PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT parents who have high marital conflict, and

parents with financial problems. Poor

“MENTAL HEALTH AND STRESS” personal relationships, experiencing peer
rejection.
Magpantay and Danao (2016), from the
1999 Surgeon General's Report on Mental 2. EATING DISORDER
Health, defined mental health as "successful SYMPTOMS:
performance of the mental function, Extraordinary weight loss
resulting in productive activities, fulfilling
relationships with other people, and the CAUSES:
ability to change and to cope with
Feeling negatively about their bodies and
adversity." Mental illness refers to
highly motivated to look like same-sex
diagnosable mental disorders characterized
figures in the media
by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior
(or a combination thereof) associated with
TYPES:
distress and impaired functioning."
a. Anorexia Nervosa- persistent pursuit
There is a book called Diagnostic and
of thinner built through hunger.
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of
Intense fear of gaining weight.
DSM-5. It is a classification of mental
Weighing less that what is considered
disorders with associated criteria de-signed
normal to their age and height. It
to facilitate more reliable diagnoses of these
generally develops during adolescence
disorders.
or young adulthood and tends to
affect more women than men. People
Most mental health problems diagnosed in
with anorexia generally view
adulthood begin in adolescence. Half of the
themselves as overweight even if they
lifetime diagnosable mental health disorders
are dangerously underweight.
start by age 14; this number increases to
b. Bulimia Nervosa- Binge eating and
three fourths by age 24. The most common
then purges by self-inducing vomiting
disorders among adolescents include
or using a laxative. Tends to develop
depression, anxiety disorders, and
during adolescence and early
attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and
adulthood and appears to be less
substance use disorder.
common among men than women.
some common types of mental health.
Each binge eating episode usually
continues until the person becomes
DSM 5
painfully full. During the binge, the
person usually feels that they cannot
There is a book called Diagnostic and stop eating or control how much they
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders are eating.
or DSM-5. It is a classification of mental c. Binge eating- is the most prevalent
disorders with associated criteria de- form of eating disorder and one of the
signed to facilitate more reliable most common chronic illnesses
diagnoses of these disorders. among adolescents. It typically begins
during adolescence and early
1. DEPRESSION adulthood, although it can develop
Symptoms: later on. Individuals with this
disorder have symptoms similar to
Disorder of emotion or mood (sadness,
those of bulimia or the binge eating
hopelessness, misery, inability to enjoy). On
subtype of anorexia. People with
Cognitive aspects symptom manifest by
binge eating disorder do not restrict
negative conditions about self, world and
calories or use purging behaviors,
future. On Motivational symptoms are loss
such a vomiting or excessive exercise
of interest, lack of drive, and difficulty on
to compensate for their binges.
starting in anything. On somatic symptoms
d. Pica- is an eating disorder that
are loss of energy, sleep difficulties loss of
involves eating things that are not
appetite and weight loss /gain.
considered food and that do not
provide nutritional value. Individuals
Causes:
with pica crave non-food substances
Self-images, body images, Separation of
such as ice, dirt, soil, chalk, paper,
parents, emotionally unavailable parents,
hair, cloth, wool, pebbles, laundry
 detergent, or cornstarch. It can occur
in adults, children and adolescents.
Individuals with pica may be at an
increased risk of poisoning,
infections, gut injuries,
and nutritional deficiencies.
Depending on the substances
ingested, pica may be fatal.
However, for the condition to be considered
pica, the eating of non-food substances
must not be a typical part of someone’s
culture or religion. In addition, it must not
be considered a socially acceptable practice
by a person’s peers.
e. Rumination disorder- is another
newly recognized eating disorder. It
describes a condition in which a
person regurgitates food they have
previously chewed and swallowed, re-
chews it, and then either re-swallows
it or spits it out. This disorder can
develop during infancy, childhood, or
adulthood. In infants, it tends to
develop between 3-12 month of age
and often disappears on its own.
Children and adults with the
condition usually require therapy to
resolve it.
3. ANXIETY
Symptoms:
Over worrying about future events and fear
is a reaction to current events.
Causes:
Genes likely play a role in causing anxiety,
as well as the home, neighborhood, school
and other environmental factors.
Types:
a. Separation Anxiety Disorder-
Excessive anxiety felt by children
when their parents leave them. They
may worry that something bad might
happen to their parent or to someone
else they love. Refuse to go to school
or they may be unable to go to sleep
without a parent being present. They
may have nightmares about being
lost or kidnapped. They may also
have physical symptoms like stomach
aches, feeling sick to their stomach,
or even throwing up out of fear.
b. Generalized Anxiety Disorder- The
condition in which has many worries
and fears. They have physical
symptoms like tense muscles, a
restless feeling, becoming tired easily,
having problems concentrating, or
trouble sleeping.
c. Social phobia- It involves worrying
about social situations, like having to
go to school or having to speak in
class. Symptoms may include
sweating, blushing, or muscle
tension. Often overly sensitive to
criticism and have trouble standing
up for themselves. Has low self-
esteem, become easily embarrassed,
and become very
d. Obsessive- Compulsive Disorder-
Frequent, uncontrollable thoughts
("obsessions") that are unreasonable.
These thoughts come into their mind
a lot. They then need to perform
certain routines or rituals
("compulsions") to try to get rid of the
thoughts. Children and adolescents
with this disorder will often repeat
behaviors to avoid some imagined
outcomes.
e. Panic Disorder- When they feel very
scared or have a hard time breathing
and their heart is pounding. They
may also feel shaky, dizzy, and think
they are going to lose their mind or
even die. The teen or child may not
want to go to school or leave the
house at all because they are afraid
something awful will happen to them.
f. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD)- The symptoms include
jumpiness, muscle tension, being
overly aware of one's surroundings
(hypervigilance), nightmares, and
other sleep problems. Feeling like
they are "re-living" the traumatic
experience.
No one experiences perfect mental health or
well-being all the time. However, ongoing
mental health problems can affect many
areas of your life, such as relationships with
others, sleep appetite, energy levels, even
the ability to think clearly or make
decisions, and inability to perform daily
tasks. In short, it can affect the totality of a
person. Nevertheless, one must learn to
balance the different aspects of one's life.
Mental health and wellness matter in as
much as positive mental health allows
people to grasp their full potential, work
productively, and make significant
contributions to society.
“STRESS”
Stress is a state of mental tension and worry
caused by problems in one’s life, work, and
many others that causes intense feelings of
worry or anxiety.
As stated by Ferret in his book Peak
Performance, stress is simply the body’s
response to external events (e.g., taking an
exam or giving a speech) or internal events
(e.g., fear, worry, or unresolved anger).
Everything one experiences stimulate the
body to react and respond.
Magpantay and Danao (2016) stated two
categories of stress: eustress and distress.
Eustress is positive stress for it is helpful—
it motivates the individual to keep on
working and reach for the goal.
Ex.
• Marriage
• Buying a home
• Giving birth
• Starting a new job
• Visiting new places
• Giving a presentation
• Getting promoted at work
• Receiving awards
• Reuniting with old friends
• Starting a business
• Learning a new hobby
• Going on an adventure
• Making new friends
Distress, on the other hand, is negative
stress because it could give harmful
implications to the individual, such as
anxiety and depression; discourages the
individual from becoming productive; and
could cause emotional, physical, and
psychological problems.
Ex.
• Being bullied
• Getting a divorce from a spouse
• Breaking up
• Problems with interpersonal
relationships
• Having conflicts with teammates
• Death of a parent or loved one
• Not meeting a deadline
• Parents fighting
• Family stress, such as fighting
with siblings
• Financial problems
• Going into bankruptcy
• Getting fired from a job
• Facing natural disasters
• Severe health problems
• Being sued for wrongdoing
• Being assaulted or abused
• Waiting for medical test results
• Worrying about job restructuring
or employment concerns
The situations and pressures that cause
stress are known as stressors. We usually
think of stressors as being negative, such as
an exhausting work schedule or a rocky
relationship. However, anything that puts
high demands can be stressful. It includes
positive events such as getting married,
buying a house, going to college, or receiving
a promotion.
Of course, not all stress is caused by
external factors. Stress can also be internal
or self-generated, when one worries
excessively about something that may or
may not happen, or have irrational,
pessimistic thoughts about life.
KINDS OF STRESSORS
1. Cataclysmic events are strong stresses
that suddenly occur and may
simultaneously affect many people
(Feldman, 2010). Natural disasters like
typhoons, coding, global warming effects,
and earthquakes are examples of this kind
of stressors—likewise, man-made troubles
such as terrorist attacks, ship or plane
crash, and bombings.
2. Personal stressors refer to conditions,
events, situations, or anything that causes
stress to an individual. It could be positive
or negative stressors such as marrying,
death of a loved one, getting a new job or job
loss, starting and ending class,
transferring to new schools, leaving old
friends, and many others. Moreover, stress
occurs when the individual is experiencing
frustration, pressure, or conflict.
3. Background stressors or daily hassles
(Feldman, 2010) are also referred to as
displeasures that could be encountered
every day, such as standing in the long line
while waiting for the train, stuck in heavy
traffic, noise, and pollution of the
environment. Another background stressor
is experiencing dissatisfaction with school or
a job, being in an unhappy relationship, or
living in crowded quarters without privacy
(Feldman 2010; Weinstein et al., 2004;
McIntyre, Korn, & Matsuo, 2008).
Stress symptoms may affect one's health,
even though one may not realize it. You may
think illness is to blame for that irritating
headache, frequent insomnia or decreased
productivity at work. However, stress may
be the cause.
Stress symptoms may affect one's health,
even though one may not realize it. You may
think illness is to blame for that irritating
headache, frequent insomnia or decreased
productivity at work. However, stress may
be the cause.
Common effects of stress
Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your
body, thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Your
ability to recognize common stress
symptoms can help you manage them.
Stress that is left unchecked can contribute
to many health problems, like hypertension,
heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
On your body
Headache
Muscle tension or pain
Chest pain
Fatigue
Change in sex drive
Stomach upset
On your mood
Anxiety
Restlessness
Lack of motivation or focus
Feeling overwhelmed
Irritability or anger
Sadness or depression
On your behavior
Overeating or undereating
Angry outbursts
Drug or alcohol misuse
Tobacco use
Social withdrawal
Exercising less often
You can choose to perceive stress as a
challenge or something to avoid. You can
choose a positive, optimistic outlook; use
resources; and re-channel energy in positive
and productive ways. Stress is something
you can learn to manage with coping
strategies.
A little stress can add excitement to one’s
life and may even help you to be motivated.
However, failure to cope with prolonged
stress effectively can wear you down. The
solution is not to avoid stress but to
acknowledge it directly by learning to
manage and channel it.
You may try the following strategies:
1. Become attuned to your body and
emotions. Become aware of your body and
its reactions. Permit yourself to feel several
different emotions, but also learn strategies
to pull yourself out of a fall. Remember that
you have the power to change negative,
hurtful thoughts and to create positive
habits.
2. Exercise regularly. Experts say that
exercise is one of the best ways to minimize
stress, loosen up the muscles, and promote a
sense of well-being.
3. Dispute negative thoughts. Negative
thinking can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy;
if you say you are going to fail, you probably
will. You can change these negative thoughts
to confident, optimistic, and positive
thoughts and actions.
4. Rest and regenerate your mind, body, and
spirit. You do not have to practice a
particular type of meditation; just create a
time for yourself when your mind is free to
rest and quiet itself.
5. Use breathing methods. Deep breathing
reduces stress and energizes the body.
6. Develop hobbies and interests. Hobbies
can release stress. Sports, painting, reading,
and collecting can add a sense of fun and
meaning to your life.
7. Create a support system. The support and
comfort of family and friends can help you
clear your mind, sort out the confusion, and
make better decisions. A group of people with
similar experiences and goals can give you a
sense of security, personal fulfillment, and
motivation.
8. Develop a sense of humor. Nothing
reduces stress like a hearty laugh or
spontaneous fun.
9. Plan; do not worry. Leading a
disorganized life is stressful. Write down
what has to be done each day; never rely on
your memory.
10. Be assertive. Assertive communication
helps you solve problems, rather than build
resentment and anger, and increases your
confidence and control over your life.
11. Keep a journal. Writing in a journal also
helps clarify your concerns and decisions
and can give you a fresh perspective.
12. Get professional help. With a counselor's
guidance, you can gain insight into your
reaction to stress and modify your
perception and behavior.
“EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE”
Emotional Intelligence is the ability to
understand, use, and manage our
emotions. Emotional Intelligence is
sometimes called EQ (or EI) for short. Just
as a high IQ can predict top test scores, a
high EQ can predict success in social and
emotional situations. EQ helps us build
strong relationships, make the right
decisions, and deal with stressful
situations.
As we know, it is not always the smartest
people who are the most successful or the
most fulfilled in life. You probably know
some of your classmates or friends who are
academically competent and yet are socially
incompetent and unsuccessful at work or in
their personal relationships. So, we can
conclude that intelligent quotient (IQ) in
itself is not enough to achieve success in
life. True enough, your IQ can help you get
good grades or help you achieve your college
dream. Nevertheless, your EQ will help you
manage the stress and emotions when
facing examinations. Both IQ and EQ need
to work together. It is proven to be most
effective when a person has both.
There are many ways to define “emotion,”
but they generally fall into one of these:
Emotions are a state or feeling that cannot
be conjured up at will; or
Emotions are attitudes or responses to a
situation or an object, like judgments
(Zemach, 2001).
People have been studying emotions for
many years. We know quite a bit about
them; however, we must understand the
necessity of both positive and negative
emotions for the healthy functioning of
our daily lives.
Emotions are what you feel on the inside
when things happen. Emotions are also
known as feelings. Below are just some of
the emotions that we are feeling every now
and then.
Afraid: feeling fear and worry
Angry: feeling mad with a person, or idea
Ashamed: feeling bad after doing wrong
Confident: feeling able to do something
Confused: feeling unable to think clearly
Depressed: feeling sad, blue, discouraged
and unhappy
Embarrassed: feeling worried about what
others may think
Energetic: feeling full of energy
Excited: feeling happy or aroused
Glad: feeling joy and pleasure
Jealous: feeling upset when someone has
something you would like to have or they
get to do something you wanted
Lonely: feeling alone and that nobody cares
Proud: feeling pleased for doing well
Relaxed: feeling at ease and without worry,
calm
Stressed: feeling tense, tired, uneasy, and
overwhelmed.
Positive emotions are emotions that we
typically find pleasurable to experience.
The Oxford Handbook of Positive
Psychology defines them as “pleasant or
desirable situational responses…distinct
from pleasurable sensation and
undifferentiated positive affect” (Cohn &
Fredrickson, 2009).
On the other hand, negative emotions are
those that we typically do not find
pleasurable to experience. Pam (2013)
defined negative emotions as “an
unpleasant or unhappy emotion which is
evoked in individuals to express a negative
effect towards an event or person.”
If an emotion discourages and drags you
down, then it is most likely a negative
emotion.
Examples of Positive and Negative
Emotions
Some common positive emotions include:
• Love
• Joy
• Satisfaction
• Contentment
• Interest
• Amusement
• Happiness
• Serenity
A few of the most commonly felt negative
emotions are:
• Fear
• Anger
• Disgust
• Sadness
• Rage
• Loneliness
• Melancholy
• Annoyance
Now the Question is, “Do We Need
Both?”
Look back over the list of sample negative
emotions. Do you want to feel any of those
emotions? You probably do not want it! No
wonder it does not feel good to experience
any of those emotions.
Now, look at the list of sample positive
emotions. It is easy to see that this list is
full of pleasurable emotions that people
tend to seek out. We know that we need
positive emotions to function effectively,
grow, and thrive.
Positive psychologists also argue that
while there are many benefits to positive
emotional states, our negative emotions
are also designed to keep us safe and to
motivate us to improve our lives, just as
positive emotions do. So, do we need them
both? The answer is yes!
Improving Managing Emotions and Its
Importance on Communication
Emotional Intelligence is a combination of
different skills.
1. Being Aware of Your Emotions
Most people feel different emotions
throughout the day, some feelings (like a
surprise) last just a few seconds. Others
may stay longer, creating a mood like
happiness or sadness. Being able to notice
and accurately label these everyday feelings
is the most basic of all the EQ skills. Being
aware of our emotions—merely noticing
them as we feel them – helps us manage our
own emotions. It also a way to understand
how other people feel. Practice recognizing
emotions as you feel them. Label them in
your mind, and do not disregard them. Do
remember to make it a daily habit to be
aware of your emotions. It is okay not to be
okay. So, do not be afraid to voice out what
you feel!
2. Understanding how others feel and Why
People are naturally born to try to
understand others. Part of EQ is being able
to imagine how other people might feel in
certain situations. Try to understand why
they feel the way they do. Being able to
imagine what emotions a person is likely to
be feeling is called empathy. Empathy
helps us to care about others and to build
good friendships and relationships. It
guides us on what to say and how to behave
around someone who is feeling strong
emotions.
3. Managing Emotional Reactions
Everyone gets angry. Everyone feels
disappointments. Often, it is important to
express how you feel. However, managing
your reaction means knowing when,
where, and how to express yourself. When
you become overly stressed, you lose
control of your emotions, including how
you act thoughtfully and appropriately.
Thus, when you learn to understand your
emotions and know how to manage them,
you can control yourself to hold a reaction
that is not appropriate for a particular time
or place. Someone who has a good EQ
knows that it can damage relationships to
react to emotions disrespectfully, too
intense, too impulsive, or harmful.
4. Choosing your Mood
Part of managing emotions is choosing our
moods. Moods are emotional states that
last a bit. We have the power to decide
what is right for a specific situation.
Choosing the right mood can help
someone get motivated, concentrate on a
task, or try again instead of giving up.
People with good EQ know that moods are
not just things that happen to us. We can
control them by knowing which mood is
best for a particular situation.
The Emotions of Adolescence
Adolescence can be a highly emotional stage
in one's life. Many of us experience different
emotions in similar situations, as well as
similar emotions in different situations.
Several descriptions of adolescent’s
emotions are as follows:
• Adolescence in Western culture is
characterized as a period of emotional
upheaval and confusion according to Arnett
(1999), others described youth’s inner lives
using the word like “alienated,” “desperate,”
and “overwhelmed.”
• Adolescents are dealing with lots of
emotional highs and lows. One minute,
they may feel great; the next day, they feel
sad and tearful.
• They are experiencing new levels of
emotional variability, moodiness, and
emotional outbursts. They often struggle
with being dependent on their parents
while having a strong desire to be
independent.
• They may also feel overwhelmed by the
emotional and physical changes they are
going through. They may be facing
different pressures from friends to “fit in”
plus the added responsibilities at home,
and stricter grading policies in school and
expectations to do well in other activities
like sports or part-time jobs.
• They are particularly vulnerable to a
roller coaster of emotions. Pickhardt
(2010) added further that the loss of
childhood is so painful for adolescents
that the developmental challenges are so
daunting. The vulnerability from
insecurity is high; the demands of growth
are many; the conflicts over independence
are exciting.
Given the descriptions above, we suggest
that the unpredictability of emotions is
normal. A primary task during this time is
to gain insight into one’s emotionality and
expand one’s capacity for empathy with
others' emotional state (Wessberg &
O’Brien, 2004).
Positive Actions to Help you Manage
Emotions
Did you know that you can take a
number of actions that will help you
manage your emotions? Many of
them are very general, but it is
worth trying them because you may
find that they truly work!
• Exercise. This releases reward and
pleasure chemicals in the brain
such as dopamine, which makes you
feel better. Being fit also makes you
healthier, which helps in managing
your emotions.
• Be kind to others. This helps to stop
you worrying about yourself.
• Be open and accept what is going on
around you. Learn to appreciate what
is happening and avoid giving
criticisms to others as well as their
situations.
• It is good to talk. Spend time with
other people and enjoy their
company.
• Distract yourself. Watching a bit of
TV, reading, or surfing the internet
for a while will probably help you
forget that you were feeling a bit
down.
• Do not give in to negative thoughts.
If you find yourself having negative
thoughts, then challenge yourself by
looking at them positively.
• Spend time outside. Breathing in the
fresh air, especially around nature,
helps calm and relax your emotions.
• Be grateful. Do give thanks to people
for the good things they did for you,
and always remember it.
• Play on your strengths. That means
doing things that you enjoy most,
and it involves doing things that are
good for you.
Be aware of the good things in your
life. An adage that means—count
your blessings!