PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT concept.

People talk about us or how they

discriminate us give an important aspect in
shaping the self-concept. The amount of
MODULE 1: KNOWING ONESELF criticism, feedback we sometimes freely give,
helps shape the current self-concept of what
The Self, in contemporary literature and
we choose to be or not. As we grow old, the
even common sense, is commonly defined by the
number of significant and non-significant
following characteristics: “separate, self-
people in our lives also grows. Everyone
contained, independent, consistent, unitary, and
contributes in reshaping the self-concept.
private” (Stevens, 1996). When we talk about the
• Cultural Values/ Cultural Guidelines. Self-
self, being “separate,” it means it is distinct,
concept is also indirectly influenced by cultural
different, and unique from others. It has its own
values. In the study of Cultural Psychology, in
uniqueness that defines him/her from others. It
this age of technology and social media, we
has an identity of its own, even twins, may it be
accept our differences, especially on how we
fraternal, is very much distinct from the other.
accept the culture and beliefs of others.
Having in its own world means, you can • Having Self-knowledge. Stems from the actual
create or nurture what you can be (ideal self) or – self. It derives from our social interactions of
maintain/improve your current self (actual self). society that provide insight into how others
The ideal self pertains to the image or aspirations react to us. It is the same as gaining feedback
of what you want to become. This may be similar from others.
in hoping characteristics that you do not possess
as of the moment, but may one day be part of who
you are, just like what Filipinos tend to watch in MODULE 2: DEVELOPING THE WHOLE PERSON
various talent shows. This may be the ability to
have a beautiful voice; or have different Five Areas of Personal Development
achievements like the characteristics of your idols
or other international figures (Michael Jordan,
Sarah Geronimo etc.) While the actual self as the 1. PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT- Physical
term implies “actual”, is your present self that you health is defined as the condition of your body,
see on the daily basis. It is the self that is constantly taking into consideration everything from the
keeping in touch in your everyday experiences. It absence of disease to fitness level.
has the potential to “Knowing others is Physical health is critical for overall well-being
intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. and can be affected by:
There are several factors that shape self-concept. • Lifestyle: diet, level of physical activity, and
Among them are your own observations, behavior (eating unhealthy foods);
feedback from others and cultural values. • Human biology: a person’s genetics and
• Your Own Observations. In the process of self- physiology may make it easier or harder to
introspection, that may help you re-evaluate achieve good physical health;
your motivations and, in real-time, observing • Environment: our surroundings and exposure
what you do at this moment is one of the to factors such as sunlight or toxic substances;
significant information about your interest or and
dislike. During early childhood, we start • Healthcare service: good healthcare can help
observing our behavior and drawing prevent illness, as well as to detect and treat
conclusions about ourselves. We are aware of illness.
what we do; we dislike; can and cannot do.
• Feedback from Others. Positive and negative
criticisms also create an impact on self- 2. EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT- Emotional
health is an important part of overall health.
 Emotionally healthy people are in control of painful. A good circle of friends reinforces a
their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They person’s comfort level with her individuality.
can cope with life’s challenges. Emotions are • Strengthen learning skills. Studies show that
responses that generate biochemical reactions children who have a hard time getting along
in our bodies, changing the physical state. with classmates as early as a preschool are
more likely to experience later academic
There are many ways to improve or maintain
difficulties.
good emotional health.
• Resolve conflicts. Stronger self-esteem and
• Be aware of your emotions and reactions. better language skills can ultimately lead to a
Notice what in your life makes you sad, better ability to resolve differences with peers.
frustrated, or angry. Try to address or change • Establish a positive attitude. A positive
those things. attitude ultimately leads to better relationships
• Think before you act. Emotions can be
with others and higher levels of self-
powerful. Give yourself time to think, and be
confidence.
calm before you say or do something you might
regret.
• Manage stress. Try to change situations,
4. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT- Cognitive
causing you stress. Learn relaxation methods
development means how people think,
to cope with stress.
explore, and figure things out. It is the
• Strive for balance. Find a healthy balance
development of knowledge, skills, problem-
between work and play and between activity
solving, and dispositions, which helps a person
and rest. Make time for things you enjoy. Focus
to think about and understand the world
on positive things in your life.
around them. Brain development is part of
• Take care of your physical health. Your
cognitive development. This aspect of the self
physical health can affect your emotional
is enhanced when one attends school to study
health. Exercise regularly, eat healthy meals
and learn or engages in other mental
and get enough sleep. Do not abuse drugs or
endeavors.
alcohol.
• Connect with others. We are social creatures.
We need positive connections with other
5. SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT- Spiritual
people.
development is defined as discovering oneself
beyond the ego known as the soul, spirit, or
the “inner essence” that is often disregarded
3. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT- Social Development
or taken for granted (Llaneza-Ramos, 2017). It
refers to how people develop social and
is when one experiences a glimpse of the
emotional skills across the lifespan, with
“inner guide” of one’s beliefs and values as one
particular attention to childhood and
discovers the meaning of life. It also allows
adolescence. Healthy social development
people to connect with a Higher Power that is
allows us to form positive relationships with
called by many names like "God, Buddha,
family, friends, teachers, and other people in
Allah.” “We are Christians, we are committed
our lives.
to the poor, we value people, we are partners,
Healthy social development can help you: and are responsive.” As we grow spiritually,
our attitude toward life also changes for the
• Develop Communication Skills. An ability to
better in many ways. Most of our problems
interact with others allows for more
opportunities to practice communications stem from our perceptions and expectations of
skills ourselves and of the world. One will realize
• Build self-esteem. When a person is unable to that this solves half the problems of our life.
make friends, it can be frustrating or even
MODULE 3: WHY AM I LIKE THIS? • Pregnancy: during the second half, as well as
during the first six months of breastfeeding, it
Physical changes during Adolescence - Briefly
is advised that the first pregnancy after
For girls, you might start to see early physical marriage be postponed at least until the girl is
changes from about 10 or 11 years, but they might over 18 years old because it might not be
start as early as 8 years or as old as 13 years. These possible to meet added nutritional
physical changes during puberty include: requirements, especially among middle
income and poor families; and
• development of breast
• Activities and sports: heavy physical sports
• changes in body shape and height
such as swimming, running, and ball games
• growth of pubic and body hair
• onset of menstruation or monthly period
For boys, physical changes usually start at around Improving the nutrition of adolescents
11 or 12 years, but they might start as young as 9
Adolescent nutrition can be improved through
years or as old as 14 years. These physical changes
several measures including:
include:
• recognition of the increased nutritional
• growth of the penis and testes (testicles)
requirements of adolescents;
• changes in body shape and height
• nutritional education for the promotion of
• erections with ejaculation o growth of body
healthy dietary habits stated below;
and facial hair
• adequate diet at specific times;
• changes in voice.
• control of excessive indulgence in food,
especially those foods high in sugar and fat;
• minimizing the intake of sweets and snacks
Body Image Concerns
between main meals, especially junk food
It is within the context described above snacks;
that children and adolescents begin to form their • regular physical exercise to burn excess
perception of their own bodies – their body image. calories and to strengthen muscles;
Body image can be defined as the subjective • regular intake of breakfast;
evaluation of one’s body and appearance. • use of sugar replacement if prone to obesity;
and
• ensuring that poultry and poultry products,
Nutrition, Health, and Hygiene including meat are well-cooked, and clean

Nutrition and dietary habits during

adolescence
Major Health Concerns of Adolescents
Adolescence is a period of rapid physical
• Obesity: Obesity is a grave nutritional problem
growth, with a corresponding increase in
for adolescents. It simply means that the
nutritional requirements to support the increase
energy intake exceeds the amount of energy
in body mass and to build up stores of nutrients.
consumed, and the residual difference
The daily intake of nutritional requirements
accumulates in the body to cause fat.
increases according to the following factors:
• Anemia: Anemia is the most prevalent
• Age: at the beginning of puberty, with the nutritional deficiency in the world, affecting no
increase of height and at the last stage of less than two billion people.
adolescence; • Iodine deficiency: Iodine is a basic life element
• Gender: adolescent girls require 10% more for humans. Iodine deficiency leads to goiter,
nutrients, iron, and iodine than boys; abortion, and mental retardation.
• Depression: The term “depression” is often • Start early - before puberty: If you keep
used in daily conversation to refer to bouts of reinforcing messages about personal hygiene,
sadness, moodiness or disappointment that most adolescent will get there in the end
last for a few days.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs): The
lifestyles adopted by adolescents and youth Module 4: MENTAL HEALTH & STRESS
will largely decide their risks of having sexually
Magpantay and Danao (2016) stated two
transmitted disease and HIV infection.
categories of stress: eustress and distress. Eustress
is positive stress for it is helpful—it motivates the
Adolescence is a time to build on these basics individual to keep on working and reach for the
goal. Distress, on the other hand, is negative stress
Good hygiene habits in childhood are a
because it could give harmful implications to the
great foundation for good hygiene in the teenage
individual, such as anxiety and depression;
years. And if you’ve got open, honest
discourages the individual from becoming
communication with your child, it’ll make it easier
productive; and could cause emotional, physical,
to talk about the personal hygiene issues that
and psychological problems.
come up in adolescence.
KINDS OF STRESSORS
1. Cataclysmic events are strong stresses that
Why good personal hygiene matters?
suddenly occur and may simultaneously
Keeping your body clean is an important affect many people
part of staying healthy. The simple act of washing 2. Personal stressors refer to conditions,
hands before eating and after using the toilet is a events, situations, or anything that causes
proven and effective tool in fighting germs to avoid stress to an individual.
sickness. Being clean and well-presented is also an 3. Background stressors or daily hassles are
important part of gaining confidence for also referred to as displeasures that could
teenagers. be encountered every day, such as standing
in the long line while waiting for the train,
Helping adolescent child with the basics of
stuck in heavy traffic, noise, and pollution
personal hygiene:
of the environment
• Body odor: When children reach puberty, a
COMMON EFFECTS OF STRESS
sweat gland in their armpit and genital area
develops. Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your
• Smelly feet: Smelly feet and shoes can also be body, thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Your ability
a problem, whether you are sporty or not. to recognize common stress symptoms can help
• Dental hygiene: Brushing teeth twice a day, you manage them. Stress that is left unchecked
flossing and going to the dentist regularly are can contribute to many health problems, like
vital to avoid bad breath, gum problems and hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
tooth decay.
• Girls: Although all teenagers have the same
basic hygiene issues, girls will be needing help
to manage their monthly periods.
• Boys: Boys will need advice about shaving
(how to do it and when to start), looking after
their genitals, and about bodily fluids.
• Special Needs: Young people with special
needs are likely be needing extra support with
their personal hygiene.
MODULE 5: THE BRAIN: PARTS, FUNCTION & The Brain
SOCIETAL RELATIONSHIP
The storage of our memories, the seat of
The Nervous System our intelligence and you may not know it, it is also
where our emotions are found. The brain’s
The Brain organ is a part of one of the eight
structure is also as complicated as its counterpart
(8) systems of the human anatomy, the nervous
on moving the body itself. In this term, we are also
system. The purpose of the nervous system is to
speaking on how we should feel, elicit emotion, act
gather information, produce responses to stimuli,
towards an emergency, our brain plays an
and coordinate the workings of different cells
important role in our thoughts, behavior, and
The nervous system is divided into two main feelings.
parts: the central nervous system (CNS) and the
The brain has three (3) main sections
peripheral nervous system or beyond the brain
divided: Hindbrain, Midbrain and Forebrain. The
and the spinal cord (PNS). Let us take a closer look
reflexive or autonomic behavior is controlled by
of these two systems.
the Hindbrain and Midbrain. The complex
• CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (CNS) – behavior of the individual belongs to controlled
processes, interprets and stores incoming area of the Forebrain.
sensory information-information about our 5
• The Hindbrain (Rhombencephalon)- This part
senses to be exact; tastes, sounds, smells,
of the brain starts at the base of the skull and
color, pressure on the skin, the state of internal
the brain stem. It is the region of the brain in
organs etc.
which the medulla oblongata, pons and
• PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS) – as the
cerebellum.
term “outlying” or “beyond” the CNS, this
• The Midbrain (Mesencephalon)- Located
system handles the CNS’s input and output
towards the base of your brain is a small but
(depicted in green color). It contains all
important region called the midbrain (derived
portions of the nervous system outside the
from the developmental mesencephalon),
brain and spinal cord, right down to nerves in
which serves as a vital connection point
the tips of the fingers and toes.
between the other major regions of the brain -
The structure of a simple neuron differs in the forebrain and the hindbrain.
every region of the brain, and it differs also in main • Forebrain (Prosencephalon)- The Forebrain
function. But the simple neuron has its three (3) (derived from the developmental
major basic structure namely, cell body, dendrites, prosencephalon) which contain the entire
and axon. cerebrum and several structures directly
nestled within it - the thalamus,
• The Cell Body is shaped roughly like a sphere
hypothalamus, the pineal gland and the limbic
or a pyramid. It contains the biochemical
system.
machinery for keeping the neuron alive. It is
responsible in the transmission of messages to
other neurons.
• The Dendrites of a neuron look like branches
of a tree, which is used as an antenna,
receiving messages from other nerve cells and
transmitting them toward the cell body.
• The Axons can be likened to trunk of a tree,
which is slenderer. It transmits messages away
from the cell body to other cells. Axons have
branches at their tips, but these branches are
usually less numerous than dendrites.