Non-verbal communication: Understanding and using body language, facial expressions, and gestures to convey messages.

Life skills are a set of abilities that enable individuals to navigate life effectively, cope with challenges, and achieve their goals. They are crucial for personal, social, and professional development. While the specific skills may vary depending on cultural and individual needs, some common life skills include:

1. World Health Organization (WHO) defines life skills as, ‘the abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.’

2. In short…. Life Skills empower young people to take positive action to protect themselves and promote health and positive social relationships .

3. WHAT ARE LIFE SKILLS? A Life Skill is an ability that makes a difference in everyday living . Many writers have tried to define life skills : A Life Skill equips a person to perceive and respond to significant life events . A Life Skill is a competency which enables a person to live in an interdependent society .

4. WHAT ARE LIFE SKILLS? A Life Skill equips a person to be self directing and productive ,to lead a satisfying life and to contribute to society . A Life Skill enables a person to function effectively in a changing world.

5. WITH LIFE SKILLS ONE IS ABLE TO : Explore alternatives, Weigh pros and cons, and Make rational decisions in solving each problem, or issue as it arises. It also entails being able to establish productive interpersonal relationships with others

6. Behaviour C hange T hrough Life Skills Removes Ignorance Generates Awareness Concern Creates Knowledge Motivation Readiness to change Willingness to change Acceptance Inculcates Good Habits Lifestyle

7. Take Pleasure & Pride in saying NO when one wants to say “no” Ways to say NO Polite refusal Give reason Repeat refusal Walk away Avoid the situation Find others’ support Talk about your own feelings

8. CORE LIFE SKILLS STRATEGIES:- UNICEF, UNESCO and WHO list ten(10) core life skills strategies:

9. Communication skill, Problem solving, Creative thinking , Critical thinking, Decision-making , Interpersonal relationship skills, Self-awareness building skills, Empathy, Coping with stress, and Coping with emotions

10. COMMUNICATION SKILL Includes verbal non-verbal communication Active listening The ability to express feelings Give feedback Presentation skills Public speaking skills Negotiation and refusal skills Assertiveness skills to manage conflicts, etc

11. PROBLEM SOLVING Helps us to deal constructively with the problems in our lives

12. DECISION MAKING Following constructively with decisions about our lives.

13. CREATIVE THINKING Contributes to both decision-making and problem solving by enabling us to explore alternatives and the consequences of our action or non- action.

14. Creative thinking is simply finding new, improved ways to do anything How to strengthen creative thinking ability? Believe it can be done Here is a basic truth: To do anything, we must first believe it can be done. Believing something can be done sets the mind in motion to find a way to do

15. “When you believe something is impossible, your mind goes to work for you to prove why. But , when you believe, really believe, something can be done, your mind goes to work for you and help to find the ways to do it.”

16. CRITICAL THINKING The ability to analyze information and experiences in an objective manner.

17. “ Creative thinking is generally considered to be involved with the creation or generation of ideas, processes, experiences or objects, where as Critical thinking is concerned with their evaluation.”

18. INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP SKILLS Are social associations, connections, or affiliations between two or more people Helps us to relate in positive ways with people that we interact with.

19. SELF AWARENESS Recognition of ourselves Of our character Of our strength and weaknesses Desires and Dislikes WHO AM I ?

20. Self-awareness Self-management Self-esteem Self-confidence Better Self-awareness leads to better self-management

21. STRESS MANAGEMENT About recognizing our life stressors and the sources of these in our lives, then we can choose to act in a way that controls our stress levels.

22. EMOTIONS Recognizing our emotions and those of others, being aware of how emotions influence behavior and being able to respond to emotions appropriately.

23. EMPATHY The ability to think what life is for another person, even in a situation that you may not be familiar with. The ability to "put oneself into another's shoes“.

24. Thank you.