LIFESKILLS

1. Self management

Self-management

How to manage oneself and nature personal abilities

Steps in developing a personal milestone plan

1.      Setting personal goals

2.      Self-evaluation

3.      Allocating timelines for milestones

4.      Identifying challenges to achievement

Positive attitude

It is the attachment to something or someone.

Importance of positive attitude

·         Improves ability to work with others

·         Reduce stress

·         One becomes more productive

·         Promote one’s success

Negative attitude

Strong unfavorable emotions towards something or someone

Dealing with negative attitude

·         Motivation

·         Training

·         Use of setbacks

Time management

This is the ability to manage your time well and can be achieved by doing the following

1.      Make a plan ahead

2.      Create priority list

3.      Set time limit

4.      Set goals

Self esteem

It is the personal value or the opinion you have about yourself

Types of self esteem

1.      High self esteem

2.      Low self esteem

Self-image

An individual’s perception of themselves including their physical appearance, personality and characteristics.

Assertiveness

Being able to stand up for your own or other people’s rights in a calm and positive way without being aggressive or accepting wrong.

Emotional management

Emotions - Positive or negative reactions that people experience in response to events or situations

They include: stress, happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger, bitterness, jealousy etc.

Non-violent ways of managing anger

·         Take time out

·         Get a hobby and engage in activities

·         Talk to someone or seek counselling

·         Identify and manage triggers

Management of stress

Taking care of your life, thoughts, emotions and how you deal with problems

Self-awareness

Ability to recognize oneself as am individual separate from others or environment

Self-control

Ability to regulate your choices and responses to different situations

Self-respect

A feeling of respect for yourself that shows that your value yourself

1.1. Time management

Time management

This is the ability to manage your time well and can be achieved by doing the following

1.      Make a plan ahead

2.      Create priority list

3.      Set time limit

4.      Set goals

Time wasters

These are activities or tasks that drain our valuable time without meaningful returns to our productivity. They include:

·         Social media

·         Procrastination

·         Unclear goals

Consequences of improper time management

·         More stress

·         Less productivity

·         Lost opportunities

·         Bad decision making

·         Bad relationships

·         Lack of self-improvement

·         Gossiping

1.2. Stress management

Management of stress

Taking care of your life, thoughts, emotions and how you deal with problems

Symptoms of stress

·         Headaches

·         Eating too much or too little

·         Becoming less social

·         Lack of focus

·         Rapid heartbeats

Effects of stress

·         Death

·         Alcohol and drug abuse

·         Illnesses and diseases

·         Bad relationships

·         Loss of jobs and resources

2. Personal care

What we do to ensure personal well being 

1.      Eat well

2.      Get sufficient sleep

3.      Take breaks when tired

4.      Maintain healthy lifestyle

5.      Maintain personal hygiene

6.      Work with passion

7.      Keep in touch with friends and family

8.      Inform employer or seek medical attention when unwell

2.1. Personal hygiene

Good grooming habits

·         Shower/bathing

·         Brushing teeth

·         Wear clean clothes

·         Wash beddings regularly

·         Trim your nails

·         Wash your hands with soap

·         Shaving

·         Hair care and upkeep

·         Use of deodorants

2.2. Personal effects used in maintaining hygiene

1.      Tools e.g., nail cutters, scissors, nail files, razor blades, scrubbers etc.

2.      Equipment’s e.g., bathtubs, sinks, blow dryers, clippers etc.

Materials e.g., water soap, shampoos, body oil, towels 

3. communication skills

Communication - It is the sending and receiving of information from one person to another

Communication skills - They are the techniques needed to send and receive information

Effective communication - Channels of communication that enables understanding and make the message clear.

Importance of effective communication

1.      To share ideas

2.      Express feelings

3.      To make friends and socialize

4.      To solve conflict

Process of communication

Message - channel - encoding – decoding – feedback.

Elements of effective communication

1.      Sender

2.      Receiver

3.      Message

4.      Channel

5.      Feedback

6.      Context(factors)

Types of communication

1.      Verbal – oral

2.      Non – verbal – written, sign

Channels of communication

1.      Electricity – phones, laptops, tv, radio etc

2.      Written – letters, posters, billboards etc

3.      Face to face

Basic communication skills

·         Reading

·         Writing

·         Speaking

3.1. Barriers to effective communication

1.      Language barrier

2.      Cultural differences

3.      Poor listening skills

4.      Emotional barriers

5.      Use of difficult words

6.      Noise

3.2. communication etiquette

·         Good listening

·         Tone variation

·         Be audible

·         Avoid non-verbal communication

4. Personal financial management

Personal financial management

Money - It is medium of exchange.

Finances – it is a field that is concerned with the allocation (investment) of assets and liability.

Financial management – how to handle your finances

Importance of personal financial management / budgeting

·         Enhance savings

·         Helps in stock management

·         Prevents impulse buying

·         Helps in prioritizing of expenses

·         Enhance personal growth and development

4.1. Budgeting

Personal budgeting

Budget – it is a list of expenses and their estimated cost

Personal budgeting – it is a finance plan that allocates future personal incomes towards expenses, savings and debt repayment.

Steps in personal budgeting

1.      Set personal financial goals 

2.      Identify income

3.      Allocate savings

4.      Estimated expenses

5.      Identify priority expenses

6.      Unforeseen expenditures

7.      Monitor expenses

Types of financial institutions

1.      Banks

2.      Saccos

Importance of financial institutions

·         Protects money

·         Transfers money

·         Saving purposes

·         Offer loans

Factors to consider when choosing a financial institution

·         Location

·         Availability

·         Security

Type of employment

Source of finances

·         Personal savings

·         Salary

·         Borrowing from friends and family

·         Operating a business

·         Commercial loans by banks and saccos

4.2. Benefits of budgeting