HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELF

Many people are unaware that the self is influenced by

varying factors. These factors play vital roles; and their
combined forces create feelings, perspectives, and
attitudes that can make a person well-adjusted or not. It is no
wonder that a person cannot be considered as the replica of
another person. Even identical twins may look exactly alike,
but each of them has nuances that can make them different
fromtheir twin. A self can be considered as a kaleidoscope—
with its brilliant hues and different shapes. When combined,
they make an eye-catching design that makes a person
fascinated and curious.
PAUSE FOR A THOUGHT:
Have you ever met a person who seems to be so complex that it is difficult to
fully understand him or her? What makes this person a complex character?

You cannot understand yourself without learning the different

components of your personhood. These components are equally
important in contributing to the totality of a person. Their
functions are based on what you need to survive and thrive in an
environment where conflicting interests, sudden changes, and
innovations are constantly happening. The combined functioning
of these components providessupport to your adjustment.
HOLISTIC DEVELPOMENT
An adolescent is constantly changing. You may not be aware of this,
but for every second that passes, your whole body changes. These
changes occur simultaneously and are never-ending. As
adolescents mature, your social circles keep getting wider and
wider. Your body begins to change. Your brain processes new ideas.
Your faith and morals evolve as they are exposed to the realities of
life. Your emotions change from simple feelings like being happy
and sad into being ecstatic and melancholic.
HOLISM

• According to him (general Jan C. Smuts), holism is the

tendency in nature to form wholes which are greater than
the sum of the parts through creative evolution.
FIVE AREAS OF PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
. Physiological Development
Physiological development was defined as encompassing a broad range of
biological Page 7 5 systems (e.g. musculo-skeletal, nervous, endocrine,
integumentary, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, reproductive) and associated
biochemical and hormonal processes.
This includes the five senses and other physical characteristics including the
changes in the body and the development of skills related to mobility or movement.
Physiological changes do not stop. They happen even before a child is given birth and
only ends in death. This means that the physical attributes of a person are a work in
progress. A person’s body undergoes a cycle of developing strength, from the peaking
of physical might and then falling to a gradual descent into a weakness that eventually
leads to death. The body is made up of physical or outward attributes and the internal
attributes composed of the organ systems.
For an adolescent, being young does not excuse him/her from living an
unhealthy lifestyle. A healthy body is a reflection of how an individual
takes care of himself/herself. There are easy steps on how an adolescent
can take of the body.
Steps in taking care of the body:
1. Practice healthy eating habits.
  Reduce the intake of foods that are rich in salt, unhealthy fats, and
sugar.
  Make fruits and vegetable parts of the daily diet.
  Check the nutritional facts when doing the grocery.
  Observe food portions.
  Eat on time and do not skip your meals.
2. Live an active lifestyle.
3. Get enough sleep and rest.
B. Cognitive Development
Cognitive development means the development of the ability to think and reason.
There are two things to remember when studying this component: cognition and cognitive processes.

1. Cognition. The American Psychological Association described cognition as the processes of

knowing which includes remembering, attending, and reasoning. It also involves the contents of these
processes like memories and concepts.

Likewise, it describes what cognitive processes are. The cognitive processes include the higher
mental processes like memory, language, perception, problem-solving, and abstract thinking. The
cognitive component of an individual refers to the mental processes or the intellectual functioning of
the mind.

The intellectual skills and abilities of a person areshown through the attitudes, values, beliefs,
and thoughts. The ability to think, recall, recognize, analyze, reason, synthesize, evaluate, and
assess are under the domain of this component.
C. Social and Emotional Development
This is described as our inherent or innate capability and needs to reach out
and form relationships with other people. This is born out of the basic need to
belong. A person is considered as a social being. It cannot live in isolation. A
person is part of a family, a school, a community, a society, and a country.
He/She cannot escape the call of interacting with other people.
Social development also studies the similarities and differences in social
groups. These are examined to render explanations about the behavior of a
person as an individual and as a member of a particular group or society.
Some of the factors that are being studied in social development are social
roles (including gender and age) and groupthink.
D. Spiritual Development
Spiritual development relates to fundamental questions about the
meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone, and is not dependent on a
religious affiliation. Spiritual development is not about becoming, more
spiritual, it is about realising or becoming more and more aware of one's
natural, innate spirituality.
Spiritual development is characterized by the discovery and experience of
the inner guide that steers the values and beliefs of a person.
Values. They are the judgment that people make about issues, people, or
things. They are subjective because their formation is shaped by their
upbringing and life experiences.
Virtue. It is the quality that echoes or reflects the values.
C. Psychological Development
the development of human beings' cognitive, emotional, intellectual, and social
capabilities and functioning over the course of a normal life span, from infancy through old
age. It is the subject matter of the discipline known as developmental psychology.

In connection with the elements of attitude, psychological development focuses on

how these three acts in accordance or opposition of another. Aside from this,
psychological development is the growth and development of a person’s cognitive,
emotional, and social skills. Also, these skills are studied in conjunction with their physical
growth and development. Furthermore, psychological developmentanalyzes an individual
in the course of a lifespan. This aspect covers all of the other four areas. The changes that
have developed in each area are explained based on how they relate to human behavior.
In short, this is why it can explain how the cognitive beliefs, emotional responses, and
observable behavior work against or for each other.
the development of human beings' cognitive, emotional, intellectual, and
social capabilities and functioning over the course of a normal life span,
from infancy through old age. It is the subject matter of the discipline
known as developmental psychology.
One of the best-studied examples of cognitive
development is language development. While some
theories propose that language development is a
genetically inherited skill common to all humans, others
argue that social interactions are essential to language
development.