Professional Documents
Culture Documents
THE 2020
ONLINE AND
SELF-GUIDED
PFA MODULES
Supplemental to the
SEES Manual
2020 Supplemental Self-Guided SEES Modules 1 - 4
Module I on PFA: Validating and Normalizing Feelings
Introduction
How are you feeling today? You are now on page 1 of a set of pages that will contain modules
to help you talk about your experiences during the months of lockdown due to the pandemic or
maybe due to another disaster. I am sure you are eager to participate because there are many
things to talk about. There will be a total of 4 modules for you to answer in order to complete
this task.
You will be doing a lot of activities, and you will also learn from the readings and infographics
provided in this booklet. The aim of these activities is to help you feel better as you are
provided with ways to react to all the disruptions caused by the pandemic or the disaster. After
you are done answering all the 4 modules, you will need to submit these back to me so that I
can give you feedback on your answers. Let’s begin.
Using the lines on the next page, write to a friend about the following:
During the months of lockdown, what were the 5 routines or reactions you did at home? An
example would be; “I slept most of the time.” Or, “I watch television/GMA7/AbsCbn.” Others
may say,” Nothing. I help in the household chores.” Number them from 1-5, and write them
down on the front part of your letter.
On the back page of your letter, write to your friend about your feelings towards your
reactions or routines. An example of feeling would be; “I felt bored.” Or, “I felt afraid.” Others
may say, “I experienced anxiety.” You can repeat your feelings, but, you may not repeat the
routines or reactions. You can explain why you felt that way or why you reacted that way. You
do not need to write a long letter. A short one will do.
2
The 2020 O/SG PFA Modules Supplemental to the SEES
Manual
During the 6th months of lockdown, I was very worried on what’s happening in our Earth.
I can say that in this lockdown I have many routines in home and many different kinds of
reactions. My routines in home is watching television, take care of my siblings, And my different
kinds of reaction is worried, disappointed, bored, lonely but most of this is sad because I see many
people suffering in this pandemic because they don’t have no work to make a money and provide
their daily needs. But I know this is just a trial in our life and I know that God have a Good plan for
us.
Once you are finished writing, I would like you to read the information entitled Common
Reactions of Students to Stressful Events. Compare your feelings to the feelings written inside
the box. Are there commonalities? Were there feelings that you also felt but that you were not
able to mention in your letter?
Common Reactions of Students to Stressful Events
I want you to know that all your feelings, all your reactions for the past days are valid. To
validate is to affirm that these feeling/s are happening. I want you to say to yourself, “ it is okay
that I felt this way. It is okay to not be okay’. I want you to know that all your emotions are real
and true. And that all of those, they are normal feelings. They are normal because other
people may also share the same feeling/s but the intensity of feelings is uniquely yours. Tell
yourself, “all these are normal feelings. Normal lang ang pakiramdam ko”.
Analysis
What are the common feeling/s to the usual routines of your everyday life? What are your
shared human experiences of Covid-19 or of the disaster that hit your town? Are they similar?
Are they dissimilar? Now that you have recognized your common humanity, you feel a sigh of
relief from knowing that you were not alone. You can empathize with each other. You accept
each other. These are all normal feelings to stressful situations..If you wish, you can take a
photo of the letter and share it with your friend. I hope this empowers you to go on living.
Please read the handout entitled: When Terrible Things Happen. I am certain it will help you
learn more about how you can help yourself.
Module I Handout: When Terrible Things Happen
ImmediateReactions
Thereareawidevarietyofpositiveandnegativereactionsthatstudentscanexperienceduringandimmediately
aftercrisissituations.TheseInclude:
Domain Negative Responses Positve Responses
Physicalarousalreactions
• Constantly being “on the lookout” for danger, startling easily, or being jumpy
• Irritability or outbursts of anger, feeling “on edge”
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep, problems concentrating or paying attention
Reactionstotraumaandlossreminders
• Reactions to places, people, sights, sounds, smells, and feelings that are reminders of the disaster
• Reminders can bring on distressing mental images, thoughts, and emotional/physical reactions
• Common examples include: sudden loud noises, sirens, locations where the disaster occurred,
seeing people with disabilities, funerals, anniversaries of the disaster, and television/radio news
about the disaster
• Enhanced appreciation that family and friends are precious and important
• Meeting the challenge of addressing difficulties (by taking positive action steps, changing the focus of
thoughts, using humor, acceptance)
• Shifting expectations about what to expect from day to day and about what is considered a
“good day”
• Shifting priorities to focus more on quality time with family or friends
• Increased commitment to self, family, friends, and spiritual/religious faith
Now that you knew that what you were feeling or how you were reacting was similar to
the one on the list, how do you feel now about yourself? Always remember that your
reactions to the stressful situation are normal at the moment or until about three
months. Most young people will react in the same manner. You are not being crazy
when you have those feelings. Also, the next time you feel that way, try to take ten deep
breaths. Slowly. And then try to do letter writing and send the letter to your close
friends. This will help you calm down. Can we try to do that together? Count 1-10 as you
breathe in and out.
If you have an emotion that is making you feel uneasy, try following these steps
> Stop for a minute, take a deep breath and connect with yourself. ...
> Identify your emotion. …
>Accept and embrace your emotion, give yourself permission to feel it and express it. ...
> Express it in a healthy way
APPLICATION
Today you learned that our reactions to the stressful events of Pandemic or any other
form of disaster were normal and valid. How does this new learning that my reactions
and feelings toward Covid-19/disaster were normal after all help me?
Acknowledging that we have no control over this pandemic at all is necessary and enabling
because our acceptance in this terrible situation makes all our reactions and feelings valid
and normal.
For the past months that we have been battling this crisis, nobody told us that being frightful
of this situation is okay. We are always directed of what to do such as staying at home and
avoiding our usual normal, but no one said that we will be okay even in this pandemic. Thus,
whatever we are feeling because of this pandemic are all valid or acceptable.
Acknowledging what we can’t enables us to identify what we can, and helps us to move
forward even if the situation is uncertain and frightening.
How can you apply this learning to your life especially after experiencing such a pandemic?
Nothing is permanent in our life. Investment, income, business they may go down in just a
moment. The most important thing for us being human is our relationship with others.
Despite all the problems, human relation should be at highest priority. Our family, friends,
brothers and sisters etc. All of them should be cherish and not your money. They are the
one who gonna stay for us and would not leave us.
None of us is ready to face COVID-19 pandemic but we have the option to embrace this
challenge, move forward and do something about it. Our normal life in which we want to
spend our time anywhere is no longer available for us. There are a lot of consideration in
going outside.
Closure
Read your letter again. Compare how you feel now that you know that those feelings were
normal and valid? Say to yourself: my feelings are valid. My reactions are normal. My feelings
and reactions are valid and normal.
I felt hopefullnes because my goal is to reduce anxiety or increase gratitude and be calm in
stressful times.
Module II on PFA: Calming Down and Managing one’s Emotions and Thoughts
Introduction
So far, we have discussed your routines and feelings during the past few months of pandemic.
Today, we shall focus on how to manage your feelings.
Remember when I asked you to identify your feelings and reactions to Covid-19/disaster? Can
you recall what those feelings were? Now. I want you to consider some ways to help you
manage your feelings of stress and anxiety
I want you to stay outdoors and play, “Catch the Ball” with your sibling or friend. If it is not
possible for you to do this with someone, you can also just throw the ball towards a wall then
catch it. After throwing and catching the ball for a while, think, “what am I catching”?
Imagine that what you are catching are feelings. Those were some of the feelings you caught
during the lockdown/pandemic/disaster. They are feelings of fear, boredom, anxiety, etc. Stop
playing for a moment. You accepted the ball. Hold it. Look at it. Accept the feeling. Say to
yourself, “Yes, I was feeling afraid.” Or “Yes, I was feeling anxious.”
Catching your Feelings It is always good to catch what you are feeling. It is a normal and
valid feeling. It’s okay to Not feel okay. But they are real and true only as the not-so-normal
situation that triggers it.
It is ok to not feel okay, in a not-so-ok-situation like the pandemic or any disaster. Now, I want
to invite you to do some diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe in (Inhalation of Air). A very slight
pause before you exhale. Breathe out (exhalation of air). Breathe in (inhalation of Air). A very
slight pause before you inhale. Breathe out (exhalation of air). Release all the feelings.
Check your Feelings Were those feelings helpful to me? You will probably answer with both
a yes and a no. That means that some of your feelings were helpful but others were not. For
instance, if you keep feeling fearful, do you need to stay in fear for long? How helpful is fear to
you? How accurate or appropriate is the feeling of anxiety, now? How helpful is it to always be
worrying about things? While thinking about this, Breathe in and Breathe out (5x).
Change that Feeling In this part, I want you to think of something else to help you feel
better. This means that you can replace that feeling. Some feelings are productive and useful
while some may be unproductive and useless. It is because they are no longer appropriate to
the situation. You have the power to change your feelings by actually changing your thoughts
about the feeling. This process is called REFRAMING.. Where is the feeling coming from? Or,
you can ask, “Where is the ball coming from?” Why did it hit you? How do you manage your
feelings? You can manage it by changing the name of the ball into feelings of gratefulness,
understanding, happiness, and contentment. Breathe in. Breathe out (5x)
Alternative Activities
You can also do other breathing exercises, yoga poses, tai-chi with humor injected into it,
engaging in sports but in a non-competitive manner, or dance moves using both slow and fast
beats.
ANALYSIS
What do you feel? What do you think was the point of Catching, Checking and Changing
your feelings?
It will help you to have a better relationship with yourself. You'll be able to know
yourself better. And it will help you grow as a person.
What was the reason why you had to reframe your thoughts?
Bad moods are unpleasant, they can reduce the quality of your performance, and they
undermine your relationships with others. Cognitive restructuring helps you to change the
negative or distorted thinking that often lies behind these moods. As such, it helps you
approach situations in a more positive frame of mind.
ABSTRACTION
Can you compare how you feel right now with how you felt before we started with the
activity? Do you see some changes? Are the feelings positive? What are these new
changes in the way you feel at the moment?
Use the columns below labeled with the words “Before” on one side and “After” on the
other side. Under the word Before, write your feelings during the pandemic/disaster.
Under the word After, write your feelings at this very moment, after going through the
Catch, Check and Change Exercise.
BEFORE (my feelings during the AFTER (my feelings right now)
pandemic/disaster)
NERVOUS STRONG
GIVE UP POSITIVE
APPLICATION
How can you apply your newfound knowledge to your daily life? After going through
the activity, I learned that the feelings that I CAUGHT could be…
To apply a new knowlege in life, is going to big challenges like the activity you got through.
The feelings you got from there is sometimes good or sometimes bad or sometimes Neutral.
After a while, I checked the feeling and realized I could apply this in the future and share
it with my friends or my family.
Such as love, blessed, peace and happy everyday. Because if you have that feelings it
means your daily life will have a satisfactory and have peace of mind. Live your life with Jesus in
your heart and mind.
Tell yourself: The next time when I experience intense feelings, I would take a deep breath 5X
to calm down, and then check, change the feelings by reframing my thoughts.
CLOSURE
As a way to close the session, repeat this line to yourself: “Emotions can be caught (like in a
ball), checked (on helpfulness or usefulness and accuracy) and changed.”
Module III on PFA: IDENTIFYING and ADDRESSING NEEDS
Materials: pen
DSWD office
Hospital
Psychologist or Social
Worker
Your School .
in your home where it would be visible to all members of your household. The list contains
numbers, names, and addresses of certain government and non-governmental offices that we
may all approach in order to have our family’s needs addressed. You can add other
emergency contact information to this list.
Let us now discuss the list of common needs of people after they have experienced a disaster:
General Tofindmissingfamilymembers,toprovidemedicalassistancetothosewho
werehurt,togainaccesstolistofcasualties,toknowhowmanywere
affected,toprovideproperburialfacilitiesforthosewhohavepassedon
FoodandWater Toprovidewaterlinetohomes,togainaccesstosourceofwaterformultiple
purposes,foodforxnumberofdays
FamilyGoods Blankets,clothes,beddings,tarp,flashlight,storageboxes,underwater,
dignitykits,disinfectants/alcohol
Fuel Forvehicle,gasforcooking,forkerosenelamps
Shelter Temporaryshelter,buildingmaterialstobeusedforrepairs
Would this list be complete? What do you think are the needs that are missing? Let us talk
about the needs of people during a pandemic. Look at the table below to find out how best to
access these needs:
Now look at the Needs Form below. On the first column, list down all the members of the family
whom you live with. On the second column, identify the immediate needs of this person that your
family cannot address as of this moment. On the third column, identify where you can refer this
person to or who you can approach in order to ask for help regarding the needs of this person. If you
do not know anyone who can help that person, just leave it blank first.
Needs Form
Congratulations on being able to identify where you can refer your loved ones to in order to get help. It
is not easy to be able to do this so if you were able to do so, then you did a great job!
Can we talk about what you think your own needs are? Who can you approach in order to address your
own needs?
ANALYSIS
Why do you think it is important for all of you to learn about whom you can go to for your own needs
and the needs of your family?
Why do you think it is important for you to learn about whom you can go to for your own needs and the
needs of your family?
I would like to commend you for knowing whom you can approach in times of need. I am happy to know
that they too have a good support system in you. It’s good to know that they can depend on you.
ABSTRACTION
Think about news reports that showed how at times, even these linkages could not do their
responsibilities efficiently. Why do you think these groups had a hard time? Can you also recall some
great or good stories about how other groups were able to help you very well?
Module IV on PFA- SOURCES OF STRENGTHS
Rationale
The aim of this module is to encourage you to revisit your strengths in order to support your self-
efficacy to deal with their situation. In order to encourage a hopeful outlook, the module serves to
reinforce sources of support and internal and external resources.
Introduction
Hi! During the first day, we discussed validating and normalizing our feelings. Last Tuesday, we talked
about how to calm down and manage our feelings. Yesterday, we talked about our needs and how to
address them. How are you today? You just have one last module to do before you reach the end of
these PFA sessions. Today, we will focus on your sources of strength. This is our way of reminding that
you have resources within yourself or with others that have allowed you to begin to face the new
normal-your process of recovery.
One the next page is a drawing of a kite or what we call a saranggola. Another name for it is, Guriyon or
Bulador. Among the Cebuanos, it is called Banog-Banog. Can you tell me what makes it go up in the
air? You are right, it needs the wind to go up in the air. What can make it strong enough to not break by
air? It needs good needs a strong brace. It needs good material. It needs a line or a long string. The
paper must be properly glued. And it needs a strong brace.
Just like a kite, you too have what it takes to fly. On each part of the kite’s diamond, Kindly write down
what you think are your sources of strength. What makes you strong despite what you have gone
through during the past few months of pandemic? An example would be, “ang pagiging matatag, buo
ang loob, masayahin, at may tiwala sa sarili.”
Can you also identify what or who acts like the wind for you? Who provides you with support? Who or
what helps you soar? On the areas outside the kite, write down the names of these people or things that
act like the wind for you.
Take time to color your drawing. Below it, write a brief explanation about your sources of strength and
the people and things who act like the wind to help you fly or soar.
ANALYSIS
What have you realized about yourself after drawing the kite?
ABSTRACTION
How are you similar to the kite? What are your strengths as a person?
APPLICATION
The next time you feel weak, imagine your saranggola in order to remind yourself that you have a
number of sources of strength? Finally, can you write a poem with one stanza and 4 lines (isang
saknong na may 4 na linya o taludtod ng tula) about your sources of strengths?
CLOSING
Facing the mirror, read and recite out loud the poem you have written about your sources of strength.