KNOWING ONESELF

Personal Development focuses on human growth and changes across the lifespan.
Self-identity is the information about oneself that is derived from social interactions that
offers insight into how others act.

SELF-CONCEPT
➢ is a construct that refers to your awareness of yourself.
➢ The construct that negotiates the two selves.
There are two categories of self-concept:
▪ Ideal Self
- The self that you aspire to be.

▪ Actual Self
- The one that you actually see.

SELF-KNOWLEDGE
- Derived from social interactions that provide insight into how other react to you.
- Negotiation is the process that exists between our two selves. This process is
complex because there are numerous exchanges between ideal and actual self.
- These exchanges are exemplified in social roles that are adjusted and re-adjusted, ,
and are derived from outcomes of social interactions from infant to adult
development.
ALIGNMENT
- Why is alignment of the two selves important? If the way that I am (actual self) is
aligned with the way that I want to be (ideal self), then I will feel a sense of
mental well-being or peace of mind.
- In contrary, if the way that I am is not aligned with how I want to be,
INCONGRUENCE will result in mental distress or anxiety.
PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS
- Means making use of all the personal resources – talents, skills, energy, and time,
to enable you to achieve life goals.
- Your knowledge of yourself and how you manage yourself impacts directly on
your personal effectiveness.
- Being self-aware, making the most of your strengths, learning new skills and
techniques and behavioral flexibility are all keys to improving your personal
performance.
- Our personal effectiveness depends on our innate characteristics -talent and
experience accumulated in the process of personal development.

▪ Talents
- First are needed to be identified and then developed to be used in a particular
subject area (science, literature, sports, politics, etc.)
▪ Experience
- Includes knowledge and skills that we acquire in the process of cognitive and
practical activities.
 ▪ Knowledge
- Required for setting goals, defining an action plan to achieve them and risk
assessment.
▪ Skills
- Determined whether real actions are performed in accordance with plan.
- If the same ability is used many times in the same situation, then it becomes a
habit that runs automatically, subconsciously.
- Here are some skills that will greatly increase the efficiency of any person who
owns them:
1. Determination
2. Self-confidence
3. Persistence
4. Managing stress
5. Problem-solving skills
6. Creativity
7. Generating ideas

BUILD ON YOUR STRENGTHS AND WORK ON YOUR WEAKNESSES

▪ Most failures emanate from weaknesses that are not recognized or probably not
given appropriate attention or remedy.
▪ This could be a weakness in communications, personality, or ability.
▪ Instead of giving up or indulging in self-pity, take action.
▪ Instead of simply focusing on your weaknesses, recognize your own talents and
abilities, build on them, utilize them to your greatest advantage.

COGNTIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY

▪ Developed in 1970s by psychologists, Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck.
▪ One of the most evidence-based approaches to combat anxiety and depression.
▪ Commonly used form of psychotherapy that aims to assist individuals in
understanding the link between thoughts and feelings and realizing how these two impact
behaviors.
STAGES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
1. PRE-NATAL PERIOD
▪ Pre-natal is defined as the period before birth or to giving birth. Pre-natal care is
when a mother gets checkups from a doctor, nurse, or midwife throughout
pregnancy.
▪ The period of growth and development within the womb, in which a single-celled
organism zygote (the cell formed by the combination of a sperm and an egg cell)
becomes an embryo, fetus, and then a baby.

Phases of Pre-natal Development

a. Germinal Stage – The first 2 weeks of pregnancy. Includes the
conception, implantation, and formation of placenta of the body.
b. Embryonic Stage – The period from 3-8 weeks of pregnancy. The most
notable phenomena during this stage are the formation of vital organs
and bodily systems.
c. Fetal Stage – The period between 9 weeks to birth of pregnancy until
birth. This is the stage where bodily growth continues, movement
capability begins and brain cells multiply. Also known as the “Age of
Viability.”

2. INFANCY (Birth – 2 Years)

▪ The stage of infancy lasts from birth until 2 years. Learning begins during infancy
provided through environmental cues such as parents’ behavior. Some of the basic
skills mastered during this period are crying, nursing, coordination, and the ability
to present images and objects with words.
▪ The infant in this stage mainly seeks for the care and attention of their primary
caregiver and tends to cry once separated. This phenomenon is called attachment.

3. EARLY CHILDHOOD (3 – 5 Years)

▪ Foundation period of life and brain development at its peak. It is the period of rapid
physical, mental, emotional, social, and language development of a child. In this
stage, children are highly influenced by the environment and the people that
surround them. Gross motor skills (e.g. climbing, running, jumping) and fine
motor skills (e.g. drawing, writing, manipulating objects) are greatly learned and
experienced by children in this age.

4. MIDDLE AND LATE CHILDHOOD (6-12 years)

▪ Children in this period are pragmatists where they learn by doing activities.
Children are concerned about how things work, rather than with why they work or
how they work. Children under this stage have greater control over the movement
of their bodies, therefore mastering gross and fine motor skills.
▪ It is also a time when children develop foundational skills for building healthy social
relationships and learn roles that will prepare them for adolescence and adulthood.

5. ADOLESCENCE (13-18 Years)

▪ The transitional stage from childhood to adulthood. Physical and psychological
changes that occur in adolescence may start earlier, during the preteen years (9
years through 12 years).
 ▪ Adolescence can be a time of both disorientation and discovery.
▪ At Early Adolescence, obvious physical changes start to occur. Moreover,
teenagers start to develop their self-concept, make self-evaluation of their physical
acceptability, and learning to get along with their peers.
▪ Middle Adolescence changes an individual physical, emotional, mental, and
social aspects continuously. This stage is crucial because teenagers in this period
think abstractly but do not have enough ability to apply in the moment thus
guidance from experienced parents or individuals will surely help them in facing
conflicts or making decisions.
▪ During Late adolescence, teens are now considered young adults, and they now
have a stronger sense of their own identity and can identify their own value.

6. EARLY ADULTHOOD (19 – 29 Years)

▪ Early adults also called as young adults are at their prime years. This is the stage
where individuals become more independent and explore further different
possibilities in life. Moreover, young adults in this stage are focused on friendships,
romantic relationship, childbearing, and careers. However, serious conditions like
violent events, depression, and eating disorders can negatively impact young
adults.

7. MIDDLE ADULTHOOD (30 – 60 Years)

▪ Middle adults are eager to guide their children by giving advice and sharing their
experiences. Middle adults feel more obliged to do their roles in the society and
their own family and feel more competent to do these roles with their experience
and competence.
▪ This stage is also the start physical changes of an individual due to aging, which
includes appearance of gray hairs or hair loss, wrinkles, vision and hearing loss,
among others.

8. LATE ADULTHOOD (61 Years and above)

▪ Health and immune system decline at this age.
▪ Physical, psychological, and social changes occur.
▪ Senior individuals in this stage are more reflective of their past, they may even feel
fulfilled and satisfied or may have regrets and disappointments.
▪ With the issues and concerns on their health, issues in income and finances also
arise.
▪ Some individuals in this stage experience anxiety and depression.
DEVELOPMENTAL TASK FOR EACH STAGE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT
➢ The process of self-actualization and learning that combines an individual’s mental,
physical, social, emotional, and spiritual growth or development.
Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development
MUTLIPLE INTELLIGENCES
➢ The concept of multiple intelligences is a theory proposed by Harvard psychologist
Howard Gardner.

➢ Emotional intelligence is the combination of intrapersonal and interpersonal

intelligence.
➢ Emotional intelligence helps us build strong relationships, make good decisions,
and deal with difficult situations.
THE BRAIN
➢ The brain is the organ of the head that controls functions, movements, sensations,
and thoughts. It is responsible for the ability of a person to think and reason out.
➢ The three main parts of the brain are: Cerebrum, Cerebellum, and Brainstem.

Cerebrum
▪ The cerebrum (front of the brain) is composed of the right and left hemispheres,
which are joined by the corpus callosum. Functions of the cerebrum include:
- Initiation of movement - Judgment
- Coordination of movement - Reasoning
- Temperature - Problem solving
- Touch - Emotions
- Vision - Learning
- Hearing

Cerebellum
▪ The cerebellum (back of the brain) is located at the back of the head. Its function is to
coordinate voluntary muscle movements and to maintain posture, balance, and
equilibrium.

Brainstem
▪ The brainstem (middle of the brain) includes the midbrain, the pons, and the
medulla. Functions of this area include: movement of the eyes and mouth.
MENTAL HEALTH
➢ Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects
how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to
others, and make choices.
➢ It is a condition of being sound mentally and emotionally that is characterized by the
absence of mental illness.

PYSCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
➢ Psychological disorders are also called mental illnesses or mental health conditions.
➢ Mental disorders (or mental illnesses) are conditions that affect your thinking,
feeling, mood, and behavior. They may happen over a short period of time or come
and go. Some can be chronic (long-lasting). They can affect your ability to relate to
others and function each day.

What are some types of mental disorders?

There are many different types of mental disorders. Some common ones include:
▪ Anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and
phobias
▪ Depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders
▪ Eating disorders
▪ Personality disorders
▪ Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
▪ Psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia

What causes mental disorders?

There is no single cause for mental illness. A number of factors can contribute to risk for
mental illness, such as:
▪ Your genes and family history
▪ Your life experiences, such as stress or a history of abuse, especially if they happen in
childhood
▪ Biological factors such as chemical imbalances in the brain
▪ A traumatic brain injury (TBI)
▪ Prenatal (before birth) exposure to viruses, toxic chemicals, or other substances such
as alcohol and drugs.
▪ Use of alcohol or recreational drugs
▪ Having a serious medical condition like cancer
▪ Having few friends, and feeling lonely or isolated

EXAMPLES WITH DEFINITIONS

1. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
➢ A person with ADHD has differences in brain development and brain activity
that affect attention, the ability to sit still, and self-control. ADHD can affect a
 child at school, at home, and in friendships. Children with ADHD might be
inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive.

2. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

➢ Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder
that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.
Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the
type and severity of symptoms people experience.

3. Bipolar Disorder
➢ Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is
a mental illness that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, activity
levels, and concentration. These shifts can make it difficult to carry out day-to-
day tasks.
➢ People with bipolar experience both episodes of severe depression and episodes of
mania – overwhelming joy, excitement or happiness, huge energy, a reduced
need for sleep, and reduced inhibitions.

4. Anxiety
➢ Anxiety is what we feel when we are worried, tense or afraid – particularly about
things that are about to happen, or which we think could happen in the future.
Anxiety is a natural human response when we feel that we are under threat. It
can be experienced through our thoughts, feelings and physical sensations.

5. Panic Attack
➢ A panic attack is a brief episode of intense anxiety, which causes the physical
sensations of fear. These can include a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath,
dizziness, trembling and muscle tension. Panic attacks occur frequently and
unexpectedly and are often not related to any external threat.
➢ Panic attacks happen out of nowhere without obvious and immediate triggers.

6. Depression
➢ Depressive disorder (also known as depression) is a common mental disorder. It
involves a depressed mood, feeling of extreme sadness, loss of pleasure or interest
in activities for long periods of time.