Rachelle IssaMatric and head of Peer Guides Ah! Term 1 is finally drawing to close and now it’s time to spend 12 days working hard 24/7 to stay ahead of the...wait..no that’s not right. Hold on, yes I’ve got it! It’s time to spend 12 days regenerating your strength and to also take some time to lower your stress levels that have risen over the term. And sprinkle in some relaxation into the mix. As individuals, we should all be so proud of ourselves. Grade 8’s, you made it through your first term of high school. Isn’t that exciting? And Matrics, we have just completed the first term of our last year of high school. I’m not sure if that’s exciting or totally terrifying. And this does not exclude the Grade 9’s, 10’s or 11’s either. Everyone has worked hard this term and deserves the break ahead.
I know that just because it’s the holidays, that doesn't mean the workload has suddenly been lifted, we all know that it’s still there. I’ve heard people saying how their holiday doesn’t exist and all they are going to be doing is working and studying the whole holidays and do nothing else. And this just shocks me. Is this how people think? Do high school students really put that much pressure on themselves? It’s crazy to think that. And I’m here to say, in spirit, that it really doesn’t have to be that way at all. I’m not going to be the person to tell you to do no work in the holidays, but I am going to be the person to tell you to not push yourself to a breaking point. That is counter productive and can take a huge toll on your mental and physical state. Obviously working a day or two here and there is totally fine and may reduce your stress next term by getting a jump start on assignments. But the key here is to ensure that there is some balance. We need to focus on getting ourselves back to mental and physical health. This is the most important thing before anything else these holidays. Use this time to relax, and by relaxing I don’t mean having to sit at home and do nothing at all. Everyone relaxes in their own way. Whether it be going to the beach, hanging out with friends or even doing some yoga. Find your way of relaxation and make a point of doing it. Also remember to take some time for yourself to destress and help yourself ease into a good space that you may not have been in throughout Term 1. There is plenty of time to work during the term, but think about this, how much time do we set aside for ourselves to just take a breath and remind ourselves it’s okay. We spend more time beating ourselves up about a bad mark than being positive towards ourselves. You have one body, and that body is your temple and you need to respect it and listen to it. If you’re tired, then sleep, don’t push yourself to work until the early hours of the morning, if you’re struggling to keep up with the work, don’t hate yourself, don’t take it out on yourself, ask people for help. There are so many things to de done to relax and get rid of the stress that loads up on our backs. If you have to take 1 thing out of what I’ve said, please let it be this, you deserve a break, you deserve to rest and stop putting so much pressure on yourself. You will get there if you work smart and listen to what your body needs and what you need emotionally. As I’ve previously said, there is nothing more important than your mental health. And although it’s only 12 days of holidays, plan your time wisely. I hope you have taken some of this in and I also hope to see everyone back next term feeling destressed and in a good mental state, ready to take on Term 2. Have a fabulously relaxed holiday everyone!
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Peer GuidesGrade 11 and 12 learners trained by the counselling department in basic peer counselling Archives
February 2019
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