Personal development Lesson 1 &2

Knowing Oneself – Strengths and

Limitations
Self
According to Plato, the beginning of knowledge is self-knowledge. Other ancient
philosophers define self in many ways but today, let us talk about the self-
concept. Self is the union of elements that constitute the individuality and identity
of a person, namely:
• Body - constitutes your physical attributes, your health, and your posture
and poise;
• Thoughts- the way you think, and how you perceive things around you;
• Feelings or emotions- how you feel about the things around you; and
• Sensations- a widespread reaction of interest and excitement about
something.

Know Thy Self

According to the philosophical point of view, “An unexamined life is not worth
living”, this is one of the famous lines once uttered by one of the greatest
philosophers of Ancient Greek, Socrates.
Know Thyself is an old maxim or aphorism which in time has been used in varied
literature and consequently gained different meanings. One of its meanings is
recorded in the Greek encyclopedia of knowledge called “The Suda”.
Why is knowing yourself is so important?
• it is because the knowing and understanding yourself part would help you
to make much better decisions,
• it will improve your decision-making habits, in setting and reaching
appropriate goals and altogether living more productively and more.

1|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Socrates
• It seems ridiculous for him to investigate other unimportant things where
he has not known himself yet,
admitting one’s ignorance is the beginning of true knowledge.
Plato
• The beginning of knowledge is self-knowledge.
Upanishads
• According to Hindu ancient writings "enquiry into the truth of the "self" is
knowledge.”

Self - Knowledge
• Is all-encompassing. What is learned on one scale of experience can be
applied to all scales. It is the highest form of knowledge, surpassing all
other knowledge.
• Is also timeless, which means that what is gained in one era, benefits all
subsequent generations.

Knowing Oneself
• You must grow with a deeper understanding of what makes you happy, how
you relate with your surroundings, and give importance to your strengths,
limitations, and even your soft spots.
• It takes a lot of courage and guts
• It takes mindful effort and much time to do it
• Doesn’t happen in an instant
• Get acquainted with people that inspire and motivate you to do better
• Tasks and jobs you can and cannot do must be known to you
• Discovering yourself is about something much greater and higher
significance. It is understanding who you are at your core, what most
concerns you, what makes you come energetic, what nourishes your soul
and what exhausts your spirit, and how to know the distinction so you
decide well as you go further in life.
Knowing oneself basically is an advantage to understand the inner and outer you.
But understanding why every person is unique ignites our tolerance and
acceptance of each other.
Uniqueness is defined in different ways and here are some of the collective
definitions:
1. Being the only one or SOLE.
2. A person who has distinct characteristics.
2|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

3. The quality of being unique or unusual in some special way.

4. A state or condition wherein someone or something is unlike anything else
in comparison.
10 Things that Make a Person Unique
1. PERSONALITY stretches from the day a person starts to see and
experience life in the world leading to gathering information, knowledge,
acquiring kills, possessing emotional responses, and making choices
differently from other people.
2. ATTITUDE becomes the anchor of becoming either positive or negative in
life, perceiving how people act in front of you, and an offshoot of your
emotional landscape;
3. EXPERIENCES that shape you on how you act and behave today. If you
experienced negative, you tend to behave anxious or defensive; however,
some would deal with it as a motivator while experiencing positive that
improves your senses in understanding the world
4. HABITS that normally we do every day in our lives such as our eating
habit, personal hygiene practices, meditation exercises, and trying new
things. Cliché’ but as they always say and globally accepted and favored,
“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do” and that makes you
unique from others;
5. CREATIVITY such as dancing, painting, singing, producing useful things
out of scrap materials, and defining beauty in a different way and
perspective makes you unique;
6. PERSPECTIVE saying that no other people understand the world as you do
because they do not live like exactly 24 hours beside you. Your experience
is not the same as others’, your body of knowledge is not the same as
theirs. That is why the gaps are filled from each own unique perspective to
continuously develop and improve;
7. TASTE is a unique facet of you because you have different likes and
dislikes from other people;
8. GOALS are set in different manners depending on how you create steps
and procedures in achieving those;
9. HOBBIES improve your personal growth and mental health such as
gardening, cooking, and gaming; and
[Link] provides direction toward a goal or experience that will allow us
to leave a unique mark in this world such as involvement in philanthropic
activities like giving and supporting people in need.

Self - Concept
• Self-concept is the image that we have of ourselves. How exactly does this
self-image form and change over time? This image develops in a number of

3|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

ways but is particularly influenced by our interactions with important

people in our lives.
• Self-concept is generally thought of as our individual perceptions of our
behavior, abilities, and unique characteristics—a mental picture of who you
are as a person. For example, beliefs such as "I am a good friend" or "I am
a kind person" are part of an overall self-concept.
• Self-concept tends to be more malleable when people are younger and still
going through the process of self-discovery and identity formation. As
people age, self-perceptions become much more detailed and organized as
people form a better idea of who they are and what is important to them
According to the book Essential Social Psychology by Richard Crisp and Rhiannon
Turner:
• The individual self consists of attributes and personality traits that
differentiate us from other individuals.
Examples include introversion or extroversion.
• The relational self is defined by our relationships with significant others.
Examples include siblings, friends, and spouses.
• The collective self reflects our membership in social groups. Examples
include British, Republican, African- American, or gay.
• At its most basic, self-concept is a collection of beliefs one holds about
oneself and the responses of others. It
embodies the answer to the question "Who am I?"

4|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Theories of Self-Concept
Like many topics within psychology, a number of theorists have proposed different
ways of thinking about self-concept. According to a theory known as social
identity theory, self-concept is composed of two key parts: personal identity and
social identity.
• Personal identity includes the traits and other characteristics that make
each person unique.
• Social identity refers to how we identify with a collective, such as a
community, religion, or political movement.
Psychologist Dr. Bruce A. Bracken suggested in 1992 that there are six specific
domains related to self-concept:
• Social: the ability to interact with others
• Competence: the ability to meet basic needs
• Affect: the awareness of emotional states
• Physical: feelings about looks, health, physical condition, and overall
appearance
• Academic: success or failure in school
• Family: how well one functions within the family unit
Humanist psychologist, Carl Rogers believed that there were three different parts
of self-concept:
• Self-image, or how you see yourself. Each individual's self-image is a
mixture of different attributes including our physical characteristics,
personality traits, and social roles. Self-image doesn't necessarily coincide
with reality. Some people might have an inflated self-image of themselves,
while others may perceive or exaggerate the flaws and weaknesses that
others don't see.
• Self-esteem, or how much you value yourself. A number of factors can
impact self-esteem, in-cluding how we compare ourselves to others and
how others respond to us. When people re-spond positively to our behavior,
we are more likely to develop positive self-esteem. When we
compare ourselves to others and find ourselves lacking, it can have a
negative impact on our self-esteem.
• Ideal self, or how you wish you could be. In many cases, the way we see
ourselves and how we would like to see ourselves do not quite match up

Identifying your Strengths and

Weaknesses
Personality

5|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

• Is referred to as the set of behaviors, feelings, thoughts and motives that

identify an individual.
• An essence of who we are and is the embodiment of one’s physical,
psychological, cognitive, and effective and spiritual self.
• The term “personality” came from the Latin word ‘persona’, which means
“mask.”
• Therefore, when we speak of the “SELF” we will describe it in personality
terms.
Strengths
• Knowing your strengths, you will be more empowered to do
developmental tasks.
• Equipped with skills in essential making wise decisions in life.
• More competent in achieving your goals.
• Capacity to establish mature relationships with others, emotional
independence and ability to demonstrate responsible behaviors.
• Analyze complex situations logically and sensibly
• More confident in doing your tasks.
Personal Strength is what you do the best and where your genuine talents are,
concentrate on using that strength to the fullest if you want to live a comfortable
life.
• find ways to enhance your capability
• becoming more aware of your weaknesses is not the end goal of self-
development; rather, a starting point.
• develop positive attitudes dealing with life’s challenges
Limitations - Limitations are those attributes that you that you will have difficulty
in doing. Letting other people identify your personal limitation is better than
identifying them on your own.
Everybody has limitations, humans are not perfect so it is a normal thing.

6|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Introspection
• Introspection is your ability to reflect and think about your own thoughts,
feelings and actions, is essential in
understanding and improving yourself.
• Writing a journal is one way of helping you introspect.
Influences

Nature Nurture

Heredity Environment

Genetic make-up Acquired surrounding

From the development in the womb Habits \ routines

of a mother
Practices of attributes

Observed behaviors

Lesson 3 &4

Developing the Whole Person

7|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Developing the Whole Person

Adolescence is referred to as the teenage years, which start at the age of twelve
(12) and end at the age of twenty-one (21). The beginning of the physiological
development is shown by the onset of puberty. There are children who experience
puberty as early as the age of nine (9).
Puberty refers to the physical transformation that a child experiences as sexual
maturity is reached. It is at this stage that the child may be overly concerned with
appearance and body image (Lewis 2015).

Five Areas of Personal Development

Area Development

Physiological Refers to physical changes in the body as well as the senses and
development changes in skills related to movement.

Emotional It has something to do with the feelings that you experience.

development
Social It is about our innate capacity to relate with others, to connect,
Development and to feel the sense of belongingness.

Cognitive Refers to a person’s intellectual abilities as shown in his/her

development thoughts, attitudes, beliefs and values.

Spiritual It is discovering oneself beyond the ego known as the soul, spirit,
Development or the “inner essence” that is often disregarded or taken for
granted. It is experiencing a glimpse of “inner guide” of one’s
beliefs and values is discovering the meaning of life.

Physical or Physiological Changes

The genes he/she got from his/her parents contribute in the physical appearance
of a person.
 What are the changes among boys?
8|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

 What is the change among girls?

Physical health is critical for overall well-being and can be affected by:
• Lifestyle: diet, level of physical activity, and behavior (eating unhealthy
foods);
• Human biology: a person’s genetics and physiology may make it easier or
harder to achieve good physical health;
• Environment: our surroundings and exposure to factors such as sunlight or
toxic substances; and
• Healthcare service: good healthcare can help prevent illness, as well as to
detect and treat illness.
Self-check. Ask yourself regarding your Physiological Development.
1. How healthy is your physical 5. When was your last medical
body? check-up?
2. Does it get enough rest and 6. What are the common illnesses
sleep? in your family?
3. Is it given nutritional food and 7. If you look into generations
sufficient water to help the before, what sickness plagued
physiological system do its your ancestors?
functions more optimally?
8. In the pandemic crisis, do you
4. What aches and pains does consider yourself safe from
your body suffer? such viruses and diseases?

9|Page
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Cognitive Changes
Cognitive development refers to the progression of one’s ability to think and
reason out, adolescents develop the ability to think and interconnect things in
relation to problem solving.
During adolescence, your brain goes through significant structural development
stages as well.
Mental abilities are developed by engaging in intellectual pursuits such as studies,
work, and figuring out how best to deal with challenges—thinking, planning,
organizing, evaluating, and maximizing cognitive abilities. The more we study, the
more we learn; while the more we learn, the more we can study better.
Self-check. Ask yourself regarding your Cognitive Development
1. Have you experienced mistakes 2. What is your attitude towards
in the choices you made? How your study habits? 3. Are you
do you deal with these doing well in your studies?
situations?

Emotional Change
According to Hurlock (1982), adolescence, as a transition period, has often been
described as a period of “storm and stress”. You get easily excited with some
situations, but you also tend to easily show your irritation. Emotional maturity
should be achieved by the end of adolescence. The indicators that you have
finally achieved emotional maturity are:
a. You know how to express your emotions in a socially acceptable manner
b. When you face difficult situations, you exercise critical thinking and not
being emotionally carried away
c. You realize that lessons can be learned from each challenging experience
d. You become less reactive to provocations and emotionally heated
situations.

10 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Ways to improve or maintain good emotional health.

• Be aware of your emotions and reactions. Notice what in your life makes
you sad, frustrated, or angry. Try to address or change those things.
• Think before you act. Emotions can be powerful. Give yourself time to think,
and be calm before you say or do something you might regret.
• Manage stress. Try to change situations, causing you stress. Learn
relaxation methods to cope with stress
• Strive for balance. Find a healthy balance between work and play and
between activity and rest. Make time for things you enjoy. Focus on positive
things in your life.
• Take care of your physical health. Your physical health can affect your
emotional health. Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals and get enough
sleep. Do not abuse drugs or alcohol.
• Connect with others. We are social creatures. We need positive connections
with other people.

Social Change
Social Development refers to how people develop social and emotional skills
across the lifespan, with particular attention to childhood and adolescence.
Healthy social development allows us to form positive relationships with family,
friends, teachers, and other people in our lives.
As a person develops and perceives its individuality within a community, he/she
also gains skills to communicate with other people and process his/her actions.
Social development most often refers to how a person develops friendships and
other relationships and how a person handles conflict with peers.

11 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Based on Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development, the period of

adolescence is the most challenging and turbulent stage in the framing of the
identity of an individual. He espouses that the struggle in forming one’s identity
and the confusion of roles attached to it occurs around the time when
adolescence happens. On the other hand, social pressures and demands add to
the stress and storm of the adolescence stage. Here are some of the social
changes you may experience please take note:
1. Your attitude, speech, interests, appearance, and behavior are greatly
influenced by your peers, as you spend more time outside your home.
2. You may prefer fewer friends and intimate relationships and become
curious about relationships with the opposite sex and experience physical
attraction.
3. You are more socially competent and tend to participate more in social
gatherings which is manifested in your ability to carry on conversations,
behave properly in front of people, and have confidence to share your
talents.
4. Your need for belongingness is manifested in this stage.
Why is social development important?
Social development can impact many other forms of development a person
experiences. Healthy social development allows us to form positive relationships
with family, friends, teachers, and other people.
Healthy social development can help you:
• Develop Communication Skills. An ability to interact with others allows for
more opportunities to practice communications skills
• Build self-esteem. When a person is unable to make friends, it can be
frustrating or even painful. A good circle of friends reinforces a person’s
comfort level with her individuality.
• Strengthen learning skills. Studies show that children who have a hard time
getting along with classmates as early as a preschool are more likely to
experience later academic difficulties.
• Resolve conflicts. Stronger self-esteem and better language skills can
ultimately lead to a better ability to resolve differences with peers.
• Establish a positive attitude. A positive attitude ultimately leads to better
relationships with others and higher levels of self-confidence.

12 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Self-check. Ask yourself regarding your Emotional Development

1. How is your relationship with your parents?
2. Do you consider yourself as friendly? Why?
3. How do you interact with other people? Are you outgoing?
4. Do you feel belongingness in your family, school, or peers?

Moral or Spiritual Changes

Morality means “a set of guiding principles that direct a person in the pursuit of
what of right or wrong and what is good or bad.” The development of the
adolescent in the moral aspect shows the fruition of these guiding principles and
is manifested by the concrete application of these guidelines in daily life (Oswalt
2015)
Spiritual development is defined as discovering oneself beyond the ego known as
the soul, spirit, or the “inner essence” that is often disregarded or taken for
granted (Llaneza-Ramos, 2017). It is when one experiences a glimpse of the
“inner guide” of one’s beliefs and values as one discovers the meaning of life.
Self-check. Ask yourself regarding your Spiritual Development
1. How can you tell that you believe in “God”?
2. What are the things you do that manifest your spiritual development?

Thoughts, Feelings & Actions

• Thoughts are the words that run through your mind. They’re the things
you tell yourself about what’s going on around you. There are many
different thoughts you could have about a single situation.
• Feelings come and go as different things happen to you. You might feel
happy, angry, and sad, all in one day.
Some feelings are uncomfortable, but
they are not bad. Everyone has these
feelings from time-to-time.
• Actions are things you do, or the way
you behave. Your thoughts and feelings
have a big impact on how you act. If you
feel happy, you are likely to do nice
things. But if you feel angry, you might
want to act mean.
• One popular kind of counseling is called
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). It is based on the idea that our
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected and influence one
another. For example, if we are feeling sad or depressed, we might have
thoughts like we are not worth much of anything, and we might do
behaviors like stayingy in bed all day. On the other hand, if we are feeling

13 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

happy or excited, we might have thoughts like the future is bright, and we
might do behaviors like calling a friend or see a movie.

New Thoughts New Feelings New Actions

1 ” Rica might be upset with Concerned that Rica might Ask Rica if she is mad at
me, but maybe not. I don’t be upset, but I’m not as me, or if she has another
know”. sad as I was. problem.

2 “Rica has probably been Disappointed I haven’t I’ll stay friendly with Rica,
busy with school or talked to Rica, but as usual. I’ll be sure to say
something else”. understanding “hi” anyway.

3 3 “Maybe Rica is upset Worried about how Rica is Ask Rica what’s going on,
about something feeling. and if she needs help.
unrelated to me”.

Lesson 5

Adolescent’s Developmental Tasks and

Challenges

14 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Havighurst`s
Developmental Tasks
During The Life Span
Robert J. Havighurst elaborated the
Developmental Tasks Theory in the most
systematic and extensive manner. His main
assertion is that development is continuous
throughout the entire lifespan, occurring in
stages, where the individual moves from one
stage to the next by means of the successful
resolution of problems or performance of
developmental tasks.

The Developmental Task Summary

Infancy and Early Childhood (0-5)
• Learning to walk Learning to take solid foods
• Learning to talk
• Learning to control the elimination of body wastes
• Learning sex differences and sexual modesty
• Acquiring concepts and language to describe social and physical reality
• Readiness for reading Learning to distinguish right from wrong and
developing a conscience

Middle Childhood (6-12)

• Learning physical skills necessary for ordinary games

• Building a wholesome attitude toward oneself

15 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

• Learning to get along with age mates.

• Learning an appropriate sex role
• Developing fundamental skills in reading, writing, and calculating
• Developing concepts necessary for everyday living
• Developing conscience, morality, and a scale of values
• Achieving personal independence • Developing acceptable attitudes
toward society
Adolescence (13-18)
• Achieving mature relations with both sexes
• Achieving a masculine or feminine social role Accepting one’s physique
• Achieving emotional independence of adults Preparing for marriage and
family life Preparing for an economic career• Acquiring values and an
ethical system to guide behavior• Desiring and achieving social
responsibility behavior.
Early Adulthood (19-30)
• Selecting a mate Learning to live with a partner
• Starting a family• Rearing children
• Managing a home Starting an occupation
• Assuming civic responsibility
Middle Adulthood (30-60)
• Helping teenage children to become happy and responsible adults
• Achieving adult social and civic responsibility
• Satisfactory career achievement
• Developing adult leisure time activities
• Relating to one’s spouse as a person
• Accepting the physiological changes of middle-age
• Adjusting to an aging parent
Late Maturity (61+)
• Adjusting to decreasing strength and health
• Adjusting to retirement and reduced income
• Adjusting to the death of a spouse
• Establishing relations with one’s age group
• Meeting social and civic obligations
16 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

• Establishing satisfactory living quarter

The Passage To Adulthood: Challenges Of

Late Adolescence
A child’s progress toward a new skill and other notable achievements in his/her
earlylife are called “developmental milestones”. Most children achieve these
milestones ataround a certain age, that is, the process of normal development.
However, when achild’s development in areas such as speech, motor skills, and so
on is delayed, thenthe child is considered having a developmental
challenge/delay.
Physical Development
• Most girls have completed
the physical changes
related to puberty by age
15.
• Boys are still maturing and
gaining strength, muscle
mass, and height and are
completing the development of sexual traits.
Emotional Development
• May stress over school and test scores.
• Is self-involved (may have high expectations and low self-concept).
• Seeks privacy and time alone.• Is concerned about physical and sexual
attractiveness.
• May complain that parents prevent him or her from doing things
independently.
• It starts to want both physical and emotional intimacy in relationships.
• Experiences of intimate relationships
Social Development
• Shifts in relationship with parents from dependency and subordination to
one that reflects the adolescent’s increasing maturity and responsibilities in
the family and the community,
• Is more and more aware of social behaviors of friends.
• Seeks friends that share the same beliefs, values, and interests.
• Friends become more important.
• Starts to have more intellectual interests.
• Explores romantic and sexual behaviors with others.

17 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

• May be influenced by peers to try risky behaviors (alcohol, tobacco, sex)

Mental Development
• Becomes better able to set goals and think in terms of the future.
• Has a better understanding of complex problems and issues.
• Starts to develop moral ideals and to select role models

Encouragement And Being Happy: A

Positive Reinforcement To Adolescents
Encouragement is the key ingredient for improving your relationships with others.
It is the most important skill necessary for getting along with others –so important
that the lack of it could be considered the primary cause of conflict and
misbehavior. Encouragement develops a person’s psychological hardiness and
social interest. Encouragement is the lifeblood of a relationship. And yet this
simple concept is often very hard to put into practice.
Encouragement enhances a feeling of belonging which leads to greater social
interest. Social interest is the tendency for people to unite themselves with other
human beings and to accomplish their tasks in cooperation with others. The Junior
League’s mission of “developing the potential of women and improving
communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers” is
rooted in the idea of social interest.

18 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Most commonly, we discourage in five general ways:

• We set standards that are too high for others to meet because we are
overly ambitious.
• We focus on mistakes as a way to motivate change or improve behavior.
• We make constant comparisons (self to others, siblings to one another).
• We automatically give a negative spin to the actions of others.
We dominate others by being overly helpful, implying that they are unable to do it
as well
• Being happy is finding strength in forgiveness, hope in one’s battles,
security at the stage of fear, and love in disagreements.
• Being happy is not only to treasure the smile but you also reflect on the
sadness. It is not just commemorating the event, but also learning lessons
in failures. It is not just having joy with the applause, but also having joy
in anonymity.
• Being happy is to recognize that it is worthwhile to live, despite all the
challenges, misunderstandings, and times of crises
• Being happy is not an inevitable fate, but a victory for those who can travel
towards it with your own being.
• Being happy is not being afraid of one's feelings. It is to know how. to talk
about ourselves

19 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development Lesson 6

One’s Development Through the Help

of Others
Influential People in My Life
• Parents
 Parents are the first people who introduce you to life.
 They provide shelter, protection, and sense of security no matter
what happens.
 Parents play the largest role in a person’s mental, emotional,
physical, and social development
• Siblings
 Siblings are friends within a family
 They extend valuable help whenever you are in need of assistance
 Like friendship, your relationship with your sister or brother requires
communication and acceptance.
• Friends
Friends are like extended siblings who came from different families.
 They give us a sense of belongingness for an individual would always
want to be part of something.
 Friends also teach us the value of love, respect, understanding, and
acceptance.
 Teachers
 Teachers are the second parents in school.
 They help you improve your intellectual and emotional capacity to
handle difficult situations in life.
 They guide you to understand the valuable lessons about life that
would last for a lifetime.

• Community Leaders
 Community leaders provide network connections and linkages
among other parts of the community.
 They inspire adolescents to get involved with community services
through outreach programs, social activities, and volunteer works.

20 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

 They model innovation to help improve the community whom they

serve.

Significant People in Life are also Agents

of Socialization
The people whom you consider significant in life are also called agents of
socialization.
• Family • Peers • Communit
y leaders
• Siblings • Teachers
Self-improvement comes with an effective interaction of the different agencies
within the society.
• Family
as the most important agent of socialization, has given you the knowledge of self-
care. As you learn to take care of yourself, this is also done towards the way you
deal with other agents in the society.
• Peers
Peers provide a mirror to our behaviors, attitudes, and social interactions.
Feedback from peers can help us gauge how we are perceived in social situations,
our communication skills, and our ability to collaborate and build relationships.
• Teachers
Teachers have observed our intellectual and academic progression. Their
insights can highlight improvements in critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and
overall academic performance. They may also notice changes in our attitude
towards learning and personal responsibility.
• Community Leaders
Community leaders or mentors can assess our involvement in community
activities, volunteer work, and leadership roles. Their perspective can shed light
on our development in terms of empathy, social responsibility, and the Lesson 7 to
ability
contribute positively to the larger community.

The Challenges of Middle and Late

Adolescence

In this world of working parents and video games, in some families, teens can
go through childhood and adolescence without a real sense of responsibility.
They're occupied, but not prepared for a successful life. Having responsibility
for things that matter and that contribute to the welfare of others is part of a
21teen's
| P a gpreparation
e for the future.
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Finding a Sense of Identity

The absence of concrete self-identity causes heightened emotionality that usually
causes problems. Later, you get irritated and have mood swings easily.
Sometimes, mood swings become too erratic and negative, resulting in
relationship problems and depressions.

Who am I?
The absence of concrete self-identity causes heightened emotionality that usually
causes problems. Later, you get irritated and have mood swings easily.
Sometimes, mood swings become too erratic and negative, resulting in
relationship problems and depressions.

Self-control
If you have become used to getting what you want, then self-control may become
an issue. If self-control is not mastered, concerns like drug abuse, computer
gaming, other delinquent acts may [Link] cited by Anderson et. Al., (2007)
low conscientiousness has been associated with drug abuse and behavior
problems. Hence, your emotions can influence your actions and decisions; so, you
become less objective, and your actions may not be effective.

22 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Challenges that Every Teenager May

Encounter
 Finding a sense of identity
 Self-control
 Romantic relationship at an early age
 Engage in activities that put their health and dignity at risk
 Drop-out from school are more prone to drug addiction and other
delinquent activities
 Non-intact families due to non-marriage, separation, parent/s working
abroad, and death usually experience problems.

Pitfalls and Challenges of Adolescents

1. Using and abusing drugs
– this is often due to peer pressure which means that the more your friend use
illegal drugs the greater the possibility that you will become involved with drugs.
2. Being addicted to computer games
– teenagers are hooked to these recreational activities merely because this is not
just for fun rather this gives opportunities for the teenagers to express what they
feel, create their own world, and most importantly, find their identity in the
characters of the game.

However, because adolescents have created their own world in the game, they are sometimes
unable to distinguish reality from the virtual one. With amusement that these computer games
have offered to them, this would result to cutting classes and worst stop schooling

. Running away from home

– some of the reasons of running away from are their parents are hurting them
physically, feeling unhappy at home, a means of getting what they want.
4. Being sexually promiscuous
 – due to hormonal changes, teenagers normally experience
heightened sexual activities during this stage.

23 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Being depressed
- According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders, 5th edition (DSM 5 ed.), at least 5 of the 9 symptoms
represent a change in the individual’s functioning (observed during a
2week period):
a. Depressed mood most of the day
b. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all,
activities most of the day
c. Significant weight loss or weight gain, or decrease or increase in
appetite nearly every day
d. Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day
e. Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day
f. Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
g. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt nearly
every day
h. Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly
every day
i. . Recurrent thoughts of death, recurrent suicidal ideation without a
specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for
committing suicide
6. Committing suicide
– is usually associated with depression which is closely related with a sense of
hopelessness, low self-esteem, and high self-blame (O’Donnell [Link]., 2004).

After knowing these pitfalls and challenges, it will help you avoid
being trapped to difficult situations. Sometimes teenagers put
themselves into these situations mainly because of their inability to
express their feelings or emotions especially when their significant
people have high expectations from them. But do not worry because
there are strategies to cope with these challenges…

Strategies to Cope with Challenges

1. Learn to accept what you feel

24 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

– when you feel sad, angry, or envious, you need to embrace these feelings
because they are real emotions. They are only reflective of who you are- a human
being. Accepting your feelings means allowing yourself to feel and express them.
2. Identify your vulnerabilities
– knowing when you feel intense emotions is important to acknowledge

The challenges that you will encounter might cause pain and stress on your part. While
you are capable to handle such situations, it may cause pressures that would affect your
well-being. So, here are some of the strategies that may help you do so (Sevilla, 2000):
2. For instance, you have noticed that before you flare up in anger, you first feel your face
getting hot, your knees trembling, and your heart pounding very fast. The next time you
feel angry and you see these signs, you excuse yourself from the discussion and walk away

3. Develop your talents and interests

– know your interests or things that you enjoy.
4. Become more involved with others
– as they say no one is an island so, we need others to support us
5. Seek help when needed
– most of the adolescents would feel shy and are hesitant to ask for help
because they might feel that they add burden to the person they are asking
help for.

3. After doing so, then develop those competencies, talents, and skills in you. With
these, you do not allow negative thoughts or feelings conquer your heart.
4. Do not just focus on yourself but rather live your life with other people that can
give you happiness and influence you to become a good person.
5. Do not just focus on yourself but rather live your life with other people that can
give you happiness and influence you to become a good person.

How to become a Responsible Adolescent

Becoming responsible and being able to make good choices are very important
traits no matter what developmental stage you are in. It holds true for
adolescents especially that they are just beginning to internalize and imbibe
virtues, values, and other essential qualities.
It may not be easy to be a teenager. There may be lots of things going on in
various facets of their lives. The demands and expectations of their parents and
other people around them can also be stressful. But the good news is, they can
treat these ‘difficulties’ as ‘challenges’ which can make their life exciting. Having
25 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

that mindset is also an indication of becoming a responsible and mentally mature

adolescent.

How to Become a Responsible Teenager

1. Focus on your studies and do well in all of your endeavors. There is time
for everything.
2. Take care of your health and hygiene. Healthy body and mind are
important as you journey through adolescence.
3. Establish good communication and relation with your parents or
guardian. Listen to them. This may be easier said than done at this stage,
but creating good relationship with them will do you good as they are the
ones you can lean on especially in times of trouble.
4. Think a lot before doing something. Evaluate probable consequences
before acting. Practice self-control and self-discipline.
5. Choose to do the right thing. There are plenty of situations in which it is
better to use your mind rather than your heart.
6. Do your best to resist temptations, bad acts, and earthly pleasures and
commit to being a responsible adolescent.
7. Respect yourself. You are an adult in the making. Do not let your teenage
hormones get into you. If you respect yourself, others will respect you too.
8. Be prepared to be answerable or accountable for your actions and
behavior. It is a part of growing up and becoming an adult.

26 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Physical Development
 Most girls have completed the physical changes related to puberty by
age 15.
 Boys are still maturing and gaining strength, muscle mass, and height
and are completing the development of sexual traits.

Emotional Development
 May stress over school and test scores.
 Is self- involved (may have high expectations and low self-concept).
 Seek privacy and time alone.
 Is concerned about physical and sexual attractiveness.
 May complain of parents preventing him or her from doing things
independently.
 Starts to want both physical and emotional intimacy in relationships.
 Try the experience of intimate partnerships.

Social Development
• Shifts in relationship with parents from dependency and
subordination to one that reflects the adolescent’s increasing
maturity and responsibilities in the family and community,
• Is more and more aware of social behaviors of friends.
• Seek friends that share the same beliefs, values and interests.
• Friends become more important.
• Starts to have more intellectual interest.
• Explores romantic and sexual behaviors with others.

Mental Development
• Becomes better able to set goals and think in terms of the future.
• Has a better understanding of complex problems and issues.
• Start to develop moral ideals and to select role models.
Lesson 9

Causes and Effects of Stress in One’s

Life
27 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

Stress Management
Stress and change are part of our lives. We all talk about stress, but we are not
always clear about what it is. This is because stress comes from both the good
and bad things that happen to us. If we did not feel any stress, we would not be
motivated to do anything.

Learning how to prioritize tasks and breaking them down into manageable steps
are important skills to learn for managing stress.

The Good Stress and The Bad Stress

In common language, we often use the term "stress" to refer to negative
situations. This usage has led many individuals to believe that all stress is
detrimental, which is not accurate. Eustress, or positive stress, has the potential
to inspire individuals, reigniting their enthusiasm for their pursuits and adding
excitement to enhance performance.

Causes of Good and Bad Stress

Positive stress, often referred to as good
stress, occurs when you feel excited and
enthusiastic. During these moments, your Good and bad stress
hormones rise, and your heart rate
increases. It creates a sense of being far "eustress," denoting
removed from stress. positive or beneficial
Examples of positive stress include: stress, and
• Getting promoted at “distress," which
work
represents negative
• Going on your first date
• Receiving praise and
• Achieving the top recognition from family,
position in your class or friends, and relatives
competitions
• Obtaining new gadgets
• Celebrating during the
holiday seasons
• Passing exams • Receiving additional
successfully allowances
• Reconnecting with old • Engaging in outdoor
friends activities with classmates
• Launching a new • Enjoying jamming
business venture sessions and bonding
activities
Just as there is great variety of emotions you might experience, there are many
possible manifestations of stress – in your private life and in your working life.
28 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

The following are some words that describe the emotions associated (as cause
and effect) with stress:

• Anxiety • Misery • Dejection

• Tension • Panic • Desperatio

n
• Pressure • Strain
• Anger

Everyday frustrations cause stress

buildup
From the time you wake up until you go to sleep, you may be confronted with a
succession of stressful situations. Managing to get yourself (and possibly a spouse
and children) out of bed and ready to face the day can be a challenge to your
patience and ingenuity. Driving to school or work can be harrowing – especially if
you are running late. You may experience frustration in arranging to get the car
repaired. You may face conflicts in school or at work, such as coping with
unrealistic deadlines, equipment failures, or unexpected bad weather.

Problems in our personal life can be

devastating
Surviving the normal, everyday stress described earlier can be difficult. But far
more serious and painful circumstances can create longterm stress. More serious
stressful circumstances may include separation from loved ones, personal illness
or illness of a loved one, death of someone you care about, or conflict with a
spouse or close friend. Other major causes of stress are problems with drug and
alcohol abuse, domestic violence, care of children and elderly relatives, chronic
mental illness, injury, physical handicaps, and even moving to a new home, if you
have lived in the same place for more than 10 years.

Managing your personal finances can be

another stressful experience.
This can be a problem no matter your income level, but it is especially difficult if
you must support a family and do not earn enough to live comfortably. Unpaid
bills, unwise use of credit, and budget limitations can make life difficult.

A common cause of stress is dealing with

life’s transitions
This is especially true when a person must cope with too many transitions all at
once. For example, Ellen has just completed a program in fashion merchandising.
She is eager to get started on her new job. Her mother is ill and requires care. Her
father died a few months ago. Ellen’s new job requires that she relocate to a town
100 miles from home. The move, a new career, and a change in family
29 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

relationships may cause excessive stress for her. Too many changes have arrived
at the same time.

Some good effects of positive stress:

• motivate individual to pursue • benefit good health / create
his goal good immune system
• create a positive effect in every • increases performance
human endeavor
• become more responsible
• boost someone’s morale
• handle things lightly
• enhance memory

Some of the bad effects of negative

stress
• Depression
• Aggressive behavior
• Suicidal tendency
• Involvement in fighting
• Involvement in gambling
• Taking alcohol and drugs
• Early marriage
• Peer pressure

What are some signs that a teen or

adolescent is suffering from stress?
Increased complaints of headache, Feelings of hopelessness
stomachache, muscle pain
Chronic anxiety and nervousness
Crying most of the time
Changes in sleeping and eating habits
Withdrawal from people and activities
Lack concentration
Increased anger or irritability

Stress can be overcome through:

• Looking for someone to talk with like friends, family and relatives and share
your problems with them.
• Think positive that you can handle your stress.

30 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole
Personal development

• Take time to relax by exercising and having a workout.

• Do things that are important one at a time. Get proper sleep.
• Train your mind by thinking that all things will get well.
• Face your fears.
• Work on your worst scenario and expect that something good will happen.
• Focus on what you can control and let go things that are incontrollable.
• Lower down your standard as long as it will not ruin your plans/ambitions.
• Have a break and engage in enjoyable activities.
• Accept yourself as you are because you are peculiar.
• Identify your unique strengths and focus much on them.
• Remember that you are made for a reason and you are part of the intricate
plan of your creator.

Maturing into adolescence develops a responsibility to handle. Mature people

develop the habit of extracting lessons from everyday experiences. Having lists of
life lessons will help someone realize their worth.

31 | P a g e
G12
Jemilla, Marianne Nicole