PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Dear student,

Welcome to this course, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, or PERDEV for short. This a very
interesting course, and can become the most personally rewarding for you, because the subject
matter is YOU!
As a new senior high school student, you have now entered a new educational level, as well as
a new psychological and social level, called the middle and late adolescence. You may feel that you are
no longer the rapidly growing and awkward teenager, but you also feel you are not quite ready to call
yourself a mature adult either.
This course shall make you take a deeper look at yourself and analyze your tasks that you must
undertake at this point in your life. It shall provide you with some techniques to meet stress and other
mental health issues with one’s strengths and coping powers. The course shall give you the chance to
analyze your relationships with your family, friends, and significant others. Finally, the PERDEV course
shall help you take stock of where you are in your career development and how to get to where you
want to be.

YOU are expected of the following:

A. Identity development
✓ Explores own identity and culture (e.g., gender, sexual orientation, racial/ethnic background,
socioeconomic status)
✓ Integrates multiple aspects of personal identity into a coherent whole
✓ Can articulate how personal identities relate to larger social constructs

B. Positive Sense of Self

✓ Explores and articulates the values and principles involved in personal decision-making
✓ Incorporates ethical reasoning into action
✓ Develops and articulates a personal belief system while exploring issues of purpose, meaning, and
faith
✓ Develops a personal code of ethics
✓ Accepts personal accountability

C. Ethics and Integrity

✓ Assesses, articulates, and acknowledges personal skills,
abilities, and growth areas
✓ Demonstrates adaptability, persistence, dependability, and
resilience
✓ Seeks and considers feedback from others
✓ Employs self-reflection to gain insight
✓ Acts independently, without supervision
✓ Demonstrates emotional intelligence

COURSE CONTENT:
There are 4 units in PERDEV, as follows:
Unit 1- Self-Development
Unit 2- Aspects of Personal Development
Unit 3- Building and Maintaining Relationships
Unit 4- Career Development

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Module 1

Unit 1: SELF-DEVELOPMENT……………………………………………….... Page 4

Topic 1: Knowing Oneself…………………………………………….. Page 6
Topic 2: Developing the Whole Person…………………………….. Page 9
Topic 3: Developmental Tasks…………….……………………….... Page 13
Topic 4: Challenges of Late Adolescence……………………….... Page 15
References……………………………………………………………………….. Page 20

Module 2

Unit 2: ASPECTS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT……………………….. Page 22

Topic 5: Mental Health and Well-Being
in Middle and Late Adolescence………………………….. Page 23
Topic 6: Coping with Stress in Middle and Late
Adolescence…………………………………………………. Page 25
References………………………………………………………………………... Page 32

Module 3

Topic 7: Powers of the Mind…………………………………………… Page 33

Topic 8: Emotional Intelligence……………………………………….. Page 36
References………………………………………………………………………. Page 40

Module 4

Unit 3: Building and Maintaining Relationships…………………………….. Page 43

Topic 9: Personal Relationships and Family Legacies……………. Page 44
References………………………………………………………………… Page 59

Module 5

Topic 10: Social Relationships in Middle and Late Adolescence… Page 61

References…………………………………………………………………… Page 71

Module 6

Unit 4: Career Development………………………………………………… Page 72

Topic 11: Persons and Career Pathway……………………………..... Page 73
References…………………………………………………………………… Page 83

Summative Assessments………………………………………………………………… Page 85

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At the end of the module, you should be able to:

• Discuss an understanding of mental health and

psychological well-being to identify ways to cope
with stress during adolescence
• Identify causes and effects of stress in one’s life
• Demonstrate personal ways to cope up with stress
and maintain mental health
• Discuss that understanding the different parts of the
brain, processes and functions may help in
improving thoughts, behavior and feelings.
• Explore many ways on how to improve brain
functions for personal development
• Develop a personal plan to enhance brain functions
• Discuss that understanding the intensity and
differentiation of emotions may help in
communicating emotional expressions
• Explore one’s positive and negative emotions and
how one expresses or hides them
• Demonstrate and create ways to manage various
emotions

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“Creating a Healthy Mindset is an investment in your

overall being.”

TOPIC 5

Mental Health and

Well-Being in Middle
and Late Adolescence

SIGNS OF TROUBLE

Put A check mark under the Column Yes or No for each of the items below:

Test Your Mood Yes No

Do you feel sad, depressed or down most of the time?
Are you unable to enjoy the things that once gave you pleasure?
Do you feel tired and/or lack of energy most of the time?
Do you have trouble sleeping or do you sleep too much?
Do you find it difficult to concentrate or make decisions?
Have you had an increase or decrease in appetite or weight?
Have you had feelings of worthlessness or guilt?
Have you felt frightened or panicky for no apparent reason at all?
Have you felt restlessness and found it difficult to sit still?
Have you felt restlessness and found it difficult to sit still?
Have you been feeling anxious or worried?
Have you felt like you just cannot go on or had thoughts of death or dying?

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING?

At the most basic level, psychological wellbeing (PWB) is quite similar to other
terms that refer to positive mental states, such as happiness or satisfaction. It is
used to describe an individual’s emotional health and overall functioning. The author of a study
published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being describes psychological well-being as the “the
combination of feeling good and functioning effectively.”

Researchers also have found that the absence of distress does not necessarily indicate a
person has high psychological well-being. High psychological well-being is about feeling happy and
doing well. People with high psychological well-being report feeling capable, happy, well-supported,
and satisfied with life.

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Why It Matters

Studies have discovered that people with higher psychological well-being are more likely to
live healthier and longer lives. They are also more likely to enjoy a better quality of life. Better
psychological well-being also is associated with fewer social
problems.

For instance, research has found that people with high

psychological well-being are less likely to engage in criminal
activity or abuse drugs and alcohol. In addition, positive
psychological well-being tends to predict higher earnings
and more prosocial behavior, such as volunteering.

Psychological well-being is a key part of feeling happy

and being able to function day-to-day. It is easier than you
may think to develop healthy habits that can foster your
emotional health. Start small and try practicing one or two
strategies to maximize your psychological well-being, such as writing down a few of your strengths or
happy memories. Over time, you will see the effects that these practices have on your positivity and
overall mental health.

WHAT IS 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.
Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood,
and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

• Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
• Family history of mental health problems

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health. It’s the way your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
affect your life. Good mental health leads to positive self-image and in-
turn, satisfying relationships with friends and others. Having good mental
health helps you make good decisions and deal with life’s challenges at
home, work, or school.
It is not uncommon for teenagers to develop problems with their
mental health. Problems can range from mild to severe, and can include
depression, anxiety, body esteem issues, and suicide, among others.
Unfortunately, most young people with mental health problems
don’t get any treatment for them.

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Research shows that effective treatments are available that can help members of all racial,
ethnic, and cultural groups.
If you broke your leg or came down with pneumonia, you wouldn’t let it go untreated. Often
however, young people ignore mental health problems thinking they will “snap out of it,” or that they
are something to be ashamed of. That kind of thinking prevents people from getting the help they
need. Sometimes getting help is a matter of understanding mental health issues and changing your
mind about them.
TOPIC 6

Coping with Stress

in Middle and Late
Adolescence

UNDERSTANDING THE DYNAMICS OF STRESS

Try to recall a moment in your life when everything seemed to stress you out. How about the
time when you were relaxed and there seemed to be no pressure around you? Which of the two is
easier to recall? At present, is your life dominated by stress-free moments or stressful events?

Do not fret if you realize that you are living a stress-filled life. Stress is not just a concern for
adults but for young people, too. Adolescence has been considered, almost by definition, a period of
heightened stress (Spear, 2000) due to the many changes experienced concomitantly, including
physical maturation, drive for independence, increased salience of social and peer interactions, and
brain development. (Blakemore, 2008).

What is Stress?

Stress is the body’s reaction to a challenge, which could be anything from outright physical
danger to asking someone for a date or trying out for
a sports team. According to Bloom (1998), stressful
events are those external events that make adaptive
demands on a person. These events place physical and
emotional pressure on us. They demand and mobilize
the body’s defenses. It is a many-faceted process that
occurs in reaction to events or situations in our
environments called stressors.

Stressors

In simple terms, the Merriam-Webster

dictionary defined stressor as something that makes
you worried or anxious or a source of stress. Normally,
you think of stress as stemming from negative events
in our lives, positive events such as getting married or
receiving an unexpected job promotion can also
produce stress (Brown & McGill, 1989).

Causes and Effects of Stress

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Just as there is great variety in the range of emotions you might experience, there are many
possible manifestations of stress – in your private life and in your working life. Here are some words
that describe the emotions associated (as cause and effect) with stress.

• Anxiety
• Pressure
• Misery
• Strain
• Desperation
• Tension
• Anger
• Panic
• Rejection

Prolonged stress can be devastating; burnout, breakdown, and depression are some of the
potential results of long-term, unmanaged stress. By wearing a mask, you may expect to hide stress
caused by problems in your personal life and not let them influence your performance on the job. This
will probably not work. The more you try to hold your emotions in, the greater the pressure build-up
will be.

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

Everyday frustrations cause stress build-up

From the time you wake up until you go to sleep, you may be confronted with a succession of
stressful situations. Managing to get yourself (and possibly a spouse and children) out of bed and
ready to face the day can be a challenge to your patience and ingenuity. Driving to school or work can
be harrowing – especially if you’re running late. You may experience frustration in arranging to get the
car repaired. You may face conflicts in school or at work, such as coping with unrealistic deadlines,
equipment failures, or unexpected bad weather. If part of your job is selling, you may experience
feelings of rejection when most of your customers say “no.”

A series of stressful and frustrating experiences throughout the day can cause you to lie awake
at night in an emotional turmoil – unable to get needed
rest. You face the next day with less emotional and
physical stamina. After another stressful day and another
night without rest, you may have even less emotional
strength and stability. Therefore, stress build-up, if not
resolved, continues day after day.

Problems in our personal life can be devastating

Surviving the normal, everyday stress described

above can be difficult. But far more serious and painful
circumstances can create long-term stress. More serious
stressful circumstances may include separation from
loved ones, personal illness, or illness of a loved one,

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death of someone you care about, or conflict with a spouse or close friend. Other major causes of
stress are problems with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, care of children and elderly
relatives, chronic mental illness, injury, physical handicaps, even moving to a new home, if you’ve lived
in the same place for more than 10 years. The list goes on and on. Managing your personal finances
can be another stressful experience. This can be a problem no matter what your income level, but it is
especially difficult if you must support a family and do not earn enough to live comfortably. Unpaid
bills, unwise use of credit, and budget limitations can make life difficult.

A common cause of stress is dealing with life’s transitions

This is especially true when a person must cope with too many transitions all at once. For
example, Ellen has just completed a program in fashion merchandising. She is eager to get started on
her new job. Her mother is ill and requires care. Her father died a few months ago. Ellen’s new job
requires that she relocate to a town 100 miles from home. The move, a new career, and a change in
family relationships may cause excessive stress for her. Too many changes have arrived at the same
time.

WHAT CAUSES YOU TO “LOSE YOUR COOL”?

We all have certain things, situations, or people that cause us to lose our composure from
time to time. Determine what causes YOU to “lose your cool” by completing this activity. When you
begin to identify your stressors, you can become skilled at preventing negative consequences. Place
an X next to each factor that causes you stress. There are blank spaces provided so you can add your
own.
______ being late ______ too much homework
______ speaking in public ______ babysitting
______ going to the dentist ______ arguments with friends
______ restrictions at home ______ chores
______ lack of sleep ______ no date for a dance
______ pimples ______ physical education class
______ math class ______ English class
______ other class ______ boredom
______ rude people ______ no money
______ no transportation ______ playing on a sports team
______ not being included in a sports team ______ losing something valuable
______ parents fighting ______ getting detention
______ your job ______ taking tests
______ video games ______ using a computer
______ closed-in spaces ______ commercials
______ interruptions while busy ______ getting an injection
______ arguments with parents ______ fight with boyfriend/girlfriend
______ losing ______ careless drivers
______ slow drivers ______ loud people
______ baby crying ______ disrespectful children
______ a friend betrays you

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STRESS SIGNALS
Take a look at the warning signs of stress listed below. Write down in your Journal all of the warning
signs that apply to you.
Physical Emotional Behavioral
______ headaches ______ mood changes ______ smoking
______ stomach aches ______ lack of concentration ______ nail biting
______ dizziness ______ nightmares ______ tapping
______ back pain ______ panic attacks ______ pulling hair
______ neck stiffness ______ anxiety ______ grinding hair
______ ulcer sores on mouth ______ anger ______ use of alcohol
______ jaw pains ______ irritability ______ use of medication
______ weight loss ______ crying ______ compulsive dieting
______ weight gain ______ thoughts of suicide ______ hair chewing
______ twitches (eyelids, face) ______ depression ______ nervous laughter
______ weakness ______ confusion ______ pacing
______ nausea ______ feelings of helplessness ______ lateness
______ indigestion ______ restlessness ______ putting things off
______ excessive sleeping ______ racing thoughts ______ not caring about
______ overeating ______ aggressiveness physical
______ loss of appetite Appearance
______ inability to sleep ______ compulsive overeating
______ skin problems
______ constant fatigue
______ cold hands or feet
______ excessive sweating
______ chest pain
______ high blood pressure
______ rapid or difficult
Breathing

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STRESS RESPONSE

Your stress response is the

collection of physiological changes that occur when you face a
perceived threat—when you face situations where you feel the
demands outweigh your resources to successfully cope. These
situations are known as stressors.
When your stress response is triggered, a series of changes
occur within your body. They include:
• Redirection of blood away from extremities
and instead to major organs
• The release of cortisol and other hormones,
which bring other short- and long-term
changes.
• The stress response is intended to give you a burst of
energy so you’re able to fight off attackers or run away
from them effectively.
This helped our ancestors, who faced numerous physical
threats, to stay safe. However, now our threats tend to be less
physical and more associated with our way of life—a challenge to our status, a demand for
performance, etc. In addition to giving us a set of changes that may not match our needs as well (it
might be more effective for us to have a burst of mental clarity or wisdom than a burst of physical
strength, for example), the stress response can actually cause harm if it leads to a state of chronic
stress—that is, if our stress response is triggered, and then our body doesn’t go back to its normal
state via the relaxation response.

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

Understand the Causes of Stress

Understanding why you are under stress is important. This may seem obvious, but it requires
deliberate, conscious effort to pause and simply ponder your situation. By now, you are familiar with
the stress response, the emotional or physical symptoms of uncontrolled stress. Now you need to try
to discover the stressors, the factors of which create the stress in your life.

How does Stress affect your Health?

The link between stress and personal health, according to medical experts, is very strong
(Kiecot-Glaser & Glaser, 1992).

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The precise mechanism involved remain to be determined, but growing evidence suggest
that the process goes something like this: By draining
our resources and keeping us off balance
physiologically, stress upsets our complex internal
chemistry. In particular, it may interfere with our
immune system. Unfortunately, prolonged exposure to
stress seems to disrupt this system. Additional research
on the effect of stress on animals and humans suggest
that a variety of stressors, including disruptions in
interpersonal relationships, loneliness, academic
pressure, daily hassles, and the lack of social support,
can interfere with our immune system (Cohen et al,.
1992).

Deal with the Stressors

Develop techniques to deal with the causes of

stress. The longer you avoid dealing with the stress
factors, the more the stress will build up. If tension
comes because you have put off an unfinished task,
restructure your priorities so you can get the task that
you have been avoiding out of the way and off your
mind.

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Learn to Work under Pressure or Unusual Conditions

When you can’t reduce the stressors, you need to manage your
stress response. Almost everyone, at least at some point, has to
meet deadlines, keep several jobs going at once, resolve problems
that come up, and do extra work when necessary. However, when
the pressure mounts, you can relieve it. Relaxation is key—but
most people must train themselves to relax when the pressure is
on. Some tips to relax when under pressure are the following:

• Stop for a moment (especially when you feel your muscles

tightening up) and take a few deep breaths.
• Do a relaxing exercise. Swing your hands at your sides and
stretch.
• Take a “power nap.” Lie down and totally relax for a few
minutes.
• Find time to do the things you enjoy.
• Leave your study area for a while to take a brisk walk.
• Find a quiet place to read a magazine or novel during break or
at lunch.
• If possible, look at some peaceful images such as forests,
beaches, etc. These images can initiate a relax
• Look up
• Keep something humorous on hand, such as a book of jokes

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

HEALTHY EATING AND MENTAL HEALTH

Healthy eating nourishes the body, including the brain, and supports mental health through:
• Improved overall health and vitality
• Increased ability to concentrate
• Reduced irritability and mood swings
• Lowered risk of mental illness
There is some evidence that healthy eating may be a factor in lowered risk of depression and
improved ability to deal with stress and anxiety (Healthy U Alberta, 2009).

Physical Activity and Mental Health:

Physical activity can make you feel good physically and build confidence. Evidence suggests
that physical activity may contribute to improved mood and increased self-esteem, self-confidence
and sense of control (UK Dept of Health, 2004; Fox, 1999).
Some types of physical activity may provide an opportunity to connect with others and
develop supportive relationships. Getting physically active may (CSEP, 2011):
• Make you feel better physically and feel better about yourself.
• Improve your mood.
• Improve self-esteem

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• Reduce physical reactions to stress.

• Help you sleep better.
• Give you more energy.
Physical activity may be effective in preventing or reducing symptoms associated with anxiety
and depression. How physical activity improves mood and relieves anxiety is not yet clear. Some
theories propose that physical activity (UK Dept. of Health, 2004; Fox, 1999):
• Increases body temperature, thus relaxing muscle tension.
• Releases feel-good chemicals that improve mood.
• Offers a “time-out” from worries and depressing thoughts.
• Increases self-confidence, feeling of competence and a sense of mastery.
• Provides a sense of belonging and mutual support when participating with others.

Sleep and Mental Health

Most teens need 9-11 hours of sleep every night. Problems from not being fully rested include:

• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating and learning
• Don’t move information from short-term to long-term memory as well
• Falling asleep in class
• Mood swings and behavior problems
• More accident prone
• More prone to depression

Suggestions for getting a good night sleep:

• Stay away from stimulants like caffeine in the evening, including chocolate, colas, and
other caffeinated beverages. These delay sleep and increase night waking.
• Do not go to bed hungry, have a light snack.
• Turn off any TV’s, computes, or cellphones,
or just do not have electronics in the
bedroom.
• Disengage from any stimulating activities
like exercise, computer games or talking
on the phone for at least 30 minutes’ prior
to bedtime. Reading is much more
relaxing and may help you fall asleep.
• Taking a warm bath or shower helps
prepare the body for sleep.
• If you are not feeling rested and functioning
at your best most days, talk to your
parents. You may need to speak to a doctor if
you are having problems sleeping in spite of
trying the above tips.
• Try a cup of hot milk

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Summative Assessments

See page 92 for your First Grading Written Works and Performance Tasks. Good luck! ☺

REFERENCES

Morin, Amy (2020). How to Improve Your Psychological Well-Being. Retrieved from
https://www.verywellmind.com/improve-psychological-well-being-4177330

80 Inspirational Mental Health Quotes, Sayings and Images. Retrieved from March 16, 2019, from
https://www.therandomvibez.com/mental-health-inspirational-quotes/.

Top 100 Encouraging Quotes And Words of Encouragement. (n.d.). Quote Ambition. Retrieved July 11, 2020, from
https://www.quoteambition.com/best-encouraging-quotes-words-encouragement/

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/61/54/88/615488a7d95858e94b5cdc9ad768cc29.jpg

Wilson, James (2020). How Stress affects the Body. Retrieved from https://adrenalfatigue.org/stress-and-your-
health/got-stress/stress-affects-body/.

Retrieved from https://www.mentalhealthtips.xyz/mental-health-activities-important-safety-information/ (2016).

Retrieved from https://www.alamy.com/conceptual-hand-writing-showing-mental-health-concept-meaning-

demonstratings-condition-regard-to-their-psychological-well-being-figure-of-people-talk-image244058127.html
(2020).

Retrieved from https://www.dreamstime.com/illustration/psychological-wellbeing.html (2020).

Hammad, Adwaa (2016). Tackling the Mental Health Taboo: Part 3. Retrieved from
https://missmuslim.nyc/tackling-the-mental-health-taboo-part-3/

Schmarzo, Max (2017). Physical and Psychological Stressors (The Autonomic Nervous System). Retrieved from
http://strongbyscience.net/2017/09/28/physical-physiological-stressors-autonomic-nervous-system/

L Ann Masters. (2011). Personal development for life and work. South-Western Cengage Learning.

Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing. (2016). Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing.
http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu

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