MANAGING AND CARING FOR THE SELF

Self care- is probably something most of us give insufficient consideration to

Learning to be a Good Person- Learning strategies can take average learners and make them
extraordinary.

Our brain and learning- learning is a physical process in which new knowledge is represented by
new brain cell connections.

Cognitive neuroscience- is the study of mental brain processes and its underlying neural systems.

All learning has an emotional base- Neuroscientists believe that emotions are fundamental to
learning.

Metacognition- is "cognition about cognition", "thinking about thinking", "knowing about

knowing", becoming "aware of one's awareness" and higher-order thinking skills.
→refers to a level of thinking that involves active control over the process of thinking that is used
in learning situations.

There are generally two components of metacognition:

(1) knowledge about cognition
(2) regulation of cognition
Metamemory- defined as knowing about memory and mnemonic strategies, is an especially
important form of metacognition.
Demetriou's theory- (one of the neo-Piagetian theories of cognitive development)

Some types of metacognitive knowledge would include:

1. Content knowledge (declarative knowledge)- which understands one's own capabilities,
such as a student evaluating his/her own knowledge of a subject in a class.
2. Task knowledge (procedural knowledge)- which is how one perceives the difficulty of a task
which is the content, length, and the type of assignment.
3. Strategic knowledge (conditional knowledge)- which is one's own capability for using
strategies to learn information.

Metacognition is classified into three components:

1. Metacognitive knowledge- (also called metacognitive awareness) is what individuals know
about themselves and others as cognitive processors.
2. Metacognitive regulation- is the regulation of cognition and learning experiences through a
set of activities that help people control their learning.
3. Metacognitive experiences- are those experiences that have something to do with the current,
on-going cognitive endeavor.
Metacognition includes at least three different types of metacognitive awareness when
considering metacognitive knowledge
1. Declarative knowledge: refers to knowledge about oneself as a learner
2. Procedural knowledge: refers to knowledge about doing things. This type of knowledge is
displayed as heuristics and strategies.
3. Conditional knowledge: refers to knowing when and why to use declarative and procedural
knowledge.

Similar to metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive regulation or "regulation of cognition"

contains three skills that are essential.
1. Planning: refers to the appropriate selection of strategies and the correct allocation of
resources that affect task performance.
2. Monitoring: refers to one's awareness of comprehension and task performance
3. Evaluating: refers to appraising the final product of a task and the efficiency at which the task
was performed.
Goal setting- is fundamental to long-term success.

Four goals:
1. Serve a directive function- they direct attention and effort toward goal-relevant activities
and away from goal-irrelevant activities.
2. Energizing function- High goals lead to great effort than low goals.
3. Affect persistence- when participants are allowed to control the time they spend on a task,
hard goals prolong effort.
4. Affect action- indirectly by leading to the arousal, discovery and/or use of task-relevant
knowledge and strategies.
Self-efficacy- is an individual's belief in their innate ability to achieve goals. Albert Bandura
defines it as a personal judgment of "how well one can execute courses of action required
dealing with prospective situations".
Albert Bandura has defined self-efficacy as one's belief in one's ability to succeed in specific
situations or accomplish a task.

Sources of Efficacy Beliefs (Bandura)

1. Mastery Experiences- The first and foremost source of self-efficacy is through mastery
experiences.

2. Vicarious Experiences- the second source of self-efficacy comes from our observation of
people around us, especially people we consider as role models.

3. Verbal Persuasion self efficacy- Influential people in our lives such as parents, teachers,
managers or coaches can strengthen our beliefs that we have what it takes to succeed.
4. Emotional & Physiological States- The state you're in will influence how you judge your
self-efficacy.

Psychologist James Maddux has suggested a fifth route to self-efficacy through "imaginal
experiences", the art of visualizing yourself behaving effectively or successfully in a given
situation.

Mindset- is a simple idea discovered by world-renowned Stanford University psychologist

Carol Dweck. A mindset, according to Dweck, is a self-perception or "self-theory".

Goal setting- involves the development of an action plan designed to motivate and guide a
person or group toward a goal.

Locke and Latham's five Principles of effective Goal Setting

1. Clarity. A goal must be specific and clear.
2. Challenge. An easy or tedious goal is demotivating. But keep a realistic balance: don't expect
anyone on your team to spin straw into gold.
3. Commitment. Your employees have to understand and buy in to the goal from the outset.
4. Feedback. Provide regular feedback throughout the whole process. This helps to keep the goal
on track.
5. Task complexity. Think about realistic timescales, and break down the process into sub-goals
with regular reviews.

Taking Care of One's Health- With our busy lives, sometimes taking care of our body is the last
thing we pay attention to.

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional factor that
causes bodily or mental tension. Can cause or influence the course of many medical conditions
including psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Catecholamine hormones- such as adrenaline or noradrenaline, facilitate immediate physical

reactions associated with a preparation for violent muscular action.

Stressors- have a major influence upon mood, our sense of well-being, behavior, and health.

What are the signs of stress?

1. Emotional changes- When you are stressed you may experience many different feelings,
including anxiety, fear, anger, sadness, or frustration.
2. Behavioral changes- When you are stressed you may behave differently.
3. Bodily changes- When stressed, some people start to experience headaches, nausea and
indigestion.
Use these tips to prevent or reduce chronic stress.
1. Re-balance Work and Home- If you're spending too much time at the office, intentionally
put more dates in your calendar to enjoy time for fun, either alone or with others.
2. Build in Regular Exercise- Moving your body on a regular basis balances the nervous system
and increases blood circulation
3. Eat Well and Limit Alcohol and Stimulants- Alcohol, nicotine and caffeine may temporarily
relieve stress but have negative health impacts
4. Connect with Supportive People- Talking face to face with another person releases
hormones that reduce stress.
5. Carve out Hobby Time- Engage in activities that bring you pleasure and joy
6. Practice Meditation, Stress Reduction or Yoga- Relaxation techniques activate a state of
restfulness that counterbalances your body's fight-or-flight hormones.
7. Sleep Enough- If you get less than seven to eight hours of sleep, your body won't tolerate
stress as well as it could.
8. Bond with Your Pet- Clinical studies show that spending even a short time with a companion
animal can cut anxiety levels almost in half.
9. Take a Vacation- Getting away from it all can reset your stress tolerance by increasing your
mental and emotional outlook
10. See a Counselor, Coach or Therapist- If negative thoughts overwhelm your ability to make
positive changes

Filipino is so attached to home and heart that we even have a term namamahay, missing home.
Manghihilot- can be reivented so his or her skills with therapeutic massage
Self-care- is a very active and powerful choice to engage in the activities. Back in the 1980s, the
term "self-care" was coined by healthcare professionals to encourage patients and clients.

Components of Self- Care:

1. Physical Self-Care
2. Psychological Self-Care
3. Emotional Self-Care
4. Social Self-Care
5. Spiritual Self-Care

1. Physical Health
>Likely enjoy a longer and higher-quality life
>Reduce your risk of certain diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and coronary artery disease
>Boost your overall energy
>Enjoy better sleep
>Ease pain and stiffness in your body
>Reduce the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures later in life
2. Psychological Health
→According to the CDC, stress can be useful for short periods of time to help individuals achieve
important goals.

3. Emotional Health
→Psychological and emotional health overlap to some degree, but emotional health is about
more than just the absence of a mental health problem.

4. Interpersonal or Social Health

→As reported by the National Institutes of Health, many studies show that individuals with solid
social ties have far lower mortality rates than those with lower-quality relationships.

5. Spiritual Health
→Spirituality is not necessarily the practice of a religious faith, although the religious faithful
certainly practice spirituality.
Compassion- is wishing for that person to be free from suffering. Compassion is not the same as
empathy or altruism, though the concepts are related.

There are various forms of compassion and why they are so important. Paul Ekman (2010)
enumerates:
1. Familial Compassion- is the seed of compassion, planted through the caregiver-offspring bond.
2. Global Compassion- was exemplified by the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
3. Sentient Compassion- is when one extends feelings of compassion towards cockroaches,
toward any living being.
4. Heroic Compassion- is like altruism with a risk. It has two forms: Immediate Heroic
Compassion is when, without thought, one jumps onto the MRT tracks to rescue someone.
Considered Heroic Compassion isn't done impulsively; it is done with thought, and it can be
maintained for many years.