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.