Digital, Spiritual, PERMA, Grit, Goal-Se

Cheatsheet Content

UNIT 5: The Digital Self Online Identity: Sum of characteristics and interactions online. Partial Identities: Different representations of identity online, not a full picture of the real self. Impression Management & Selective Self-Presentation Behaviors change when observed, especially online. People express themselves to elicit positive reactions (likes, comments). Involves limiting personal information to present an acceptable image. Carefully curated events/aspects of life are shown online. Impact of Online Interactions Negative: Decreased happiness (Kraut). Replaces physical interaction, leading to less genuine connections. Feelings of jealousy/envy from "perfect" online lives. Identity theft, false information, fake news. Poor social skills, internet addiction, low self-esteem from prolonged use. Legal offenses (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 in the Philippines). Positive: Ease of communication. Empowers individuals to change themselves and communities. Access to essential information, current events, political issues. Facilitates expression of opinions, lobbying concerns (online petitions). Extended Self in a Digital World (Belk) Dematerialization: Tangible things become invisible/immaterial (e.g., e-books, digital photos). Reembodiment: Freedom to create new self-constructions (avatars, online personas, photoshopped images). Sharing: Easy access and sharing of information, media, personal content. Co-construction of the Self (Collaborative Self): Online interactions (comments, feedback) help develop individual and extended self. Setting Boundaries to Your Online Self Stick to safer sites. Guard your passwords (strong, complex). Be choosy about online friends. Remember: anything posted online is there FOREVER. Do not be mean or embarrass others online. Limit what you share (avoid oversharing sensitive information). Use the internet responsibly. UNIT 6: The Spiritual Self Spiritual Self: Subjective and intimate dimension, core of who we are. Soul: Non-physical aspect manifesting consciousness, thought, feeling, will; moral/emotional nature. Spirituality: Seeking/expressing meaning and purpose, quality of relationships with others and the Divine. Religion: Belief in and worship of a personal God/gods; set of beliefs, feelings, dogmas, practices defining relationship with the Sacred. Viktor Frankl: Finding and Creating Meaning "Meaning is something to discover rather than to invent." Existential Vacuum: Life feels empty, meaningless, aimless, leading to potentially destructive pleasure-seeking. Ways of Discovering Meaning: Experiential Values: Experiencing something or someone valued (e.g., love). Attitudinal Values: Practicing virtues (compassion, courage); finding meaning in suffering (self-transcendence). Creative Values: Involvement in projects, art, music, writing, work. Carl Jung: Archetypes Collective Unconscious: Structural layer of the human psyche containing inherited elements, mankind's spiritual heritage. Archetypes: Fundamental personalities and roles from the collective unconscious, shaping individual personality. Famous Archetypes: Anima and Animus: Unconscious feminine side in males (anima) and masculine tendencies in women (animus). Hero: Character displaying courage and self-sacrifice. Shadow: Animal side of personality, source of creative/destructive energies. Persona: Outward face presented to the world, "conformity" archetype. Wise Old Man/Woman: Archetype of meaning and wisdom, offering guidance. Good Mother: Maternal solitude, sympathy, nurturing instincts, fostering growth. Individuation: Man's goal; increasing awareness of unique psychological reality (strengths/limitations) and deeper appreciation of humanity. Synthesis of the self. UNIT 1 (Module III): Martin Seligman’s PERMA Model Positive Psychology: Study of happiness, flourishing, what makes life worth living. Focuses on positive experiences in the past (well-being), present (happiness, flow), and future (hope, optimism). PERMA Model: Five core elements of psychological well-being and happiness. (P)ositive emotion (E)ngagement (R)elationships (M)eaning and purpose (A)ccomplishment Character strengths maximize well-being from each factor. Maximum well-being leads to Flourishing (thriving, vitality, prospering). P: Positive Emotion Experiencing happiness, optimism, joy, zest, hope, gratitude, etc. Focuses on optimistic attitude towards past, present, future. Sparks creativity, openness to possibilities, inspires life. Building Positive Emotions: Keep a gratitude journal. Do random acts of kindness. Spend time with people who matter. Surround yourself with "real" friends (resilience circle). E: Engagement and Flow "Being one" with an activity, losing track of time (flow). Doing things you enjoy, that make you a better person. Flow: Experienced when strengths correspond to challenges (Csikszentmihalyi). Combination of challenging situation and opportunity to use skills/strengths. Achieving Engagement and Flow: Identify your strengths. Be mindful (practice mindfulness techniques). Savor the moment. Have a "buddy" (someone with shared interests). R: Relationships Humans are "social beings"; building connections with others. Establishing positive relationships with family, friends, classmates. Spreads/receives love and joy, feeling loved, supported, valued. Technology can maintain relationships despite distance. Building Good Relationships: Re-establish lost connections. Give time to friends/family. Show positivity. Develop listening skills. M: Meaning Belonging to and serving something greater than oneself. Feeling and knowing the value of what we are doing. Intrinsic human quality, sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. Connected to purpose, unique to each person. Meaningful experiences can be created, even from negative ones. Barrier against stress, depression, anxiety. Building Meaning in Life: Discover meaning (referencing Frankl's ways). Find your passion. Reflect on your values. Do something for someone (be selfless). A: Accomplishments Positive experience, sense of satisfaction at the end of a process. Achieving goals, overcoming barriers, surpassing challenges. Contributes to well-being, pride ("I did it well!"). Feeling a Sense of Accomplishment: Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound). Celebrate success (reward yourself). Be patient and persevere. UNIT 2 (Module III): Grit and Growth Mindset Grit: Working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest over years despite failure, adversity, and plateaus in progress. Approaches achievement as a marathon; advantage is stamina. Gritty individuals stay the course when others change trajectory due to disappointment or boredom. Psychological Assets of Gritty People Interest: Passion from intrinsically enjoying what you do. Discover interests, develop them even in uninteresting tasks by finding the "why." Thrives with encouraging supporters. Practice: Daily discipline of trying to do things better than yesterday. Deliberate Practice Requirements: Clearly defined stretch goal. Full concentration and effort. Immediate and informative feedback. Repetition with reflection and refinement. Purpose: Conviction that your work matters. Hope: Ability to keep going even when things are difficult ("Fall seven, rise eight."). Grit and Mental Health Increased self-control, better mental well-being, life satisfaction, feelings of worth, resilience. Associated with growth mindset and lower perceived stress. Grittier individuals believe skills/abilities improve with hard work. Lower grit linked to anxiety and depression in university students. Gritty individuals find "life is meaningful." Developing Grit Positive Self-Talk (Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset): Fixed: "I am not good at this." $\rightarrow$ Growth: "I am not good at this yet. But I will learn." Fixed: "This is too hard." $\rightarrow$ Growth: "This will require effort and finding a great strategy." Fixed: "I won't try because I might fail." $\rightarrow$ Growth: "If I fail, I can try again and improve in the process." Positive attitude and persistence. Start solving smaller problems first. Reward yourself for hard work and delayed gratification. Acknowledge and work on your strengths. Strive to improve specific weaknesses. Know the "why's" before the "what" of a task. Remember setbacks shouldn't stop you from trying again. UNIT 3 (Module III): Goal-Setting Goal: A target or objective of a motivated and directed chain of behaviors (Coon, 2001). Goals provide direction and maintain actions. Basic Principles of Goal Setting (Locke & Latham) Clarity: Clear goals identify measurable tasks, standards, and completion dates. Reduced ambiguity on expectations. Use SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound). Specifies concrete steps (key results) towards the goal, making it an action rather than just a vision. Divide long-term goals into manageable short-term goals. Challenge: Level of difficulty determines motivation. Too easy: not important. Too difficult: no immediate feedback of accomplishment. Commitment: Degree of engagement in the task from start to finish. Measured by time and effort. Dependent on task difficulty, incentives, teamwork. Feedback: Opportunities to clarify expectations, adjust goals/difficulty, gain recognition. Allows adjustment of resources. Can come from others or be measured against progress. Task Complexity: Difficult tasks can have longer deadlines and be divided into achievable batches. People working on them should have basic knowledge and access to coaching. Hierarchy of Goals Low-level goals: Day-to-day actions (jogging, checking messages, reading). Means to an end for higher-level goals. Mid-level goals: Less abstract, lead to higher goals (e.g., putting in hours for work). Top-level goals: Ultimate goals driving all lower-level actions (e.g., being happy, having a meaningful life). Activities not strongly fitting an ultimate goal can be removed or time allotted reduced to avoid "time wasters."