PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Topic I: Developing Whole Person

Domain / Aspect Factor
Social A. Civic Responsibility - attending to socio-economic and
political issues on both local and global levels, and
performing civic responsibilities - examples of activities:
various discussions about the social, political or economic
issues in different countries or regions; concern about
current issues
B. Community Care - performing one’s community duty
and engaging oneself for the betterment of the community
and the world - examples of activities: voluntary services
C. Cultural Engagement - appreciating cultural diversity
and actively interacting with people of diverse ethnic
backgrounds - examples of activities: oversea cultural
exchange tours; student exchange programmes
D. Family Relationship - building positive relationships
with family members - examples of activities:
communication skills workshops; family activities
E. Peer Relationship - building and maintaining friendship
with love, care, and empathy - examples of activities:
communication skills workshops; activities emphasis on
team works
Spiritual F. Art Appreciation - appreciating arts and engaging in
aesthetic activities - examples of activities: art exhibitions;
drama/music/dance performances
G. Moral Commitment - standing firm by moral values,
social ethics, and professional codes of conduct -
examples of activities: internship programmes; hall tutor
programmes; committee member of student societies
H. Spiritual Quest - understanding the meaning of life and
showing gratitude - examples of activities: voluntary
services; psychological service trips
Psychological I. Emotional Health - recognizing, managing, and
regulating one’s own emotions - examples of activities:
emotion management and psychological competence
development course; individual counselling
J. Self-Appreciation - understanding, appreciating and
affirming one’s self - examples of activities: psychological
competence development course; individual counselling;
psychological assessments
Intellectual K. Intellectual Capacity - expanding broad-based
knowledge and thinking analytically, critically, and
creatively - examples of activities: academic exchange
activities; reading in different academic disciplines
Professional L. Career Preparation - achieving a clear understanding
of one’s career interest, exploring and planning for his/her
career, and developing job searching skills - examples of
 activities: job search skills trainings; career counselling;
internship programmes
M. Leadership - building teams, motivating people,
organizing activities and contributing with a sense of
responsibility - examples of activities: organizing committee
of student societies; planning group events
Physical N. Health Maintenance - maintaining physical health -
examples of activities: health care seminars; regular body
check
O. Physical Fitness - exercising on a regular basis and
engaging in various types of physical activities - examples
of activities: sport trainings / competitions; activities
organized by sport interest clubs

Topic II: Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors in Actual Life Situation

Thoughts are ideas, attitudes or perception about things. They are creative and
have energy. Basically, if you can imagine something, you can make it happen.
Think about art work, furniture, inventions, etc. These all started with an idea or
concept.

Feelings are emotions such as happy, sad, mad, frustrated, surprised, anxious, etc.
They can be experienced in varying degrees of intensity and usually have a physical
sensation attached. For instance, people will describe anxiety as having butterflies in
their stomach. If someone is angry they may feel tightness in their chest. Feelings
are something we all experience and it is important that they be expressed. And,
there is no such thing as a “bad” feeling. Feelings are needed because they serve a
purpose.

Behaviors are simply the actions we take. We choose how we are going to
behave. Behavior can be classified as right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy,
appropriate or inappropriate.
The Connection
Our thoughts create our feelings and our feelings drive our behavior. Let’s take a
simple example. If I like being outside near water and enjoy swimming, the thought
of going to a pool makes me feel happy. These thoughts and feelings are going to
lead me to plan activities that include swimming.

Topic III: Developmental Task and Challenges of Adolescence

A developmental task is a task that arises at or about a certain period in life,

unsuccessful achievement of which leads to inability to perform tasks associated
with the next period or stage in life.

Developmental Task

1. Learning to get along with friends of both sexes.

2. Accepting one's physical body and keeping it healthy.

3. Becoming more self-sufficient.

4. Making decisions about marriage and family life.

5 Preparing for a job or career.

6. Acquiring a set of values to guide behavior.

7. Becoming socially responsible.

Developmental tasks of adolescence

Biological Psychological Social

Concrete thinking but

Emotional
Early puberty (girls: early moral concepts;
separation from
breast bud and pubic progression of sexual
parents; start of
hair development, identity development
Early strong peer
start of growth spurt; (sexual orientation);
adolescence identification; early
boys: testicular possible homosexual
exploratory
enlargement, start of peer interest;
behaviours
genital growth) reassessment of body
(smoking, violence)
image

Girls: mid-late
puberty and end of Emotional
growth spurt; Abstract thinking, but separation from
menarche; self still seen as “bullet parents; strong
development of proof”; growing verbal peer identification;
Mid- female body shape abilities; identification increased health
adolescence with fat deposition of law with morality; risk (smoking,
Boys: mid-puberty, start of fervent alcohol, etc);
spermarche and ideology (religious, heterosexual peer
nocturnal emissions; political) interest; early
voice breaks; start of vocational plans
growth spurt

Late Boys: end of puberty; Complex abstract Development of

adolescence continued increase in thinking; identification social autonomy;
 Biological Psychological Social

of difference between
law and morality; intimate
increased impulse relationships;
control; further development of
muscle bulk and
development of vocational
body hair
personal identify; capability and
further development or financial
rejection of religious independence
and political ideology

The primary challenges of adolescence

• The achievement of biological and sexual maturation

• The development of personal identity

• The development of intimate sexual relationships with an appropriate peer

• Establishment of independence and autonomy in the context of the sociocultural

environment

The challenges for young people

• Seeking spiritual paths (organised or

• Challenging authority
cult religions)

• Taking risks • Getting a job

• Experimenting with drugs, alcohol, and • Changing schools and educational

sex environment
• Challenging the moral and social
• Developing relationships
structure of society

• Demanding rights • Understanding sexuality

• Taking responsibility for self and others • Renegotiating rules at home

Psychological effects of timing of puberty

Early puberty Late puberty

Taller than peers but may end up Short stature but later should achieve
Biological
short normal height; osteoporosis

Psychological effects positive in

Low self esteem in boys; no major
Psychological boys (higher self esteem),
problems in girls
negative in girls (low self esteem)

Treated by adults and peers as less

Different from peers; treated as mature than real age; difficulty in
Social
adolescent while still a child separating from parents and in getting
work

Causes of delayed and early puberty

Delay in puberty

• Constitutional delay of growth and puberty (boys)

• Poor nutrition

• Chronic illness
• Eating disorder

• Severe psychosocial stress

• Disorder of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis

Early puberty

• Familial (genetic, hereditary,inherited)

• Obesity (girls)

• Benign normal variants of pubertal timing : isolated the larche (early breast
development), premature adrenarche (early pubic hair development)

• Abnormalities of the central nervous system that disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary-

gonadal axis

• Gonadotrophin independent “precocious pseudopuberty”

Practical points for communicating and working with adolescents

• See young people by themselves as well as with their parents. Do not exclude parents
completely, but make it clear that the adolescent is the centre of the consultation. Do this
routinely as a way of respecting their healthcare rights

• Be empathic, respectful, and non-judgmental, particularly when discussing behaviours

such as substance misuse that may result in harm to the adolescent

• Assure confidentiality in all clinical settings

• Be yourself. Don't try to be cool or hip—young people want you to be their doctor, not
their friend
• Try to communicate and explain concepts in a manner appropriate to their development.
For young adolescents, use only “here and now” concrete examples and avoid abstract
concepts (“if...then”) discussions

• If appropriate, take a full adolescent psychosocial history (the HEADSS protocol is helpful
for this—see next box)

HEADSS protocol

H—Home life including relationship with parents

E—Education or employment, including financial issues

A—Activities including sports (also particularly note friendships and social relationships,
especially close friendships)

A—Affect (mood, particularly whether mood is responsive to situations)

D—Drug use, including cigarettes and alcohol as well as drugs

S—Sex (information on intimate relationships and sexual risk behaviours may be important
in both acute and chronic illnesses in adolescents)

S—Suicide, depression, and self harm

S—Sleep

Topic IV: Significant People in Life

Parents

 are the first people who introduce you to life.

 They provide shelter, protection, and sense of security no matter what happens.
 The concept of home is formed coupled with love and much sacrifices that either
your mother or father is willing to give.
 When you want to hear honest opinion about the things you need to improve, they
would never hesitate to tell exactly what needs to be done.
 Parents play the largest role in a person’s mental, emotional, physical, and social
development.
  They teach you the first valuable lessons in life that became an integral part of your
personality as you continue to discover the world.
 They get involved with your education and happy to see you achieve and discover
potentials.
 Parents advices are far more important than any other people’s advices in terms of
making sound decisions in life.

Siblings

 are friends within a family.

 They extend valuable help whenever you are in need of assistance.
 They teach you the concept of socialization, mutual understanding, and respect.
 Like friendship, your relationship with your sister or brother
requires communication and acceptance.
 A s y o u g r o w o l d e r y o u r e a l i z e t h e i r s i g n i f i c a n t p a r t i n y o u r l i f e and
continue to establish close ties among them.
 Although disagreements are normal part among siblings, it is
important to understand that all of you have sets of differences.
 Sibling bond is nothing compared with any other bonds in the
world as long as its foundation is anchored with much love and appreciation.

Friends

 are like extended siblings who came from different families.

 T h e y g i v e u s a s e n s e o f b e l o n g i n g n e s s f o r a n individual would
always wanted to be part of something.
 Friends also teach us the value of love, respect,
understanding, and acceptance.
 T h e y h e l p u s i m p r o v e i n o u r s o c i a l c o n n e c t i o n , emotional stability,
and inspires our intellectual capacity.
 T r u e f r i e n d s s u p p o r t o n l y w h a t i s g o o d a n d r e j e c t what
is not. They refuse to tolerate unacceptable behavior and seek to correct your
shortcomings.
 F r i e n d s b r i n g o u t t h e b e s t i n a p e r s o n a n d t h e y s h a r e mutual
interest, hobbies, and aspirations.

Teachers

 are the second parents in school.

 T h e y h e l p y o u i m p r o v e y o u r i n t e l l e c t u a l a n d emotional capacity to
handle difficult situations life.
 T h e y g u i d e y o u t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e v a l u a b l e l e s s o n s about life
that would last for a lifetime.
 T h e i r i n f l u e n c e d o e s n o t f a d e b e c a u s e t h e y provide exceptional
impact towards self-realization and self-discovery.
 T e a c h e r s w a l k a l o n g t h e p r o g r e s s o f t h e l e a r n e r s ; that makes
it more memorable and enduring for life.
 G o o d t e a c h e r s i n s p i r e l e a r n e r s t o d o b e t t e r i n making decisions.
 B e i n g t h e r o l e m o d e l i n c l a s s , t h e y s e t e x a m p l e t o learners
who need much guidance in school.

Community leaders
  provide network connections and linkages among other parts of the community.
 T h e y i n s p i r e a d o l e s c e n t s t o g e t i n v o l v e d w i t h c o m m u n i t y services
through outreach programs, social activities, and volunteer works.
 T h e y m o d e l i n n o v a t i o n t o h e l p i m p r o v e t h e c o m m u n i t y whom
they serve.
 E f f e c t i v e l e a d e r s s e t i n s p i r a t i o n t o o t h e r s b y s e t t i n g a good
example by following the policies that they try to implement.
 U s i n g t h e i r c h a r i s m a , t h e y t e n d t o p e r s u a d e o t h e r s t o follow
them; thus, they can generate many programs to address the needs of the people.
 A d o l e s c e n t s l i k e y o u c a n l e a r n f r o m t h e i r accomplishments and
may get inspired to become servant-leaders in the future.

Topic V: Evaluating One’s Development through the Help of Others

F a m i l y , as the most important agent of socialization, has given you the

knowledge of self-care. As you learn to take care of yourself, this is also done towards the
way you deal with other agents in the society. Parents teach the value of relationship. This is
significant because you would develop multiple relationships as you explore further
the world. They give you their system of belief, traditions, culture, and values that you can
use for discernment during difficult decision making. With the help of your siblings, the early
concept of cooperation is fostered. Friendship at this point is also established and can be
nurtured even as you age.

P e e r s would always have a great deal of influence in your life. It is rightful;

therefore, for parents to feel worried about the circle of friends you opt to get involved with. It
is difficult for parents to see if adolescents cast astray from the right path of self-realization;
therefore, it is necessary to carefully select the right set of individuals who would contribute
in bringing out the best in your capabilities. This is a great opportunity to display how much
value you put in a relationship if such friendship would last for a longest time there is. Peers
teach you to develop skills in organizing tasks, working together with others, giving and
receiving feedback in order to evaluate personal learning acquisition.
T e a c h e r s are also special agents we see in school, a place where many
exiting memories are forged through time, as we collaborate with peers. They mold us in so
many ways. Their role is not only to teach us the concept of socialization but gave us
opportunities to discovermuch more about socializing. School is the appropriate place to
formally learn academic skills like: comprehension, analytical thinking, logical reasoning,
subject knowledge transfer, and creative visualization. All of these are learned through the
help of teachers who gave so much inspiration to love learning at all cost. With their constant
guidance
C o m m u n i t y L e a d e r s need to develop selfless future leaders, as well.
Since they have an important role in community development, they are extending so much
help in addressing the needs of adolescents particularly in community involvement and civic
responsibility. Because of these selfless service towards other people, young generations
like you can also get inspired by their examples in reaching out for those who are in
need. Youth leadership opportunities are also provided as means to develop a spirit of
volunteerism. All it takes is get yourself involved with activities that can improve you more as
a person who has a significant contribution in any given society.