Module No.

and Module Number 3:

Title SELF-MANAGEMENT
Lesson No. and Lesson Number 1:
Title Stress and the Human Body and Brain

Learning Outcomes:
1. define stress and its effects on the human body and brain.
2. develop skills or strategies in coping with stress.
3. apply these skills or strategies in managing stress in daily life.

INTRODUCTION

In general, stress is state of mental
or emotional strain or tension
resulting from adverse or very
demanding circumstances. It is a
mental and physical response to the
demands of your environment (i.e.,
at home, school, work, etc.). It is
normal to feel stressed. It is a
universal, human experience. What
is more important is how you
respond to stress.
ABSTRACTION
Not all stress is bad for you. In fact, stress is good
for human beings (to some degree) to maintain an
overall good health. The human body may tend
toward a relatively stable equilibrium, especially
those maintained by psychological processes, yet
it is also requiring stimulation to ensure the
optimal function of the organs and tissues, such
as the heart and the muscles. How can stress be
good? When stress serves as a motivation for
positive activities, then it is considered beneficial.
Beyond its optimal point, stress of any kind does
more harm than good.
.

STRESS

The process by which we perceive and respond to certain

events (stressors) that we view as challenging or threatening.

These external stressors typically fall into 3 main categories:

 Catastrophes
 Significant life changes
 Everyday inconveniences

It is important to understand that stress is

ultimately normal. People experience it
Any of these stressful events, big or small, even the
for an actual reason. The feeling of being
stressed differs from person to person. good things can fire up the sympathetic nervous
Thus, what makes the person stressful
should be identified. image source:
https://world.edu/wp-
system and can trigger the fight or flight response.
content/uploads/2019/05/handling-stress.png
Short-lived stress can be a good thing. It can make people active and alert when they need to
be and then the body in moderate stress can kick the immune system into action to do things
like heal wounds and fight or flight response.

The three kinds of stress:

 Eustress
 Neustress
 Distress

Distress
Eustress Situations or activities that you
Considered as good stress. consider negative, harmful,
-A result from a situation or threatening
activity that you find motivating -It could happen for just a short
or inspiring enjoyable and not span of time or it could linger
threatening activity. for prolonged periods (hours,
Example: finding the nerve to days, months, years).
talk to your crush Example: Being mugged on the
streets or a long-standing family
quarrel

Neustress
“Neutral” stress
-A sensory stimulus that that has
no direct consequences or
effect on the person and that
you do not find threatening yet
not enjoyable

Example: Incidents you hear in

the news

STRESS AND THE BODY

Fight or Flight response

The adrenal gland releases the stress-related

hormones: cortisol, epinephrine/adrenaline,
and norepinephrine. These become
messengers or what get your organ systems
to respond the way you need them to when
faced with a stressful situation. These
hormones travel to the blood stream, then
reach to the blood vessels and heart. When the external demands leave you stressed to the max, internal
chaos reigns. Image source: https://au.reachout.com/-/media/young-people/images/image-library/
 o Adrenaline – causes the heart to beat faster, and raises the blood pressure over time,
causing hypertension.
o Cortisol – causes the endothelium or inner lining of blood vessels to not function
normally
o Together = increases the chance of a heart attack or stroke

When the brain senses stress, it activates the autonomic nervous system through a network of
nerve connections. The big brain then communicates to the enteric nervous system which
helps regulate gastrointestinal functioning.

Besides causing the “butterflies in your stomach”, the brain-gut connection can disturb the
natural rhythmic contractions that move food through the gut, leading to Irritable Bowel
Syndrome, and can increase the gut sensitivity to acid making you more likely to feel
heartburn.

Via the gut’s nervous system, stress can also change the composition and function of the gut
bacteria, which may affect digestive and overall health, and waistline. 

How? Cortisol can increase appetite. It tells the body to replenish energy stores with energy-
dense food and carbs that causes a person to crave comfort food. High levels of cortisol can
also cause the person to put on extra calories as a visceral or deep belly fat. This type of fat
actively releases hormones and immune system chemicals called cytokines that can increase
the person’s risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart diseases and insulin-resistance.

Stress hormones affect the immune cells in a variety of ways. Initially, they help prepare to
fight invaders and heal after injury. But chronic stress can dampen the function of some
immune cells, making more susceptible to infections, and slow the rate to heal.

Chronic stress has many ways that can sabotage one’s health, including acne, hair loss, sexual
dysfunction, headaches, muscle tension, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and irritability.
 WHY STRESS TANKS YOUR EXCITEMENT AND FOCUS

Neurophysiology 101

Dopamine is perhaps best known as the “pleasure” neurotransmitter, because it’s the currency
used in the nucleus accumbens, or the part of the brain known as “the pleasure center.” It’s also
one of the catecholamine neurotransmitters: its progeny are norepinephrine and epinephrine
(better known as adrenaline). Together and when in balance, the catecholamines are responsible
for excitement, joy, and the ability to focus and think clearly.

Acute Stress Raises Dopamine

Let’s revisit the primary stress hormone, cortisol. Acute stress causes the release of adrenaline
(see above). Once the stressful event is over, cortisol takes over to clean up the mess left in
adrenaline’s wake: it’s anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and it also improves stress
tolerance. When cortisol binds to its receptor (the glucocorticoid receptor, that is), it also triggers
the release of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain
associated with focus and executive functioning, and dopamine is the biochemical currency there,
too. This makes sense: in a crisis, you want plenty of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex to help
you think your way out of the problem. (Plenty, but not too much: excessive dopamine leads
to overthinking anxiety, and thus, decision paralysis. Far too much of it can lead to
schizophrenia and hallucinations.)

Chronic Stress Depletes Dopamine

But remember, the body is always looking to create balance. While acute stress raises dopamine
levels in the prefrontal cortex, chronic stress depletes it. This is in part because the mechanisms
that break dopamine down get upregulated (increased) when there’s a lot of dopamine floating
around—such as when you’ve been stressed out for awhile. Dopamine transporters
also decrease in chronic stress. It also doesn’t help that dopamine is the precursor to adrenaline:
the first hormone released in a “fight-or-flight” situation. What dopamine you might have had
gets used up, and the extra dopamine released in response to high cortisol levels gets broken down
faster, too.

Excerpts are from the article “Why Stress Tanks Your Excitement and Focus” by Dr. Lauren Deville, 2017
retrieved on September 3, 2020 from https://www.drlaurendeville.com/articles/stress-tanks-excitement-focus/

How stress changes the brain

Chronic stress, like being overworked or having arguments at home can affect brain size,
structure and functions. Stress begins with what we call the Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal
Axis, a series of interactions between the endocrine glands and the brain, and on the kidneys,
which controls your body’s reaction to stress. When your brain detects a stressful situation,
your HPA Axis is instantly activated and releases a hormone called cortisol, which primes
your body for instant action. But high levels of cortisol over long periods of time wreak havoc
on your brain. For example, chronic stress increases the activity level and number of neuro
connections in the amygdala, the brain’s “fear center”, and as levels of cortisol rise, electric
signals in your hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with learning, memories and
stress control, deteriorate. The hippocampus also inhibits the activity of the HPA Axis, so
when it weakens, so is your ability to control your stress.

Cortisol can also literally cause your brain to shrink in size. Too much of it results in a loss of
synaptic connections between neurons and the shrinking of prefrontal cortex, the part of your
brain that regulates behaviors like concentration, decision-making, judgment, and social
interaction. It also leads to fewer brain cells being made in the hippocampus, this means
chronic stress might make it harder for you to learn and remember things, and also sets the
stage for more serious mental problems like depression and eventually, Alzheimer’s disease.

Excerpts are from the video “How stress affects your brain–Madhumita Murgia” by TED-Ed YouTube account, November 9,
2015 retrieved on September 2, 2020 from: https://youtu.be/WuyPuH9ojCE

What are stressors?

Any situation, activity, or individual that gives

you mental or emotional strain is a stressor.
This list of stressor is not only endless; it also
varies from person to person. Good stressor
can make you feel both nervous and excited at
the same time (the so-called “butterflies in
your stomach”). It can make you worry about
being liked or accepted. It can make you feel
constantly on the edge. Other than the mental
and emotional strain, you also suffer pain, such
as headache or you actually get sick, such as
going down with a fever. High levels of stress Stress is not technically an emotion; it is more of a reaction in
to a disturbing or disruptive stimulus.
when unattended contribute to mental health image source: https://m5.paperblog.com/i/143/1430838/university-coping-with-exam-stress-L-
wtUxa8.jpeg

problems.
What are the signs and symptoms of stress?

Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body
reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. People handle stress
differently. Symptoms of stress can vary.
In general, signs and symptoms of stress fall under any of these three categories:

SYMPTOMS OF STRESS INCLUDE

 Low energy
 Headaches
 Upset stomach, including diarrhea,
constipation, and nausea chest pains, and
tense muscles
 Insomnia
 Frequent colds and infections
PHYSICAL
 Loss of sexual desire and/or ability
 Nervousness and shaking, ringing, in the
ear
 Cold or sweaty hands and feet
 Excess sweating
 Dry mouth and difficulty in swallowing
 Clenched jaw and grinding teeth
 Forgetfulness
 Preoccupation
 Blocking
 Errors in judging distance
 Reduced creativity
COGNITIVE/  Lack of concentration
PERCEPTUAL  Lack of attention to detail
 Orientation to the past
 Attention deficit
 Disorganization of thought
 Negative self-statements and negative
evaluation of experience
 Anxiety and agitation
 Depression or general unhappiness
 Moody, irritability, or anger
EMOTIONAL  Feeling overwhelmed
 Loneliness and isolation
 Any other mental or emotional health
problems

COPING WITH STRESS

What is coping? Coping refers to the strategies you use to deal with real or imagined problems
to protect yourself against negative emotions. It refers to adaptive strategies you employ in an
attempt to reduce stress. It helps you to control your reactions and continue with your daily
activities.
Types of Coping

1. Problem-focused coping
 It targets on controlling or changing the source of stress
 It tackles the sources in a practical a manner
 Strategies include employing problem-solving techniques; time management;
getting relevant social support.
2. Emotion-focused coping
 It involves lowering, if not eliminating, negative emotional responses (i.e.,
embarrassment)
 It is an option when the sources of stress are external and beyond the person’s
control.
 Strategies include distraction, talking out or verbalizing your problem, prayer,
and meditation.
3. Cognitive coping
 It involves a conscious intellectual activity of managing stressful situations
 You use your mind to combat stress-including thoughts.

Coping involves putting in conscious effort to minimize or tolerate stress.

image source: https://blscounseling.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Untitled1.png

Strategies for cognitive coping include:

o Reframing – changing the way you view experience or events, ideas, concepts, and
emotions to find alternatives that are more positive.
 o Challenging negative thinking – questioning the rationality of your negative
thoughts. You take control of your thoughts and stop negative thinking. You replace
negative thoughts with positive affirmations.
o Positive self-talk – sometimes referred to as “positive affirmations;” you talk to
yourself in a positive manner. This is useful for confidence building.
o Count to ten – giving you time to gain control of your emotions. It allows you to
rethink the situation and find a better coping strategy.
o Cost-benefit analysis – asking how yourself beneficial your thoughts, emotions, or
actions are. “Is it worth it?
o Smell the roses – a way of telling yourself to relax. It is about taking a conscious
effort to appreciate the usually neglected aspects of life.
o Keeping perspective – breaking down your problems into little tasks and knowing
which the problems need to be addressed right away as compared to those that do not
need much attention.
o Reducing uncertainly – as the saying goes, “lamang ang may alam.” gathering as
much information as you can about your problem. It helps if you gather positive
information rather than negative ones.
o Using imaginary/visualization – imaginary relaxation tool. You find that place in
your mind where you feel happy. Remember your pleasurable experiences. This is
more effective when combined with breathing exercises.

Visualization is also a powerful rehearsal strategy. For example, you are about to present your
report in class. Practice in your mind. Picture yourself giving the report. Imagine the possible
question that will be asked, and how you will answer it.

Behavioral coping strategies

These are ways of dealing with stress by taking action to modify behavior. Some behavioral
coping strategies include.
 Physical exercises
 Relaxation
 Breathing
 Smile and laughter
 Time management
 Social support
 Seeking professional help
Physical and Lifestyle strategies
 Abdominal breathing and relaxations
 Low-stress diet (limit fast/fried food).
 Regular exercise
 Downtime (balance fun and work)
 Mini-breaks (5-10 minute periods to relax during the day).
 Time management
 Sleep hygiene (at least 6 hours)
 Choosing a nontoxic (nonsmoking/conflict-free) environment
 Material security (the basics; do you really need that designer shirt?)

Emotional strategies
 Social support and relatedness
 Self-nurturing (yes, you are worth it)
 Good communication
 Assertiveness
 Recreational activities (“playtime”)
 Emotional release
 Sense of humor (ability to see things in perspective)

Cognitive strategies
 Constructive thinking (ability to counter negative thinking)
 Distraction (ability to distract yourself from negative preoccupations)
 Task-oriented (vs. reactive) approach the problems
 Acceptance (ability to accept/cope with setbacks)
 Tolerance for ambiguity (ability to see shades of gray)

Philosophical/Spiritual Strategies
 Consistent goals or purpose to work toward
 Positive philosophy of life
 Religious/spiritual life and commitment
 APPLICATION

MANAGING STRESS
Elongated exposure to stress is a really bad thing, may lead to all sorts of problems, and can
eventually lead to burnout. A burnout is when all body systems get damaged. What can we
do? Being able to deal with stress effectively is one of the most important skills a person will
have. To do this, we must follow these tips:

Breathe: pay attention to how you are breathing.

Take care of yourself: get enough sleep, eat healthy/balanced diet, regular exercise,
avoidance to alcohol and drugs, schedule free time/break/day-out (“People don’t see the
value of taking vacations until they’re pushed to the wall, until they start to feel
something. They really need to have ‘me time’ to somewhat recover from the stressful
environment they’re in.”

Train brain to be more focus: mindfulness exercise, yoga, meditation

“You should be aware of your thoughts and feelings. Focus on the here and now. If you
distract yourself with so many thoughts, you actually create more stress in your head.”
“People who believe their job causes them the most stress should change the wat they
approach work. When you come to the office thinking it’s going to be stressful, then
you encourage the stress to creep in and pile up in your psyche. The idea is to look at
the work environment as something different.”

The choice: You either deal with stress, or stress deals with you.

There are various ways on how we can manage stress. We must pick those that appeal to us. Stress is
inevitable in our daily lives, but we can change the way we relate to stress.
Start minimizing your stress TODAY.
 Module No. and Module Number 3:
Title UNPACKING THE SELF
Lesson No. and Lesson Number 2:
Title Cultivating Deliberate Resilience During the Pandemic

Learning Outcomes:
1. Explain on how to bounce back in difficult times.
2. Produce a Baby Case Study

INTRODUCTION

Most of us feel some levels of anxiety during the

COVID-19 outbreak depending on our own cultural The American Psychological
and or ethnical backgrounds, social status including Association (2014) defines
our religious backgrounds. This can cause both resilience as “the process of
physical and emotional reactions. By seeing yourself adapting well in the face of
as a survivor, you can boost your confidence level by adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats
accepting the current situation and focus on or even significant sources of
circumstances that you can manage and control. stress”.

ABSTRACTION

TOGETHER WE HEAL AS ONE during a pandemic. CULTIVATE RESILIENCE:

Tips on how to Bounce Back in Difficult Times

Be mindful. Acknowledge and accept the situation.

Get focused on circumstances that you CAN
CONTROL. It is a choice whether to react
depressingly or choose to remain calm while
exploring some logical solution.
Embrace Change. You may not be able to
change a highly stressful event but you can
definitely change how you interpret and
respond to it. Flexibility is an essential Community- Based Psychosocial Support Services at
ingredient of resilience, as change is part of Flortam Evacuation Center, Barangay Batasan,
Makilala, North Cotabato (December 2019)
living. Courtesy of Richard Salvador Jimenez, RGC, RPm
Keep a positive outlook. Be confident with your own strength in moving forward.
Remember to remain calm and behave tactfully as responsible adult for young ones
can easily get anxious.

Take care of yourself. Maintaining physical wellness plays an important role in

building resilience thus, continue practicing positive lifestyle. Pay attention to your
self-nurturance skills as this can help prevent health problems that are not related
to the pandemic.
You are not alone. Without being
physically close, continue nurturing social
connections and reach out. The more real
relationship you develop, the more
resilient you are going to be. Genuinely
connect with people.

Strategize. Together with your colleagues,

Shyren Sarate Fuentes, a Volunteer Peer- Motivator from
The Rizal Memorial Colleges facilitating PSS at
Barangay Kawayanon, Makilala, North Cotabato
(December 2019)
Courtesy of Richard Salvador Jimenez, RGC, RPm
communicate to your manager of how to
function productively without
compromising safety amidst the pandemic.
Practice your faith. The power of prayer
can guide us through this challenging
time. Prayer can foster an inner sense of
security and boost resilience (Lipworth,
2020).

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT

BABY CASE STUDY

Students are required to conduct a Baby Case Study for the completion of this course. This
will allow the students to apply what they had learned from this course and view things in a
wider perspective. Students must observe the current implementation of the COVID-19
guidelines for their own welfare including the community. Interviewing clients can be done
online and or via phone interview hence, face-to-face interview can only be done with the
approval of their professors. The professor will decide whether students will submit a hard
copy of their Baby Case Study or a soft copy.

POSSIBLE TOPIC OF INTEREST.

Students conducting the case study must strictly observe the ongoing COVID-19 guidelines
implemented by the Commission on Higher Education, National and Local Government.
Topics of interest may include Same Sex Relationship, May- December Love Affair, Gay
Man and Woman Relationship, Alcoholism, Nicotine Addiction, Prostituted Women,
Prostituted Men, Prostituted Gay Men, Mendicancy, Physically Abled Achievers, Informal
Settlers and so on.

ISSUES OF CONFIDENTIALITY.

- Structured questionnaire should be checked and approved by the professor.

- Informed consent should be observed during the conduct of the case study.
- Clients' names and the names of other participants must be changed.
- Incidental information, such as the occupations of clients, their relatives or other key
characters must be changed.
- Reference to locations or organizations that might lead to identification of the client
must be changed.
- Consult your professors as to whether the case study conforms to these guidelines,
particularly the sections relating to informed consent and the protection of client
identity (video and photos).

BABY CASE STUDY FORMAT

I. COVER PAGE

II. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

III. TABLE OF CONTENTS

IV. INTRODUCTION
i. State what is the problem
ii. Problem in international setting
iii. Problem in national setting
iv. Problem in local setting
(City Level, Barangay Level and Purok level if possible)
- At least 1 and a half page only
- Each paragraph should contain six sentences only

V. CLIENT PERSONAL DATA (least 2 pages)

- In narrative form
- Each paragraph should contain six sentences only

VI. FAMILY BACKGROUND (in narrative form at least 2 pages)

- Mention the parents
- Work of the parents
- Family history
- Siblings in the family (ordinal position)
- Family relationship
- In narrative form
 - Each paragraph should contain six sentences only

VII. FACTORS THAT LEAD TO PRESENT LIFE (in narrative form at least 2 pages)
- Each paragraph should contain six sentences only

VIII. FUTURE PLANS OF THE CLIENT (in narrative form)

- Each paragraph should contain six sentences only

IX. CONCLUSION (in narrative form)

X. RECOMMENDATIONS/ SUGGESTIONS (in bullet form)

- Two recommendations or suggestions from each member

XI. EVIDENCE
- Exhibit 1- Organic Video (editing is not required)
- Exhibit 2- Pictures (at least six action photos)
- Exhibit 3- Structured questionnaire if applicable

XII. COMMENTS DURING THE CONDUCT OF THE BABY CASE STUDY

XIII. RESEARCHERS PROFILE

Students must observe the following in the preparation of the manuscript:

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