Ghanaians have been urged to embrace emotional resilience in order to deal with stressful circumstances.

The clarion call comes in the wake of recent suicide cases among the youth in the country. 

James Kwesi Addison, Ghana’s first certified emotional intelligence coach and the driving force behind the SESA Initiative Ghana, made the call in a recent delivery during the ‘Second Edition of the Agape Children’s Ministry Conference 2017, under the leadership of the Agape New Testament Church.

Participants were taken through emotional self-awareness and management and other emotional intelligence competencies.

 

They were also given a unique insight into how his SESA Initiative Ghana will create qualified specialists in Social Emotional Development Practice, and support them to build and measure emotional resilience in young people, in FOUR ways:

1. Ability to manage difficult emotions with greater discretion to respond to stressful circumstances and to take control.

2. Increased creativity, innovation and problem solving abilities to enhance learning or work activities.

3. Improved health and wellbeing through the quality of social connections and relationships, with an enhanced capacity to make emotional connections with others and attract other people.

4. Solid optimistic approach and positive mood with a sense of self-confidence that in many ways inoculates against depression and anxiety.

In a post-conference interview, Mr Addison said, “there is a rise in youth related anxiety, self-harm, self-medication and crime, with research indicating that it stems from the lack of preparedness for life and the distressing emotions encountered by young people.”

Mr James Kwesi Addison is the Founder/CEO of Addison International Center for Emotional Intelligence, the Co-founder of Social Emotional Skills Academy (SESA Initiative Ghana) in his role as Regional Director (Africa) Social Emotional Development Institute (SEDi).