Go 27 October 2022

GO! & EXPRESS 27 October 2022 For all your advertising needs call Cheryl on 082 432 5665 or Sbonelo on 084 266 3445. Find us on Facebook 5
Letter to the editor
Iown and manage a
business in Milner Road,
North End, for many years
n ow.
My establishment is an
important part of the local
community in the area,
however, the lack of support
from the municipality in terms
of providing services is affecting
our success.
Dumping is a chronic
problem here on Milner Road
and I am fed up and frustrated
about the filthy surroundings in
which we have to conduct
business daily.
Patrons take one look at the
area surrounding our business
and feel it is safer to avoid doing
business with us.
BUSINESSES AFFECTED:
Litter-strewn Milner Road in
North End Pictures: SUPPLIED
GO!METRO
The image of the business is
losing face and all because the
municipality does not care
about us as ratepayers.
As ratepayers we are also not
provided with effective
platforms to express our
concerns. The numbers we have
to contact the municipality are
never in service and we never
have local ratepayers meetings
to hear back from our ward
c o u n c i l l o r.
The state of the area is part of
the degeneration of our town, a
cancer spreading throughout the
Eastern Cape and the rest of SA
s a d l y.
I know too that this gripe has
been voiced by so many people
already but if we do not shame
the municipality continuously
they will persist in their poor
treatment of us. —
CONCERNED BUSINESS
OWNER IN WARD 3
How to cope with matric exams stress
A DV E RTO R I A L
Many teenagers struggle to
cope with stress during their
exams, however, Masithethe
Counselling services is
available to provide support.
Masithethe is a local nonprofit
organisation that
provides counseling, trauma
debriefing, skills development
and support groups in the
m e t ro .
Masithethe director Jackie
Orsmond said that in recent
years they had noticed an
increase in depression, stress
and anxiety among teenagers,
and the exam season added to
this.
Orsmond said many
teenagers did not know how
to manage their time and
struggled to get everything
done in time for their exams.
This led to anxiety that
caused teens to procrastinate
because of the lack of
confidence they have in their
own abilities.
“Another issue we have
noticed is a lack of family
support as a lot of teenagers
are expected to manage it all
on their own, which in some
instances is not possible,”
Orsmond said.
“At home, some families
do not ease up on their
teenager’s responsibilities
during this time, such as
cooking, cleaning, chores,
childcare, and so on, and so
the increased pressure at
school combined with no or
little rest at home and little
time to study can lead to
teenagers becoming
overwhelmed.
“A lot of families also put
an extreme amount of
pressure on their teenagers to
achieve academically.
“A lot of pupils do not
perform well under this kind of
pressure and the subsequent
punishment that comes from
not reaching a parent’s
expectations can make the
teenager feel like a failure and
a disappointment.”
Orsmond said schools
should space out exam and
assessments periods, instead
of cramming them together.
She recommended schools
create support groups for
pupils experiencing anxiety
and also conduct awareness
campaigns on effective study
skills.
Pupils should also be
provided with information on
anxiety, depression and stress
so that they better understood
the complicated emotions
they may be experiencing.
“There is nothing wrong
with asking for help and there
is nothing wrong with you for
needing help.
“There are resources
available to you to help deal
with anxiety and depression,
and using those resources can
make a very big difference.
“Anxiety or depression can
also look different in d i ff e re n t
people.
“A lot of people often end
up getting misdiagnosed or
not diagnosed at all, and this is
why reaching out is important
as it can help you get what you
need to cope better,” she said.
Study tips for matrics:
● Plan: Set goals for yourself.
Decide what you want to
achieve and plan towards that.
Create a study timetable to
monitor your studying and
make sure you spend enough
time on each activity.
Make sure you take
adequate breaks in between
each session.
Keep your brain alert by
studying in short intervals and
taking breaks.
● Be prepared: Make sure you
have identified the sections of
your work that require the
most attention, and don’t
neglect the things you think
you know.
Go over your work, even if
you are feeling confident.
If there are things you do
not understand, ask a teacher
or someone you know who will
be able to help you.
● Create a healthy study
space: Have a dedicated study
space that is clean, organised
and well lit.
This can be a desk in your
room, at the local library or
even a space at a relative’s
house. Use a chair that
supports your back and avoid
lying on your bed.
It’s important not to have
distractions, such as TV or
background music.
● Eat well: Diet plays an
important role in certain brain
functions such as
concentration and memory.
Consuming small, frequent
meals will keep your energy
levels up, and drinking plenty
of water will prevent you from
feeling sluggish.
Avoid sugar, caffeine and
junk food and stick to healthy
vegetables and keep fruit and
❝
There is nothing wrong with
asking for help
nuts as small snacks.
● Get enough sleep: Make
sure you get enough sleep to
e n s u re your brain functions to
the best of its ability.
Staying up all night to cram
leads to anxiety and
consequently not writing at
your best.
Getting regular exercise
also ensures your body and
brain are getting plenty of
oxygen.
● Relax: Try not to put too
much pressure on yourself.
Take breaks wherever
n e c e s s a r y.
Make sure you stick to your
plans and timetables to avoid
overworking yourself.