UNIT III.

MANAGING AND CARING FOR

THE SELF
Lesson 1. Learning to be a better student
1 week or 3 hours

INTRODUCTION

W e now come to the last unit of our course which is Managing and Caring for
the Self.

The first lesson is on Learning to be a better student. This will hopefully help
you make your stay in the University productive. With the new modality in teaching and
learning, you will be expected to become an independent learner. Learning in the new
normal may either be blended; combination of online and face-to-face or fully online;
synchronous or asynchronous. The modality that we adopted this semester is online
although asynchronously. Online learning will require time management skills,
self-discipline, willpower and strong motivation. It can be a bit challenging especially in
meeting the requirements of the different courses.

So, given the present situation we are in, you are strongly encouraged to
develop your style of studying. Have fun learning this lesson!

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. assess one’s study habits and reflect on one’s strengths and areas of improvement.
2. describe the nature of learning and its characteristics.
3. understand the importance of metacognition and self-regulation in learning.
4. learn tips on how to become an effective learner.
5. apply the suggested tips to maximize learning potentials.
6. develop a learning plan or strategy to become an effective learner in the new
normal.

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 ACTIVITY

HOW’S YOUR STUDY HABITS?

The purpose of this questionnaire is to help you get information about how well you
study right now. As you examine your results, you will discover your strengths and
weaknesses. Please answer the survey very honestly and respond as accurately as
possible. If the statement applies to you, encircle Y for Yes, otherwise N for
No. Answer ALL the items carefully so that you can get accurate information.

1. I have trouble finishing tests on time. Y N

2. I set aside a regular time for studying everyday. Y N
3. Before I read a chapter, I turn headings into questions
so that I know what I’m going to learn. Y N
4. I don’t have much discipline following a definite study schedule. Y N
5. I give up if an assignment is difficult. Y N
6. I have difficultly determining important points in lectures. Y N
7. Before class starts, I review yesterday’s lecture notes. Y N
8. I waste time because I am not organized. Y N
9. I focus entirely on my work when I study. Y N
10. I feel uncomfortable reading a chapter unless I’ve read
all the headings and the summary first. Y N
11. I don’t bother taking notes on lectures; I take pictures
instead. Y N
12. I get sleepy when I study. Y N
13. I check my lecture notes to fill in any missed words
soon after the lecture. Y N
14. I seldom hear a lecture that is interesting. Y N
15. I enjoy learning. Y N
16. Before I begin an assignment, I estimate how long will
it take me to write. Y N
17. Before answering an essay question, I organize what
I am going to write. Y N
18. I have difficulty concentrating when I study. Y N
19. Using lecture notes and textbook, I can predict
50-60% of the questions on a test. Y N
20. I could get better grades. Y N
21. I take time to study every day. Y N
22. I try to record everything a teacher says in a lecture. Y N
23. I set aside time every week to review for each course. Y N
24. Every time I study for a course, I spend some time
in review. Y N
25. I’d rather get through fast than have a perfect paper. Y N
26. I usually lose points on my exams because of careless
mistakes. Y N
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27. I usually seek a quiet place to study. Y N
28. Before I leave class, I make sure that I know what
homework to do and how to do it. Y N
29. I have a hard time getting interested in some of my lessons. Y N
30. Good grades are important to me. Y N
31. I stop to recite what I remember after reading each section
in a chapter. Y N
32. I know what time of the day I do my best studying. Y N
33. I study only when I feel like it. Y N
34. I seldom read the questions at the end of the chapter
before I begin reading the chapter. Y N
35. I often have trouble finding enough time to study
because of social media and other online Apps. Y N
36. I remember little of what I study. Y N
37. I put off studying that I should be doing. Y N
38. To remember better, I check main headings and the summary
before I read a chapter or article. Y N
39. Tests make me so nervous that I can’t do my best. Y N
40. I wait until the night before an examination to review my lecture
notes. Y N
41. I listen carefully to a lecture but I do not take notes. Y N
42. I take time to review the chapter soon after I read it. Y N
43. I really get inspired when I study. Y N
44. Before starting a test, I plan how much time to use on each
section of the test. Y N
45. I spend too much time on some subjects and not
enough on others. Y N
46. I skip over charts, graphs, and tables when I read a chapter. Y N
47. I find it difficult to know what is important in a chapter. Y N
48. If I have any time left, I check over my test to avoid errors. Y N
49. I listen carefully to any explanation in class for me to
remember very well. Y N
50. Daydreaming interferes with my studying. Y N

Retrieved and adapted from:

[Link]
[Link]

Determine Your Score:

Compare your answers with the scoring key. Circle the question number below for
any that do NOT match the scoring key.

3
 Scoring Key:

1. N 11. N 21. Y 31. Y 41. N

2. Y 12. N 22. N 32. Y 42. Y
3. Y 13. Y 23. Y 33. N 43. Y
4. N 14. N 24. Y 34. N 44. Y
5. N 15. Y 25. N 35. N 45. N
6. N 16. Y 26. N 36. N 46. N
7. N 17. Y 27. Y 37. N 47. N
8. Y 18. N 28. Y 38. Y 48. Y
9. N 19. Y 29. N 39. N 49. Y
10. Y 20. Y 30. Y 40. N 50. N

ANALYSIS

What Are My Strengths and Weaknesses?

Circle the same numbers here that you circled above.

Concentration 9 12 16 18 27 33 50
Remembering 23 24 29 36 38 40 49
Organizing time 2 4 8 21 32 35 45
Studying a Chapter 3 10 31 34 42 46 47
Listening and taking notes 6 7 11 13 14 22 41
Taking tests 1 17 19 26 39 44 48
Motivation 5 15 20 25 28 30 37 43

Count how many numbers are circled in each line across and enter that number in the
box.
(Do not add the number)

How’s your results? What do they reveal about your study habits? The results of the
survey which you honestly answered will tell you what are your strengths and areas for
improvement. Enhance your strengths and take time to reflect by answering the
following questions:

1. What are your strengths? Concentrating, remembering, organizing time, studying a

chapter, listening and taking down notes, taking tests or motivating the self?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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2. Why are you strong in these areas?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. What areas need strengthening? Concentrating, remembering, organizing time,

studying a chapter, listening and taking down notes, taking tests or motivating the
self?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

4. What steps will you take to strengthen your weak areas?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

ABSTRACTION

LEARNING AND METACOGNITION

Learning is the acquisition of knowledge and skills through experience which

can result in a relatively permanent change of behavior. It is any process that in living
organisms leads to permanent capacity change and which is not solely due to biological
maturation of aging (Illeris, 2009). It involves an ongoing, active processes of inquiry,
engagement and participation in the world around us (Bransford, Brown, and Cocking,
2000).

There are certain things you learn that are stored in your long-term memory
such as learning how to read. You began reading as a young kid and up until now the
skill is present and largely enhanced through experience. There are certain things you
learn which are lost because of disuse. For instance, learning French as a young adult
may be forgotten if there was no chance of using it. Only a few words are likely to be
remembered.

There are four characteristics of learning:

1. Purposeful - for learning to take place there has to be intentionality. A student
brings his or her goals into the classroom and this is of major importance in the act of
learning. If you are a college student, it is by now clear what your goals are and why you
enrolled in your degree program.

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2. A result of experience - learning is derived from the experiences a learner
encounters inside and outside of the classroom. The experiences are of different nature
and there impact may vary according to nature of the person. Learning is a very personal
experience. Knowledge is derived from experience and no two persons react to the same
experience. It is often said that every experience is a potential source of learning.

3. Multifaceted - learning is a complex process

and would be of different kinds and different
mechanisms of the learner are involved. Learning is
not simply cognitive in nature but would also involve
the affective and behavioral domains of the person.
The learner does not only bring one’s mind to the
classroom but one’s entire self including one’s past.
A lesson in Math will not only involve numbers but
along the way may also require discipline and
correct practice. Working with fellow students can
promote socio-cultural learning which can be part of
their “incidental” learning.

4. An active process - the learner is a dynamic being and in order for learning to take
place the person has to take an active part being a thinking and feeling person. Learning
does not occur in a vacuum but in a setting that allows for an active and reciprocal
interaction between the learner and the context. New nerve cells may grow and new
neural networks will then be formed.

The more actively a student is involved in the class, the greater his chances are
for both learning and remembering. (If a student is to learn, he must react and respond.
He is not a sponge that will soak up knowledge like water. The response may be outward
or inward.) Since learning is a “change in behavior as a result of experience,” the process
must be active. This action can be either answering the instructor’s questions, or
working a practice exercise. The challenge is for you to be active learners despite the
fact that there is no face-to-face interaction.

Since the modality this semester is fully online, you need to dedicate a
significant amount of your time, concentrate while reading or studying and be fully
committed to your learning process as you would in a face-to-face class.

Learning can be maximized by engaging in a pattern or routine that works best

for the student. However, there are suggested study habits that you may wish to try.
As college students, these can be useful to you as you navigate your journey towards
the completion of your degree and the attainment of your goals. These include:

1. Find a Place to Study Regularly

Consistency is key when it comes to studying, so do your best to make a habit of it! It’s
a good idea to find a spot at home where you can set up your study table with your
computer or tablet for studying. Other materials needed are likewise accessible. The
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environment should be whatever works best for you—whether that means having
complete silence, some light background music, or a more lively atmosphere. Give it
some thought and try out a few different spots. The sooner you find the space that
works for you, the sooner you’ll be able to study effectively. It may be best to log off
from other Apps that are not helpful when you study. A spot with good internet signal or
connectivity matters.

2. Keep Track of Deadlines and Important Dates

You might have the best of intentions when buying a
new planner, but to really make the most of it, you
should be sure to review it every day and write down due
dates for assignments, exams, and other important
events. Because you are techie as members of
Generation Z, you can use Google Calendar or other
apps to achieve this end. Keeping track of what you need
to study for can help you stay ahead of crucial projects
and develop good study habits for college. This tip is
most helpful because you will be complying with
different online tasks which are calendared by the
professors.

You can get ahead of upcoming assignments by

checking your calendar on a weekly (and daily) basis,
outlining each deadline in advance, and blocking off time
to study. And don’t forget the best part of keeping a list
of tasks—crossing them off once they are completed! If
you stick to your calendar, you will no longer cram for
the completion of your requirements.

3. Don’t Cram for Your Course Requirements

If you follow the previous tip, you likely won’t find yourself in a difficult situation, but it’s
worth repeating: Remember to schedule your study time wisely to make the most of it.
Each course will have its own expectations and learning outcomes to be achieved. So, if
you work on these according to a schedule you will not overwhelm yourself. Slow and
steady wins the race.

Once you have your course outline or syllabus and schedule for the semester, find
periods of time between classes and activities when you can fit in some studying. This
way, you won’t have to stress the night before completing all the requirements.

4. Organize a Study Group

Studying on your own works well for many courses, but it also might be easier to learn
the material if you can bounce ideas off with your virtual classmates. The group chat can
be a good way to start organizing a study group and sharing of ideas. It’s a chance to
meet your classmates virtually and get to know them more.

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5. Review, Revise, Repeat
Reviewing, revising and repeating the things you have already studied not only improve
your memory but at the same time help you better understand the lessons. You may
also decide to share your study notes with your virtual classmates.

6. Ask for Help

It’s likely to find a class challenging at times in this new normal, but don’t feel like you
have to face it alone. If you have questions or doubts, don’t hesitate to contact your
professors. They have given out their contact details, email addresses and consultation
hours so they can be asked if you need help. Just make sure that you do it during official
hours, but when you ask at other times expect to get answers when they are officially
available.

Everyone needs help at some point—and it’s better to reach out as soon as you think you
need it rather than let yourself fall behind.

Retrieved from:
[Link]

7. Participate in online discussions

Online learning isn’t learning in isolation. Connecting
with your virtual classmates thru the Google
classroom or FB group will enhance tremendously
your eLearning experience. Participate actively in
online discussions but please remember the proper
netiquette. Be mindful of your online tone, be
respectful when you disagree with your classmates
or professor and always write in complete and clear
sentences to avoid misunderstandings.

8. Sleep or Take a Rest

Your body is not a machine. It needs to replenish energy. Therefore, you need to listen
to your body when it complains of tiredness or fatigue. You owe it to yourself to take the
needed rest. Remember that your efficiency and effectiveness decrease when you have
reached the limits of your body. Sometimes you waste your resources staying up late
and not getting things done because you are tired. You may discover that the sentences
you are writing are not connected with each other. As the saying goes, ‘rest if you must,
but don’t you quit.’

9. Pray
On many occasions like taking an important examination, we pray. You need to switch
on your spiritual self to be able to connect with a Supreme Being and ask for guidance
and enlightenment.

8
All of us have great learning potentials. We can enhance it more if we utilize our
metacognitive skills. Let’s find out what metacognition is.

What is Metacognition?

Metacognition refers to “thinking about

thinking” and was introduced as a concept in by
John Flavell, who is typically seen as a founding
scholar of the field. Flavell said that metacognition
is the knowledge you have of your own cognitive
processes (your thinking) (Woolfolk, 2015) It is
your ability to control your thinking processes
through various strategies, such as organizing,
monitoring, and adapting. Additionally, it is your ability to reflect upon the tasks or
processes you undertake and to select and utilize the appropriate strategies necessary in
your intercultural interactions.

Metacognition is considered a critical component of successful learning.

It involves self-regulation and self-reflection of strengths, weaknesses, and
the types of strategies you create. Metacognition is broken down into three
components: metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive experience, and
metacognitive strategies.

A. Metacognitive Knowledge
Metacognitive knowledge involves (a) learning processes and your beliefs about
how you learn and how you think others learn, (b) the task of learning and how you
process information, and (c) the strategies you develop and when you will use them.
There are three kinds of metacognitive knowledge namely: (1) declarative knowledge
which pertains about yourself as a learner, factors that influence learning and memory,
and the skills, strategies, and resources needed to perform a task - knowing what to do;
(2) procedural knowledge or knowing how to use the strategies; and (3) self-regulatory
to ensure the completion of the tasks - knowing the conditions, when and why, to apply
the procedures and strategies.

B. Metacognitive Experience
In metacognition, there are feelings and emotions present that are related to the goals
and tasks of learning. These components of metacognition speaks to metacognitive
experience, which is your internal response to learning. Your feelings and emotions
serve as a feedback system to help you understand your progress and expectations, and
your comprehension and connection of new information to the old, among other things.
When you learn a new language, for example, you may recall memories, information,
and earlier experiences in your life to help you solve the task of learning a new language.
In doing this, your internal responses (metacognitive experience) could be frustration,
disappointment, happiness, or satisfaction. Each of these internal responses can affect
the task of learning a new language and determine your willingness to continue.
Critical to metacognition is the ability to deliberately foster a positive
attitude and positive feelings toward your learning.
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C. Metacognitive Strategies
Metacognitive strategies are what you design to monitor your progress related to
your learning and the tasks at hand. It is a mechanism for controlling your thinking
activities and to ensure you are meeting your goals.

Examples of Learning Strategies

Examples
Planning and Focusing Attention Setting goals and timetables
Underlining and highlighting
Skimming, looking for headings and topic sentences
Organizing and Remembering Making organizational charts
Creating flowcharts, Venn diagrams
Using mnemonics, imagery
Concept mapping, webs
Comprehension Summarizing, outlining and role-taking
Creating examples
Explaining to a peer
Cognitive Monitoring Making predictions
Self-questioning and self-testing
Identifying what doesn’t make sense
Practice Using part practice
Using whole practice

There are four types of metacognitive learners (David Perkins, 1992).

1. Tacit learners are unaware of their metacognitive knowledge. They do not think
about any particular strategies for learning and merely accept if they know something or
not.
2. Aware learners know about some of the kinds of thinking that they do such as
generating ideas, finding evidence etc. However, thinking is not necessarily deliberate or
planned.
3. Strategic learners organize their thinking by using problem-solving, grouping and
classifying, evidence-seeking and decision-making etc. They know and apply the
strategies that help them learn.
4. Reflective learners are not only strategic about their thinking but they also reflect
upon their learning while it is happening, considering the success or not of any strategies
they are using and then revising them as appropriate.

Retrieved from
[Link]

Since metacognition is thinking about thinking, there are strategies for using
metacognition when you study. These can be harmonized with the above-cited effective
study habits.

10
Below are some ideas how to engage in metacognition when studying. Think about
which of these resonate with you and plan to incorporate them into your study routine
on a regular basis.

1. Use your course outline or syllabus as a roadmap

Look at your course outline or syllabus which was given to you at the start of the
semester. Your professor probably included a course schedule, reading list, learning
objectives or something similar to give you a sense of how the course is structured. Use
this as your roadmap for the course. For example, for a reading-based course, think
about why your professor might have assigned the readings in this particular order. How
do they connect? What are the key themes that you notice? What prior knowledge do
you have that could inform your reading of this new material? You can do this at multiple
points throughout the semester, as you gain additional knowledge that you can piece
together.

2. Summon your prior knowledge

Before you read your lessons or attend a lecture, look at the topic that is covered and ask
yourself what you know about it already. What questions do you have? What do you
hope to learn? Answering these questions will give context to what you are learning and
help you start building a framework for new knowledge. It may also help you engage
more deeply with the material.

3. Think aloud
Talk through your material. You can talk to your virtual classmates or friends Just
verbalizing your thoughts can help you make more sense of the material and internalize
it more deeply. Talking aloud is a great way to test yourself on how well you really know
the material. In courses that require problem solving, explaining the steps aloud will
ensure you really understand them and expose any gaps in knowledge that you might
have. Ask yourself questions about what you are doing and why.

4. Ask yourself questions

Asking self-reflective questions is key to
metacognition. Take the time to be introspective and
honest with yourself about your comprehension. Below
are some suggestions for metacognitive questions you
can ask yourself.

 Does this answer make sense given the information provided?

 What strategy did I use to solve this problem that was helpful?
 How does this information conflict with my prior understanding?
 How does this information relate to what we learned last week?
 What questions will I ask myself next time I’m working these types of problems?
 What is confusing about this topic?
 What are the relationships between these two concepts?
 What conclusions can I make?
Try brainstorming some of your own questions as well.
11
5. Use writing
Writing can help you organize your thoughts and assess what you know. Just like
thinking aloud, writing can help you identify what you do and don’t know, and how you
are thinking about the concepts that you’re learning. Write out what you know and what
questions you have about the learning objectives for each topic you are learning.

6. Organize your thoughts

Using concept maps or graphic organizers is another great way to visualize material and
see the connections between the various concepts you are learning. Creating your
concept map from memory is also a great study strategy because it is a form of
self-testing.

7. Take notes from memory

Many students take notes as they are reading. Often this can turn notetaking into a
passive activity, since it can be easy to fall into just copying directly from the book
without thinking about the material and putting your notes in your own words. Instead,
try reading short sections at a time and pausing periodically to summarize what you read
from memory. This technique ensures that you are actively engaging with the material
as you are reading and taking notes, and it helps you better gauge how much you’re
actually remembering from what you read; it also engages your recall, which makes it
more likely you’ll be able to remember and understand the material when you’re done.

8. Review your exams

This tip will be very helpful when face-to-face classes resume or when you prepare for
a licensure or major examination. Reviewing an exam that you’ve recently taken is a
great time to use metacognition. Look at what you knew and what you missed. Try using
this handout to analyze your preparation for the exam and track the items you missed,
along with the reasons that you missed them. Then take the time to fill in the areas you
still have gaps and make a plan for how you might change your preparation next time.

8. Take a timeout
When you’re learning, it’s important to periodically take a time out to make sure you’re
engaging in metacognitive strategies. We often can get so absorbed in “doing” that we
don’t always think about the why behind what we are doing. For example, if you are
working through a math problem, it’s helpful to pause as you go and think about why
you are doing each step, and how you knew that it followed from the previous step.
Throughout the semester, you should continue to take timeouts before, during or after
assignments to see how what you’re doing relates to the course as a whole and to the
learning objectives that your professor has set.

9. Test yourself
You don’t want your exam to be the first time you accurately assess how well you know
the material. Self-testing should be an integral part of your study sessions so that have
a clear understanding of what you do and don’t know. Many of the methods described
are about self-testing (e.g., thinking aloud, using writing, taking notes from memory)
12
because they help you discern what you do and don’t actually know. Other common
methods include practice tests and flash cards—anything that asks you to summon your
knowledge and check if it’s correct.

10. Figure out how you learn

It is important to figure out what learning strategies work best for you. It will probably
vary depending on what type of material you are trying to learn (e.g. chemistry vs.
psychology), but it will be helpful to be open to trying new things and paying attention
to what is effective for you. If flash cards never help you, stop using them and try
something else instead.

Retrieved from:
[Link]

 If you apply the suggested tips, you will realize that you are better at
self-regulation. Zimmerman describes self-regulation as a self-directive process
through which learners transform their mental abilities into task related skills". It
has been viewed as a desirable quality because it has positive effects on
behavior and acquisition of skills. Learners who engage in self-regulation are
better able to manage and organize their thoughts and convert them into skills
used for learning. They are better able to continuously monitor progress toward
a goal, check outcomes, and redirect unsuccessful efforts (Berk, 2003). In order
for students to be self-regulated they need to be aware of their own thought
process, and be motivated to actively participate in their own learning process
(Zimmerman, 2001). When you as a learner engage in self-regulated learning,
you will realize the merits of it all.

13
 APPLICATION & ASSESSMENT

 What do you think of the tips provided to you? It’s time now to apply the tips. Using
the template below, develop a feasible study plan which you can truly implement in
the course of your studies.
 One week before the submission of the midterm/final requirements, how will you
use your time for studying and leisure activities? How will you program the tasks at
hand? Work on this by copying the table and fill it up with your answers.
You may add rows if you anticipate more tasks to get done. Do the plan realistically
and this will enable you to get your tasks done!

 MY PLAN OF ACTION
Tasks/activities Duration/Time Expected Output/s Monitoring
Strategy
Day 1
Write reflection paper in 2 hrs.;10 AM - One page reflection paper Cross out task in
PSY 110 12:00 noon entitled “”The will to survive” to-do list

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

If this is your plan in preparation for the submission of the midterm/final requirements,
what are the specific actions you intend to take to ensure that at least 90 % of the
expected outputs are achieved?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

14
Answer the following questions by encircling the correct answer.
1. Learning is a purely cognitive affair.
A. Statement is true.
B. Statement is false.
C. Statement is either true or false.
D. Statement is neither true nor false.
2. If you think about your thinking in order to ensure successful learning, you are
engaged in
A. self-regulation. B. metacognition.
C. self-monitoring. D. reflective thinking.
3. Who will least likely benefit from learning?
A. A student who is intrinsically motivated.
B. A student who studies when the mood arises.
C. A student who keeps tracks and meets deadlines.
D. A student who strategizes and reflects on how best to learn.
4. The following are means of maximizing learning EXCEPT
A. Studying continuously without end and skipping meals and rest periods.
B. Seeking for help when needed.
C. Using the course outline to direct courses of action.
D. Engaging in self-review by asking questions and taking down notes from
memory.
5. What type of a learner are you if you take into consideration an active review of
your strategies for learning?
A. Aware learner B. Reflective learner
C. Strategic learner D. Tacit learner

“Change is the end result of all true

learning.” - Leo Buscaglia

15
 REFERENCES

Alata, Eden Joy, et al. (2018). Understanding the self. Rex Book Store: Manila

Berk, L.E. (2003). Child development. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind,
experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press.

Brawner, Dalisay and Analiza Arcega. (2018). Understanding the self. C & E Bookstore:
Quezon City.

Corpuz, Ronald, et al. (2019). Understanding the self. C & E Bookstore: Quezon City

Illeris, K. (Ed.). (2009). Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists ... In

their own words (1st ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Macayan, Anthony, et al. (2019). Understanding the self. C & E Bookstore: Quezon
City

Marcel V. J. Veenman & Bernadette H. A. M. Van Hout-Wolters & Peter Afflerbach.

(2006). Metacognition and learning: conceptual and methodological
considerations. Metacognition Learning 1: 3–14 DOI
10.1007/s11409-006-6893-0

Pappas, Christopher (2015) Getting the most out of your eLearning course: 10 study
tips for online learners retrieved from
[Link]

Woolfolk, Anita. (2015). Educational Psychology. Pearson Education.:Boston.

Zimmerman, B.J. (2001). Theories of self-regulated learning and academic

achievement: An overview and analysis. In Zimmerman, B.J. & Schunk, D.H.
(Ed.), Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Achievement: Theoretical
Perspectives. Mahwah, NJ

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]
[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

Pictures:

[Link]
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 UNIT III. MANAGING AND CARING FOR
THE SELF
Lesson 2. Setting goals for success
(1 week - 3 hours)

INTRODUCTION

A popular song goes, “I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me cope with anything.
If you see the wonders of a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail.” I am sure
that all of us have dreams and ambitions in life. Some of our dreams are small but others
are of grand scale. If we have a dream, we can chart our journey to help us reach our
destination. The dream we have can be fantasy-like but we make it concrete and lead us
to have our goals.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. describe the value of goals, goal-setting, self-efficacy, mindset and grit.
2. appreciate the value of goal setting, personally and someday professionally.
3. integrate the contributions of self-efficacy, mindset and grit in attaining one’s goals.
4. set short- and long-term goals using the SMART rule.
5. identify facilitators and obstacles to the attainment of goals.

ACTIVITY

If you have the connectivity, please go to [Link] and watch one of

the three TED X talks listed below:

1. Why the secret to success is setting the right goals by John Doerr, June
11, 2018, TED 2018
([Link]
he_right_goals)

17
2. Achieving big goals with small steps by Mark Steel; TED 2017
([Link]

3. Grit: The power of passion and perseverance by Angela Duckworth; TED

Talks Education
([Link]
n_and_perseverance)

In the absence of connectivity, read the success story of:

Mariano Que, founder of Mercury Drug

Mercury Drug has been synonymous with quality

pharmaceuticals and it owes its success to one man who
recently left us: its founder, the late Mariano Que.

His company may not have been the first drugstore

in the country, but his pioneering spirit behind the
pharmaceutical retail industry paved the way for all the
rest that followed.

It all began with P100 and a bottle of Sulfiathiazole

P100. That was all Mariano Que had in his pocket after World War II. An employee of a
drugstore prior to the war, Que knew that Filipinos would need the “miracle” drug
sulfathiazole, believed to cure many (if not all) sorts of diseases and illnesses.

He saw an opportunity to help his countrymen by buying the bottle from a peddler in
Bambang St. He then sold these tablets (which he knew was genuine sulfathiazole thanks to
the ‘W’ on the tablets) per piece to make it more affordable. After making a profit, he was
able purchase other medicines and a pushcart so he can sell his medicines to the public.

He continued selling medicines off of his pushcart until he was able to save enough to
put up the first Mercury Drug store on March 1 along Bambang St.

More than 70 years later, Mercury Drug is still at the forefront of Philippine
pharmaceutical services, with over 1,000 stores nationwide. It’s also the first to use a central
computerized and temperature-controlled warehouse, 24-hour service, and pharmacy
counseling.

More than just a businessman

Que proved to be more than just an enterprising businessman. He founded the Mercury
Drug Foundation (MDFI) as a way of giving back to Filipinos for their support throughout the
company’s 70-year existence.

18
 Today, MDFI helps Filipinos across the country mainly through these programs:
 Operation Bigay Lunas – free medical services and medicines to underserved
communities
 Operation Pa-Tubig – access to water for marginalized waterless communities
nationwide, done in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress
 Bantay Kalusugan – free health profiling, screening, counseling, and education
activities for non-communicable diseases
 Pharmacy Scholarship – full scholarships given to third and fourth year Pharmacy
students enrolled in member schools of the Philippine Association of Colleges of
Pharmacy (PACOP).

They also give out awards of excellence for Math and Science (Gawad Talino); search
for, nurture, and train future leaders (Sagip Talento); and provide immediate relief
assistance in the form of medicines or hygiene packs.

He has also been conferred an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by the University
of Sto. Tomas College of Medicine for his pioneering spirit behind the pharmaceutical retail
industry and his advocacy for affordable medicine and assistance to the needy.

Apart from the honorary degree, he has also received a lot of awards, including:
 President’s Award: Plaque of Merit, Most Prestigious Drugs Manufacturer and
Distinguished Civic Leader in 1973
 Award of Distinction by the Philippine Chamber of Health and Pharmaceutical and
Non-Pharmaceutical Industry in 1986
 Father of Philippine Health and Wellness Retailing by the Philippine Retailers
Association in 2012

He passed away on April 15, 2017 at the age of 96.

So, where can your P100 take you?

19
 ANALYSIS

After having watched the TED X Talk of (your choice)___________, or read the story of
Mariano Que, answer the following questions:

LESSONS LEARNED

1. What salient points or lessons have you learned from the presentation? Give at least
two lessons.

A.___________________________________________________________________

B.___________________________________________________________________

C.___________________________________________________________________

2. How do these lessons impact on you as a student in the new normal?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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 ABSTRACTION

H ave you ever thought of what you would like to be five years after graduation?
What do you wish to accomplish in four years time? These questions pertain to
having a goal in life.

What is a goal? According to the

Merriam-Webster Dictionary a goal is the end
toward which effort is directed. As a
student, perhaps one of your goals is to finish
your degree and graduate with honors. Goals
can either be of a short-term or long-term
nature. The very reason why you chose to enrol
in your degree at West Visayas State University
among other universities demonstrate your presence of a goal.

How important are goals? Goals are important because they:

1. Provide Direction.
Setting a goal gives us a clear set of actions to follow. It is like having a map
showing you the route to your destination. When you have a direction, there are
less stress and strain in your life, because you know where you are going.

2. Give Focus.
By setting goals, you are able to focus your attention on a target. You give
yourself mental boundaries that allows you to stay locked in, away from
distractions. It constantly reminds you on what you need to concentrate on.

3. Create Order.
When we have clearly established goals, we are able to prioritize and organize our
lives better. This happens because our goals remind us of what we have decided is
most important to us.

4. Save Time
When you have a goal, you don't waste time going in circles and arriving nowhere
because you know where you are and where you are heading. You can always
correct your course if you move away from it.

5. Provide Motivation.
When you set goals, you give yourself something to aim for and get excited about.
You get a taste of small victories along the way and the tendency is, you will want
to experience that victory again. Because of this, it motivates you to stay on track.

21
6. Beat Procrastination.
Once you set a goal for yourself, you make yourself accountable to finish the task.
It is equivalent to setting a deadline that we have to adhere to. It gives you a
sense of urgency and tends to stick in your mind.

7. Create a Better Version of Yourself.

Goals help you achieve your highest potential. Without goals, you default to a
routine of activities that keeps you feel safe and comfy each day. But this
familiarity prevents you from growing and denies you from reaching your full
potential.

How do you set your goals?

Goal setting is a process that starts with careful consideration of what you want to
achieve, and ends with a lot of hard work to actually do it. In between, there are some
very well-defined steps that transcend the specifics of each goal. Knowing these steps
will allow you to formulate goals that you can accomplish.

The Five Golden Rules

1. Set Goals That Motivate You
When you set goals for yourself, it is important that they motivate you: this means
making sure that they are important to you, and that there is value in achieving
them. If you have little interest in the outcome, or they are irrelevant given the larger
picture, then the chances of you putting in the work to make them happen are slim.

Motivation is key to achieving goals. Set goals that relate to the high priorities in
your life. Without this type of focus, you can end up with far too many goals,
leaving you too little time to devote to each one. Goal achievement requires
commitment, so to maximize the likelihood of success, you need to feel a sense of
urgency and have an "I must do this" attitude. Is enrolling in your present degree
meaningful to you? Is this what you want and envision yourself doing several
years from now?

Tip:
To make sure that your goal is motivating, write down why it's valuable and
important to you. Ask yourself, "If I were to share my goal with others, what
would I tell them to convince them it was a worthwhile goal?" You can use this
motivating value statement to help you if you start to doubt yourself or lose
confidence in your ability to actually make the goal happen.

22
 2. Set SMART Goals
You have probably heard of SMART goals
already. But do you always apply the rule?
The simple fact is that for goals to be
powerful, they should be designed to be
SMART. There are many variations of what
SMART stands for, but the essence is this –
goals should be:

Specific. Your goal must be clear and well defined. Vague or generalized goals are
unhelpful because they don't provide sufficient direction. Remember, you need
goals to show you the way. Make it as easy as you can to get where you want to go
by defining precisely where you want to end up. Example: Earning an
average of 2.0 during the semester is specific rather than just say to be able to pass.

[Link] precise amounts, dates, and so on in your goals so you can

measure your degree of success. If your goal is simply defined as " to increase my
GWA in the second semester " how will you know when you have been successful?
You might as well set the goal by saying that you will improve your performance
in the final examination by earning scores 10% better than the midterm period.

Attainable. Make sure that it's possible to achieve the goals you set. If you set a goal
that you have no hope of achieving, you will only demoralize yourself and erode
your confidence. However, resist the urge to set goals that are too easy. By setting
realistic yet challenging goals, you hit the balance you need. These are the types of
goals that require you to "raise the bar" and they bring the greatest personal
satisfaction. If it is attainable for you to set your sight on graduating with Latin
honors, then go for it!

Relevant. Goals should be relevant to the direction you want your life and career to
take. By keeping goals aligned with this, you'll develop the focus you need to get
ahead and do what you want. Set widely scattered and inconsistent goals, and you'll
fritter your time – and your life – away. The letter R can also stand for realistic.

Time Bound. Your goals must have a deadline, like after four years of university
work. Again, this means that you know when you can celebrate success. When you
are working on a deadline, your sense of urgency increases and achievement will
come that much quicker.

3. Set Goals in Writing

The physical act of writing down a goal makes it real and tangible. You have no
excuse for forgetting about it. As you write, use the word "will" instead of "would
like to" or "might."

23
4. Make an Action Plan
This step is often missed in the process of goal
setting. You get so focused on the outcome
that you forget to plan all of the steps that are
needed along the way. By writing out the
individual steps, and then crossing each one
off as you complete it, you'll realize that you
are making progress towards your ultimate
goal. This is especially important if your goal
is big and demanding, or long-term.

5. Stick With It!

Remember, goal setting is an ongoing activity, not just a means to an end. Have
reminders to keep yourself on track, and make regular time-slots available to review
your goals. Your end destination may remain quite similar over the long term, but
the action plan you set for yourself along the way can change significantly. Make
sure the relevance, value, and necessity remain high.

ALBERT BANDURA’S SELF-EFFICACY THEORY

Albert Bandura is an influential social cognitive psychologist who is perhaps best known
for his social learning theory, the concept of self-efficacy, and his famous Bobo doll
experiments. He is a Professor Emeritus at Stanford University and is widely regarded as
one of the greatest living psychologists.

Albert Bandura's social learning theory

stressed the importance of observational
learning, imitation, and modeling. His
work emphasizes the importance of social
influences, but also a belief in personal
control. "People with high assurance in
their capabilities approach difficult tasks
as challenges to be mastered rather than as threats to be avoided," he has suggested.

Bandura's most famous experiment was the 1961 Bobo doll study. In the experiment, he
made a film in which an adult model was shown beating up a Bobo doll and shouting
aggressive words. The film was then shown to a group of children. Afterward, the
children were allowed to play in a room that held a Bobo doll. Those who had seen the
film with the violent model were more likely to beat the doll, imitating the actions and
words of the adult in the film clip.

24
What is self-efficacy?

Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s ability to

influence events that effect one’s life and control
over the way these events are experienced
pioneered by Albert Bandura. Self-efficacy is the
belief in one’s effectiveness in performing specific
tasks. High self-efficacy reflects confidence in the
ability to exert control over one's own motivation,
behavior, and environment, and allows students
to become advocates for their own needs and
supports.

Sources of self-efficacy
1. Mastery Experiences.
This refers to experiencing the results of self-efficacy first hand. The key to
mastery is approaching life with dedicated efforts and experimenting with realistic
but challenging goals. People need to acknowledge the satisfaction of goals that are
achieved, in order to reap the pleasure of mastery. Easy success with little effort can
lead to us to expect rapid results which can, in turn, make us easily discouraged by
failure.
Succeeding in a task boosts confidence and increases the likelihood of
achieving similar tasks again. We gain a sense of ‘mastery’ over it. Failure, on the
other hand, does just the opposite. It breaks our confidence and leaves us in
self-doubt.

2. Social Modeling.
This means that people choose role-models who demonstrate their
self-efficacy. Motivation can be found by observing those who employ this in their
lives and have reached their goals despite adversity. Seeing people similar to
oneself succeed with consistent effort, raises the observers‖ beliefs in their own
abilities to succeed.
Role models have a vital role to play in building self-efficacy. Those are the
people we follow, admire, and want to replicate. Their actions, principles, and
achievements indirectly teach and persuade us to repeat the same. We are more
willing to put in efforts and work in the direction that they show us. The only
challenge of this source is that if the role models are wrong in their ways, it is likely
that their failures destroy our self-efficacy or we too get tempted to go astray.

3. Vicarious Experience.
Another source of efficacy roots from seeing others around us, especially
people who we can relate to. Watching similar people succeed or hearing their
success stories motivate us to believe that if they could, we can too.

25
4. Emotional and physical experiences.
Lastly, our emotions, moods and physical states influence our interpretation of
self-efficacy. Positive and negative emotions are magnets that influence one’s sense
of self-efficacy, especially in the case of a depressed mood when control can feel out
of reach.

4 Ways to Increase Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy enhances self-control. It impacts all the functional aspects of
human functioning – from personal relationships to professional commitments, and
social interactions, and relates to a low risk of mortality (Taylor, 2012). Together
with resilience, self-efficacy helps in achieving goals and acquiring a sense of
accomplishment in life, and here are some ways that can help in enhancing efficacy:

1. Stay in the stretch zone

Goal-setting is crucial to building self-efficacy. Studies have shown that out of
the three personal zones of achievement (the comfort zone, the stretch zone, and
the panic zone), highly productive people lie at the stretch zone where they can
make the most of their abilities.

In the stretch zone, we are more willing to take reasonable chances and are
resilient to failures and setbacks. Unlike in the panic zone or the comfort zone where
we are unwilling to take chances or extend our efforts, the stretch zone allows us to
have an insightful perception about us and increases the likelihood of achieving
self-contentment.

We can try entering the stretch zone by:

 Setting goals.
 Doing things that we like to do.
 Trying new things and facing challenges.
 Accepting failures and criticisms positively.
 Approaching the goals slowly and not over-stressing about results.

2. Set simple goals

Low self-efficacy makes us either doubt our abilities or perceive the tasks to be
more difficult than they are.
As a result, we don’t make enough effort, blame ourselves for our under
achievements, and destroy the trust in ourselves. A good idea to build and sustain
self-efficacy is to set goals reasonably and approach them one by one. We can
break the goals into smaller subgoals and work on achieving them one at a time. By
doing this, we can rejoice our small successes, and our goals become more
manageable and accessible.

26
3. Look at the bigger picture
One of the most significant qualities of people with high self-efficacy is the
power to look beyond short-term losses and not letting them break their self-trust.
We have higher goals to achieve, and sticking to this perspective helps in
maintaining a high self-efficacy. Self-efficacy allows us to sort our priorities, make
better plans, and focus on them more efficiently.

4. Reframe obstacles
A practical psychological tool to increase self-efficacy is identifying obstacles,
thought blocks, and reframing or replacing them with positive interventions.
Reconstructing the way we look at failures and feel about them help a lot in
changing the way we think of ourselves.
For example, a person with high self-efficacy is not likely to perceive losses as
personal shortcomings. He would instead try to cope with it and find ways to handle
it positively. Building self-efficacy allows us to understand that challenges and
failures are inevitable; by continuing to believe in ourselves and our abilities, we can
surely attain fulfillment.

How do we characterize people with high self-efficacy versus those with low
self-efficacy?

Persons with high self-efficacy:

A. Approach difficult tasks as challenges to be
mastered;
B. Set challenging goals and maintain strong
commitment to them;
C. Heighten or sustain efforts in the face of failures
or setbacks;
D. Attribute failure to insufficient effort or deficient
knowledge and skills which are acquirable; and
E. Approach threatening situations with assurance that they can exercise control over
them.

Persons with low self-efficacy:

A. Shy away from tasks they view as personal threats;
B. Have low aspirations and weak commitment to goals they choose to pursue;
C. Dwell on personal deficiences, obstacles they will encounter, and all kinds of
adverse outcomes, rather than on concentrating on how to perform successfully;
D. Slacken their efforts and give up quickly in the face of difficulties;
E. Are slow to recover their sense of efficacy following failure or setbacks; and
F. Fall easy victim to stress and depression.

How do you see yourself? One with high self-efficacy or one with low self-efficacy?

27
CAROL DWECK’S FIXED AND GROWTH MINDSET THEORY

Carol Dweck is a psychologist who has done extensive research over the last 30
years on the cause and effect of how one’s thoughts catapult them into success or
inadequacy. The path people choose, according
to Dweck, has a lot more to do with attitude and
perceptions of ourselves. She is a professor of
Psychology at Stanford University, California,
U.S.A.

Dweck defined mindset as the collection of

thoughts and beliefs that shape your thought
habits. And your thought habits affect how you
think, what you feel, and what you do.

Characteristics of People With Fixed Mindset

 In a fixed mindset, people believe their qualities are fixed traits and therefore
cannot change.
 These people document their intelligence and talents rather than working to
develop and improve them.
 They also believe that talent alone leads to success, and effort is not required.
 Their goals end up becoming about looking smart all the time and to never appear
incompetent.

Characteristics of People with Growth Mindset

 They believe that their most basic abilities can be developed and grow through
dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point.
 This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great
accomplishment. Teaching a growth mindset creates motivation and productivity in
the worlds of business, education, and sports.
 People have an underlying belief that their learning and intelligence can grow with
time and experience. When people believe they can become smarter, they realize
that their effort has an effect on their success, so they put in extra time, leading to
higher achievement.

17 Strategies to Develop Growth Mindset

1. Acknowledge and embrace your weaknesses.

Maybe you know that you are lazy and tend to put things off until the last minute.
Try to plan around that by making modest goals and giving yourself a reasonable
amount of time to accomplish them.

28
2. View challenges as opportunities.
We are constantly faced with important decisions, such as whether to accept a new
job or signing up to take a new class.
Taking on these challenges is a big part of developing as a person. The more we
challenge ourselves, the more opportunities we have to learn about ourselves. New
challenges equal new opportunities.

3. Know your learning style and use the right learning strategies.
If you are able to identify the best ways that you learn, you can optimize your time
while researching or attending classes.
Various learning styles can work together for people who have a growth mindset,
and learning styles allow students to blend and combine their own bits of intelligence
into many different patterns.

4. Remember that the brain has the ability to change throughout life.
Your brain forms new connections throughout life that allow it to make adjustments
when you are faced with new situations or a new environment.

5. Prioritize learning over seeking approval.

When you are more concerned about getting approval from other people than about
learning new things, you are giving up your own potential to grow. Don't worry about
what other people think about you, and instead focus on bettering yourself for your own
benefit.

6. Focus on the process instead of the end result.

People who have a growth mindset are often very in tune with their intelligence and
willingness to learn.

7. Cultivate a sense of purpose.

Students with a growth mindset are able to look at long-term goals and have a
larger sense of purpose for their lives. Keep the end goal in mind and always look at the
big picture.

8. Choose learning well over learning fast.

This goes back to focusing on the process of learning instead of the end result.
Learning isn't something that you can rush. You have to go through some mistakes in
order to truly find success, and none of that will come easy or quickly.

9. Reward effort and actions, not traits.

Let other people know when they are doing something creative or especially smart
rather than just telling them that they are smart in general.

10. Learn to give and receive constructive criticism.

Think of criticism as a way to learn. If you have an area of weakness and someone
is able to point that out to you, think of it as a gift that makes you aware of your faults
so you can focus on them to improve.
29
11. Need for improvement does not mean failure.
Just because you need to improve in one area does not mean you have failed. It
means that you are on the right track, you're just not quite there yet.

12. Reflect on your learning every day.

Make sure to absorb everything you learn throughout the day, whether this means
writing down the main points at the end of the day or doing a little bit more research on
a topic that held your interest the most that day.

13. Learn from the mistakes of others.

You don't always want to compare yourself to other people, but it is important to
see that other people have the same weaknesses as [Link] you see someone make
a mistake and recognize how it should have been done correctly, keep that in mind for
the future when you are in their situation.

14. Think of learning as “brain training.”

The more you learn, the more you are training your brain to act a certain way and
make various connections. You want to train your brain as best you can, which equates
to continuing to learn throughout life.

15. Cultivate grit.

You want to have a passion for what you are doing so you can have the
perseverance to see it through.

16. Never stop learning. Set a new goal for every one you accomplished.
You will never be completely finished learning. Just because you have finished one
class or one project does not mean that you should abandon the subject.

17. Remember that it takes time to learn.

Nothing worth doing comes quickly and easily. You have to be realistic about the
time it will take for you to learn the information that you are interested in to the point of
your satisfaction.

Let us now explore grit which was mentioned in the preceding topic.

ANGELA LEE DUCKWORTH’S GRIT

What is grit?
Grit is the passion and sustained persistence applied
toward long-term achievement, with no particular concern
for rewards or recognition along the way. It is the ability to
persist in something you feel passionate about and
persevere when you face obstacles. This kind of passion is
not about intense emotions or infatuation.

30
Angela Duckworth, the proponent of grit, completed her undergraduate degree in
Advanced Studies Neurobiology at Harvard, graduating magna cum laude. With the
support of a Marshall Scholarship, she completed an MSc with Distinction in
Neuroscience from Oxford University. She completed her PhD in Psychology as a
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania.

Characteristics of People with Grit

1. Courage
When you think of courage you may think of physical bravery, but there are
many other forms of courage. After all, courage is not the absence of fear, but the
triumph over it. Examples of courage include taking a chance when others will not;
following your vision, no matter where it takes you; standing up for what you believe in,
especially when your beliefs are unpopular; or simply doing the right thing even though
easier options exist. The qualities of courageous people include patience, the ability to
believe the unbelievable, and the guts to say “no”. They are not afraid of taking an
unpopular stand, nor of asking for help. They are able to forgive and move on quickly,
but also to stay the course when everyone else has abandoned ship.

2. Conscientiousness
Conscientiousness is defined as the personality trait of being thorough, careful,
or vigilant. Conscientiousness implies a desire to do a task well and conscientious people
are efficient and organized, not resting until the job is done and done right. Generally,
the conscientious have strong moral principles and values: they want to do the right
thing and opinions and beliefs on any subject are rarely held lightly. They also tend to be
perfectionists who like to do everything “the right way”. In addition, the conscientious
person is dedicated to work and is capable of intense, single-minded effort. They like the
appearance of orderliness and tidiness and are good organizers, catalogers and list
makers. Finally, conscientious people stick to their convictions and opinions – opposition
only serves to strengthen their dogged determination.

3. Perseverance
“If you are going through hell, keep going,” Winston Churchill famously said.
Indeed, to many people, perseverance is synonymous with pain and suffering but those
with true grit are able to flip their perspective on perseverance 180 degrees and view
struggle as a doorway to pleasure. Essentially, to persevere means to start and continue
steadfastly on the path towards any goal you set and frequently this factor alone is the
difference between failure and success. However, one of the distinctions between
someone who succeeds and someone who is just spending a lot of time doing something
is this: practice must have purpose. That’s where long-term goals come in. They provide
the context and framework in which to find the meaning and value of your long-term
efforts, which helps cultivate drive, sustainability, passion, courage, stamina… Grit.

31
4. Resilience
In one word, resilience is “toughness” – the capacity to recover quickly from
difficulties. In general, those who are extremely optimistic tend to show greater
resilience. They approach life with a sense of humor, are able to laugh at themselves
and to reframe situations and experiences to see a lighter side. Resilient people also
tend to have a strong moral compass or set of beliefs that cannot be shattered. They
don’t compare themselves to others, knowing instead that they are their own yardstick
of success. They also see difficulties as stepping stones to transformation. Finally, they
do not try to control their lives. Instead, they cultivate self-awareness and practice
mindfulness. They surrender themselves to life’s ups and downs and adjust their
attitudes and goals according to the size of the wave they are currently riding.

5. Excellence vs Perfection - Passion

Passion creates excellence when mediocrity will do. Passionate people have
adeep sense of purpose and are often selfless in
their actions. They also know themselves – they
have a clear sense of their values and beliefs, and
they live by them. They generally accept
themselves as imperfect and growing, seeing life
as a series of choices and options. They are driven
by goals, and are result-oriented. They don’t let
anything stop them – they have a “will to find a
way” attitude and don’t accept “no” for an answer. By the same token, they are also
enthusiastic about the success of others. Finally, they take responsibility for their lives
but are not afraid to ask for support. Passionate people recognise that they are in the
driver’s seat as they travel on their journey of life.

Developing GRIT

By looking at life as a marathon rather than a sprint, and by developing certain

factors that are indirectly connected to grit, you can realize your potential. Here’s how:

1. Pursue Your Interests

You’re going to have a hard time sticking to goals that don’t fascinate you.
So, the first step to growing your grit is to find something interesting. But that doesn’t
mean sitting around thinking about what your passion is.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice

Hard work leads to competence, and we’re much more likely to stick with things
we’re good at. The most gritty people always want to improve, no matter what it takes
or how good they already are. So, when you’ve found your interest, put in the work to
get a little bit better every day.

32
3. Connect to a Higher Purpose
People who connect what they do to a higher purpose are grittier. It’s not
enough to have a compelling interest. You also have to take a step back and understand
how what you do contribute to the well-being of others. That is not only useful for
increasing your grit. It also helps you enjoy the task more.

4. Cultivate Hope
If you want to reach your goals, you first need to believe it’s possible.
Limiting beliefs about your abilities being fixed and unalterable affects your grit
negatively. And they are also plain wrong. Research has shown that you have the
possibility to change your brain and learn new skills throughout your life.
Your brain is “plastic” and you can reshape it through effort and experience.
So, go after your goals with the belief that you can improve if you work hard at it.
Because you can.

5. Surround Yourself With Gritty People

The people around you have a huge influence on your thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors. When you spend enough time with a particular group of people the way, they
do things become the way you do things. Their norms and values will rub off on you and
become your new standard.

33
 APPLICATION & ASSESSMENT

Goal setting using the SMART formula

You probably realized after reading this lesson that the topics are interconnected. You
can also connect this with the 1st lesson on becoming a successful student. They are all
helpful to you as you chart your goals and get to your destination.

Envision yourself 5 years and 10 years from now. What is one SMART goal that you
wish to accomplish in 2025 and 2035? Do it in picture/s. Look for a picture that would
best represent your goal which you wish to achieve 5 years from now and another to
represent yourself and your goal 10 years from now. Give a brief description of your
goals. What is the action plan toward the attainment of that goal? Identify three
facilitators which can propel you to reach that goal. Also identify three barriers which
may impede you from attaining it.

? ?
Your goal in the next 5 years and Your goal in the next 10 years and
short description short description

What steps will you take to achieve your goals?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Your facilitators to achieve your goals Obstacles/Impediments to overcome

1._______________________________ 1. ____________________________
2._______________________________ 2. ____________________________
3._______________________________ 3. ____________________________

34
OR

You may also have the option to do this task by making a road map which will plot
your journey toward the attainment of your goals.

Let’s check how well you internalized the lesson. Please encircle the correct
answer.
1. Why do we need to set goals, whether short- or long-term?
A. Goals provide us with a clear direction where to go to.
B. Goals inspire us to reach something in life.
C. Goals keep us focused and enable us to use time efficiently.
D. All of the above.
2. Which goal is unattainable given the SMART rule in mind?
A. Graduating with Latin honors through hard work and determination.
B. Courting a beautiful lady and promising her the moon and the stars.
C. Getting a 1.75 GPA after the first semester, SY 2020-21.
D. Acquiring a new laptop after 6 months by saving 10% of your allowance every
week.
3. What is NOT a characteristic of a person with growth mindset?
A. Exemplifies hard work as a tool to develop one’s abilities.
B. Possesses love of learning and highly resilient.
C. Belief that intelligence and talent can automatically lead to success
D. Belief that intelligence can grow with time and experience.
4. The passion and sustained perseverance to achieve one’s goal without being
conscious of rewards and recognition is
A. Self-efficacy B. Grit
C. Growth mindset D. Resilience
5. You have a friend whom you observe to have low self-efficacy and you would like to
help him/her. What will you do?
A. Objectively help the person identify the barriers to achieving the goals.
B. Affirm the person’s small steps toward success.
C. Providing support when s/he tries new things and challenges.
D. All of the above.

“Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal

and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set
another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit.”-
Bear Bryant

35
 REFERENCES

Alata, Eden Joy, et al. (2018). Understanding the self. Rex Book Store: Manila

Brawner, Dalisay and Analiza Arcega. (2018). Understanding the self. C & E Bookstore:
Quezon City.

Corpuz, Ronald, et al. (2019). Understanding the self. C & E Bookstore: Quezon City

Macayan, Anthony, et al. (2019). Understanding the self. C & E Bookstore: Quezon
City

[Link] Get title...

[Link]

[Link]
arch-9c78c803093e

[Link]

[Link]

[Link]

Meriam Webster Dictionary

[Link]
nder-of-mercury-drug/

Pictures:
[Link]

36
 UNIT III. MANAGING AND CARING FOR
THE SELF
Lesson 3. Taking Charge of One’s Health
(1 week - 3 hours)

INTRODUCTION

From the previous lessons we have learned the different theories of

learning and how goals are achieved.

Most of us strive to be good members of our family, school, community

and the larger society we belong to. But with the various roles that we play as sons
and daughters, students and friends, we often tend to overlook the necessity of
keeping ourselves fit and healthy not only physically but most of all
psychologically.

THE STORY OF THE TWO WOLVES

The following is an old Cherokee Indian story that is enlightening and

helpful. One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on
inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all." "It
is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy,
sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego." He continued,
"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love,
hope, serenity, humility, kindness,
benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth,
compassion, and faith. The same fight is
going on inside you - and inside every other
person, too." The grandson thought about
it for a minute and then asked his
grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The old
Cherokee simply replied, "The one you
feed".

(Source: [Link]
[Link])

37
 Knowing which wolf to feed is the first step towards recognizing you have
control over your own self. Have you ever had thoughts, feelings or acted in ways
that were unacceptable to yourself but felt powerless to control? The purpose of
this story is to help you find ways to manage your mind so that you can live your life
more in accordance with what your own judgment says is best for you. As we grow
up, we gradually become aware of the many things in the external world which are
largely beyond our ability to control. These include other people in general and
most events in our lives. Initially this is difficult to accept, but a more shocking
realization is that there are many things about ourselves that we seem powerless to
control.

Some of these are our own thoughts, feelings, and actions which
unfortunately can be the source of much distress. It may be thoughts such as “I
cannot stop hating my teacher for not giving me high grades.” It may involve an
emotion e.g. “My girlfriend left me and I cannot stop feeling sad, lonely and
unloved.”

Everyone desires to have a fit and healthy body when we are fit and
healthy we can be productive and efficient resulting to a feeling of well being and
Happiness.

In this unit we will learn how to be psychologically and emotionally fit individuals.

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. assess one’s stress habits and reflect on their coping mechanisms and areas
of improvement;
2. identify and differentiate the nature of the different kinds of stress and its
characteristics;
3. understand the importance of self-care in stress management;
4. earn tips on how to effectively beat stress;
5. apply the suggested tips to maximize self care;
6. exhibit personal ways of coping with stress for healthful living in the new
normal way

38
Which of the following situations do you think can cause stress? The purpose of this
questionnaire is to help you get information about how well you can identify your
stressors.

Please put a check on the right column of the statement you believe can cause
stress.

List of Stressors
Failing in your subjects
Being in the Dean’s list
The death of a significant person in your life
Having a baby before graduation
Sleeping less than seven hours a night
Starting a new exercise program
Being late in school
Having an annoying sibling
Chosen to be a leader of a team for a project
Adjustment to a new level of independence
Peer pressure
Expectation from elders
Extended commuting time,traffic
Living away from family
New,unfamiliar environment
Financial needs
Family problems
Norms and standard of the society
Romantic Relationship

Look at your checklist and answer the following questions:

1. Why do you consider these your stressors?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

39
 2. Which of the following statements do you consider positive stressors? Why?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

3. Which of the following statements do you consider negative stressors?

Why?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Fitness refers to the quality of being able and suitable to do a certain task
or demand. Fitness covers the physical well being, a balanced mental state,
emotional stability and spiritual soundness. On the other hand, health is defined as
“state of complete physical, mental and social well being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO 2003).

What is Stress?

You might be surprised to learn that all of the above can create stress.
Stressors are events or circumstances that trigger a stress response and these
events can range from things that people want and enjoy, as well as from things
that are disagreeable it is a stimulus with the potential for triggering the fight or
flight response. Stressors are events which our bodies were evolutionarily trained to
respond accordingly for our safety (Greenberg, 2010).

Worrying in anticipation about things that haven't happened (and might

not even happen) can also cause stress that affects your body and mind.

Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any

event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous. It is your body's
reaction to a challenge or demand. In short bursts, stress can be positive, such as
when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline is the way human beings react
both physically and mentally to changes, events, and situations in their lives.

Stress is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or

response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional
responses Your own reaction to a particular stressor may be very different from
another person’s, but with awareness, you can develop control over your response.

40
 Stress is a normal part of life. The body's stress responses are your first
line of defense in life-threatening situations. If you encounter a lion in the jungle or
a mugger on the street, stress triggers your body to produce an adrenaline rush
that helps you run away faster or defend yourself with greater speed, strength, and
quick decision-making. Stress can cause the body to prepare for fight or flight with
an increased heart rate, elevated respiration, and changes in blood flow. And many
of the effects of stress—such as increased alertness, resiliency, and
adaptation—are positive and have allowed our species to survive and evolve over
time.

Stress also serves as a stimulus to act and grow, which helps you adapt to
ever-changing and ever-demanding environments. Some studies even suggest that
stress can motivate you to seek more and better contact with other people.
Therefore, stress in and of itself isn't negative. It's part of human life.

Stress is the body’s response to the various mental, emotional, and

physical demand made on it.

Stress is a ever-present challenge that affects mental and physical health

across human beings. It is described as any factor that makes adaptation to an
environment for the individual to maintain a state of balance between himself and
the environment (Humprey, Yow & Bowen). It includes a physical response to
meet the demands of the stressful event (Richlin-Klonsk).

If left unchecked stress can damage your concept of yourself, your outlook
in life and affect your behavior that in turn will affect people around you.

Even though you are young, you are not spared from stress. You
experience stress in school, particularly now that you are in college. You face
completion for academic performance and recognition. Examinations, assignments,
projects and Extra -curricular activities can take a toll on your wellness, especially if
you do not get adequate sleep, food or exercise. If not properly addressed these so
called stressors may even take its toll in your body and may cause you to have
illness.

The events or condition that put a strain on the individuals are called
stressors. There are variations in an individual reaction to these stressors. These
variations may be due to the differences in their age, sex/gender, ethical
predisposition, medical history, religious beliefs, physical fitness, attitude, behavior
patterns, social support, education status and social economic background.

College students are said to have experience a unique cluster of stressors

(Garette 2000). Some of these may be internal while some may be external such as
intrapersonal, academic and environmental stressors (Heckertt ,1999). How you
perceive stress is crucial to your well being. Your action and state due to the
presence or perceived stressors is known as stress response. Stress Response is the
flight or fight this is different from what we call coping. Stress Response can be
categorize as behavioral, cognitive and physiological depending on many factors
such as age, gender, and social support.
41
Prolonged stress however is another story. Below are the different Types of stress
and its characteristics.

Types of Stress (Source: American Psychological Association)

There are several types of Stress. Stress management can be complicated and
confusing because there are different types of stress — Eustress, Acute stress,
Episodic acute stress, and Chronic stress — each with its own characteristics,
symptoms, duration and treatment approaches. Let's look at each one.

Positive stressors called Eustress-

moderate or normal psychological stress
interpreted as being beneficial for the
experience. Eustress means beneficial
stress—either psychological, physical (e.g.
exercise), or biochemical/radiological
(hormesis). It refers to a positive response
one has to a stressor, which can depend on
one's current feelings of control,
desirability, location, and timing of the
stressor.

An example of eustress, would be a

challenging work assignment that is perceived to be neither too difficult nor too
easy. Another example would be a strength training workout results from a
“positive” view of an event or situation, which is why it is also called “good stress.”
may include an upcoming wedding, the holidays, or pregnancy. Other examples of
positive personal stressors may include: Receiving a promotion or raise at work.
Starting a new job, buying a home, moving, taking a vacation or holiday seasons.

It helps you rise to a challenge and can be an antidote to boredom because it

engages focused energy.

It’s often a question of perception: A positive stressor for one person can be a
negative stressor for another.

42
 Eustress, or positive stress, has the following characteristics:
It Motivates, focuses energy.
Is short-term.
Is perceived as within our coping abilities.
Feels exciting.
Improves performance.

Distress on the other hand, is a negative form of stress– the one that we
most commonly associate with stress. Below are the different types of distress.

Acute stress is the most common form of stress. It comes from demands
and pressures of the recent past and anticipated demands and pressures of the
near future. Acute stress is thrilling and exciting
in small doses, but too much is exhausting. A fast
run down a challenging ski slope, for example, is
exhilarating early in the day. That same ski run
late in the day is taxing and wearing. Skiing
beyond your limits can lead to falls and broken
bones. By the same token, overdoing on
short-term stress can lead to psychological
distress, tension headaches, upset stomach and
other symptoms.

Fortunately, acute stress symptoms are recognized by most people. It’s a

laundry list of what has gone awry in their lives: the auto accident that crumpled the
car fender, the loss of an important contract, a deadline they’re rushing to meet and
their child’s occasional problems at school and so on.

Because it is short term, acute stress doesn’t have enough time to do the
extensive damage associated with long-term stress. Acute stress can crop up in
anyone’s life, and it is highly treatable and manageable.

There are those, however, who suffer acute stress frequently, whose lives
are so disordered that they are s in chaos and crisis. They’re always in a rush, but
always late. If something can go wrong, it does. They take on too much, have too
many irons in the fire, and can’t organize the slew of self-inflicted demands and
pressures clamoring for their attention. They seem perpetually in the clutches of
acute stress.

It is common for people with acute stress reactions to be over aroused,

short-tempered, irritable, anxious and tense. Often, they describe themselves as
having “a lot of nervous energy.” Always in a hurry, they tend to be abrupt, and
sometimes their irritability comes across as hostility. Interpersonal relationships
deteriorate rapidly when others respond with real hostility.
43
 A form of Episodic acute stress comes from ceaseless worry. “Worry
warts” see disaster around every corner and pessimistically forecast catastrophe in
every situation. The world is a dangerous, unrewarding, punitive place where
something awful is always about to happen. They also tend to be over aroused and
tense, but are more anxious and depressed than angry and hostile.

The symptoms of episodic acute stress are the symptoms of extended over
arousal: persistent tension headaches, migraines, hypertension, chest pain and
heart disease. Treating episodic acute stress requires intervention on a number of
levels, generally requiring professional help, which may take many months.

Often, lifestyle and personality issues are so ingrained and habitual with
these individuals that they see nothing wrong with the way they conduct their lives.
They blame their woes on other people and external events. Frequently, they see
their lifestyle, their patterns of interacting with others, and their ways of perceiving
the world as part and parcel of who and what they are.

Sufferers can be fiercely resistant to change. Only the promise of relief

from pain and discomfort of their symptoms can keep them in treatment and on
track in their recovery program.

While acute stress can be thrilling and exciting, Chronic Stress is not.
This is the grinding stress that wears people away day after day, year after year.
Chronic stress destroys bodies, minds and lives. It wreaks havoc through long-term
attrition. It’s the stress of poverty, of dysfunctional families, of being trapped in an
unhappy marriage or in a despised job or career. It’s the stress that the
never-ending “troubles” have brought to the people of Northern Ireland, the
tensions of the Middle East have brought to the Arab and Jew, and the endless
ethnic rivalries that have been brought to the people of Eastern Europe and the
former Soviet Union.

Chronic stress comes when a person never sees a way out of a miserable
situation. It’s the stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly
interminable periods of time. With no hope, the individual gives up searching for
solutions.|

Some chronic stresses stem from traumatic, early childhood experiences

that become internalized and remain forever painful and present. Some
experiences profoundly affect personality. A view of the world, or a belief system, is
created that causes unending stress for the individual (e.g., the world is a
threatening place, people will find out you are a pretender, you must be perfect at
all times). When personality or deep-seated convictions and beliefs must be
reformulated, recovery requires active self-examination, often with professional
help.

The worst aspect of chronic stress is that people get used to it. They forget
it’s there. People are immediately aware of acute stress because it is new; they
ignore chronic stress because it is old, familiar, and sometimes, almost comfortable.

44
Chronic stress kills through suicide, violence, heart attack, stroke and, perhaps,
even cancer. People wear down to a final, fatal breakdown. Because physical and
mental resources are depleted through long-term attrition, the symptoms of
chronic stress are difficult to treat and may require extended medical as well as
behavioral treatment and stress management.

Researched shows that the top four sources for stress are
Money.
Work.
Family Responsibilities.
Health Concerns.

Daily life doesn't usually require you to flee from a lion in the jungle, so it
doesn't help your mind or body to continuously respond as if you are doing so.
Unfortunately, the human body responds to any stress in the same biological ways
it responds to the lion, even though these responses are often unhelpful in dealing
with the stress.

Rapid societal change in the past 40 years has led to prolonged stress for
many people. Subsequently, the prevalence of stress-related illness has grown too.
And perceived stressors can be just as harmful as real ones—for example, worrying
in anticipation why your teacher asked you to her office tomorrow will cause you a
significant amount of stress, even if the meeting results in a passing or very good
grade.

Fortunately, there are ways to work with prolonged stress that can help
alleviate the negative effects it may have on health and wellbeing. One important
key may be the attitude you bring to stress.

Stress has a powerful impact on various aspects of your life—not only can
it affect your mood, energy level, relationships, and work performance, stress can
also cause and exacerbate a wide variety of health conditions.

IDENTIFYING YOUR STRESS HABITS

Before you can reduce the negative effects of stress, you have to find out
what causes your stress and how you cope. One tool that can help is mindfulness,
which is a practice of becoming more aware of what’s going on—in your body,
mind, and the environment around you. Rather than running back to a habitual
pattern of avoiding or obsessing, mindfulness allows you to simply be present and
notice what’s happening right now, giving you the space to choose the best way to
respond.
45
 The first step in letting go of mental habits or patterns of thinking that may be
causing you stress is identifying them.

 Pay attention to patterns or habits of thinking that feel problematic or

time-consuming in your day (such as generalizing, comparing, placing
conditions, projecting, self-diminishing, or defending).
 Write these down in a notebook (or your journal if you have one).
 Make a note when you think that way. Record the time, circumstances, and
place, as well as what triggered the thought.

Strange as it may seem, we are often not aware of what causes us stress. So
take time to check in with yourself, without judgment. How are you feeling? Pay
attention to your body are your muscles tense or relaxed? Is your breathing deep
or shallow? Are you holding your hands open or curled in fists? You may be
surprised to find when you are experiencing stress or simply reminded that you find
certain situations difficult. Just let yourself acknowledge the feeling. This may
include drugs a person abuses, such as alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, or tranquilizers.

Once you know your sources of stress, you can see if you can do anything to
reduce or reframe them. Here are some common stressors in the general
population

a) any change that upsets the accustomed pattern of life

b) Advances in science and technology
c) Long hours of work, heavy workload, in conducive working conditions
d) Wide range of choices and demands
e) Overcrowding, different kinds of pollution, environmental issues
f) Separation from loved ones for economic reasons
g) Social, political, and economic landscape of the country
h) Weather

If you can't eliminate or reduce a stressor, simply being aware of it can help
you recognize when you need to take corrective action. Understanding how to
identify and control your reactions to stress can lessen its negative impact. Learning
to be aware of and control your stress responses takes intention, awareness, and
practice over time.

REMEMBER
Mastering stress can:
Improve physical health; Boost mood; Enhance relationships; Improve sleep

The first step toward mastering stress is finding out where you're already
making good choices and where you need to make a change.

46
EFFECTS OF STRESS

The manifestations of stress vary from one person to another and so do

reactions of the body to stress. These reactions are automatic and subconscious.
They may range from sudden lack of appetite or overeating to insomnia or
oversleeping; unusual sadness or happiness, anxiety or irritability, developing
migraine headache, heartburn, indigestion, frequent urination and diarrhea or
constipation. Recognizing them will help you cope with stress. Stress affects the
entire body it can cause major skin problems like acne and eczema. It can alter the
heart rhythms, cause chest pain and weaken the immune system. It can cause pain
in the joints, bones and muscles.

The body responds to stress on three levels:

1. Alarm. The body initial reaction to any potentially harmful demand is to prepare for
action. It gets ready to face danger (fight) or run away (flight).

 The Flight or Flight Response (Hans Selye)

What happens in the body during the fight or flight response?

He found that any problem, real or imagined, could cause the cerebral
cortex (the thinking part of the brain) to send an alarm to the hypothalamus (the
main switch for the stress response, located in the midbrain).
The hypothalamus then stimulates the sympathetic nervous system to
make a series of changes in the body. The heart rate, breathing rate, muscle
tension, metabolism, and blood pressure all increase. On this level the body usually
releases the adrenaline which enables you to do things that you do not usually do.
For example, though young and frail, you may be able to carry and save a heavy
appliance when fire breaks out in your neighborhood. This is your response, caused
by the adrenaline, to the stressful situation.

2. Resistance. The body adapts to stressors. While the body remains alert to them, its
defenses may have become weaker on this level.

3. Exhaustion. When the body is subjected to stress over a long period of time, blood
pressure is permanently raised, continuing muscular tension leads to aches and
pains, and the body’s resistance to disease remains suppressed. Unless action is
taken to alter either the stress factors or the body’s reaction to them the consequence
will eventually be exhaustion. When the body is no longer able to cope with stress, a
major physical or mental breakdown may occur.
47
STRESS IMPACT ON HEALTH
Long term or Persistent stress can lead to the development of the following
disorders and serious health problems, including:
 Depression. Clinical depression is marked by chemical imbalances that can
be triggered by stressful life events.
 General anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorder is characterized by visible
physical symptoms such as muscle tension and shaking.
 Sleeps disorders. Some common stress-related sleep disorders include
insomnia ( inability to sleep) apnea ( temporary cessation of breathing while
sleeping) and narcolepsy( excessive sleepiness during the day).
 Cardiovascular disease. One study that tracked over 68,000 healthy
adults for eight years found that those who reported feeling constantly
under strain and unable to cope, among other symptoms of chronic stress,
were likelier to die of cardiovascular disease. The results of another study
associated chronic stress with a 40-60% increased risk of coronary heart
disease.
 Digestive disorders. The “brain-gut” connection has a two-way effect:
digestive disorders can cause stress, and the negative effects of stress
can cause and aggravate digestive disorders. Part of the fight-or-flight
response’s job is to halt digestion so the body can focus its energy on
dealing with the perceived threat. Prolonged stress, then, can disrupt the
normal digestive function and cause bloating, pain, and discomfort.

 Accelerated aging. A professor at the University of California, made a

research on the relationship between stress and telomerase (the enzyme
associated with aging). Her studies show that people with chronic stress in
their lives, such as mothers with chronically ill children, have markedly
shortened telomeres. In fact, one landmark study found that these women
aged on average ten years faster than women who did not perceive chronic
stress in their lives.

 Decreased immune functioning. Since the 1980s, research has found

that stress can negatively affect the immune system. The American
Psychological Association suggests that one cause of stress that might be
most intricately linked to immune function is loneliness—people who don’t
have a support system to lean on in stressful times wind up getting sicker
more often.

According to research, other effects of stress include weight gain and

obesity, headaches, irritability, diabetes, and insomnia, among others.

 Impact on relationships - If you have ever spent time with someone who
is suffering from severe stress, you’ll understand the ways it can affect how
you two relate—the anger, irritation, and frustration that comes from stress
can easily influence the things we say and how we treat one another.

48
In a 2009 study, researchers examined the lives of newlyweds and found that
during periods of high perceived stress, people tended to react more intensely to
the normal ups and downs in a relationship creating, in effect, problems where
there weren’t any. When we perceive high amounts of stress, we tend to blame or
take out our frustrations on others. This can create real damage in a relationship,
affecting communication and trust, which then becomes another source of stress.

 Impact on School performance - Stress at school is very common—the

fight-or-flight response reserved for true threats can often be triggered by a
demanding parent or teacher r or an upcoming deadline. But reacting to
chronic stress can impair your ability to succeed. In fact, stress can impact
school performance in a variety of ways, including:

Physical symptoms that recur on school days (for example, upset stomach,
headaches)
Difficulty making decisions
Dread of school days or certain subject or course days
Dread of certain presence of a teacher or individual
Wanting to avoid or being absent during certain school days
or emotional swings at school or home (for example, anger outbreaks or feelings of
Helplessness)
Procrastination

Consider this story:

Peter’s story, which illustrates the impact that prolonged stress can have on
health. Peter was a bright and talented college student. He had always been
healthy and done well in school. In the past year, he added more activities,
including early morning swim practice, a role in the school play, and work on the
school yearbook. He knew his schedule would be really busy, but he enjoyed all of
the activities.

What happened?
Because of his busy schedule, Peter seldom ate dinner with his family. His
meals often consisted of fast food. She started drinking soda to boost her energy.
At night, even though he was exhausted, he couldn't sleep because his mind was
struggling. He started getting sick and missing school; first because of strep throat
He also started having severe stomachaches.

How was Peter's health issues addressed?

His doctor diagnosed him with irritable bowel syndrome and offered him
some medication to relax his gut. But his mother felt strongly that she didn't want
him to take medication.

49
 Instead, he began to work with him on his schedule and habits. She insisted
that Peter cut one after-school activity and be home for dinner at least four nights
a week. She took him to a gym and then to a Meditation class. Where Peter began
learning how to work with his breathing and to focus on the moment without
fixating on worries about things that were out of his control. In the mornings before
swim practice, he began doing 10 minutes of seated meditation with his mother.
After addressing the stress, Peter was still very busy, but he slept better,
had more energy, and his stomach problems disappeared.

Here are some suggestions on how to cope with stress:

1. Be honest with yourself about all the things that are going on in your life. Share your
thoughts and feelings with someone you love, trust and respect. Establish a network
of people both family and friends, who can serve as your emotional support especially
when you feel stressed out.

2. When you are feeling hassled and little things readily upset you take a deep breath,
count to 100 and then just put everything in perspective when you are aware of
stress, see if you can view the situation as a challenge that you have the resources to
meet.

3. Manage your time. Keep a list of your priorities for the day .Accept the fact that there
is only so much time each day and that as long as you are working consistently ,what
you do not get done today you can finish tomorrow. Tight timelines can make you
feel stressed. To feel more in control of your time try getting up 15 minutes early so
you aren't playing catch-up from the start. Schedule extra time, so you won't feel you
are running late all the time. Take breaks to give you a breather and create more
space in the day. Schedule your time wisely and honestly, always allowing time for
interruptions and unplanned change.

4. Develop healthy lifestyle. Avoid vices such as smoking, drinking liquor or substance
abuse.

5. Listen to Good music. Read good books.

6. Keep a diary of things .Get organized. Make lists to help you remember everything
(and let go of them in your mind) prioritize the items on your list and check them off
as you complete them. Set goals for each day that you can reasonably accomplish.

7. Adjust your attitude. We often respond to stressful events in ways that are not
particularly helpful. Sometimes our attitudes become negative, defeatist, or
worrisome, which can make it difficult to mindfully deal with stress. Be positive and
optimistic. Focus on the positive and always try to find good about people and
situations. If this sounds familiar to you, know that simply adjusting your attitude can
reduce stress.

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 Research suggests that if you approach a situation as a challenge, rather than a
threat, you don’t trigger the stress responses that can damage health. And as a bonus,
you are likely to think more clearly and have better motor control!

Here is one way to understand this.

A is for the "activating event" (or stressor)

B is for your "Belief system" and is what controls the emotion that we have
in response to the activating event. Since we are in control of our beliefs, we
can alter our consequent emotion.
C is for your "consequent emotion" (or stress response).

For example:

A, the activating event: A little old lady jumps ahead of you in line at the
grocery store.
If B is "How rude! She is completely inconsiderate."
Then, C is likely to be a response that is angry and emotional.
BUT, if B is "How cute, she is so old, she doesn't realize she jumped ahead
of me. she reminds me of my grandma."

Then C is likely to be a response that is warm and endearing to the little old
lady.
Try to work with beliefs (or attitudes) that are empathetic to others and less
judgmental.

8. Accept the fact that you cannot control everything and that there are events you
cannot control. Don't worry about what you can't change.

9. Focus on the pleasant aspects of your life. Learn about therapeutic approaches
for dealing with distressing thoughts or feelings. One approach that you can
research online or talk to a therapist about is called cognitive-behavioral therapy.

10. Do not procrastinate. Deal with every situation as soon as you can. Divide large
tasks into smaller components to make task less overwhelming.

TAKING CARE OF THE SELF

The need for SELF CARE. One should never forget that you are responsible for
your own mental, emotional and physical responses to stress. Your perception of
events is under your control. Hence managing your thought process can be an
effective method to deal with stress.

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Below are some (A) muscle to mind techniques and (B.) mind to muscle Techniques
to help you relieve stress. These techniques will help you control the level of
stimulation to the brain from the muscle and control the level of stimulation along
the nerve pathways coming from the brain to the muscles respectively.

A. MUSCLE TO MIND TECHNIQUES

1. Progressive relaxation –involves alternately tensing and relaxing the

muscles, moving through the body in a systemic fashion to tense and relax all major
muscle.

a) Physical activity increases your overall health and sense of well-being.

b) It also has stress-busting benefits like pumping up your endorphins,
improving your mood, providing a break from your stressors and
increasing self-esteem.
c) Try to walk or do something active for 20 minutes a day.
d) To gain additional benefits from aerobic and muscle strengthening
activities, find a more intense physical activity that you enjoy and do that
a few times a week too.

2. Massage induces relaxation. Touch is a form of nonverbal communication

that conveys reassurance and calms down anxiety.

3. Biofeedback therapy trains patients to become aware of and control some

physiological processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension to
achieve relaxation.

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B. MIND TO MUSCLE TECHNIQUES

1. Imagery can be used as a means of relaxation to cope with stressful situations.

Images are pictures formed within the mind. Sit relaxed with eyes closed and
concentrate on a particular image. With your eyes closed, take a moment to create,
in your mind’s eye, an ideal spot for relaxation. You can make it any place-real or
imagined. Perhaps it is your favorite room, a beautiful meadow, an ocean beach, or
a floating cloud. See yourself in comfortable clothes, completely relaxed and take a
few deep breaths. Once you have created this place in your mind, you can go back
there whenever you want an escape from your busy day or a stressful situation.

2. Meditation uses mind-focusing exercises to control or concentrate one’s

attention. In most forms, meditation involves sitting quietly for a certain period and
concentrating on a single word or image while breathing slowly and rhythmically to
decrease respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

3. Yoga – uses several position for the body through which the practitioner may
progress, beginning with the simplest and moving to the more complex. The
purpose of various positions is to increase mobility and flexibility of the body. Slow
deep, diaphragmatic breathing can help alleviate stress and lower blood pressure
and heart rate. It also increases production of endorphins, the body’s own natural,
morphine-like painkilling substances.

Other Stress Busters

(From the Notes of Dr. Catherine Roces, speaker “Understanding The Self
Seminar”)

1. SLEEP -Good sleep habits reduce stress and help your body recover from stress.
Everyone needs a different amount of sleep, however it is recommended to get 7-8
hours of sleep a night. Short naps can also re-energize you and improve your
mood. It is suggested that naps not exceed 30 minutes or you may feel groggy.

2. AROMATHERAPHY -Aromatherapy is a scientifically proven technique which

uses your sense of smell to trigger areas in your brain that affect mood.

3. LAUGH -. Laughing for one minute is the equivalent to 15 minutes on an exercise

bike or 10 minutes on a rowing machine. Laughter can reduce stress hormones,
boost your immune system and lower your blood pressure. So pop in an old
Seinfeld video, read your favorite comic strip, turn on Comedy Central, call a friend
who makes you laugh or pull out old photos albums.
Go ahead: laugh out loud!

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4. GETTING A HAIRCUT - Invest in a good haircut, adopt a 5-minute makeup
routine or get out of those sweat pants. Looking good makes you feel better. Even
if you just do a quick swipe of blush, mascara and lipstick, you’ll feel better.
Beautify!

5. REDUCE STRESS WITH TOUCHING, KISSING, HUGGING- Touching,

kissing, and hugging (or any other affectionate activities) are activities that
stimulate the brain’s release of the hormone oxytocin.

6. REDUCE STRESS BY GARDENING - Research has shown that having plants

and flowers in your presence can elicit a positive mood and reduce stress levels.
Connecting with the Earth by sticking your hands in the dirt and tending to the
plants yourself even further imbue you with an energy of calm.

7. REDUCE STRESS BY RUBBING YOUR HOKU - Your “hoku” is that flap of

skin on your palm that connects your pointer finger to your thumb. It’s also an
acupressure spot related to upper body tension that, when squeezed, can minimize
stress by up to 39 percent—that’s according to scientists at Hong Kong Polytechnic
University.

8. REDUCE STRESS BY EATING CHOCOLATE - A little bit of chocolate can go a

long way when it comes to your diet. Dark chocolate has been shown to be filled
with antioxidant flavonoids (which can minimize your risk of heart disease and
reduce blood pressure). Some scientists have gone so far as to claim that the sweet
stuff has more flavonoids than any other food (including blueberries).According to
research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, those said
flavonoids help blood vessels relax, helping calm overall stress.

9. REINVENT YOUR VOCABULARY - Words have a powerful influence over our

mind. Think positive thoughts and use positive words. Never utter the words “I
can’t” again. Saying things like “I can’t do it anymore” is a defeatist attitude that is
a recipe for failure and with failure comes stress. So don’t say “I can’t.” Say “I’ll try.”
“No!” It’s one of the first words that babies learn - and they use it often. Learn
how to say “no.” Know your limits and stick to them, whether in your personal or
professional life.

LAST BUT NEVER THE LEAST LEARN THIS BY HEART

10. RETRAIN YOUR MIND TO BETTER YOU- BY DOING DAILY AFFIRMATION.

BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE .As soon as you wake up in the morning, face the mirror
and recite this positive affirmation this will make you face your day and your
stresses and stressors positively.)

I am excited to create all the success I desire

I am a positive and influential presence on this planet
I joyfully let go of old beliefs that no longer serve me
I am worthy of all the good life has to offer and I deserve to be successful.

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 All of my actions lead to abundance and prosperity
I joyfully welcome all good things to come into my life
I create prosperity easily and effortlessly
I love abundance and prosperity and I attract it naturally.

I let go of all negative thoughts and feelings about myself

I am proud of who I have become
I love and accept myself unconditionally
I am a unique and special person who is worthy of respect from others

I am happy and confident within myself

I am joyfully building a happy relationship
I deeply believe that I will attract my soul mate
Others are drawn to me because of my positive energy

Closing thoughts:
Using positive affirmations every day can really change the way we think and
experience the world. By replacing habitual negative thoughts with these positive
expressions, we can change our world.

What do you think of the different stress busters provided to you? It is now
time to apply using the template below. Answering these questions could lead to
greater awareness and understanding of how stress affects you.

Encircle the statements below which describes you.

I am aware of the level of stress in my life.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

I am aware of sources of stress in my life.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

I am aware of where I hold stress in my body.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

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I am aware of the impact of stress on my thoughts and emotions.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

I know how to use relaxation techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing, to
calm myself when I am stressed.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

I work to minimize the effects of stress by making healthy lifestyle choices and
paying attention to my body.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

I try to manage my time and focus on my priorities so I don't have as many

stressors.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

I can consciously shift a negative, defeatist, or anxious attitude to a more positive

one.

NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN ALWAYS

Note: If you answer Always in all the statement above then you have a positive
grasp in coping with your stress.

1. What are your sources of stress? Identify you stress triggers.

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

2. What can you do about your stressors? Below is an example of a table you have
to make according to your identified stressors and submit your work on this by copying the
table and fill it out with your answers. Do this realistically and this will enable you to cope
with the different stressful events in your daily life.

Please check the box that indicates your answer:

YES NO

Could you leave for school early in the morning

in order to take a less busy route and avoid
traffic?

Can you work to resolve conflicts with others by

practicing forgiveness, compassion, or setting
aside time to talk through issues?

56
Can you prepare in advance for stressful
situations, such as meetings or trips to the
grocery store, so you feel more confident going
in?

Can you practice self-compassion by setting

realistic goals and letting go of perfectionism or
other unrealistic expectations you might have
for yourself and/or others?

Can you deliberately choose to view change (or

anything else that is causing you stress) as a
positive challenge, rather than a threat?

3. How do you experience stress? Knowing how you experience stress will help
you recognize when you are at risk. Looking at yourself, what particular parts of the
body are affected when you are stressed? When you feel stressed:

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

a. How do you react?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

b. Do you become irritable?

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

4. Are there certain signs that you observe in yourself when you are stressed?
Describe. Do you develop tense shoulders or get a headache?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

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5. What are some of the consequences you notice in yourself when it comes to
experiencing stress? Do you get stuck in negative thoughts?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

6. How do you cope with stress?

A. Do you have healthy coping mechanisms, such as exercise, meditation, or

getting support from family and friends?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

B. Or do you overeat, watch too much TV, drink, or smoke to reduce stress?
Pay attention: do your coping mechanisms really alleviate the stress, or do they
simply offer a quick escape or chance to “numb out”? A temporary distraction may
make you feel better right now, but long-term avoidance tends to create more
stress, and it robs you of the chance to learn and grow from your experience.

__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Fill in the blanks with the correct term as described in the statements below.

____1. It refers to the quality of being able and suitable to do a certain task or
demand.
____2. It is defined as “state of complete physical, mental and social well being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
____3. It covers the physical well being, a balanced mental state, emotional
stability and spiritual soundness.
____4. It is the body's reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or
response.
____5. The events or condition that put a strain on the individual.

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Brawner, Dalisay G. et al Understanding the Self C & E publishing incorporated 2018

Porto Jerome A et al Fitness for life C& E publishing incorporated 2018

[Link] stress and coping with stress

http:keys to
understandingstress/2012/08/Common%20Core%20of%20Literacy%20and20
[Link]

[Link]
ging- [Link])

Roces, Catherine et al. Understanding Self Seminar notes

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