Gr 12-Life Orientation-Study Guide 1

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LIFE ORIENTATION STUDY GUIDE Grade 12

A member of the FUTURELEARN group

Life Orientation Study guide

1812-E-LIO-SG01

Í2,È-E-LIO-SG01;Î

Grade 12

CAPS aligned

Dr M Koen Prof R Niemann

Study Guide G12 ~ Life Orientation

Contents INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................3 SUMMARY OF FORMAL ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES..................................................5 STUDY TIPS AND METHODS.............................................................................................6 LESSON ELEMENTS..........................................................................................................7 SUBJECT CONTENT AND PLANNING..............................................................................8 Development of the self: Understanding and managing stress.................................. 10 Topic 1.1 Stress..................................................................................................... 11 Topic 1.2 Physical Education: A balanced lifestyle................................................21 Activity 1.1 ..........................................................................................................23 Activity 1.2 ­..........................................................................................................25 Development of the self: Relationships......................................................................... 27 Topic 2.1 Relationships and communication.........................................................28 Activity 2.1 ..........................................................................................................36 Topic 2.2 Physical Education: Safety measures in physical fitness.......................38 Activity 2.2 .........................................................................................................39 Activity 2.3 ..........................................................................................................41 Activity 2.4 ..........................................................................................................44 Activity 2.5 ..........................................................................................................45 Development of the self: Communication...................................................................... 47 Topic 3.1 Communication......................................................................................47 Activity 3.1 ..........................................................................................................54 Topic 3.2 Physical Education: Participation in programmes for personal fitness and health ................................................................................................56 Development of the self: Conflict and conflict management....................................... 69 Topic 4.1 Conflict and conflict management..........................................................70 Activity 4.1 ..........................................................................................................74 Activity 4.2 ..........................................................................................................77 Topic 4.2 Physical Education.................................................................................77 Activity 4.3 ..........................................................................................................78 Study skills ...................................................................................................................... 79 Topic 5.1 Study skills and preparing for examinations...........................................80 Activity 5.1 ..........................................................................................................82 Topic 5.2 Physical Education.................................................................................92 Activity 5.2 ..........................................................................................................92 Activity 5.3 ..........................................................................................................93 Change and transition ..................................................................................................... 94 Topic 6.1 Transition between school and post-school, and dealing with change .95 Topic 6.2 The world of work: The value of work...................................................100 Activity 6.1 ........................................................................................................103 Topic 6.3 Physical Education...............................................................................106 1

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Activity 6.2 ........................................................................................................106 Activity 6.3 ........................................................................................................106 Project............................................................................................................................. 107 Topic 7.1 Project..................................................................................................107 Topic 7.2 Physical Education: Indigenous games of South Africa.......................107 Activity 7.1 ........................................................................................................108 Careers and career choices ..........................................................................................114 Topic 8.1 Careers and career choices................................................................. 114 Activity 8.1 ........................................................................................................127 Topic 8.2 Physical Education...............................................................................129 Activity 8.2 .......................................................................................................129 Democracy and human rights....................................................................................... 131 Topic 9.1: Responsible citizenship and human rights..........................................132 Activity 9.1 ........................................................................................................133 Activity 9.2 ........................................................................................................141 Topic 9.2 The role of the media in a democratic society......................................142 Activity 9.3 ........................................................................................................145 Activity 9.4 ........................................................................................................145 Activity 9.5 .......................................................................................................148 Activity 9.6 ........................................................................................................149 Social and environmental responsibility..................................................................... 150 Topic 10.1 Social and environmental responsibility.............................................150 Topic 10.2 Formulating a personal mission and vision statement for life............153 Topic 10.3 Physical Education.............................................................................157 Activity 10.1 ........................................................................................................157 Development of the self in society............................................................................... 159 Topic 11.1 Physical, personal, societal and environmental conditions................160 Topic 11.2 Physical Education.............................................................................169 List of references............................................................................................................170

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Development of the self: Understanding and managing stress

This unit focuses on the understanding and management of stress as an important element in the development of the self, a topic that we have been discussing since Grade 10. The development of the self entails the pursuit of developing and mastering certain skills that can help individuals to become the best they can, with all they have. It is about reaching for and realising our full potential as human beings.

Stress has become an integral part of our everyday lives. Modern life is full of challenges, demands, hassles and deadlines that we cannot always avoid. The way in which we deal with stress will have an impact on our bodies and minds. Consequently, we need to protect ourselves by recognising the symptoms of stress and by taking steps to reduce any harmful effects.

Physical activities also contribute positively to maintaining a healthy life, physical mobility and physiological well-being. It also strengthens the immune system, slows down the ageing process and assists in the alleviation of stress.

The ability to effectively manage stress is critical to personal and professional success. The aim of this unit is thus to equip you with knowledge, values, skills and activities to recognise and cope with stressful situations and challenges in real life, in order to thrive in your life and in the world beyond.

CHALLENGE What can I do to alleviate my own levels of stress?

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LEARNING OUTCOMES After you have completed this unit, you must be able to do the following: explain the concept of stress; identify different stress responses; analyse common causes of stress in your life; critically evaluate ways to cope with stress in daily life; discuss the importance of physical activities and the value they have for your life and for the alleviation of stress; identify exercises that combat stress; argue why certain activities are particularly valuable for alleviating stress.

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DEFINE Anxiety: Worry, nervousness or unease.

Coping mechanisms: Any conscious or unconscious effort that enables an individual to adapt to a situation in order to regain equilibrium.

Distress: The term refers to extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain.

Eustress: The term eustress consists of two parts. The prefix eu- derives from the Greek word meaning either “well” or “good”. When attached to the word “stress”, it literally means “good stress”.

Fight-or-flight response: When you feel threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in your body that allows you to act in a way to prevent injury.

Stress: Stress is a reaction to a stimulus that disturbs your physical or mental equilibrium.

Stress level: The severity of physical and/or mental tension resulting from factors that altered a person’s equilibrium.

Stress management plan: Physical and/or emotional actions that assist the body to deal with the stressors.

Stress tolerance: Stress tolerance is the ability to be relaxed and composed when faced with difficulties.

Stressor: A stressor is an agent or stimulus that causes stress, e.g. noises, a speeding car, writing a test or even going on a blind date.

Therapy: Expert interventions to guide a person to alter or reverse the effect of a negative condition or experience.

Topic 1.1 Stress Problem questions To solve the challenge, answer the following problem questions: • What are the main causes of stress in my life?

• What effect does stress have on me?

• How stressed am I? • What can I do to manage stress?

Introduction The focus of this lesson is to recognise various causes of stress and the impact it has on our well-being, and to explore different methods to manage stress in our lives.

Conceptualising stress The term stress was coined by Hans Seyle some 70 years ago, who noted in numerous experiments that laboratory animals exhibited the same pathologic changes when subjected to persistent stress (The American Institute of Stress, 2014:1). Many other terms also refer to stress, such as worry, pressure, concern, anxiety and nervousness.

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What causes stress?

Stress in humans results from interactions between people and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities and threatening their wellbeing. In other words, a stressor that puts real demands on a person may result in stress.

Coping with stress starts with identifying the sources of stress (stressors) in your life. Table 1.1 lists some examples of stressors that can affect all people at all stages of life. The table provides four groupings of stressors, namely physical, emotional, social and environmental.

Table 1.1: Examples of stressors Type of stressor Physical Emotional

Environmental Social

Examples of stressors Physical factors that affect your body, e.g. pain, physical or sexual abuse, illness, hunger or physical disabilities.

Emotional stressors can include feelings, personality, self-esteem, resilience, anxiety or the way you react to changes in life (death, divorce, changing jobs or pregnancy).

Environmental stressors can include natural disasters, lack of private space, lack of fresh air, pollution or noise.

Social stressors that affect your well-being include aspects of your relationships with other people (e.g. family or friends), social taboos and expectations, and performance pressures at school or work.

Another way of grouping stressors could be internal (nutritional status, overall health, fitness levels, emotional well-being or the amount of sleep you get) and external (physical environment such as a job, relationships with others, home, situations, challenges, difficulties and expectations that you are confronted with on a daily basis).

When reflecting on your level of stress, it is also important to identify the causes of stress (stressors) in your life. These are often a combination of factors, with some stressors contributing more to your stress level than others.

A trained professional can help you establish the deep-rooted or hidden causes of stress in your life, such as continuous pressure, rejection, abuse and guilt.

Different interpretations of stressors Stress means different things to different people. How you experience a stressful event is very important, as it can define how you react to the event and the ultimate impact on your physical and mental health. People often interpret the same event in different ways, with corresponding differences in reaction.

Some people seem to take everything in their stride. Their natural laid-back attitudes shine even in stressful situations. They would respond to a stressful event with sayings like “Tomorrow is another day” or “Bring it on”. In contrast, others get anxious at the first sign of a stressful situation. Their typical response could be “There is not enough time” or “I cannot get this to be perfect”.

It is as if different people use different “lenses” to interpret potential stressful events. © Impaq

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Figure 1.1 shows a graphical presentation of the concept that a different interpretation of stress factors can cause stress in one person or may be of little concern to another.

Figure 1.1 Differences in interpretation of stressors

It is clear that different internal or external pressures cause stress. Everyone has different stress triggers. It can be physical or emotional change, or a change in the environment. It can be minor challenges or major lifestyle challenges.

FOR THE CURIOUS There are many examples of events with different interpretations and responses from people: • Social interactions where many people are present (such as a party) often cause high levels of stress for some people, while others thrive in such an environment.

• Peak-hour traffic in larger cities cause very high stress for some, while others use it as a time to relax and reflect on the day and their surroundings.

• When South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, was released from prison in 1990, many people felt extreme joy and happiness due to this event. Some others, however, felt high levels of stress due to uncertainty of what the future held for the country.

• Technological advances and inventions often have very different effects on people. Computers, the internet, cellphones and tablets might be exciting for some, but can cause high levels of stress for others who do not know how to use it. Nuclear power is a very contentious invention – some find it very useful and support the technology, while others find it highly stressful and will strongly oppose any nuclear development close to where they live.

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Can you think of more examples of an event that resulted in different stress responses from different people that were in the news recently?

Do you have an example where you encountered someone who reacted differently than you to a stressful event?

The effect of stress on the body When you feel threatened (real or imagined) the body’s defences kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction. The flight-or-fight response is the body’s sympathetic nervous system reacting to a stressful event.

During this stress response, the body produces larger quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline, which trigger a higher heart rate, make your breathing faster and heighten muscle preparedness, sweating and alertness in order to protect ourselves in a dangerous or challenging situation (Martin, 2014:1). Non-essential body functions, such as our digestive and immune system, also slow down.

Stress can affect all aspects of your life: your body, thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Some common symptoms of stress are: • Physical symptoms: Clenched jaws, muscle tension, headaches, shortness of breath, stomach pain, fatigue, muscle twitches, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, excessive sweating, fainting, dry mouth, diarrhoea or constipation.

• Behavioural symptoms: Sleeping too much or little, eating more or less, losing weight, substance abuse, antisocial acts, decreased personal hygiene or nervous habits (nail-biting, pacing).

• Emotional symptoms: Moodiness, depression, anxiety, guilt, self-blame, denial, numbness, irritably, agitation, helplessness, mistrust, short temperedness, sense of loneliness and isolation or crying.

• Cognitive symptoms: Inability to concentrate, poor attention, memory problems, poor problem-solving, poor judgement, disbelief, disturbed thinking, confusion, flashbacks or suicidal ideas.

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Figure 1.2 shows some of the longer-term negative effects on your health due to stress.

Figure 1.2 Longer-term negative effects of stress on your health

Not only will stress affect the mind, body and behaviour in many ways, but it can also take a toll on your relationships at home, work and school. Stress is not an illness itself, but can cause serious illness if it is not addressed. It is important to recognise the above stressors in order to help you to figure out healthy coping strategies.

Positive effects of stress Usually, we attach a negative connotation to stress, because we believe that stress hurt more often than it can help. But stress is not always bad. In small doses, stress can help you to perform under pressure and drive you to do your best. This is called eustress. The term eustress comes from the Greek root “eu�, which means good (as in euphoria). When stress motivates you to win a race or finish an important job on time, it means you experience eustress.

Miller and Smith (2014:1) explain the difference between positive and negative stress by arguing that stress is to the human condition what tension is to the violin string: too little and the music is dull and raspy; too much and the music is shrill or the string snaps. It is therefore important to learn to recognise when your stress levels are out of control.

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FOR THE CURIOUS People from all walks of life use stress to perform better: • Athletes typically experience high levels of stress before a race. Good athletes learn to use the “fight-or-flight” response to outperform their competitors.

• Businesspeople often feel stressed by their work pressures, but many claim that this makes them work harder and push themselves to perform better.

• Performance artists (musicians, dancers) also feel high levels of stress but often use this to improve their work.

• Learners often feel high levels of stress related to their academic performance. It can significantly increase before a test, but this stress can play an important role in preparing for the test.

• Can you think of more examples of people using stress in a positive way?

• Can you think of an event where you felt very stressful before the time, but were energised by that stressfulness to perform better? Try to think how stress made you feel, and how you were able to positively respond to these feelings.

Levels of stress Before you can do something about stress in your life, you first need to determine and understand your level of stress. There are many different methodologies that can be used to determine this. These methodologies range from the highly specialised, often administered by a trained professional (such as a doctor or a psychologist), to the very simple that can be done by yourself.

One such methodology was developed by Didato (2003:182, 183). It involves a test with 12 questions, each with a statement that can be answered as True or False. To find out if you are stressed, complete the following quiz: Question 1. I am a light sleeper.

2. I tend to be a forceful personality.

3. I believe that I am moodier than the average person.

4. I often become exhausted.

5. I often react with anger.

6. I tend to increase the number of my activities when I am under pressure.

7. I am more of a perfectionist than most of my friends are.

8. I usually do not pay much attention to my health.

9. When stress hits, I eat more or less than usual.

10. Sometimes I feel nauseous.

11. I often get a strong urge to eat, drink alcohol or smoke.

12. I generally feel moderate to strong bodily tension. © Impaq

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Answer True False True False True False True False True False True False True False True False True False True False True False True False

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Add up the number of True answers (each True answer scores 1 and a False question scores 0).

According to this test, your stress level is as follows: Your score: Most of us can manage varying amounts of pressure without feeling stressed.

However, too much or excessive pressure, often created by our own thinking patterns and life experiences, can overstretch our ability to cope and then stress is experienced.

3 points or less:

You are least likely to suffer from stress-related illness.

4 – 7 points:

You are more likely to experience stress-related ill health – either mental, physical or both. You would benefit from stress management/ counselling or advice to help in the identified areas.

8 points or more: You are the most prone to stress, showing a great many traits or characteristics that are creating unhealthy behaviours. This means that you are also more likely to experience stress and stress-related ill health, e.g. diabetes, irritable bowel, migraine, back and neck pain, high blood pressure, heart disease/strokes and mental ill health (depression or anxiety).

A stress diary is a record of the level of stress that you experience over an amount of time, and potential reasons for these levels. It is a useful tool to track changes in your level of stress and to identify any associated patterns.

FOR THE CURIOUS Compare your level of stress as measured by different online stress tests.

Some stress tests that can be used include: • www.stress.org.uk/stresstest.aspx • www.cmha.ca/mental_health/whats-your-stress-index/ • www.bemindfulonline.com/test-your-stress/ See if you can find more examples and use them to test your stress levels.

Do you think that these tests provide an accurate reflection of your level of stress? Are there discrepancies between the different tests?

If you are comfortable to discuss your results, share it with others and reflect on what you have learned.

Managing stress Once you understand the levels and causes of stress in your life, you can explore ways to deal with stress.

Although stress is part of life, it becomes dangerous when it interferes with the ability to live a normal life over an extended period. Since everyone has a unique response to stress, it

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is important to experiment with different coping mechanisms or strategies and to focus on what makes you feel calm and in control. To limit the negative effect that stress can have on a person, personal interventions are very important, as you cannot just “run away” from stressful situations. Apart from the coping mechanisms that you can use to deal with stress, it is also helpful to be able to intentionally put actions in place to actively manage your stress.

There are different methods you can follow to manage stress. Being in the presence of others have been proved to be a very effective way to reduce stress. Changing your behavioural, physical and eating patterns may also help. Other examples of actions to avoid, reduce or manage stress include: • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

Build a support network. A strong network of supportive friends and family members can be an enormous buffer against life’s stressors.

Avoid stressors. Try to avoid people or situations that cause unnecessary stress in your life or limit the amount of time you spend with the stressor.

Live a balanced lifestyle. A balanced lifestyle means that you make time for schoolwork, friends and family; do physical exercise; get enough sleep and follow a balanced diet. Exercise has been proven to have a beneficial effect on a person’s mental and physical state.

Engage in laughter therapy. Laughter can reduce stress.

Establish a sense of control. If you feel like things are out of control, you are likely to have less tolerance for stress. Try to delegate responsibilities or share them.

Build resilience. It is the capacity to mobilise personal resources to tolerate and overcome adverse events without experiencing stress and to grow and develop as a consequence of such events.

Change your attitude and outlook. Optimistic people are often more stress-hardy.

It is also important to be assertive and not to say yes to everything.

Improve your Emotional Intelligence (EI). The ability to bring your emotions into balance helps you bounce back from adversity and is a skill that can be learned at any age.

Focus on the things you can change. Many things are beyond our control, therefore, do not waste time focusing on things you cannot change. Focus on the things you can control.

Implement time management. Use time to organise your life, relax and pursue your own interests.

Seek professional help. If stress is affecting the way you function negatively, find professional help.

Practise relaxation techniques. Meditation, massage or yoga has been known to greatly help people with stress.

Humour. Keep your sense of humour. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself.

Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Although it may seem that there is nothing you can do about stress, managing stress is all about taking charge: of your thoughts, emotions, time and the way you deal with problems.

A stress management plan is a very helpful tool to address stress in your life.

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Summary Stress, however, means different things to different people. In Figure 1.2 it is shown that stress factors can cause stress in one person yet may be of little concern to another.

• External factors (physical environment such as a job, relationships with others, home, situations, challenges, difficulties and expectations with which you are confronted on a daily basis) • Internal factors (nutritional status, overall health, fitness levels, emotional wellbeing or the amount of sleep you get)

Interpretation Thoughts

Beliefs

Ideas

Reaction (emotional, physical, behavioural or cognitive) • (If stress enhances a person’s performance – eustress) • (If the person believes he/she cannot cope – distress)

Consequences

Stressor

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Figure 1.3 Conceptual map of stress

In Figure 1.3, it is emphasised that people interpret challenges in life in different ways. It is clear that different internal or external pressures can cause stress. Everyone has different stress triggers, such as physical or emotional change, or a change in the environment. It can be minor challenges or major lifestyle challenges. The various elements of stress are further captured below: • • • • • • •

The term stress was coined by Hans Seyle some 70 years ago. Other terms that also refer to stress are worry, pressure, concern, anxiety or nervousness.

Stress results from interactions between people and their environment that are perceived as straining or exceeding their adaptive capacities and threatening their well-being.

A stressor is something that causes stress in a person. Various types of stressors exist, such as physical, emotional, social and environmental. Stressors can be internal or external.

Stress causes various effects in our bodies, resulting in physical, behavioural, emotional or cognitive symptoms. The body’s response to a threat is known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction.

Stress can also have a positive effect on our bodies, such as heightened alertness and faster responses. Positive stress is called eustress, helping you to perform under pressure and do your best.

People react to stress in different ways. Your reaction and associated stress levels depend on how you interpret a specific event.

The first step in managing stress involves understanding your levels of stress. This 19

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can be determined through various methods or tests.

It is important to identify the main stressors that cause stress or tension in your life.

Coping with stress involves a combination of actions to avoid, reduce or manage stress.

A stress management plan is an important tool to address stress in your life.

Assess yourself 1.

Select the correct answer by circling the option that best represents your answer.

1.1 (a) (b) (c) (d)

Stress refers to a _____. mental reaction to a negative stimulus physical reaction to a negative stimulus person’s inability to deal with difficult situations person’s reaction to a stimulus that disturbs a person’s equilibrium

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

1.2 (a) (b) (c) (d)

What type of stressor is breaking up with your loved one?

Physical Emotional Social Environmental

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

1.3

Decreased personal hygiene is a typical _____ stress symptom. physical behavioural social emotional

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(a) (b) (c) (d)

What do you regard as the best interpretation of a stressful situation?

Being laid-back Postponing the action Adapting goals to the situation Going into a fight-or-flight mode

1.5 (a) (b) (c) (d)

An example of effective stress reduction is _____. do time management ignore your physical symptoms as they will pass again engage in heavy physical exercises let other people take over you responsibilities

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(a) (b) (c) (d) 1.4

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Identify the three major stressors in your life and decide in which category each of them fall. (E.g. I have to share a room with my sister – environmental stressor.)

………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Topic 1.2 Physical Education: A balanced lifestyle Problem question How can I discipline myself to continuously engage in physical exercise in an attempt to reduce my stress levels?

Introduction In this unit, the health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity will be explored. It is, however, emphasised that it requires focus, determination, motivation and willpower to be committed to an exercise programme. Although starting a fitness programme may be one of the best decisions you can make to improve your health and to curb stress, it is important to plan your programme carefully.

The aim of regular Physical Education (PE) lessons is the following: • Achieve your own personal health and fitness goals.

• Cultivate long-term engagement in physical exercise.

Selecting activities Physical activity is part of a healthy balanced lifestyle, as it helps you to maintain a healthy weight, is beneficial for bone and muscle health, helps with psychological well-being (such as stress) and reduces the risk of certain diseases including cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

Training too hard or too fast is a common cause for injuries. According to Health.Gov (2015), people can reduce their risk of injury by choosing appropriate types of activity. In Table 2.1, it is shown that the safest activities are moderate intensity and low impact, and do not involve purposeful collision or contact.

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