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2020 Supplemental Self-Guided SEES Modules 1-4

MODULE 1 ON PFA: VALIDATING AND NORMALIZING FEELINGS

Objectives: By the end of the session, you should be able to:

 Identify feelings/ reactions related to the pandemic/ any form of disaster

 Accept that all feelings and reactions are normal and valid.

Introduction:

How are you feeling? 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
all the 4 modules, you will need to submit this back to me so that I can give you feedback on your
answers. Let’s begin.

Note: Provide a piece of paper for your answers for all the module’s activities: Write to a friend
about the following:

You are going to write a letter.

Pause and Think. Then write, My dear Friend

During the month of lockdown, what were the 5 routines or reactions you did at home? An
example would be “I slept most of the times”. Or “ I watch television/ GMA 7/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 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.

________________________________________________________________________________

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

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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

 Feel strong responsibility to the family

 Feel anxious brought about by uncertainty of the future
 Feel intense or prolonged grief for not being able to wake
 May become self -absorbed and feel self -pity
 May experience changes in their relationships with others
 May experience major shift in their view of the world accompanied by a sense of
hopelessness about the present and the future.
 May become defiant of authorities and parents while they start relying on peers for
socializing through social media
 May feel guilty and anxious having been separated from their loved ones due to lockdown

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 feel this
way”. “ It is okay not to 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 is/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? Now that
you have recognized your common humanity, you feel a sigh of relief from knowing that you were
not alone. You can now 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 hand out 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

Immediate Reactions
There are wide variety of positive and negative reactions that students can experience during and
immediately after crisis situations. These Include:

Domain Negative Response Positive Response

Cognitive Confusion, worry, self-blame Determination, courage,
optimism, faith
Emotional Shock, sorry, grief, sadness, fear, anger, numb, Feeling involved, challenged,
irritability guilt and shame mobilized
Social Fights with others or does not speak with others Seek out others who can help
them, help others in need
Psychological Tired, headache, muscle tension, stomachache, Alertness, readiness to respond,
difficulty in sleeping, fast heart beat increased energy

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Common negative reactions that may continue include:

Intrusive Reactions
 Distressing thoughts or images of the event while awake or dreaming
 Upsetting emotional or physical reactions to reminders of the experience
 Feeling like the experience is happening all over again (“flashback”)
 Avoid talking, thinking, and having feelings about the traumatic event
 Avoid reminders of the event (places and people connected to what happened)
 Restricted emotions, feeling numb
 Feelings of detachment and estrangement from others; social withdrawal
 Loss of interest in usually pleasurable activities.

Physical Arousal Reactions

 Constantly being “on the lookout” for danger, startling easily, or being jumpy
 Irritability or outburst of anger, feeling “on edge”
 Difficulty falling or staying asleep, problems concentrating or paying attention

Reactions to Trauma and Loss Reminders

 Reactions to places, 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

Positive Changes in Priorities, World view and Expectations

 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

When a Loved One dies, Common Reaction include:

 Feeling confused, numb, disbelief, bewildered, or lost
 Feeling angry at the person who died or at people considered responsible for the death
 Strong physical reactions such as nausea, fatigue, shakiness, and muscle weakness
 Feeling guilty for still being alive
 Intense emotions such as extreme sadness, anger, or fear
 Increased risk for physical illness or injury
 Decreased productivity or difficulties making decisions
 Have thoughts about the person who died even when you don’t want to
 Longing, missing and wanting to search for the person who died
 Children and adolescents are particularly likely to worry that they or a parent may die
 Children and adolescents may become anxious when separated from caregivers oth other
loved ones.

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What Helps
 Talking to another person for support or spending time with others
 Engaging in positive distracting activities ( sports, hobbies, reading)
 Getting adequate rest and eating healthy meals
 Trying to maintain a normal schedule
 Scheduling pleasant activities
 Taking breaks
 Reminiscing about a loved one who has died
 Focusing on something practical that you can do right now to manage the situation better
 Using relaxation methods( breathing exercises, meditation, calming self-talk, music)
 Participating in a support group
 Exercising in moderation
 Keeping a journal
 Seeking counseling

What Doesn’t Help

 Using alcohol or drugs to cope
 Extreme withdrawal from family or friends
 Overeating or failing to eat
 Working too much
 Violence or conflict
 Doing risky things (driving recklessly, substance abuse, not taking adequate precautions)
 Extreme avoidance of thinking or talking about the event or a death of a loved one
 Not taking care of oneself
 Excessive TV or computer games
 Blaming others
Source: Brymer et al., 2012

Abstraction/Reflection
Now that you knew that what you were feeling or how were you 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 with
the same manner. You are not being crazy when you have those feelings.

1. How does this new learning make my reactions and feelings towards Covid 19/ Disaster
normal? How does this knowledge help you recover from stressful situations brought about
by this pandemic/ disaster?
2. How can you apply this learning to your life specially after experiencing such a
pandemic/disaster?

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.

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2020 Supplemental Self-Guided SEES Modules 1-4

MODULE II ON PFA: CALMING DOWN and MANAGING ONE’S EMOTION and THOUGHTS

Objectives: By the end of the session, you should be able to:

 Identify positive ways to manage one’s emotions

 Practice calming down using a diaphragmatic breathing and the 3 C’s of Feelings and
Thoughts
 Be able to practice reframing one’s thoughts.

Materials: ball, paper, pen

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 or stress and anxiety.

I want you to stay outdoors and play, “Catch the Ball” with your siblings or friend. If it 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 situations 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. Breath in (Inhalation of Air) A very slight pause
before you exhale. Breath out (exhalation of air) Breath 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

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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 maybe 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? Can you manage it by changing the name of
the ball into feelings of gratefulness, understanding, and contentment? Breathe in, Breath out (5x)

Alternative Activities

You can do other breathing exercises, yoga poses, tai-chi with humor injected into it, engaging is
sports but in a competitive manner, or dance moves using both slow and fast beats.

Analysis

1. What do you feel? What do you think was the point on Catching, Checking and Changing
your feelings?
2. What was the reason why you had to reframe your thoughts?

Abstraction

Can you compare how you feel right now with how you feel before we started 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 column below labelled 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 ad Change Exercise

BEFORE (my feelings during the AFTER (my feelings right now)
pandemic/disaster

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… _________________________________
After a while, I CHECKED the feelings and realized that I could …___________________________
And so I CHANGED my feelings into the following:
_______________________________________________________________________

Tell yourself:
The next time when I experience intense feelings… I would take a deep breath 5 times to calm,
down, and then check 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.

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2020 Supplemental Self-Guided SEES Modules 1-4

MODULE 3 ON PFA: IDENTIFYING AND ADDRESSING NEEDS

Objectives: By the end of the session, you should be able to:

 Identify one’s current needs and those of one’s family

 Become aware of the various institutions and centers present within the school
environment or the immediate community
 Take note of the important numbers and information regarding who to approach for
their needs

Materials: pen

SAAN KA PUPUNTA?

Introduction:

We have discussed about feelings, thoughts and how to accept and reframe them. Today, you will
learn about how to refer people in need. I want to show you the List of Emergency Contact (see
attached List of Emergency numbers and information)

FILL OUT CONTACT INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ASKED FROM YOUR BARANGAY OFFICIALS.

Name of Barangay Chairman Phone Number Email Address

Name of Barangay DRRM Chair Phone Number Email Address

Name of Municipal DSWD Phone Number Email Address

Please put it somewhere 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-government offices
that we may all approach in order to have our family’s needs addressed. Yu 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:

List of Common Needs of Survivors after a Disaster or Pandemic

General To find missing family members, to provide medical assistance to those who were hurt,
to gain access to list of casualties, to know how many were affected, to provide proper
burial facilities for those who have passed on
Food and Water To provide waterline to homes, to gain access to source of water for multiple purposes,
food for x number of days
Family Goods Blankets, clothes, beddings, tarp, flashlight, storage boxes, dignity kits, disinfectants/
alcohol
Fuel For vehicle, gas for cooking, for kerosene lamps
Shelter Temporary shelter, building materials to be used for repairs

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Would this 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 to find out how best to access these needs:

List of Common Needs During a Pandemic and How to Access Them

Relief Goods To receive relief goods and “ayuda” or from the barangay Level, municipal mayor, and DSWD
Selling Products and Is your family involved in selling some products or goods? They too need to get permits to travel
Goods and to sell their basic goods and commodities. Go to your Barangay Center to use the permit
Transportation If you need to travel within your area of vicinity, go to your Barangay Center and ask for a
within your area permission to go to a Grocery Store, Market place, Supermarket or Pharmacy Store. A
quarantine pass is issued by your barangay. Wearing facemask and face shield is always needed
Transportation Go to your Barangay Center to get a travel pass that will allow you to pass major thoroughfares.
Outside your city or Make sure you are Covid free. Make sure also that you wear your face mask and face shield. In
municipality some instances, the barangay provides you with vehicles.
Cash Assistance or The DSWD releases cash amounts into three tranches to poor but deserving families. Contact
Social Amelioration your local DSWS.
Program (SAP)
Cash Assistance to Overseas Foreign Workers (OFW) and workers who have been displaced may avail of
OFW Government Cash Aid by the DOLE.

Activity:

Now look at the Needs Form below. On the First column, list down all the members of your 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 help regarding the needs of this person. If you do
not know anyone who can help that person, just leave it blank.

Needs Form
Family/ Relative/ Friend Current Immediate needs Refer to

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
1. Why do you think it is important for all of you to learn whom you can go for your own needs and
the needs of your family?
2. Why do you think it is important for you to learn about whom you can go for your own 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.

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2020 Supplemental Self-Guided SEES Modules 1-4

MODULE 4 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.

Objectives: By the end of the session, you should be able to:

 Identify personal, social, and emotional sources of strengths during and in the
aftermath of the disaster/stressful situation
 Identify your internal and external sources of strength

Activity: Ang Saranggola at Ako

Materials: Pen, bond paper

Introduction

During the first day, we discussed validating and normalizing our feelings. On the second day we
discussed 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 source of strength. This 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.

On the next page is a drawing of a kite or what we call sanggola. Another name for it is Guriyon or
Burador. Among the Cebuanos, it is called Banog-Banog. In waray we call it Tabanog. 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 a good and 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.

In a clean bond paper take time to draw your own kite, color your drawing. Before 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.

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Analysis
1. What have you realized about yourself after put entries into the kite?
Abstraction
1. How are you similar to the kite? What are your strengths as a person?
Abstraction
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

Example: Ang Saranggola Ko at Ako

Ang Saranggola ko at ako
Parehong-pareho
Ako ay Matatag. Sya rin ay matatag
Ako ay di babagsak, sya din ay di babagsak
Tangayin man ng hangin Hinding hindi matitinag

Closing
Facing the mirror, read and recite out loud the poem written about your sources of strength.

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