MODULE 12: MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF: BECOMING A BETTER
STUDENT
What is Learning?
Learning Involves change – in order to learn a new skill, there is change in:
one’s behavior that mostly occur through experience
Example: learning to sing a new song during nursery classes. Singing in this event becomes
natural
Example: learning martial arts. You get injured along the way but you learn discipline, proper
execution, habits, behaviors and knowledge.
Characteristics of Learning
1) Learning is Purposeful
2) Learning is a Result of Experience
3) Learning is Multifaceted
4) Learning is an Active Process
Learning is Purposeful
Every human action is MOTIVATED or INSPIRED by your aims, goals, and intentions.
Goals? It can be short-term or long-term
Example: you review to receive high grades (short term goal)
Example: going through masters and PHD courses receive higher salary (long-term)
So? This means that learning is PLANNED, INTENDED, and even FORCED
When a person wants to learn, there is a purpose for why they seek more knowledge
Research shows that students who set goals tend to be more persistent and are more likely to
achieve their goals
Learning is a Result of Experience
Learning comes with one’s interaction with the environment
Recall: learning is associated or linked in change of one’s behavior because of experience.
Students call easily memorize concepts, words and terms but it is through
UNDERSTANDING these terms and concepts that the experience becomes MEANINGFUL
and APPLICABLE
Example: the practice or OJT (On the job training) – students are exposed to actual
application for what they studied from nursery until their final year in college. OJT is
considered a significant learning experience.
Learning is Multifaceted: “A Sound mind in a sound body”
Learning involves not only a healthy and sound mind but also a healthy body: there is a
connection between the physical and mental well-being of a learner.
For learners to be effective, schools do not only hone their INTELLECTUAL capabilities but
also their SOCIAL, PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL potential.
Example: social studies involve the learning of nationalism and patriotism
Example: PE classes also teach teamwork and sportsmanship
The focus of learning is not only knowledge alone, this also includes skills and attitudes.
Learning is an Active Process
Learners should not be passive receivers of knowledge
Learning is not only through memorization of terms, concepts, laws and theories
Learners should be the center of the learning process which also involves their active
participation
The presence of assessment tasks enables the review and evaluation of these concepts and
learning objectives.
Example: using quizzes, exams and recitation to know if learners are able to understand
certain topics.
What happens during Learning?
The Brain Changes
o As a person eats food to provide nutrition for the body which is necessary for their
growth, the brain, takes a set of knowledge and skills for its development.
o The change process in the brain:
1) New nerve cells may grow thus, new neural networks will form
2) The strength of existing synaptic connection changes, thus changing the
connectivity within the existing neural networks in response to a sensory stimuli.
3) New synapses are found between neurons that were not connected before, which
create new networks when active, represent a new memory.
Behavioral Changes
o As a child, when you have accidentally touched a hot pot, did you touch it again?
o As a student, one tries to study harder upon experiencing failure in a certain course.
o One professor quoted: “at the time you begin to dislike me and even hate me, that is
the time you start to learn. It is because you are forced to go out of your comfort
zones. You are doing something that is not convenient for you, something that was
not done to you by your previous teachers”.
o Example: the first time reporting in class will be scary and difficult but with enough
practice, the reporter learns to get rid of stage fright and at the same time, become
articulate with words and finds it easier to express ideas and thoughts.
Remember and understand that: LEARNING IS DEFINED AS A PERMANENT CHANGE IN
BEHAVIOR AS A RESULT OF EXPERIENCE
o Because learning requires CONTINUOUS and CONSISTENT behavioral change.
Becoming a self-regulated learner
What is self-regulated learning?
o This refers to the learner’s ability to regulate or CONTROL one’s learning and
behavior.
o this entails or requires that one’s acquisition of knowledge does not require external
intervention (e.g. learning by one’s own motivation without others forcing the
learning process)
o Self-regulation is not a skill but a self-directive process where learners transform their
mental abilities into skills.
How?
1) Planning and setting goals
2) Using strategies and monitoring performances
3) Reflecting on one's own performance *this allows learners to know where to improve and
which skills to focus on honing
o e.g. during writing essays, you noticed you find it difficult to express ideas.
4) Adapting strategies to achieve one’s goals
Note: analyze the learning task so you can strategize better!
Learning to be a better student
“If you are not getting better, you are getting worse” – Pat Riley, one of the greatest
basketball coaches of all time and the head coach of Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s
Examples:
o In medicine, what does not cure can make a person sick and sickness can mutate and
make things worse.
o In businesses, if you are not equipped to compete, they will be left behind
o In sports, people focus their attention on champions
THE BIGGEST ROOM IN THE WORLD IS THE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT!
Outcome-based education (OBE) system in the Philippines
o What is this? The premise of instruction is based on what the student can do, as
opposed to what the students know. It is performance-based and action-based as
opposed to knowledge-based.
o James Spady – father of OBE and he asserts that whatever a students’ skills are,
what is crucial is what they can do with the information.
o Traditionally, in order to become a better student, one must read more books but
aside from being a reader now, students need to analyze, learn, understand and even
practice critical thinking.
Good study habits
On a general note: one must establish good study habits to learn effectively. STUDY
HABITS refer to attitudes and behaviors of students when preparing for tests or any learning
assessment.
1) get organized
2) prepare your review materials
3) ask help
4) test yourself or ask someone to test you
5) allot time to take a break and eliminate stress
6) create of join a study group
7) teach what you have learned
8) study to understand, not to remember.
Meaningful learning
Professors and teachers are guilty of the traditional teaching style where they tend to be the
only main speaker of the topic. Students, upon dismissal, should end in learning and not in the
feeling of freedom and the need to now unload and erase mental load and stress.
What are some ways we can make learning meaningful?
1) interactions – asking each other about practical application in their lives
2) allowing students to demonstrate a new skill
3) requiring to make students write essays and reflection
4) asking each other to relate the lesson to other fields
5) helping students or each other find the relevance of the lesson to their lives.
MODULE 13: SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS
Why are goals so important?
John Maxwell once posited these scenarios:
o Have you tried playing darts without a dartboard?
o How about playing basketball without a ring?
o Or playing golf without a hole?
Pointless and absurd situations
Same with life, a life without a purpose is a wasted life
It is said that a person has two birthdays: a day she was born and the
day she finds out he meaning of her life. The latter being the rare ones to
be celebrated
A truly successful person finds his purpose in life and does everything to
fulfill such purpose
Imagine playing basketball and putting your all against an opponent
without any ring thus, no scores – life is pointless without a purpose.
Albert bandura’s theory of Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to one’s beliefs in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or
accomplish a task.
One’s sense of self-efficacy can play a major role in how one approaches goals, tasks and
challenges.
Keyword here is BELIEF – if a person believes in herself then half the battle is already won.
Bandura stated the ways to strengthen self-efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious
experiences, verbal persuasion and emotional and psychological states.
Strengthen self-efficacy: Mastery experiences
This refers to first-hand or direct experiences that a person acquires.
When the frequency (or times) of success is high, there is a greater belief in one’s personal
efficacy. It is also true with failures and low efficacy
*Thus, it is suggested that you tackle easier and shorter tasks first before the advanced or
difficult ones.
Strengthen self-efficacy: vicarious experiences
This emanate from observing people, especially those that one regards as his or her role
models.
o People choose their own role models
And when these models succeed through hard work, this increases one’s beliefs that he too
can succeed!
Strengthen self-efficacy: verbal persuasion
This refers to motivation coming from influential people such as parents, teachers, friends,
coaches and superiors.
Encouraging statements like: “kayang-kayang mo yan” and “ikaw pa, maning-manging lang
yan sayo!” can actually provide significant motivation.
This also motivates us to do our best not to disappoint these people.
Strengthen self-efficacy: emotional and physiological states
This refers to what the emotional and physiological states of the person
A sound mind and sound body will contribute to success
Inspired, focused and motivated = more chances of success
Why do you think you should be mentally and emotionally well before exams, especially
board exams?
Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory
Carol Dweck – is one of the world-renowned researchers in the area of motivation
She introduced the idea of MINDSET which means as the implicit theories that individuals
hold regarding the nature of intelligent behavior.
In the FIXED THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE people believe that basic qualities such as
intelligence and talents are ‘fixed’ traits.
In the GROWTH THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE people believe that talent and
intelligence are developed through learning, effort, training and practice.
The ‘growth’ theory of intelligence is popular and mostly encouraged to motivate learners
and especially the self
Edwin Locke’s goal-setting theory
1960 – Dr Edwin Locke conducted the first ever research on goal setting and motivation
In this research, he mentioned that employees are motivated by clear goals and
appropriate feedback (and yes, senseless hate comments are pointless)
He stressed that setting goals provides a significant amount of motivation and in turn,
improves performance.
In GST, a goal has 2 outcomes:
1) mastery goals (desire to gain knowledge and skills) and
2) performance goals (desire to look competent to others).
1990 – a book entitled, “A Theory Of Goal Setting And Task Performance” which enumerated
the 5 principles of goal setting: CLARITY, CHALLENGE, COMMITMENT,
FEEDBACK AND TASK COMPLEXITY
5 principles of goal setting
1) CLARITY – a goal must be specific and must set a period for its attainment
2) CHALLENGE – a goal must trigger the knowledge, skills and abilities of a person; a
goal requires extra effort for attainment
3) COMMITMENT – refers to a person’s dedication towards completion of goals
4) FEEDBACK – serves as a mechanism to ensure that everyone sharing the same goal is
on the right track and direction.
5) TASK COMPLEXITY – this pushes people to take extra mile and work hard, the more
complicated the goal or task, the higher the motivation
Julian rotter’s expectancy theory
This theory is focused mainly on the expectations that shape a particular behavior in a
particular situation
Learning creates cognition known as EXPECTANCIES that guide behavior
Our decision to go through a behavior depends on the expectations we have after doing the
said behavior (do we expect positive remarks or negative reactions?) and the outcome
Example: parents invest and dedicate huge savings on their children’s future college plans as
they expect their children’s future to be secured that way and that they highly value education
Behavior is determined by expectations that a particular behavior will result in those
consequences,
Locus of Control:
1) Internal
2) External
Internal Locus of control
o the person believes that events are controlled by their own efforts
o They ‘make things happen’ and are active than passive e.g. people who are looking
for jobs still submit their resume despite the failures
External locus of control
o the person believes that events are determined by external forces they do not have
control over.
o They tend to attribute their success to chance or luck (kapalaran)
o e.g. when people fail to get the job they wanted they think that it is not their fate or
destiny.
Success
This is about achieving something as a product of one’s initiative and effort.
Success is SUBJECTIVE
E.g. for many people, success meant having many cars, houses and possessions. While
success for others meant finishing their Masters or PHD studies
Success is the feeling of fulfillment of an aspiration or desire; the feeling stays and
becomes a permanent source of pride and it defines one’s essence and existence.
King (2004) categorized success into: mental, spiritual, personal, career, financial, social,
physical and family successes.
MODULE 14: TAKING CHARGE OF ONE’S HEALTH
3 domains that dominate the self
Based on the domains of biorhythm, the self is dominated by 3 domains that operate in a
CYCLE:
o Physical domain (coordination, strength and well-being)
o Intellectual domain (alertness, analytical functioning, memory, recall, logic and
communication)
o Emotional domain (creativity, mood, awareness, perception)
*taken as a whole and as an indicator of health that must be balanced.
Contemporary medicine prescribes that in order to be healthy, one must exercise, control diet,
be patient and forgiving as not to poison one’s mind. Thus, all domains should be rid or
free from ‘poison’ or toxicity
Personal health responsibility
Steinbrook (2006) stated that today, more than ever, personal health responsibility (taking
charge of one’s health), is an ESSENTIAL step in disease prevention and recovery.
PHS involves ACTIVE participation in one’s own health and healing through education and
LIFESTYLE CHANGE (e.g. exercising regularly, having a balanced diet, having enough rest,
proper grooming, avoiding vices)
Prevention will always be better than cure! Diseases can be easily and freely avoided if one is
careful and sensitive to one’s health!
It is also your responsibility to know your family history to avoid hereditary diseases! (e.g.
high blood pressure, diabetes, and even mental illnesses)
It is also your responsibility to research on natural treatments and food supplements!
Stress
Stress refers to the REACTION of our psychological and physiological self to nay kind of
(real or imagined) demand , pressure or threat.
And yes, not all stress is negative and unwanted; there are positive stressors!
Eustress (positive) – beneficial stress that can be in the form of physical, psychological and
biological stimuli which allows us to wake up in the morning, do our routines, responsibilities
and be productive.
Distress (negative) – known as ‘bad’ stress that when the tension form it builds up it becomes
unpleasant and unbearable to cope with.
Stressor- is any event that compels a person to adjust or change.
Common Stressors (that can be unpleasant to life-threatening)
1) Catastrophic events and life – threatening experiences, traumas, unforeseen events, attacks,
terrorism, physical abuse, sexual abuse, calamities
2) Life changes and strains – separation of parents, change of work or workplace, new
adjustments
3) Chronic Problems – Problems that exists for a long time: serious illnesses, irresponsible
neighbors of family members, unemployment, unable to secure a decent job
4) Everyday Hassles – irritations, pressures, annoyances such as traffic, waiting long lines,
having a bad day
Stress tolerance
Refers to the ability of an individual to endure stress
An individual’s stress tolerance is dependent on his psychological and physiological
constitution.
EVERYONE REACTS DIFFERENTLY TO DIFFERENT STRESSORS!
o one’s perception of stress is highly subjective!
o The reality remains: we cannot eliminate stress, we can only MANAGE it!
Signs and symptoms of poorly managed stress
Symptoms can be: physical, emotional, mental
Being unable to manage stress can lead to addiction (of any kind) or undesirable
behaviors!
Coping with stress!
Problem-focused methods or emotion-focused methods in
handling stressors
Problem-focused – you attempt to eliminate the source of
stress. e.g. confrontation, seeking social support, problem
solving
Emotion-focused- aimed at controlling the negative
emotional consequences of stressors. e.g. distancing, self-
control, REBT, accepting responsibility, wishful thinking
Social and cultural dimensions of stress
Culturally and socially – stress is seen negatively
But research shows that stress is a NEUTRAL concept!
Existential philosophy – stress is relative (we all view stress differently)
Common perennial stressors in the Philippines:
E.g. poor transportation, traffic problems, increases in prices of commodities, unfinished
projects all of which affect the country’s well-being
The need for self-care and self-compassion
You cannot give to others what you do not have!
o before taking care of others, take care of
yourself first!
o before loving others, love yourself first!
o be in touch with the different aspects of
yourself!
Self-care – refers to all activities that a person does to
maintain and improve her well-being. (physical,
psychological, emotional, social and spiritual
dimensions)
Benefits of self-care
1) Enhanced productivity – less time for vices, more time for growth and self-improvement
(e.g. less time to drink = more time to exercise or learn new skills)
2) Improved vitality – the healthier you are = more resistance to diseases
3) Enhanced self-esteem – replace negative self-talk with encouraging words and affirmations!
Find acceptance with your strengths and weaknesses and be proud of who you are!
4) Increased self-knowledge – after acceptance, you’ll discover more things you love, like and
want to pursue which makes life more fulfilling
5) Mindfulness and compassion – being good to one’s self makes being good to others easier
and selfless.
Self-compassion
“Learning To Love Yourself Is The Greatest Love Of All” – Whitney Houston
o In the Roman Catholic belief : God created us with love and in his image so why hurt
and berate yourself?
o *Regardless of one's religion, self-love and compassion is vital
Self-Compassion – showing compassion towards the self . It involves being open to and
moved by one’s own suffering, expressing care and kindness towards oneself. Being
understanding and nonjudgmental towards one’s failures and weaknesses.
We are imperfect beings and we should positively take on challenges with the hope of
improving ourselves and deserving love.
3 components of self-compassion
3 components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness
1) Self-Kindness – not being harsh to one’s self. Avoiding self-beration (harmful self-
blaming) and not resorting to self-harm or injury
2) Common humanity – acceptance of one’s imperfections and that we all (yes all) make
mistakes and that we don’t always get what we want
3) Mindfulness – the practice of being fully present in the moment. Painful feelings and
thoughts are reframed or redirected into positive encouragement and ideas in order to
embrace one’s humanity.
MODULE 13: SETTING GOALS FOR SUCCESS
Why are goals so important?
John Maxwell once posited these scenarios:
o Have you tried playing darts without a dartboard?
o How about playing basketball without a ring?
o Or playing golf without a hole?
Pointless and absurd situations
Same with life, a life without a purpose is a wasted life
It is said that a person has two birthdays: a day she was born and the
day she finds out he meaning of her life. The latter being the rare ones to
be celebrated
A truly successful person finds his purpose in life and does everything to
fulfill such purpose
Imagine playing basketball and putting your all against an opponent
without any ring thus, no scores – life is pointless without a purpose.
Albert bandura’s theory of Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to one’s beliefs in one’s ability to succeed in specific situations or
accomplish a task.
One’s sense of self-efficacy can play a major role in how one approaches goals, tasks and
challenges.
Keyword here is BELIEF – if a person believes in herself then half the battle is already won.
Bandura stated the ways to strengthen self-efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious
experiences, verbal persuasion and emotional and psychological states.
Strengthen self-efficacy: Mastery experiences
This refers to first-hand or direct experiences that a person acquires.
When the frequency (or times) of success is high, there is a greater belief in one’s personal
efficacy. It is also true with failures and low efficacy
*Thus, it is suggested that you tackle easier and shorter tasks first before the advanced or
difficult ones.
Strengthen self-efficacy: vicarious experiences
This emanate from observing people, especially those that one regards as his or her role
models.
o People choose their own role models
And when these models succeed through hard work, this increases one’s beliefs that he too
can succeed!
Strengthen self-efficacy: verbal persuasion
This refers to motivation coming from influential people such as parents, teachers, friends,
coaches and superiors.
Encouraging statements like: “kayang-kayang mo yan” and “ikaw pa, maning-manging lang
yan sayo!” can actually provide significant motivation.
This also motivates us to do our best not to disappoint these people.
Strengthen self-efficacy: emotional and physiological states
This refers to what the emotional and physiological states of the person
A sound mind and sound body will contribute to success
Inspired, focused and motivated = more chances of success
Why do you think you should be mentally and emotionally well before exams, especially
board exams?
Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory
Carol Dweck – is one of the world-renowned researchers in the area of motivation
She introduced the idea of MINDSET which means as the implicit theories that individuals
hold regarding the nature of intelligent behavior.
In the FIXED THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE people believe that basic qualities such as
intelligence and talents are ‘fixed’ traits.
In the GROWTH THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE people believe that talent and
intelligence are developed through learning, effort, training and practice.
The ‘growth’ theory of intelligence is popular and mostly encouraged to motivate learners
and especially the self
Edwin Locke’s goal-setting theory
1960 – Dr Edwin Locke conducted the first ever research on goal setting and motivation
In this research, he mentioned that employees are motivated by clear goals and
appropriate feedback (and yes, senseless hate comments are pointless)
He stressed that setting goals provides a significant amount of motivation and in turn,
improves performance.
In GST, a goal has 2 outcomes:
3) mastery goals (desire to gain knowledge and skills) and
4) performance goals (desire to look competent to others).
1990 – a book entitled, “A Theory Of Goal Setting And Task Performance” which enumerated
the 5 principles of goal setting: CLARITY, CHALLENGE, COMMITMENT,
FEEDBACK AND TASK COMPLEXITY
5 principles of goal setting
6) CLARITY – a goal must be specific and must set a period for its attainment
7) CHALLENGE – a goal must trigger the knowledge, skills and abilities of a person; a
goal requires extra effort for attainment
8) COMMITMENT – refers to a person’s dedication towards completion of goals
9) FEEDBACK – serves as a mechanism to ensure that everyone sharing the same goal is
on the right track and direction.
10) TASK COMPLEXITY – this pushes people to take extra mile and work hard, the more
complicated the goal or task, the higher the motivation
Julian rotter’s expectancy theory
This theory is focused mainly on the expectations that shape a particular behavior in a
particular situation
Learning creates cognition known as EXPECTANCIES that guide behavior
Our decision to go through a behavior depends on the expectations we have after doing the
said behavior (do we expect positive remarks or negative reactions?) and the outcome
Example: parents invest and dedicate huge savings on their children’s future college plans as
they expect their children’s future to be secured that way and that they highly value education
Behavior is determined by expectations that a particular behavior will result in those
consequences,
Locus of Control:
3) Internal
4) External
Internal Locus of control
o the person believes that events are controlled by their own efforts
o They ‘make things happen’ and are active than passive e.g. people who are looking
for jobs still submit their resume despite the failures
External locus of control
o the person believes that events are determined by external forces they do not have
control over.
o They tend to attribute their success to chance or luck (kapalaran)
o e.g. when people fail to get the job they wanted they think that it is not their fate or
destiny.
Success
This is about achieving something as a product of one’s initiative and effort.
Success is SUBJECTIVE
E.g. for many people, success meant having many cars, houses and possessions. While
success for others meant finishing their Masters or PHD studies
Success is the feeling of fulfillment of an aspiration or desire; the feeling stays and
becomes a permanent source of pride and it defines one’s essence and existence.
King (2004) categorized success into: mental, spiritual, personal, career, financial, social,
physical and family successes.
MODULE 14: TAKING CHARGE OF ONE’S HEALTH
3 domains that dominate the self
Based on the domains of biorhythm, the self is dominated by 3 domains that operate in a
CYCLE:
o Physical domain (coordination, strength and well-being)
o Intellectual domain (alertness, analytical functioning, memory, recall, logic and
communication)
o Emotional domain (creativity, mood, awareness, perception)
*taken as a whole and as an indicator of health that must be balanced.
Contemporary medicine prescribes that in order to be healthy, one must exercise, control diet,
be patient and forgiving as not to poison one’s mind. Thus, all domains should be rid or
free from ‘poison’ or toxicity
Personal health responsibility
Steinbrook (2006) stated that today, more than ever, personal health responsibility (taking
charge of one’s health), is an ESSENTIAL step in disease prevention and recovery.
PHS involves ACTIVE participation in one’s own health and healing through education and
LIFESTYLE CHANGE (e.g. exercising regularly, having a balanced diet, having enough rest,
proper grooming, avoiding vices)
Prevention will always be better than cure! Diseases can be easily and freely avoided if one is
careful and sensitive to one’s health!
It is also your responsibility to know your family history to avoid hereditary diseases! (e.g.
high blood pressure, diabetes, and even mental illnesses)
It is also your responsibility to research on natural treatments and food supplements!
Stress
Stress refers to the REACTION of our psychological and physiological self to nay kind of
(real or imagined) demand , pressure or threat.
And yes, not all stress is negative and unwanted; there are positive stressors!
Eustress (positive) – beneficial stress that can be in the form of physical, psychological and
biological stimuli which allows us to wake up in the morning, do our routines, responsibilities
and be productive.
Distress (negative) – known as ‘bad’ stress that when the tension form it builds up it becomes
unpleasant and unbearable to cope with.
Stressor- is any event that compels a person to adjust or change.
Common Stressors (that can be unpleasant to life-threatening)
5) Catastrophic events and life – threatening experiences, traumas, unforeseen events, attacks,
terrorism, physical abuse, sexual abuse, calamities
6) Life changes and strains – separation of parents, change of work or workplace, new
adjustments
7) Chronic Problems – Problems that exists for a long time: serious illnesses, irresponsible
neighbors of family members, unemployment, unable to secure a decent job
8) Everyday Hassles – irritations, pressures, annoyances such as traffic, waiting long lines,
having a bad day
Stress tolerance
Refers to the ability of an individual to endure stress
An individual’s stress tolerance is dependent on his psychological and physiological
constitution.
EVERYONE REACTS DIFFERENTLY TO DIFFERENT STRESSORS!
o one’s perception of stress is highly subjective!
o The reality remains: we cannot eliminate stress, we can only MANAGE it!
Signs and symptoms of poorly managed stress
Symptoms can be: physical, emotional, mental
Being unable to manage stress can lead to addiction (of
any kind) or undesirable behaviors!
Coping with stress!
Problem-focused methods or emotion-focused methods in
handling stressors
Problem-focused – you attempt to eliminate the source of stress. e.g. confrontation, seeking
social support, problem solving
Emotion-focused- aimed at controlling the negative emotional consequences of stressors. e.g.
distancing, self-control, REBT, accepting responsibility, wishful thinking
Social and cultural dimensions of stress
Culturally and socially – stress is seen negatively
But research shows that stress is a NEUTRAL concept!
Existential philosophy – stress is relative (we all view stress differently)
Common perennial stressors in the Philippines:
E.g. poor transportation, traffic problems, increases in prices of commodities, unfinished
projects all of which affect the country’s well-being
The need for self-care and self-compassion
You cannot give to others what you do not have!
o before taking care of others, take care of
yourself first!
o before loving others, love yourself first!
o be in touch with the different aspects of
yourself!
Self-care – refers to all activities that a person does to
maintain and improve her well-being. (physical,
psychological, emotional, social and spiritual
dimensions)
Benefits of self-care
6) Enhanced productivity – less time for vices, more time for growth and self-improvement
(e.g. less time to drink = more time to exercise or learn new skills)
7) Improved vitality – the healthier you are = more resistance to diseases
8) Enhanced self-esteem – replace negative self-talk with encouraging words and affirmations!
Find acceptance with your strengths and weaknesses and be proud of who you are!
9) Increased self-knowledge – after acceptance, you’ll discover more things you love, like and
want to pursue which makes life more fulfilling
10) Mindfulness and compassion – being good to one’s self makes being good to others easier
and selfless.
Self-compassion
“Learning To Love Yourself Is The Greatest Love Of All” – Whitney Houston
o In the Roman Catholic belief : God created us with love and in his image so why hurt
and berate yourself?
o *Regardless of one's religion, self-love and compassion is vital
Self-Compassion – showing compassion towards the self . It involves being open to and
moved by one’s own suffering, expressing care and kindness towards oneself. Being
understanding and nonjudgmental towards one’s failures and weaknesses.
We are imperfect beings and we should positively take on challenges with the hope of
improving ourselves and deserving love.
3 components of self-compassion
3 components: self-kindness, common humanity and mindfulness
4) Self-Kindness – not being harsh to one’s self. Avoiding self-beration (harmful self-
blaming) and not resorting to self-harm or injury
5) Common humanity – acceptance of one’s imperfections and that we all (yes all) make
mistakes and that we don’t always get what we want
6) Mindfulness – the practice of being fully present in the moment. Painful feelings and
thoughts are reframed or redirected into positive encouragement and ideas in order to
embrace one’s humanity.
