Life skills are abilities that help individuals effectively deal with challenges and demands of life through adaptive and positive behaviors. They include cognitive skills like critical thinking, personal skills like self-awareness, and interpersonal skills like communication. Developing life skills allows people to make good decisions, develop relationships, and manage stress. Key life skills identified by WHO are decision making, problem solving, creative thinking, communication, self-awareness, empathy, and managing emotions and stress. Having strong life skills promotes well-being, while lacking them can lead to issues like depression or relationship problems.
2. UNICEF DEFINITION
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Life Skills are defined as
Psychosocial ability for adaptive and positive behaviour
Enables individuals to deal effectively with the challenges and
demands of life
3. Importance
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help people make carefully big decisions
communicate effectively with others
develop coping skills with surrounding circumstances
manage oneself that leads to progress and success
4. SKILL
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Skill is an ability acquired through deliberate practice to do an
activity smoothly and successfully.
Different people need different skills depending on their
occupation, age, gender, culture, geographic location.
Skills that are necessary and sufficient for all people to live life
successfully is termed life skills.
5. Categories
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Cognitive Skill : Analyse and use information
Personal Skill : Develop personal abilities and manage oneself
Interpersonal Skill : Communicate and interact effectively with
others
7. Taking good care of ourselves
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Positive self manage
Self esteem
Self confidence
Motivated
Happy
Possible only if:
Self awareness
Ability to deal with emotions
Ability to cope with stress
Lack of these skills
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Inferiority complex
Negative attitude
Mental strain
Depression
Self harm tendencies
8. Interacting positively with others
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Healthy relationships
Assertive
Sociable
Cooperative
Compassionate
Possible only if:
Empathy
Effective communication
Interpersonal skills
Lack of these skills
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Constant conflicts
Strained and abusive relationship
Lack of trust, respect , sharing
and caring
Loneliness
Cruelty
Violence
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9. Managing Challenges in Life
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Ability to figure out the right
thing to do when faced with
adversity
Demonstrate leadership
qualities
Possible only if :
Problem solving skills
Decision making skills
Creative thinking
Critical thinking
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Not have a clear value system
Not be able to take right
decision or plan ahead
Causes feeling of failure ,
worthlessness and frustration
Lack of these skills
10. Life skills identified by WHO
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Core cross cultural areas of life skills
Decision making and problem solving
Creative thinking and critical thinking
Communication and interpersonal skills
Self awareness and empathy
Coping with emotions and stress
11. Decision making
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Cognitive process
Select from many alternative possibilities
Identifying and choose best solution
based on values, preferences, beliefs.
Before taking a decision, one has to list the
pros and cons, loss and the gain, the risk involved.
One need not hesitate to consult the appropriate people.
12. Problem Solving
• The individual should know the steps in problem-solving i.e.
understanding the nature of the problem, its onset, factors which
aggravate the problem, different solutions and how to choose the
best.
13. Creative Thinking
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Look at a problem from a new angle
Fresh or original perspective
One should understand others views, experiences & expressions
with sympathy.
14. Critical Thinking
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Clear ,rational , disciplined thinking
Improves thought process by reflection and identifying errors or
bias and correcting them.
Analyse , unify ,evaluate facts heard,seen or read.
One has to learn to evaluate and critically look at an issue,
information or requirement or recommendations made by others.
One should not blindly accept or get carried away by other’s
statements or pressures.
15. Effective Communication
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The ability to convey information to
another effectively and efficiently
Good Communication Skills verbal &
non-verbal are very important in the
day-to-day functioning of the
individual.
Communication of feelings and
emotions is essential for mental
well being.
16. Interpersonal Relationships
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One should develop the skills of establishing and maintaining an
appropriate, friendly relationship with most of the persons,
One should also learn skills to manage hostile and troublesome
persons by keeping the required distance.
17. Self Awareness
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Conscious and ongoing attention to oneself and one’s inner
states
What makes you unique?
It is very necessary to have an insight into self, one’s capabilities,
and limitations. One’s strength’s & weaknesses.
Appropriate Self Esteem should be present. Both Inferiority &
Superiority feelings about self are harmful.
18. Empathy
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Ability to put yourself in the other person’s shoes
See the other person’s perspective
Understand other’s feelings and emotions
One should understand others views, experiences & expressions
with sympathy.
20. Management of Stress
• Appropriate and healthy methods of managing one’s stresses
go a long way in the prevention of physical and mental disorders
21. Management of Emotions
• Appropriate & Healthy Methods of managing one’s negative
emotions go a long way in the prevention of physical and
mental disorders.
