Module 3

Managing and Caring the Self

Module Overview

In this chapter, the student will identify three areas of concerns such as, learning, goal
setting, and stress management. It also provides more practical applications of the
concepts discussed in this course and allows the student to gain experience in
developing self – help plans for self-learning, goal setting, and self-care.

Module Outcomes
At the end of this course pack, the students will be able to:
 reflect on the theoretical underpinnings on how to manage and care for the self;
 exhibit new skills and learning for better managing self and behavior; and
 apply these new skills to one’s self and functioning for a better quality of life.

Lesson 1
Live. Learn. Experience

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
 explain how learning occurs;
 enumerate the characteristics and functions of the left and the right brain;
 enumerate the different metacognition and study strategies; and
 identify the metacognitive techniques that you find most appropriate for your self
Time Frame: 6 hours

Introduction
Since knowing the “self” is not enough and “who you are” is partly made up of
your choices, you also have the option to choose especially to be a better “you”. This
lesson will give you several strategies to make you a better learner based on the
situations and your preferences.
 Activity: My Study Strategies

Fill out the table by listing down the strategies that you personally use when you study
for your exam.
My Study Strategies

Analysis

1. Do you cram when you take the exam?

2. Are your strategies effective when you study for your exam?
3. Do you get high scores in your exams using your strategies?

Abstraction

I. Learning to be a better student

a. Brain and behavior changes during learning
 The nervous system is a very important system in our body
because it is the control and coordination center.
 It manages or regulates voluntary and non-invasive processes,
especially during learning.
 It is divided into two main systems, the central nervous system and
the peripheral nervous system. These systems are responsible for
sending and receiving information throughout the body.
 b. Parts of the human brain

Figure 2. Parts of the brain by CNX Openstax, 2016. (https://bit.ly/31ijpmz), CC0

c. Right and left Brain Functions

Table 11

The left and right brain functions

Right Brain Functions Left Brain Functions

 Prefers to draw and handle  Logical/critical/thinking/analytical

objects  Solves problems by breaking by
 Imaginations breaking them apart
 More likely to act on emotions  Thinks concretely
 Follows written or demonstrated  Talks and think and learn
directions  Serious ideas/logical ideas
 Creative thinking/synthesizing  Structured/planned/sequential
 Inventing  Prefers to write and talk
 abstract  Follows verbal instructions

II. Metacognition and study strategies

a. Metacognitive teaching strategies
i. Metacognition
  Purposely thinking about one’s own thinking strategies –
when people are able to “learn to think” and “think to learn”
 Metacognition is a learning strategy that you use to
understand and control your own performance
ii. Learners with strong metacognition skills
 Effectively plan for their learning
 Know their limits and seek help when need
 Frequently test their knowledge and understanding of the
topic.
 Monitor their own learning and use different learning
strategies. •
 Train their skills carefully to develop confidence and
competence.
b. Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (see Appendix B)
iii. 2 processes of metacognition
1. Knowledge of cognition (declarative, procedural, and
conditional)
a. Being aware of the factors that involve learning;
b. Identifying the strategies, you can use to effectively
learn; and
c. Choosing the appropriate learning strategy
2. Regulation of cognition involves:
a. Setting goals and planning
b. Monitoring and controlling learning; and
c. Evaluation of own regulation (assessing if the strategy
you are using is working or not; making adjustments
and trying something new)

III. Pre-assessment (self–assessment) of content

a. Create a few key questions about the content/ topic a week prior to the
class. Questions should ask students what they know already about the
 topic, possible identification of any misconceptions they hold on the topic,
challenges or successes they have had with the topic, exploration into
past experiences, or applications of the content/topic
b. Have the students individually hand in their responses anonymously. Skim
through the answers after class. Possibly categorize/ summarize all
responses by themes
c. Share responses with students the next class either verbally or a summary
of themes
d. Have discussion with students about how asking these questions can help
them in thoughtful planning of how they might approach a new idea or
topic or how they will approach course content and associated
studying/learning strategies

IV. Self-assessment of regulated learning skills

a. Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST)

Table 12.

Approaches & Study Skills Inventory for Students

Instructions: Read each Strongly Somewhat Somewha Strongly
statement and () the column Agree Agree t Disagree Disagree
descriptor you feel best
represents how you learn
Surface approach
1. I find I have to concentrate
on just memorizing a good
deal of what I have to learn
2. I’m not really sure what’s
important in lectures, so I
try to get down all I can
3. I tend to read very little
beyond what is actually
required to pass
4. I concentrate on learning
just those bits of
information that I have to
know to pass
5. I like to be told precisely
what to do in essays or
 assignments
6. I often seem to panic if I
get behind my work
7. Often I find myself
wondering whether the
work I am doing here is
really worthwhile
Strategic approach
1. I think I am quite
systematic and organized
when it comes to studying
for exams
2. I am pretty good at getting
down to work whenever I
need to
3. I organize my study time
carefully to make the best
use of it
4. Before starting work on
assignment or exam
questions, I think first how
best to tackle it
5. I look carefully at my
instructor’s comments on
coursework to see how to
get higher marks the next
time
6. I put a lot of effort into
studying because I am
determined to do well
7. When I have finished a
piece of work, I check it
through to see if it really
meets requirements
Deep approach
1. When I am reading I stop
from time to time to reflect
on what I am trying to
learn from it
2. When I am working on a
new topic, I try to see in
my own mind how all the
ideas fit together
3. Often I find myself
questioning things I hear in
lectures or read in books
 4. Some of the ideas I come
across on the course I find
really gripping
5. I usually set out to
understand for myself the
meaning of what we have
to learn
6. I like to play around with
ideas of my even if they
don’t get me far
7. It is important for me to be
able to follow the
argument, or to see the
reason behind things

V. Think aloud for metacognition - Once the teacher has modelled for students
how he would solve a problem or interpret a piece of writing, have students
work in pairs to talk out loud as to how they are thinking about an assignment
piece of homework or an assignment
a. One student talks out loud while the partner records what they are saying
(the strategy is going to be used to complete the homework or do the
assignment). The partner also guides them to think through all the steps
b. Students switch roles and do the same for each other
c. Students have thought out the process for completing the assignment or
homework, received some feedback from their partner and possible have
a plan written down as to how they are going to undertake the task.
Debrief briefly with class as to lessons learned etc.

VI. Concept mapping and visual study tools

a. Concept map
 i. A concept map is a way of representing relationships between
ideas, images, or words.
ii. Concept maps are a way to develop logical thinking and study skills
be revealing connections to the big ideas or the key concepts you
are trying to teach.
iii. Concept maps will also help students see how individual ideas
relate to the larger whole or the bigger picture
b. Classroom assessment tools
Table 13

Classroom assessment tools

Assessment Method Description How to use
Ticket-Out-The- Door During las few minutes of class, Review/ read all before next class
students write response to a and use to clarify, correct, or
question or two about class elaborate more for students
concepts. Hand in as exit class
One-minute Paper During the last few minute of Review/read all before next class
class, students write response to and use to clarify, correct, or
“Most important things I learned
Figure 3. A concept map by JainVarshar, 2019 (https://bit.ly/34mYCQX), CC0
elaborate more for students
today” and “What I understood the
least today.”
Muddiest Point Similar to one-minute-paper but Same as one-minute paper but if
only asks students to describe many students have same
what they didn’t understand during problem, reteach concept another
class and what they think might way
help them.
Student generated test questions Divide the classs into groups and Use as many of the questions as
assign each group a topic on possible on next test
which they are to each write a
question and answer for next test.
Memory Matrix Students fill in cells of a two- Tally the number of correct and
dimensional diagram with incorrect responses. Look for
instructor-provided labels such as patterns among the incorrect
comparison chart outlining responses. Address in class.
similarities and differences in two
columns against a variety of
concepts in the discipline
K-W-L Chart Label 3 charts K (what I KNOW Discuss with students perceptions
Already), W (what I WANT to of what they thought they knew,
Know) and L (what I have what they have come to know etc.
LEARNED). Complete the first 2
before a unit/topic and the last one
at end.
Directed Paraphrasing As students to write a layperson’s Categorize student responses
“translation” of something they according to characteristics you
have just learned (geared for a feel are important. Address in
non-expert audience) to assess class
their ability to comprehend/transfer
concepts
One-sentence Summary Students summarize knowledge of Evaluate the quality of each
a topic by constructing a single summary in brief fashion. Note if
sentence to cover the core students have identified the core
concepts. The purpose is to concepts of the class topic. Share
require students to select only the with students
defining features of an idea
Think-Pair-Share Give the class a question. Allow Use when you want to have better
everyone to think on own for a few discussion by a greater number of
minutes jotting down some students. By thinking alone first
thoughts. Then ask students to and with small groups of peers,
pair up with a peer and discuss shared responses should be richer
thoughts for another few minutes. and more varied
Can do groups of 4 as well. Ask to
share with the whole class
Application Cards After teaching theory, principle or Quickly read through once and
procedure, ask students to write categorize them according to
down at least one real-world quality. Pick out a broad range of
application for what they have just examples to share with the class
learned to determine if they can next day
see the transfer of their recent
learning
Classroom Opinion Polls Using “clickers,” or online polling Often polling devices can present
questions, ask students variety of immediate results back to the
questions about a topic and seek class to provide discussion and
their anonymous opinion next steps
Weekly Report Written by students each week in Read at end of each week,
which they address three categorize responses, and share
questions: what did I learn this with class. Follow up on unclear
week? What questions remain questions with class or small
unclear? And what questions group of students.
would you ask your students if you
were the instructor to find out is
they understood the material?
Concept tests Instructor presents one or more Often lasts a few minutes but
questions during class involving uncovers misunderstandings, and
key concepts, along with several great conversation amongst
possible answers (multiple students. Share answer after
choice). Students indicate (by second voting session to see how
show of hands, or poll/clicker the class responses changed or
voting) which answer they think is didn’t change.
correct. If most of the class has
not identified correct answer,
students are given a short time to
persuade their neighbour(s) that
 their answer is correct. The
question is asked a second time to
gauge class mastery.
Instructor meetings Instructor meets informally with Design specific questions to help
students either in class or after guide the meeting and address
class to answer questions, inquire concepts an understandings you
about conceptual understanding or want to know more about
provide feedback on student
learning.

VII. Metacognitive note-taking skills – provide students with guidance and models
for how to take good notes during a class
a. Beginning of class (Plan + Connect) – In this section, encourage students
to prepare their notes in an organized fashion. Stop the class and have
them complete the connection questions in their notes
Date: Course Name: Class: Learning Outcomes:
Connections:
 What do I already know about this topic?
 How do I feel about this topic? (excited, anxious, curious, nervous)
 How do this topic relate to something I already know?
 What questions do I have already about this topic?
b. Middle of the class (Monitor Learning) – In this section, encourage
students to create two columns in their notes.
i. Left column – insights, “ah-ha” moments, questions students have
about the content, connections they are making to other classes/
topics, and also feelings or thoughts they have on the class
ii. Right column – they take traditional notes on what is being
presented.

LEARNING INSIGHTS CLASS NOTES

 VIII. Reflective writing - helps students make connections between what they are
learning in their homework/ class content and with how they are integrating
the content into their current learning structures

IX. Managing your own learning: Self-regulated Learning – It is how students

regulate their own emotions, cognition, behavior, and aspects of the context
during a learning experience.
a. Self-regulated learners:
i. are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses;
ii. utilize metacognitive strategies; and
iii. attribute any success or failure to factors within personal control.
b. Self-regulation as a process - It is a cyclical process. As cyclic process, a
student who practices self-regulated learning plans for a task, monitors the
performance, and then reflects on outcome
i. Plan, set goals, and layout strategies
ii. Use strategies and monitor performance
iii. Reflect on your performance

Application:

Scenario: You are about to study for your final examinations and it is as if the
universe conspired for a heavy finals week, all your subjects provided at least three new
reading materials and topics one week (7 days) before the examination period. Create a
diagram or schedule using at least five of the metacognitive strategies, skills, studying
techniques mentioned in this lesson on how you would prepare for the next seven days
before your final examinations.

Closure

Well done! We encourage you to utilize and adapt the techniques in whatever
learning experiences you are about to accomplish and find enjoyment and success in
learning. Should there be some parts of the lesson which you need clarification, please
ask your instructor during consultations.
When you're ready, move on to Lesson 2 in this module, in which we will discuss
on why is it important to set goals for your success in life.

Lesson 2
Dream It. Wish It. Do It

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
 apply the Bandura’s self – efficacy theory;
 differentiate the self – concept from self – esteem;
 design your personal goals adapting the Locke’ goal setting theory

Time frame: 6 hours

Introduction
You as student are bound to face multifarious tasks, overlapping with other roles
you portray at different social institutions. Enlightening them with which goals you are
track would ease your mind in possible dilemma. One of Canfield’s featured quotes
about success is: By taking the time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you
have achieved – and perhaps learned through few mistakes, stumbles and losses – you
can actually enhance everything about you. We will learn more about Canfield’s quote
through Albert Bandura’s self – efficacy, Dweck’s mindset theory, and Locke’s goal
setting theory.

Activity: 5-10-20 Selfie

For each item below, illustrate your “future self” through drawing in your portfolio.
1. Five years from now
2. Ten years from now
3. Twenty years from now
 Analysis: Envisioned Self Plan

1. Who are you or what would you become:

a. in five years from now;
b. in ten years from now; and
c. in twenty years from now?
2. What are your motivations for your envisioned self:
a. in five years from now;
b. in ten years from now; and
c. in twenty years from now?
3. Outline your plans on how you will make your envisioned self into reality:
a. in five years from now;
b. in ten years from now; and
c. in twenty years from now
4. How do you feel after doing this exercise?
5. What is your perception on goal setting?

Abstraction

I. Albert Bandura
a. Social Learning Theory - Stressed the importance of observational
learning, imitation, and modelling.
b. Self-efficacy – According to Bandura, it refers to your belief in your
capacity to perform necessary actions to produce specific goals (as cited
in Otig et al., 2018).
c. Theory of self-efficacy: 4 principal sources
i. Enactive mastery experiences
ii. Vicarious experiences (comparisons)
iii. Verbal persuasions and allied types of social influences
iv. Emotional & physiological states – Below are factors that could
alter sense of self efficacy.
 1. Preconception of capability
2. Perceived task difficulty
3. Effort
4. Amount of external support
5. Circumstances under which they perform
6. Pattern of success and failures
7. How the experiences are cognized and reconstructed in
memory

II. Self-concept – It is your idea of who you are (self) based on your personal
belief and your perceived notion of how other people see you.

III. Self-esteem - It is used to describe a person’s overall sense of self-worth or

personal value.
a. Components of self-esteem (Branden, 1969).
i. It is essential human need that is vital for survival, as well as for
normal, healthy development
ii. It arises automatically from within, based on a person’s beliefs and
consciousness. However, external factors can affect it, too.
iii. It occurs along with a person’s thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and
actions
b. Persons with positive self-esteem
i. Feel good about themselves
ii. Feel proud of what they can do
iii. Believe in themselves, even when they don’t succeed at first
iv. See their own good qualities, such as being kind or capable
v. Feel liked love and respected
vi. Accept themselves even when they make mistakes
vii. Take care of their overall well-being
viii. Trust others
ix. Independents but are cooperative
 x. Have the ability to accept mistakes, either own or those of others
xi. Are able to say “no” appropriately
c. Persons with low self-esteem
i. Lack confidence
ii. Wish to be/look like someone else
iii. Always worry about what other may think
iv. Are pessimistic
v. Have a negative view of life
vi. Have a perfectionist attitude
vii. Mistrust others-even those who show signs of affection
viii. Have a blaming behavior
ix. Are afraid of taking risks
x. Have feelings of being unloved and unlovable
xi. Show dependence – letting others make decisions
xii. Afraid of being ridiculed

IV. Locke’s Goal Setting Theory – Locke & Latham stated, “Goal setting theory is
the level of performance proficiency that one wishes to attain within a specific
time period” (as cited in Otig et al.,2018).
a. Factors for motivation
i. Goals are challenging and specific
ii. They are strongly committed to the goal/goals
iii. They strongly believe in their ability to accomplish their goal
b. Principles of Goal Setting (must have)
i. Clarity – when the goal is clear and specific there is less
misunderstanding about what behaviors will be rewarded.
ii. Challenge – people are often motivated by achievement. It is
important to strike an appropriate balance between a challenging
goal and a realistic goal.
iii. Commitment – A personally relevant goal will motivate a person to
work on accomplishing it.
 iv. Feedback – Provides opportunities to clarify expectations, adjust
goal, difficulty, and gain recognition
v. Task complexity – Just like setting a challenging goal, task
complexity involves appropriate balance

V. SMART Goals
a. SPECIFIC – For you to be motivated to perform, you need to have a
specific goal.
b. MEASURABLE – a measurable goal is important so that you can monitor
your progress and receive feedback.
c. ASSIGNABLE – you should be able to relate to your own goal. Make your
goal a personal commitment.
d. REALISTIC – goals that are too difficult or too easy to achieve will not
positively motivate your performance. Set goals that are difficult enough to
be realistically attained
e. TIME RELATED – a “habit” implies something that happens regularly.
Setting a time frame for your goal will require you to develop a habit or
routine. Once you have established your routine, working toward your goal
will come naturally (as opposed to forced effort)

Application: SMART goals

From the activity above, outline your identified “future self” using S-M-A-R-T
Future Self SPECIFIC MEASURABLE ATTAINABLE REALISTIC TIME-BOUNDED

Closure:
 Well done! You have just finished Lesson 3 of this module which explored goal
setting for people, focusing on various aspects where it applies. Should there be some
parts of the lesson which you need clarification, please ask your instructor during
consultations.
When you're ready, move on to Lesson 3 in this module, which primarily
discusses the concepts of self-care as a method of stress management.

Lesson 3
I Care; therefore, I am.
Learning Outcomes:
 Define stress;
 Differentiate types of stressors; and
 Sources of coping and strength

Time Frame: 6 hours

Introduction:
Welcome! In this lesson you will acquainted with the importance of self-care. As a
student going you are expected to balance your coursework, internships, work
responsibilities, and home life. Self-care refers to activities and practices that we can
engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and maintain and enhance our short- and
longer-term health and well-being.

Activity: How Stressed Am I?

1. Answer honestly the College Student’s Stressful Event Checklist (Holmes &
Rahe, 1967) questionnaire adapted by the Arizona State University (ASU).
2. Place an “X” in the column labelled Happened for those events that have
occurred in your life recently or that you expect to occur soon.
 3. Total your score by adding the event values, and circle that category below in
which your score falls.

Rank Value Happened Score Life Event

1 100 Death of a close family member
2 73 Death of a close friend
3 65 Divorce between parents
4 63 Serious legal problems
5 63 Major personal injury or illness
6 58 Responsibilities for others, such as children/spouse
7 50 Threat to major source of income
8 47 Difficulty with roommate(s)
9 45 Change in health of a family member
10 45 Pregnancy
11 44 Sexual problems
12 40 Serious disagreements with parents
13 39 Change in lifestyle for financial reasons
14 39 Difficulty in identifying a major
15 39 Serious argument with close family member
16 39 Problems with a girlfriend or boyfriend
17 37 Having to repeat a course
18 37 Increased workload at school
19 36 Outstanding personal achievement
20 35 First semester in college
21 31 Change in living conditions
22 30 Serious disagreements with an instructor
23 29 Lower grades than expected
24 29 Change in sleeping habits
25 29 Change in social habits
26 28 Change in eating habits
27 26 Chronic car problems
28 26 Change in number of family get togethers
29 25 Too many missed classes
30 24 Change in plans for a major
31 23 Dropped more than one class
32 20 Minor traffic violations
Total Score:
Interpretation: Mild Stress : < 150 Moderate Stress : 150 to 300 Severe Stress : > 300

Analysis:
Answer the following questions:
1. How do you feel while you were doing the checklist?
2. Is the result close to your present perceived stress level? How do you feel
with the result?
3. How do these identified life events affect your life now?
4. What is your reflection after sharing your answer with a classmate?
 5. What is your perception about stress and self-care?

Abstraction:

I. Knowing Stress
a. Definition & Types of Stress
STRESS is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or
very demanding circumstances. It is a mental and physical response to the demands of
your environment. Three kinds of stress are the following:
i. Eustress – It is considered as a good stress. A result from situation
or activity that you find motivating or inspiring. Ex. Finding the nerve
to talk to your crush
ii. Neustress - Sensory stimulus that has no direct consequences or
effect on the person. A situation or activity that you do not find
threatening yet not enjoyable. Ex. Incidents you hear in the news
iii. Distress - Situations or activities that you consider negative,
harmful, threatening. It could happen for just a short span of time or
it could linger from prolonged periods (hours, days, months, years).
Ex. Being mugged on the streets or a long-standing family quarrel.
b. Stressors
These are any situation, activity, or individual that gives you mental or emotional strain
is a stressor.
i. Good stressor - can make you feel both nervous and excited at the
same time.
ii. Bad stressor - can cause you to feel angry, petrified, or depressed.
It can make you feel constantly on the edge.
c. Major types of stressors
i. Life events – important, specific experiences that interrupt an
individual’s usual activity/ routine that he/she needs to adjust to
ii. Chronic Strains – problems that have been occurring for some time;
the person’s social role is strained or threatened
d. Types of Roles Strains
 i. Role Overload – the role demands on an individual exceeds his/her
capacity to handle
ii. Interpersonal Conflicts within Role Sets – these are problems and
difficulties that arise in a relationship
iii. Inter-role Conflict – the demands of two or more roles held by a
person are incompatible, and the demands cannot simultaneously
be met.
iv. Role restructuring - the demands of two or more roles held by a
person are incompatible, and the demands cannot simultaneously
be met
e. Signs & symptoms of stress
i. Physical
1. Low energy
2. Headaches
3. Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
4. Aches, pains, and tense muscles
5. Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
6. Insomnia
7. Frequent colds and infections
8. Loss of sexual desire and/ or ability
9. Nervousness and shaking, ringing the ear
10. Cold or sweaty hands and feet
11. Excess sweating
12. Dry mouth and difficulty in swallowing
13. Clenched jaw and grinding teeth
ii. Cognitive/ perceptual
1. FORGETFULNESS
2. Preoccupation
3. Blocking
4. Errors in judging distance
5. Reduced creativity
 6. Lack of concentration
7. Lack of attention to detail
8. Orientation to the past attention deficit
9. Disorganization of thought
10. Negative self-statements & negative evaluation of
experiences
iii. Emotional
1. Depression or general unhappiness
2. Anxiety and agitation
3. Moodiness, irritability, or anger
4. Feeling overwhelmed
5. Loneliness and isolation
6. Any other mental or emotional health problems

II. Sources of Coping and Strength

a. Coping - strategies you use to deal with real or imagined problems to
protect yourself against negative emotions
i. Problem-focused coping – targets on controlling or changing the
source of stress
ii. Emotion-focused coping – involves lowering, if not eliminating,
negative emotional responses
iii. Cognitive coping – involves a conscious intellectual activity of
managing stressful situations
b. Strategies for cognitive coping
i. Reframing
ii. Challenging
iii. Positive self-talk
iv. Count to ten
v. Smell the roses
vi. Keeping perspectives
vii. Reducing uncertainty
 viii. Using imagery/visualization
c. Behavioral coping strategies
i. Physical exercise
ii. Relaxation
iii. Breathing
iv. Time management
v. Social support/ friends
vi. Seeking professional help
d. 24 Positive Coping Strategies for Stress
i. Physical and lifestyle strategies
ii. Emotional strategies
iii. Cognitive strategies
iv. Philosophical/ Spiritual strategies

III. Stress and Filipinos

a. Filipino traits and values

Table 14

Filipino traits & how they were evaluated based on east-west cultures
FILIPINO TRAITS & WHY IS IT NEGATIVE IN WHY IS IT POSITIVE IN
VALUES WESTERN CONCEPT ORIENTAL CONCEPT
Hiya  It stops from taking action  It contributes to peace of
 It makes the person weak, mind
timid, and meek  Not trying to achieve makes a
less harried stressful life
Ningas cogon It makes a person an  This trait makes a peaceful
underachiever because he/she and tranquil life because one
cannot persevere in seeing is unruffled should things go
things (i.e. projects, tasks, or wrong
goals) to its fruition.  Being detached allows the
person to move on to some
other activities without feeling
like an absolute failure
Pakikisama Filipinos are said to turn a blind  In the Filipino context,
eye to the wrongdoing of others pakikisama means keeping a
for the sake of personal polite distance from other
relationships (i.e., family, people’s lives with whom we
friendship, co-worker) share the same space with to
 maintain peace and harmony
Patigasan  It is about being stubborn A trait that makes us stand for
and resisting reconciliation. what is right and refuse to be
 One stands his or her ground intimidated or forced to
(on issues) and wait for the submission
other party to take the first
step at reconciliation
Bahala na It leaves everything to chance  Putting faith on a higher being
with the help of a divine power develops humility and
gratefulness
 The idea that he or she is not
alone in the struggle
strengthens the Filipino
psyche
Kasi  Disowns responsibility  Does not become overly
 Put blames on others stressed for failing
(people, things,  Failure is not personal
circumstances) because there are other
factors, not just “me”.
Saving face This is closely related to “hiya” It promotes mental therapy
and it encourages shirking from because it allows the person to
responsibility keep his/her dignity
Sakop  Never learns to be  Promotes unity, especially in
independent the family
 Relies on family and relatives  Provides a sense of
 Prevents personal growth belongingness and security
 Encourages partisanship
Bukas na (Mañana habit)  Promotes laziness  Filipinos know how to keep
 Will not act when a problem things in stride rather than be
is still small, thinking that it stressed or tensed
will go away by itself.  One learns to go with the flow
and take what comes
naturally
Utang na loob It makes the person overlook This trait personifies the Filipino
moral principles because he or saying,
she is beholden to those who “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa
gave him/her favor pinaggalingan ay hindi
makakarating sa kanyang
patutunguhan.”
Kanya kanya Seen as selfish with no regard for This trait is still in a collective
the world’s well-being context. Kanya-kanya means I
take care of my own (i.e., those
that are important to me); you
take care of yours. Family is
central to the Filipino psyche; thus
the family is always given 1st
priority before the self and
everyone else.
 IV. Social Stress
It is the state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very
demanding circumstances arising from the person’s social and environmental
relationships
a. Sources of social stress
i. Problems with work or earning an income
ii. Parenting
iii. Education
iv. Sex and socialization; immigration status of language
v. Personal, physical, and psychological health
vi. Social marginalization
b. Suicide
i. Egoistic suicide – occurs when a person feels he or she is not
accepted by or does not belong to society.
ii. Altruistic suicide – occurs when a person ends his or her life for
others
iii. Anomic suicide – occurs when a person ends his or her life for
others

V. Stress appraisal (symbolic interactionism)

Sociological perspective that focuses on the language and symbols to
help give meaning to life experiences.

VI. Mediators of stress: Coping & Social Support

Coping refers to personal responses that can be activated when stressful
circumstances arise. It also refers to things people do to prevent, avoid, or
control emotional distress.
a. Basic objectives of coping (Weiss & Lonnquist, 2015):
i. Eliminate of modify the stressful situation so that it will not be a
continuing problem
 ii. Control the meaning of the problem, by “cognitively neutralizing” the
situation
iii. Control the stress created by situations (e.g. through stress
management)

VII. The role of social class, race, and gender in social stress
a. Social class - Those who are in the lower social class have higher mental
and emotional stress than those who are affluent. Three common factors
are:
i. Inadequate financial resources;
ii. Greater use of ineffective coping strategies; and
iii. Less access to social support
b. Race - research show that responses to stress vary, and the person’s
ethnicity is relevant to his/her stress response.
c. Gender - Women were found to have higher rates of psychological
distress and depression compared to men (Rosenfield,1999). Possible
causes for the high disparity between women & men are:
i. Women tend to be delegated to the caregiver role more than men
ii. Women are more inclined to be emotionally involved in the lives of
the people around them
iii. Women introject rather than express anger
iv. Continuing power differences between women and men in society

VIII. Cultural Difference in Stress response

a. Culture - the set of ideas, belief, and behaviors shared by a particular
group of people (Yoost & Crawford, 2015). How culture affects a person’s
experience to stress:
i. The type of stressor to which a person may likely be exposed
ii. How a stressor will be perceived
iii. Coping mechanisms available to deal with stress
 b. Type of stressor - the types of stress a cultural group is exposed to will
also depend on their general location
c. Perception of stressors - cultures differ according to what their members
perceive as stressful
d. Coping mechanisms - some ways that cultures differ in the way they make
available different coping mechanisms to their members are:
i. Beliefs that allow them to make sense of stressors
ii. Beliefs about how stressors should be coped with
iii. The availability of social support

IX. Taking care of the self: the need for self-care and compassion
a. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Figure 4. Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs by Saul McLeod, 2007 (https://bit.ly/32kywv4), CC0

b. Deficiency vs. growth

i. Deficiency Needs – the four bottom levels. The person does not
feel anything if these needs are met, but he/she becomes anxious if
these needs are not met.
 ii. Growth Need – Self-actualization. It enables the person to reach his
or her full potential as human being.
c. Motivated by unsatisfied need

Table 15

Probable reaction to unsatisfied needs

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS IF NOT SATISFIED

PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS  Feel sick, irritated, uncomfortable
(A need that must be met every day)  If pathological, we can eat, drink too
much or engage in hoarding
behaviors
 Will cause death
SAFETY NEEDS  Can affect our perception, eg.
paranoia
 Can lead to neurosis, insecurity
 If pathological, can develop phobias,
such as agoraphobia
BELONGING – LOVE NEEDS  Become increasingly susceptible to
loneliness and social anxieties
 If pathological, can lead to antisocial
behaviour
ESTEEM NEEDS  Low self-esteem
1. Lower-form needs:  Inferiority complex
Such as respect from others, for status, fame,  If pathological, can lead to depression
glory, recognition, attention, reputation,
appreciation, dignity, even dominance.
2. Higher form:
Involves self-respect, including such as
confidence, competence, achievement, mastery,
independence, and freedom
SELF-ACTUALIZATION NEEDS  Can cause feelings of lack of meaning
in life
 If pathological, metapathologies, such
as boredom, cynicism,, alienation
(feeling isolated, detached, lack of
sympathy, estrangement)

d. Self-care
As described by the University of Kentucky (WEB), entails taking
deliberate acts of looking after your mental, emotional, and physical health.
e. Importance of self-care
 i. Proper self-care is taking a very active and powerful choice to
engage in activities that will result in acquiring or maintaining
optimal health that cover the physical, psychological, emotional,
social, and spiritual components
ii. Self-care is vital for the management of daily stressors and
challenges, as well as overall health and wellness.
iii. The keyword to self-care is balance; being good to yourself will
enhance the likelihood of living to your fullest potential
f. Compassion: neutral or Learned
i. Compassion, framed as an emotion, is the felt response to
perceiving suffering that involves an authentic desire to ease
distress (Goetz, Keltner, & Simon-Thomas, 2010).
ii. It is kind and caring emotional response to perceived suffering that
acknowledges the shared human experience of imperfection, and
that involves an authentic desire to help.
iii. Compassion is often confused with that of empathy and altruism
although compassion does involve empathy and altruistic behavior1
iv. In reading a sense, it is an automatic mirroring of another’s
emotion, like feeling sad when reading a soldier’s goodbye letter to
his family, even though the soldier and his family are unknown to
you.
g. Benefits of compassion
i. Research suggests that compassion may have ensured our
survival because of its tremendous benefits for both physical and
mental health and overall well-being (Seppala, 2013).
ii. It is suggested that connecting with others in a meaningful way help
us enjoy better mental and physical health and speeds up recovery
from disease (Dienner & Seligman, 2013) and may even lengthen
our lifespns (Brown & Konrath, 2013).
 iii. The parts of the brain that are active when a person experiences
pleasure (pleasure centers) were found to be equally active when
the person is doing acts of kindness

Application:
1. Self-care plan. Design your self-care plan for the whole school year.
2. Reflection paper: Make a self-compassionate letter and make reflection
paper about it.

Closure:

Well done! You have just finished Lesson 3 of this module which primarily give
importance to self-care as stress management and its impact in your personal life.
Should there be some parts of the lesson which you need clarification, please ask your
instructor during consultations.

Module Summary:

This module, entitled "Management and self-care", contains the final fragment of
this course pack in Understanding the Self (UTS). It magnified areas of concerns for
students: learning, goal setting and stress management. It also provided a more hands-
on application of the concepts discussed in this course and allows them to gain hands-
on experience to develop self-help schemes for regulated learning, goal setting, and
self-care.