MODULE 3

MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

 LESSON 1
LEARNING TO BE A BETTER
LEARNER
 EXPLAIN HOW LEARNING OCCURS

 ENUMERATE VARIOUSMETACOGNITION AND

STUDYING TECHNIQUES

 IDENTIFY THE
METACOGNITIVE TECHNIQUES THAT
YOU FIND MOST APPROPRIATE FOR YOURSELF
INTRODUCTION

• Knowing the “self” is not enough

• Since who you are is partly made up your choices
• You must also have the ability to choose especially to be
better “you”
• In the school setting your knowledge of yourself should
at least enable you to become a better student
WE KNOW THAT IT IS
VERY IMPORTANT TO
KNOW OURSELVES

Knowing yourself means

knowing your purpose in
life
THE BRAIN THINKS ABOUT ITSELF

• We are HOMO SAPIENS or the WISE

MAN
• We think in a more complex level than
our ancestors and most, if not all, of the
other beings
• But being called wise, not only do we
think, but we are also capable to think
about thinking
• Like how we think of things and why we
think in a certain way about things
 METACOGNITION

 An awareness of the scope and

limitations of your current knowledge and
skills

 Due this awareness, it enables the person

to adapt their existing knowledge and
skills to approach a learning task
 Seeking for optimum result of the
learning experience
THINKING ABOUT THINKING

 This
help students become aware of their strengths
and weaknesses as learners.

 This recognizing the limit of one’s knowledge or

ability and then figuring out how to expand that
knowledge or expand their abilities
TWO ASPECTS OF METACOGNITION

1. SELF-
APPRAISAL

2. SELF-
MANAGEMENT
TWO ASPECTS OF METACOGNITION

Self - Appraisal Self-Management

 Also known as Self- evaluation or self-  Taking responsibility for your own
assessment actions and doing things as well as you
 can
That opportunity to reflect on the things
you did well, and the things you didn’t do  It show you are able to organize yourself
well and offer your own ideas to any situations
 The ability to examine yourself to find  It is the ability to prioritize goals, decide
out how much progress you have made what must be done, and be accountable to
 complete the necessary actions.
A skill that helps individuals monitor
their own work or abilities
SELF REGULATION
1. PLANNING – goal setting and allocating
resources prior to learning
2. INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES – skills and strategy sequences
used to process information more efficiently
3. COMPREHENSION MONITORING-
assessment of one’s learning or strategy use
4. DEBUGGING STRATEGIES- strategies to
correct comprehension and performance
errors
5. EVALUATION- analysis of performance and
strategy effectiveness after a learning episode
THERE ARE THREE VARIABLES THAT AFFECT
HOW YOU ASSESS YOURSELF AS A THINKER

1. Personal Variable – evaluation of

your strengths and weaknesses in
learning
2. Task Variable – which is what you
know or what you think about the
nature of the task, as well as the
strategies the task requires
3. Strategy Variable – refers to what
strategies or skills you already have
in dealing with certain task
ACCURACY AND HONESTY

 In order to make self-appraisal and self-management work

You must have an accurate self-assessment

You must be honest about what you know and capable of

In order to find ways to utilize your strength and improve on your
weakness
 METACOGNITIVE AWARENESS
INVENTORY (MAI)
 Review your MAI results and your answers during the analysis. Do
you feel that the results represent you?
 Rather than dismissing the test or the results if you feel any
incongruence to your perception, try to analyze if your answers were
accurate and think of the specific instances when you were learning
something.
 Think of the various factors that make that learning experience
successful and enjoyable for you including your emotions and
motivations at that certain period.
LEARNING = ADAPTATION= ADJUSTMENT
A PROCESS OF CHANGING
HOW TO EXERCISE METACOGNITON
(Waterloo Student Success Office)

Knowing your Modifying

Skimming
limits your approach

Rehearsing Self-Test
KNOWING YOUR LIMITS

 One cannot really make any significant advancement in

using metacognitive skills without having an honest and
accurate evaluation of what you know and what you do not
know.
 Italso looks at the scope and limitations of your resources
so that you can work with what you have at the moment
and look for ways to cope with other necessities
MODIFYING YOUR APPROACH

 It begins with the recognition that your strategy is not appropriate

with the task and/or that you do not comprehend the learning
experience successfully.
 You should recognize, for example, that you are not understanding
what you are reading, you should learn to modify your strategy in
comprehending your material
 You might want to read or reread a page in five-minute intervals
instead of trying to finish the material in one sitting.
 You may want to make a summary or code for yourself instead of
using keywords to highlighting sections of what you are reading.
SKIMMING

 This is basically browsing over a material and keeping an eye on keywords,

phrases, or sentences.
 It is also knowing where to search for such key terms
 The Table of Contents can also provide you with a quick guide to the content of
the book. Introductory paragraphs, headings or subheadings, and conclusions can
also provide you with an overview of the whole material
 This technique works best when you want to get an idea about the contents of a
reading material, when you are trying to read through several materials in a
limited time frame, or when you want to focus on certain details, among others.
REHEARSING

 This is not just about repeatedly talking, writing, and/or doing what you have
learned, but also trying to make a personal interpretation or summary of the
learning experience.
 One fun way to do this is by imagining yourself being interviewed about your
task. As you try to convey what you have learned from the resources, you also
insert your opinions or other personal take on the matter.
 Just be sure that they key concepts are well understood and are still-in-line with
the source material even with multiple rehearsals
SELF-TEST

 This is trying to test your comprehension of your learning experience or the skills
you have acquired during the learning
 You can make essay questions or definition of terms test while you are reading or
watching a material.
 You can challenge yourself in completing a task successfully, maybe in a given
period of time
 Self-Test does not only focus on what you have learned but also on how you
learned it. After the experience you should also ask questions like, “What
strategies did I use/” “How successful were my learning strategies?” “How can I
further improve my learning skills?”
OTHER STARTEGIES YOU NEED TO
DEVELOP

FINDING A
ASK QUESTIONS
SELF- MENTOR OR
ABOUT YOUR
REFLECTION SUPPORT
METHODS
GROUP

THINKING OUT WELCOME

LOUD ERRORS
FYI WELCOMING ERRORS

 Does not mean seeking them or consciously making them as much as possible

 It means that when you commit a mistake, you do not dismiss it as insignificant or
you do not try to avoid the responsibility of the results
 You must process them to learn every lesson that you can take about yourself,
about the topic, and other people or things
 By having a more positive attitude toward mistakes, you will also have the
courage to venture into new and unknown learning experiences that may one day
interest you.
THERE ARE FOUR TYPES OF
METACOGNITIVE LEARNERS
TACIT unaware of their metacognitive processes although
they know the extent of their knowledge

AWARE know some of their metacognitive strategies but

they do not plan on how to use these techniques

STRATEGIC learners strategize and plan their course of

action toward learning experience

REFLECTIVE learners that reflect on their thinking while

they are using the strategies and adapt metacognitive skills
depending on their situation
THE GOAL OF METACOGNITION

1. Create in a student’s mind that he or she must be SELF-REGULATED LEARNER

Education should not be limited by the capabilities of the teacher, the content of school
textbooks, the four corners of the classroom, and the duration of academic year or courses.
You should have the capability to study things on your own as well as accurately evaluate
your progress
2. That there is COMPENSATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF COGNITIVE
LIMITATIONS
This is because the student is now aware of his/her capabilities. Various researches also
showed significant improvement in academic performance in any subject and across age
range
3. To ENABLE STUDENT TO TRANSFER KNOWLEDGE FROM CONTEXT TO
ANOTHER
1. OTHER TIPS THAT YOU CAN USE IN STUDYING
(Queensland University of Technology Library)

Break down into

Make an outline Integrate variation
smaller details

Revise, summarize
Engage what you
Incubate ideas and take down
have learned
notes
LESSON 2
DO NOT JUST DREAM, MAKE IT HAPPEN
JACK CANFIELD authored seven books
listed in Guinness Book of World Records

BY TAKING THE TIME TO STOP AND APPRECIATE WHO YOU ARE AND
WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED – AND PERHAPS LEARNED THROUGH A
FEW MISTAKES, STUBLES AND LOSSES – YOU ACTUALLY CAN
ENHANCE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU.

- Jack
Canfield’s quote about Success
Chicken Soup for the Soul Series; The Success Principles: How to Get from Where to Where You
Want to Be; The Power of Focus; The Aladdin Factor; Dare to Win; You’ve Got to Read this Book;
and the Key to Living the Law of Attraction
ALBERT E. BANDURA
was born in Mundare, Alberta on December 4,
1925

He grew up with parents who put great emphasis on the value of

family, life and education. He was the youngest of six children. He
took a summer job in Alaska after high school graduation. He then
took an introductory psychology course at the University of British
Columbia as a working student. In three year’s time, he graduated
with Bolocan Award in Psychology in 1949.
ALBERT E. BANDURA
PSYCHOLOGY, MASTERS, PhD in Clinical Psychology
 He earned his master’s degree from the
University of Iowa in 1951 and his PhD
in Clinical Psychology in 1952
 He had a postdoctoral position at the
Wichita Guidance Center before
accepting a position as a faculty member
at Stanford University in 1953, where he
still works at present
 He was named the most influential
psychologist of all time. His theories gave
major contribution to the filed of
psychology, psychotherapy and education
A MAN IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
ALBERT E. BANDURA
 Active faculty member of Stanford
University
 Continues to do research such as self-
efficacy, stress reactions and effects of
modelling on human behavior, emotions,
and thought
 Received many awards and honorary
degrees due to his work
 Elected as president of the American
Psychological Association 1974
 Awarded the National Medal of Science
by President Barack Obama
ALBERT E. BANDURA’S
THEORY ON SELF-EFFICACY

• An experiment of Bandura 1950

The sample of children were presented with new social
models of violent and nonviolent behavior toward an
inflatable rebounding Bobo doll.
• The result were:
1. The group of children who saw the violent behavior
model became violent to the doll
2. The control group who was presented with nonviolent
behavior model was rarely violent to the doll
What is SELF-EFFICACY THEORY?

It is based on the assumption that:

1. PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCEDURES
SERVE AS A MEANS OF CREATING
AND STRENGTHENING
EXPECTATIONS OF PERSONAL
EFFICACY

Psychological procedures include

perceptions, emotions, problem solving,
sense of purpose, or any behavior which
serve as motivation to act.
DIFFERENCE BEWEEN SELF-
EFFICACY AND SELF-CONCEPT
SELF-EFFICACY SELF-CONCEPT
 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
EFFICACY EXPECTATION AND OUTCOME
EXPECTANCY

• The conviction that one

can successfully execute
EXPECTATION the behavior required to
S EFFICACY produce outcomes

• A person’s estimate that a

RESPONSE- given behavior will lead
OUTCOME to certain outcomes
EXPECTANCIE
S
Although a person may expect a certain activity to lead to
a particular outcome, they may lack the motivation to
perform the action, doubting their ability to do so.
OUTCOME and EFFICACY expectations are
differentiated because individuals can believe that a
particular course of action will produce certain outcomes.
However, if they entertain serious doubts about whether
they can perform the necessary activities with such
information, it does not influence their behavior .
WHEN SELF-EFFICACY COMES INTO
PLAY
 If there is an actual or perceived threat to
one’s personal safety, or one’s ability to
deal with potentially aversive events
 Increasing a person’s self-efficacy
increases their ability to deal with a
potentially averse situation
 Perceived self-efficacy mediates anxiety
arousal
 WHAT IS
SELF-EFFICACY

PEOPLE’S BELIEFS ABOUT THEIR CAPABILITIES TO PRODUCE

DESIGNATED LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE THAT EXERCISE
INFLUENCE OVER EVENTS THAT AFFECT THEIR LIVES. (BANDURA)
WHICH ARE YOU?

HIGH ASSURANCE WHO DOUBTS

IN YOUR OWN OR YOUR OWN
CAPABILITIES ? CAPABILITIES ?
ACTS OF PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR
BELIEFS
PEOPLE WITH HIGH ASSURANCE IN PEOPLE WHO DOUBT THEIR
THEIR CAPABILITIES CAPABILITIES
 Approach difficult tasks as challenges to  Shy away from tasks they view as personal
be mastered threats
 Have low aspirations and weak commitment to
 Set challenging goals and maintain strong
goals they choose to pursue
commitment to them
 Dwell on personal deficiencies, obstacles they
 Heighten or sustain efforts in the face of will encounter, and all kinds of adverse
failures and setbacks outcomes, rather than concentrating how to
perform successfully
 Attribute failure to insufficient effort of
 Slacken their efforts and give up quickly in the
deficient knowledge and skills which are
face of difficulties
acquirable
 Are slow to recover their sense of efficacy
 Approach threatening situations with following failure and setbacks
assurance that they can exercise control
 Fall easy victim to stress and depression
over them
LOOK AT THE COMPARISON, which side are you
in ?
FOUR MAIN SOURCES OF INFLUENCE BY WHICH A
PERSON’S SELF-EFFICACY IS DEVELOPED AND
MAINTAINED

MASTERY
EXPERIENCES

VERBAL OR
VICARIOUS
SOCIAL
EXPERIENCES
PERSUASION

PHYSIOLOGICA
L STATES
 MASTERY EXPERIENCE
(Bandura)
 He identified that “Mastery experiences”
or “personal performance
accomplishments” are he most effective
ways to create a strong sense of efficacy.
 Successes build a robust belief in one’s
personal efficacy, failures undermined it
especially if failures occur before a sense
of efficacy is firmly established
 VICARIOUS EXPERIENCES
(Bandura)
 Vicarious experiences through
observance of social models also
influence one’s perception of self-
efficacy.
 The most important factor that determines
the strength of influence of an observed
success or failure on one’s own self-
efficacy is the degree of similarity
between the observer and the model.
VERBAL OR SOCIAL PERSUASION
(Bandura)
 Verbal and social persuasion also affects
one’s perception of self- efficacy
 It is “a way of strengthening people’s
beliefs that they have what it takes to
succeed.”
 People who are persuaded verbally, that
they possess the capabilities to master
given activities, are likely to mobilize
greater effort and sustain it than if they
harbor self-doubts and dwell on personal
deficiencies when problem arise.
 PHYSIOLOGICAL STATES
(SOMATIC AND EMOTIONAL)
(Bandura)
 People also rely on their somatic or People with high sense of efficacy may perceive arousal
emotional states when judging their as “an energizing facilitator of performance”
capabilities
 Stress and tension are interpreted as
“signs of vulnerability to poor
performance.”
 Fatigue, aches and pains, and mood also
effect perception of ability
 “It is not the intensity of the emotional or
physical reaction that is important, but
Those who are beset by self-doubts regard their arousal
rather, how it is perceived and
as “debilitator
interpreted.” (B)
MOST OF HUMAN MOTIVATION IS
COGNITIVELY MOTIVATED (B)
 The ROLE of self-efficacy:
Self-belief of efficacy is an important
factor in human motivation
 Beliefs of self-efficacy work in Determining what activities
you choose to engage in
coordination with component skills and
incentive to act.
 Inasmuch as a person has both the How much effort you will
component skills needed to succeed and expend
the incentive to engage :

How long that effort will

be sustained when things
get tough
 BANDURA’S QUOTES
ABOUT SELF-EFFICACY
“Self-efficacy is the belief in one’s
capabilities to organize and execute the Self-belief does not necessarily ensure success,
sources of action required to manage but disbelief assuredly spawns failure
prospective situations”

By sticking it out through tough times,

people emerge from adversity with a
stronger sense of efficacy
 SELF-EFFICACY A WAY TO WIN

 “People’s beliefs about their abilities have a

profound effect on those abilities.
 Ability is not a fixed property; there is a
huge variability in how you perform.
 People who have a sense of self-efficacy
bounce back from failure; they approach
things in terms of how to handle them rather
than worrying about what can go wrong.”
CAROL DWECK’S FIXED AND
GROWTH MINDSET

Individuals may not necessarily be

aware of their own mindset, but their
mindset can still be discerned based
on their behavior.
It is especially evident in their
reaction to failure.
These two mindsets play an
important role in all aspects of a
person’s life
CAROL DWECK’S FIXED AND
GROWTH MINDSET
FIXED MIND SET GROWTH MIND SET
 People who believe that success is based  People who believe that success is based
on their innate abilities have a “fixed” on hard work, learning, training and
theory of intelligence perseverance.
 They dread failure because it is negative  They do not mind failure or fear because
statement on their abilities they realize their performance can be
 improved and learning comes from
Students believe their basic abilities, their
failure.
intelligence their talents are just fixed
traits  People who tend to live a less stressful
and more successful
GROWTH MIND SET
GROWTH MINDSET

 They don’t necessarily think everyone’s

the same or anyone can be Einstein, but
they believe everyone can get smarter if
they work it out.
 Individuals with growth mindset are more
likely to continue working hard despite
setbacks.
 Quotable quotes
GROWTH MINDSET
 IT IS POSSIBLE TO ENCOURAGE
STUDENTS TO PERSIST DESPITE FAILURE
BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO THINK
ABOUT LEARNING IN A CERTAIN WAY.

FIXED MINDSET GROWTH MINDSET

 Children given praise such as “good  If given compliments like “good job,
job, you are smart” are more like to you worked very hard” are likely to
develop a fixed mindset developed a growth mindset
GOAL SETTING THEORY
EDWIN A. LOCKE

THE GOAL SETTING THEORY WAS FIRST STUDIED BY DR.

LOCKE
IN THE MIDDLE OF 1960s.
The basic content of goal setting theory are summarized in terms of 14
categories of findings discussed I the article.

He first described that the approach of goal setting theory is based on

what Aristotle called FINAL CAUSALITY, that is ACTION CAUSED
BY A PURPOSE.
1.THE MORE DIFFICULT THE GOAL, THE 8. Goal setting mediates the effect of knowledge of past
GREATER THE ACHIEVEMENT performance on subsequent performance.
2. THE MORE SPECIFIC OR EXPLICIT THE GOAL, 9. Goals affect performance by affecting the direction of
THE MORE PRECISELY PERFORMANCE IS action, the degree of effort exerted, and the persistence of
REGULATED. action over time.

3. GOALS THAT ARE BOTH SPECIFIC AND 10. Goals stimulate planning in general.
DIFFICULT LEAD TO THE HIGHEST
PERFORMANCE.
4. COMMITMENT TO GOALS IS MOST CRITICAL 11. When people strive for goals on complex tasks, they
WHEN GOALS ARE SPECIFIC AND DIFFICULT. are least effective in discovering suitable task strategies
if….no prior experience, high pressure to perform well or
high time pressure.

5. HIGH COMMITMENT TO GOALS IS ATTAINED 12. Goals in combination with self-efficacy, mediate or
WHEN THE INDIVIDUAL IS CONVINCED THAT partially mediate the effects of several personality traits
THE GOAL IS IMPORTANT & IS ATTAINABLE. and incentives on performance.

6. EFFECTS OF SELF-EFFICACY ARE BOTH DIRECT 13. Goal setting and goal-related mechanisms can be
AND INDIRECT, GOALS CAN BE INFLUENCED BY trained and/or adopted in the absence of training for the
MODELLING. purpose of self-regulation.

7. GOAL SETTING IS MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN 14. Goal serve as standards of self-satisfaction, enhance
THERE IS FEEDBACK THAT SHOWS PROGRESS IN task interest, reduce boredom and promote goal clarity.
RELATION TO THE GOAL. ***
SUCCESS IN LIFE CAN BE ATTAINED:

 Peoplewith GROWTH MINDSET, where there is

room for improvement of performance
 With positive perceived SELF-EFFICACY, where
he or she has high confidence on his or her
capabilities
 Hasa specific achievable GOALS, have high
possibility to attain success in life
“ Lesson 3
LESS STRESS, MORE CARE

”
OBJECTIVES

1. Explain the effects of stress to one’s

health
2. Examine cultural dimension of stress and
coping
3. Design a self-care plan
“ STRESS is often described as a
feeling of being overwhelmed,
worried, or run-down.
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (2017)
”
Stress can affect people of all ages, genders, and circumstances and can lead to both physical
and psychological health issues.
“ Stress is any uncomfortable ‘emotional
experience accompanied by predictable
biochemical, physiological and
behavioral changes.’
”
Some stress can be beneficial at times, producing a boost that provides the drive and energy
to help people get through situations like exams or work deadlines.
However, an extreme amount of stress can have health consequences and adversely affect the
immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine and central nervous system.
STRESS AND HUMAN RESPONSE
HANS SELYE defined
stress as the body’s non
specific response to any
demand, whether it is
caused by or results in
pleasant or unpleasant
stimuli.
TWO TYPES OF STRESS

DISTRESS EUSTRESS
 Unpleasant  Pleasant
 Harmful  Often connotes euphoria
 Connotes disease  Daily stresses in life that has positive
 connotations
Daily stresses in life that has positive
connotations  Example: marriage, promotion, baby,
 winning money, new friends and
Example: separation, punishment, injury,
graduation
negative feelings financial problems, and
work difficulties
 THREE COMPONENTS OF
GENERAL STRESS SYNDROME
ALARM STAGE – MOBILIZATION OF THE
BODY’S DEFENSIVE FORCES

STAGE OF RESISTANCE – THE BODY

BECOMES ADAPTIVE TO THE
CHALLENGE AND EVEN BEGINS TO
RESIST IT

EXHAUSTION STAGE – THE BODY DIES

BECAUSE IT HAS USED UP ITS
RESOURCES OF ADAPTATION ENERGY
STRESS RESISTANCE

PHASE 1 – this involves a number of

hormones and chemicals excreted at high
levels.
PHASE 2 – the length of this stage of
resistance is dependent upon the body’s
innate and stored adaptation energy reserves
an upon the intensity of the stressor. The
acquired adaptation is lost if the individual is
subject to still greater exposure to the
stressor.
PHASE 3 – Thankfully, fewer people
experience this last stage.
 STRESS DISEASES

 Maladies caused primarily by errors in the body’s general adaptation process.

 They will not occur when all the body’s regulatory processes are properly checked
and balanced
 They will not develop when adaptation is facilitated by improved perception and
interpretation.
 The biggest problems with derailing the general stress syndrome and causing
disease is an ABSOLUTE EXCESS, DEFICIENCY, OR DISEQUILIBRIUM in the
amount of ADAPTIVE HORMONES.
CORTICOIDS, ADRENOCORTICOTROPIC HORMONE (ACTH) and
GROWTH HORMONE (which are produced during stress)
 If stress is induced chronically, our defense response lowers its resistance since
fewer antibodies are produced and an inflammatory response dwindles.
OUR BEING UNDERGOES NON SPECIFIC
RESPONSES TO THE VARIOUS STIMULI
PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES DURING
STRESSFUL SITUATION
 Chronic stress is unpleasant, even when it is transient.
 A stressful situation – whether something environmental, such as looming work
deadlines or psychological, such as persistent worry about losing a job – can
trigger a cascade of stress hormone that produce well-orchestrated physiological
changes.
 A stressful incident could make the heart pound and breathing quicken
 Muscles tense and beads of sweat appear
PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS TO
STRESS
 FIGHT –OR-FLIGHT RESPONSE
Is a survival mechanism, enabling people and
other mammals to react quickly to life-
threatening situations.
This carefully orchestrated responses help
someone to fight the threat off or flee to
safety.
Unfortunately, the body can also overreact to
stressors that are not life-threatening, such as
traffic jams, work pressure and family
difficulties.
CHRONIC STRESS

 OVERTIME, REPEATED ACTIVATION  More preliminary research suggests that

OF THE STRESS RESPONSE TAKES A CHRONIC STRESS may also contribute
TOLL ON THE BODY. to
 RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT 1. Obesity
CHRONIC STRESS CONTRIBUTES
Both direct mechanism (causing people to eat
TO
more) or indirectly (decreasing sleep and
1. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE-promotes the exercise).
formation of artery clogging deposits, and
causes brain changes that may contribute
to
2. Anxiety
3. Depression
4. Addiction
THE STRESS RESPONSE BEGINS IN
THE BRAIN
 When someone confronts an oncoming
Cerebral cortex car, the eyes or ears (or both) send
information to the AMYGDALA – an
area of the brain that contributes to
emotional processing. The amygdala
hypothalamus
interprets the images and sounds.
 When it perceives danger, it instantly
amygdala sends distress signal to the
HYPOTHALAMUS – this area functions
like a command center, communicating
with the rest of the body through the
nervous system.
ANATOMY OF STRESS RESPONSE

HYPOTHALAMU
• ONCOMING CAR S • Sympathetic & parasympathetic
• SENSES nervous system
• Emotional response • The sympathetic nervous system
• Fear • The command center functions like a gas pedal. It
triggers the fight-or-flight
• Communicates with the body
response
through the autonomic nervous
system
• Breathing, blood pressure,
heartbeat, blood vessels
AMYGDALA GLANDS
VOCABULARY
 Sympathetic nervous system – triggers the fight-or-flight response, providing
the body with a burst of energy so it could respond to perceived dangers.
 Parasympathetic nervous system acts like a brake. It promotes the “rest and
digest” response that calms the body down after the danger has passed.
 Adrenal glands – pump the hormone EPINEPHRINE to the body, it brings a
number of physiological changes
 Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis – the network that consists of the
hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands. This axis relies on a
series of hormonal signals to keep the sympathetic nervous system pressed
down.
 Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) - hormone released by the
hypothalamus when the brain continues to perceive something dangerous
 Cortisol – hormone released by the adrenal glands making the body revved up
on high alert, the level of the hormone falls the moment the threat passes
BE AWARE THAT:
THERE IS A NEED TO COUNTER
CHRONIC STRESS
 Our performance and productivity may
adversely be affected by stress.
 It is how an individual accepts stress that
determines ultimately whether the person
can adapt successfully to change.
RELAXATION RESPONSE by Dr.
Herbert Benson ( Mind Body Medicine)
 Deep abdominal breathing
 Focus on a soothing word (such as peace
or calm)
 Visualization of tranquil scenes
 Repetitive prayer
 Yoga
 Tai chi
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

 People can use exercise to stifle the build

up of stress in several ways.
 It relieves muscle tension
 Movement therapies such as yoga, tai chi
and qi gong combined with fluid
movements with deep breathing, and
mental focus, all which can induce calm
SOCIAL SUPPORT

 Confidants, friends, acquaintances, co-

workers, relatives, spouses, and
companions all provide a life-enhancing
social net, and may increase longevity
 BUFFERING THEORY holds that people
who enjoy close relationships with family
and friends receive emotional support that
indirectly helps sustain them at times of
chronic and crisis.
THE CULTURAL DIMENSION OF
STRESS AND COPING
 Ben Kuo (2010) studies had the following findings:
Emotion-focused, Individuals with Asian
indirect, passive, background
internally target,
secondary control
Avoidance, withdrawal and Common among Asians
forbearance coping
methods
Spiritual, religious and Common among African- Common among African-
ritual-based Canadians Americans

Spiritual and religious Common among

coping and coping through Latino/Latina backgrounds
family support
Emotion-focused coping (in Beneficial for Asian- Beneficial for Asian-
family conflict and racial Americans Canadians
discrimination)

Problem-focused coping (in Effective for Asian- Effective for Asian -

responding to male gender Americans Canadians
conflicts, racial
discrimination and cross-
cultural adjustment

Emotion-focused coping Negative in increasing stress

for African-American adult
caregivers
Problem-focused coping (in Negative in exacerbating
facing family conflicts) stress for Hispanic-
American college students
OTHER DOMAINS OF COPING
AMONG CULTURALLY DIVERSE
INDIVIDUALS
Collective coping
approaches
Asians, Africans, Americans
and Latino Americans
COPING LINKS:
1. Broad societal climate Collectivism-individualism Independent-interdependent
cultural norms
2. Individual’s acculturation 3. primary/internally vs 4. Accessibility and attitudes
and ethnic identity secondary/externally toward seeking social and
controlled orientations family support

5. Degrees of religious/spiritual
beliefs and identifications
SELF-CARE THERAPY by NANCY
APPERSON (2008) Northern Illinois Univ
1. STOP, BREATH and TELL YOURSELF:
“This is hard and I will get through this one
step at a time.”
2. ACKNOWLEDGE to yourself what you
are feeling.
All feelings are normal so accept whatever
you are feeling.
3. FIND SOMEONE who listens and
accepting.
You do not need advice. You need to be
heard.
4. MAINTAIN NORMAL ROUTINE as 6. TAKE GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF.
much as possible. Making everyday Remember to:
decisions, gives you a sense of control and
a. Get enough rest and sleep
feels comforting as it is a familiar activity
b. Eat regularly and make healthy choices
c. Know your limits and when you need to
let go
5. ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME FOR A
d. Identify or create a nurturing place in
TASK. You will not be as productive as you
your home
normally are.
e. Practice relaxation and meditation
f. Escape for while through meditation,
reading a book, watching a movie, or
taking a short trip
 SELF-COMPASSION PHRASES
BY NEFF
 It is helpful to have a set of phrases  1. This is a moment of suffering.
memorized to help you remember to be  2. Suffering is part of life.
more compassionate to yourself in the
moment  3. May I be kind to myself.
 You can take a deep breath, put your hand  4. May I give myself the compassion I
over your heart, or gently hug yourself need.
 And repeat the following phrases: These phrases capture the essence of the
three components of self-compassion
 This is a moment of suffering
Mindfully open to the sting of emotional
pain

Suffering is Suffering unites all living beings and reduces the tendency to feel ashamed and isolated when things go
part of life wrong in our lives

May I be kind to Begin the process of responding with self-

kindness rather than self-criticism
myself

Reinforces the idea that you both need and

deserve compassion in difficult moments
May I give myself the
compassion I need
 SELF-COMPASSION AND
EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
SELF-COMPASSION SELF-CRITICISM
 Less anxiety and depression
 Self-compassionate people recognize that
they are suffering, but are kind toward
themselves in these moments,
acknowledging their connectedness with  Known to be an important predictor of
the rest of humanity anxiety and depression
 Associated with greater wisdom and
emotional intelligence
 Represents a wise way of dealing with
difficult emotions
 Self-compassionate people engage in rumination and think suppression less often
than those low in self-compassion
 They also report greater emotional coping skills, including more clarity about
their feelings and greater ability to repair negative emotional states
 Self-compassion appears to bolster positive states of being as well

 BY WRAPPING ONE’S PAIN IN THE WARM EMBRACE OF SELF-

COMPASSION, POSITIVE FEELINGS ARE GENERATED THAT HELP
BALANCE THE NEGATIVE ONES.

(Neff 2012)
SELF-COMPASSION, MOTIVATION
AND HEALTH
 Research supports the idea that self-compassion enhances motivation rather than self-
indulgence
 Self-compassionate people aim high but also recognize and accept that they cannot
always reach their goals
 Self-compassion is linked to greater personal initiative (the desire to reach one’s full
potential).
 Self-compassionate people have been found to have less motivational anxiety and
engage in fewer self-handicapping behaviors such as procrastination
 Positively associated with mastery goals ( the intrinsic motivation to learn and grow)
 SELF-COMPASSIONATE PEOPLE ARE MOTIVATED TO ACHIEVE, BUT FOR
INTRINSIC REASONS, NOT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GARNER SOCIAL
APPROVAL. (Neff 2012)
SELF-COMPASSION VERSUS SELF-
ESTEEM
SELF-COMPASSION SELF-ESTEEM
 Predicts greater happiness and optimism  Robust association with narcissism
 Less focused on evaluating themselves  Thought to be an evaluation of
 superiority/inferiority that helps to
Enhances feelings of safety and
establish social rank stability
interconnectedness
 Related to alerting, energizing impulses
and dopamine activation
 Positions the self in competition with
others and amplifies feelings of
distinctness and separation
BE KIND TO YOURSELF PROJECTS
THERE IS NO ONE LIKE YOU.. NO ONE
BE LIKE YOU. YOU ARE ONE IN A
MILLION PRECIOUS AND LOVED BY
YOUR CREATOR AND MAKER.

LEARNING TO LOVE YOURSELF IS

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL