
well-being. It may mean maintaining good relations with family members who are the most important
source of social support. It may also mean an ability to end relationships constructively.

Effective communication

Effective communication is the process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so
that the message is received and understood with clarity and purpose. When we communicate
effectively, both the sender and receiver feel satisfied.

Communication occurs in many forms, including verbal and non-verbal, written, visual, and listening. It
can occur in person, on the internet (on forums, social media, and websites), over the phone (through
apps, calls, and video), or by mail.

For communication to be effective, it must be clear, correct, complete, concise, and compassionate. We
consider these to be the 5 C’s of communication, though they may vary depending on who you’re
asking.

While the effectiveness of communication can be difficult to measure, its impact is hard to deny.
According to one study, surveyed companies in the United States and United Kingdom with at least
100,000 employees lost $62.4 million per year on average due to poor communication. On the flip side,
companies led by effective communicators had nearly 50 percent higher total returns to shareholders
over companies with less effective communicators at the helm.

Problem Solving

The ability to solve problems is a basic life skill and is essential to our day-to-day lives, at home, at
school, and at work. We solve problems every day without really thinking about how we solve them.

7
For example: it’s raining and you need to go to the store. What do you do? There are lots of possible
solutions. Take your umbrella and walk. If you don't want to get wet, you can drive, or take the bus.
You might decide to call a friend for a ride, or you might decide to go to the store another day. There is
no right way to solve this problem and different people will solve it differently.

Problem solving is the process of identifying a problem, developing possible solution paths, and taking
the appropriate course of action.

Why is problem solving important? Good problem solving skills empower you not only in your
personal life but are critical in your professional life. In the current fast-changing global economy,
employers often identify everyday problem solving as crucial to the success of their organizations. For
employees, problem solving can be used to develop practical and creative solutions, and to show
independence and initiative to employers.

Problem-solving strategies

When people are presented with a problem—whether it is a complex mathematical problem or a

broken printer, how do you solve it? Before finding a solution to the problem, the problem must first
be clearly identified. After that, one of many problem solving strategies can be applied, hopefully
resulting in a solution.

Problems themselves can be classified into two different categories known as ill-defined and well-
defined problems (Schacter, 2009). Ill-defined problems represent issues that do not have clear goals,
solution paths, or expected solutions whereas well-defined problems have specific goals, clearly
defined solutions, and clear expected solutions. Problem solving often incorporates pragmatics
(logical reasoning) and semantics (interpretation of meanings behind the problem), and also in many
cases require abstract thinking and creativity in order to find novel solutions. Within psychology,
problem solving refers to a motivational drive for reading a definite “goal” from a present situation or
condition that is either not moving toward that goal, is distant from it, or requires more complex
logical analysis for finding a missing description of conditions or steps toward that goal. Processes
relating to problem solving include problem finding also known as problem analysis, problem shaping
where the organization of the problem occurs, generating alternative strategies, implementation of
attempted solutions, and verification of the selected solution. Various methods of studying problem
solving exist within the field of psychology including introspection, behavior analysis and
behaviorism, simulation, computer modeling, and experimentation.

A problem-solving strategy is a plan of action used to find a solution. Different strategies have
different action plans associated with them (table below). For example, a well-known strategy is trial
and error. The old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again” describes trial and error. In
terms of your broken printer, you could try checking the ink levels, and if that doesn’t work, you could
check to make sure the paper tray isn’t jammed. Or maybe the printer isn’t actually connected to your
laptop. When using trial and error, you would continue to try different solutions until you solved your
problem. Although trial and error is not typically one of the most time-efficient strategies, it is a
commonly used one.

8
 Peer resistance

Peer resistance skills are those required to resist peer pressure, the pressure put on you by your
peers, and by your own concerns about what those around you will think of you. Peer resistance is a
term often used when talking about young people, particularly adolescents, but it is just as applicable
for adults.

Peer pressure can be overt, for example, someone asking you to do something that you feel may not
be right. Resisting may be hard, because it is often easier to ‘go with the flow’. Peer pressure can also
be covert, which is often even harder to resist, because it is about what you think other people will
think of you. Asking yourself ‘What will people think?’ sounds relatively harmless but, if you allow it
to rule your life, you are likely to end up struggling to maintain your self-esteem.

Peer resistance skills

Identifying the ‘right’ decision.

Sometimes this is easy: the wrong one may be illegal, perhaps. But it is often much harder to
determine. Under these circumstances, you may find it helpful to read our pages on Living
Ethically and Goodness: Learning to Use Your Moral Compass, where there is more about working out
what is ‘right’ for you. It is important to stress that there may not be a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in absolute
terms. It is about what is right for you.

Valuing your Own Opinion

Identifying the ‘right’ decision is only part of the answer. You then have to believe in yourself enough
to value your opinion over and above those of your peers. In other words, you need to have
reasonably good self-esteem or self-worth, so that you know that you are as good as anyone else. You
may find it helpful to read our pages on Improving Self-Esteem and Building Confidence. Our page
on Trustworthiness and Conscientiousness also gives an example, which you may find helpful, of
standing up for what you believe and valuing your own opinion.

Stating your Views Assertively

The third step is to state your views assertively. It is important not to be aggressive about it: you need
to be calm and confident, and assert your position. Becoming aggressive will only result in others
getting angry, which will not help your position.

For example, an assertive answer to ‘Let’s go out and have a really good gossip’ might be:
“No, thank you, I don’t really want to do that.”

Other types of behavior which are unhelpful at this point are:

 Passive, in which you behave as if you do want to make that decision but don’t quite dare, for
instance, ‘umming’ and ‘ah-ing’ about it;
 Avoidance, where you try to distract people by discussing something else; and

9
  Knowledgeable, where you try to educate others as to the benefits of your opinion, for
example, ‘No, you shouldn’t do that, it’s bad for you’.
Assertive behavior includes standing up straight, making eye contact, and stating your position
clearly. Don’t make excuses, simply say how you feel about it.

Clarifying and Questioning

Particularly for covert pressure, it can be helpful to use questioning and clarifying techniques to
explore whether the pressure really exists, or whether it is simply your perception of the situation.

Leadership

Leadership is one of the important constituents of life skills. It is the ability of individual or certain
groups of individuals to direct or influence their followers. The word lead is an Anglo-Saxon word
which means moving from one place to another or from one situation to another. Thus, a leader
emerges during a great change or induces the great change itself. There are two popular assumptions
about the attainment of leadership. These are

 Attainment of leadership trait by birth (existence of natural or born leaders)

 Leaders are made not born
Naturally we differ in terms of our potential for leadership, but potential can and should be
developed. If you work hard your leadership skills will be more habitual. Because of this the
assumption that leaders are born and not made is not supported by the majority of the people. There
are different leadership traits and skills without which a person cannot be leader, if so he or she will
lack credibility, acceptance, and support from the followers. The value of a particular leadership trait
varies depending on the area it is applied. A leadership trait that is essential in one aspect like in
military might not be valuable in economic or other aspects that still require leadership skills.
According to John Adair there are some common leadership traits.

John Adair leadership traits include:

1. Enthusiasm
2. Integrity
3. Toughness
4. Fairness
5. Warmth
6. Humility
7. Confidence
There are some people that still believe in situational leadership. These peoples’ ideas oppose the
consistency of the generic leadership traits in every situation. For instance, Winston Churchill was a
good leader in times of war, but he was not so good in peace time. A good leader has an authority of
knowledge, personality, and position. Within a field where a person is a leader situation changes all
the time, so it is necessary to be flexible to cope with both growth and retractions. Good leadership

10
also consists of motivating people to their highest level by offering them opportunities instead of
obligations. As a skill it is a basic human capability, easily adaptable into our lives. Some leadership
traits and skills identified by Stogdill are

TRAITS SKILLS

Adaptable to situations Clever(intelligent)

Alert to social environment Conceptually Skilled

Ambitious and achievement oriented Creative

Assertive Diplomatic and Tactful

Cooperative Fluent in speaking

Decisive Knowledgeable about group tasks

Collaboration

Collaboration also known as team work skill or team building skill is very important to work with
others efficiently. It includes anything from brainstorming new ideas with a team mate to a problem
solving with a client. Collaborating happens when two or more people work together to achieve a
common goal. It covers everything it takes to work well with others and deliver results as a team.
Successful collaboration requires a cooperative spirit and mutual respect. A person who is good at
collaborating in the work place is an influential team member, communicator, decision maker and
leader.

For instance, collaboration in the work place includes

 communicating updates to your manager

 recognizing other team members for their hard work
 sharing insights and helpful tips with team members
 alleviating tensions among team members
 facilitating inclusive workplace to make all team members feel respected
Collaboration takes many forms depending on the person you are collaborating with and the medium
in which you collaborate. The different forms of collaboration require different collaboration skills.
The general workplace collaboration skills are:

Written communication- is essential to provide written updates and for collaborating with peoples
you are not physically working next to.

Verbal communication- is very important for reporting during meetings and it also helps to show up
as leader.

11
Active listening- means listening attentively with an open mind and without judgment. It also involves
clarifying and asking open-ended questions.

Feedback- A collaborative person can take feedback and implement change based on what others
think.

Inclusivity- An inclusive environment is mandatory for the team member to feel respected and
empowered to work well together. This also involves a respect for diversity.

Emotional intelligence- is the ability to identify and manage your and other people emotions, react
appropriately and applying them to certain tasks.

Time management

Managing your time effectively is an important professional skill to develop. Organizing your tasks
each day helps you complete work on time, prioritize your projects and communicate your progress
to supervisors and colleagues. Having strong time-management skills can ultimately lead to
accomplishing key goals and advancing in your career.

There are four principles of time management skills –The dos’, defer (delay), delegate, delete (drop).
Placing a task or project to one of these categories helps you manage your limited time more
effectively and stay focused on what matters most.

Some of the most important time management skills include:

Organization- help you maintain a clear picture of what you need to complete and when. It involves
maintaining an up-to-date calendar, being able to locate certain documents easily, having a tidy
environment and taking detailed, diligent notes.

Prioritizing- There are many ways to prioritize what you need to accomplish. You might decide to
complete fast, simple items followed by longer, more involved ones. Alternatively, you might
prioritize your tasks starting with the most time-sensitive, or a combination of both.

Goal setting- is the first step to becoming a good time manager. Goal-setting allows you to clearly
understand your end goal and what exactly you need to prioritize to accomplish it. Setting both short
and long-term goals can lead to success in your career.

Planning- A fundamental part of time management is planning. Being efficient in planning out your
day, meetings and how you will accomplish things will help you stick to your schedule.

Delegation- it can often be difficult to say “no” when someone asks you to do something at work, it's
important to practice having boundaries to manage your time well and ultimately accomplish your
goals.

Stress management- When practicing good time management, you should also be attentive to your
mental health. You might do this by including small breaks throughout your day, or by rewarding
yourself in small ways as you accomplish tasks.
12
Problem solving- help you overcome challenges and keep projects moving forward and on schedule.
Problem-solving will also help team members to stay on the same page with each other.

Note taking- Taking notes and keeping documents up to date are important when managing time and
tasks.

Resilience

It comes from the Latin verb Resilire, means to rebound or recoil. According to the oxford dictionary it
is the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. In the world we live, we face
difficulties and problems and resilience is an important skill to stay on the track towards success.

A person with strong resilience skills can handle disappointments. Like other peoples they experience
difficulties and stress but they experience those factors more positively and do not allow them to
impede success. Developing resilience skills require experiencing discomfort and pushing through it.

Resilience can be of three types: Natural, Adaptive, and Restored

Natural- is something you are born with. It is related to enthusiasm for life and tendency to try new
things.

Adaptive- comes from difficult circumstances that impel you to adapt and grow.

Restored- develops out of learning and deliberate techniques.

Resilient peoples often have the following common characteristics

 Positive attitude
 Self-awareness
 Self-image
 Optimism
 Flexibility
 Sense of humor
 Patience
 Tolerance for negative feelings
There are different ways of improving your resilience skills. These are:

1. Having purpose
2. Boost your confidence
3. Set goals
4. Work on your problem solving skills
5. Confide in loved ones

13
 Perspective-taking

Perspective-taking also known as theory of mind is the act of perceiving a situation or understanding
a concept from an alternative point of view, such as that of another individual. Perspective-taking is
crucial to human development and it may also be possible to exist in some non-human animals.

Perspective-taking has been defined along two dimensions: perceptual and conceptual.

Perceptual perspective-taking- is the ability to understand how another person experiences things
through their senses (i.e. visually or auditory). Most of the literature devoted to perceptual
perspective-taking focuses on visual perspective-taking: the ability to understand the way another
person sees things in physical space.

Conceptual perspective-taking- is the ability to comprehend and take on the viewpoint of another
person's psychological experience (i.e. thoughts, feelings, and attitudes).

It is a powerful tool for conflict resolution, designing human- centered products, and being a better
leader. It also has many positive impacts from increasing team creativity to decreasing implicit bias.
All it takes is imagining someone else worldview.

There are four steps of perspective-taking

1. Seek understanding- During communication with others; our natural state is to

consider our personal goals. The first step is to set aside our own goals and center the
perspective of other person.
2. Ideate- This step is important to provide a hypothesis to the question “How do they
perceive the world?” We navigate around them to see the other person clearly and
imagine how they might be thinking about a situation. This will provide assumptions.
3. Hypothesis- We narrow our thoughts down to our best guess or guesses. These should
be solid and able to be tested.
4. Observe and adjust- use our hypothesis and check if we are able to connect and
collaborate with them if not, then we adjust our hypothesis until we are able to do so.

14
 REFERENCES
The seven Habits of Highly effective people. By Stephen Covey.

The power of positive Thinking. By Norman Vincent

John Adair’s book of leadership

Psychology AAU Module

https://www.britishcouncil.gr/en/about/greece

https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

https://blog.futurefocusedlearning.net/critical-thinking-benefits

https://www.monash.edu/learnhq/enhance-your-thinking/critical-thinking/what-is-critical-
thinking

https://www.usf.edu/student-affairs/counseling-center/top-concerns/what-is-self-confidence.aspx

https://positivepsychology.com/self-confidence/

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-self-awareness-2795023

https://positivepsychology.com/self-awareness-matters-how-you-can-be-more-self-aware/

https://www.mindtools.com/awe5sru/developing-self-awareness

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-self-awareness-how-can-you-cultivate-it-
ncna1067721

https://www.weber.edu/CounselingCenter/self-esteem.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-esteem

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision-making

https://ampcreative.com/guide-to-perspective taking/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective-taking

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/time-management-skills

https://www.thebalancemoney.com/collaboration-skills-with-examples-2059686

https://www.theforage.com/blog/skills/collaboration-skills

coursera.org/articles/communication-effectiveness

15