Wellness: SADAG launches Toolkit to help Class of 2025

With prelim exams starting next week and continuing into October, Africa Melane speaks to SADAG about how learners can protect their Mental Health during this stressful time.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You were seven and seas African milanis early breakfast.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Rashne Papa is the project manager for Education at SADAK.
They've just launched a toolkill toolkit rather to help the
class of twenty twenty fives rushnear.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Very good morning and welcome to the show.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
Hi, good morning, Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
What is included in this toolkit?

Speaker 3 (00:25):
So included in the toolkit is a whole lot of
tips and tools on what to do and how to
stay come. We have a whole lot of practical resources
for both learners and parents. It's a simple guide. There's
time management tips, there study tips, there's scoping strategies for stress,

(00:47):
self care checklists, short for deals, expert advice. It's also
links to our twenty four hour helpline. There's things like
the TikTok Thursdays that we're going to be doing. So
there's a whole lot of to cool things that we're
doing for our metrics.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
And I imagine you using those platforms because that's where
this generation is at the moment, right, That's where you're
going to find them on TikTok and such platforms.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Absolutely, that's where we're finding our metrics now, you know,
we used to do things like support groups and we
used to do different other things, but that's where we
are finding our metrics now. We were finding a lot
of our learners and we thought that's the best place
to reach them. And so that's what we are trying
to do, is go where the learners are, go where

(01:35):
the kids are, where the generation is.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Now, I'm desperately trying to remember when the prelims are written.
But it's like your last big exam before obviously the
National Senior Certificate exams. If you are writing for the
Department of Basic Education, are you, as SATX, starting to
see an uptick in the number of calls that you
are receiving through your twenty four hour helpline from matriculent

(02:02):
so I suppose having to ask for help about dealing
with anxiety.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yes, so we do. We do see an uptake now
during this time of the year. So we get a
steady number of calls throughout the year. But this is
the time when the the metriculents start getting a bit
anxious about, you know, writing these exams. It is a
big time the stress of you know, the future and

(02:28):
what's going to happen. So we do see an uptake
in calls from matriculents at this time of the year.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Yes, what can the parents do? Rushanie?

Speaker 2 (02:36):
I suppose on the one hand, we need to identify
that your child is going through anxiety and hopefully seek
help where necessary. But when there are then in a
state of anxiety, what can what can the parents do
to help?

Speaker 3 (02:52):
So I think number one, parents need to identify what
the signs are. Number one, you need to know what
to look out for. And once you can identify those times,
that's when you can actually help your children. And parents
know their kid's best. So you need to look out
for little changes which are often the signs. So look
out for things like struggling to sleep, changes in their appetite,

(03:16):
Are they being more irritable or emotional? Are they suddenly
losing that motivation because it is a very stressful time.
If your child is saying things like I can't do this,
it's usually usually a signal that they need some extra
support and they need that encouragement. And I think as
a parent that's what you need to do. Just give
them that extra support, give them that extra encouragement, and

(03:40):
just let them know that you can actually do this.
Just remember that, you know, it brings a lot of pressure.
SAMs bring a lot of pressure and they struggle with
that that stress and their anxiety, and sometimes they even
burn out and then they end up running on very
little sleep. They're constantly worrying about their marks. And you know,
so just give and that extra support and their encouragement.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
And I suppose equally the learners must if they I
don't know, seeing a difference in mood in they fatigued
all the time, all those kind of things, they must
actually reach out to their parents ultimately to sadak if
they wish and say I think I need help.

Speaker 3 (04:23):
Absolutely, and you know for learners as well, you know,
if they are overwhelmed, I think they need to just
remember they just stop, stop and grieve. Anxiety is It's
not a sign of any you know, failure. It's just
your body getting ready for this big exam and anxiety

(04:44):
is normal. Just stop. Please remember that seek is there
for you. Reach out to your parents, let them know
how you are feeling, or reach out to a trusted erb.
Lots of children don't want to speak to their parents.
They stay is someone that you can trust, speak to
someone that you can trust. But just remember that at
this time of the year, anxiety is so normal. It's

(05:04):
okay to feel like this. But just stopping to breathe
is it's something that you should do. Just it's your
body getting ready to for this really big exam, for
this really big paper. It's very stressful, it's very overwhelming,
and it's okay to feel like this. There's so many
things on those tips in tools and especially on our

(05:26):
TikTok Thursday that we discussed about how to just get
through it. Even while you are writing that paper, you know,
things like just stopping and breathing, and you know, focusing
on small things while you are writing that paper. Don't
look at the whole paper. And that's what our learners
often do in our matriculents. They look at the entire paper,

(05:46):
and you know, it's a tip, like, you know, focusing
on a small chunk of the paper instead of the
whole paper will be less overwhelming and will help with
their anxiety.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
How do they mind? The toolkit? Our learners and their parents.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
So our website www dot sedg dot org, or you
can reach out to us on eight hundred five sixty
seven five sixty seven and that's where you will find
our counselors. It's so important to remember that our counselors
and our website, our popline is available twenty four seven,
three hundred and sixty five. So if you are studying
at two o'clock in the morning, which you should not

(06:27):
be doing, but if you are and you are starting
to feel anxious, the councilors are available at that time
as well. But www dot CG dot org that's where
our toolkit is available.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
You are discouraging of learners studying at two o'clock in
the morning. Some would say during the dates to distracting,
and therefore they prefer the peace and requiet of the night.
Why would you discourage them from studying at two o'clock
in the morning.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
So, if you are studying at two o'clock in the
morning and you've had enough sleep during the day, that's fine.
But sleep is so integral to making sure that your
body has enough fuel for the next day when you
are writing that paper. So you've slept during the day
and you've had that enough sleep during the day, and
you have enough fuel for your brain to be able
to write that paper, that's fine. So I myself was

(07:19):
someone that was able to study late at night. But
if you are someone that studied throughout the day in
the national studying lots of children's cram just before the
paper and haven't studied before, if you are someone that
has had a study timetable, and if you've been studying consistently,
and that's okay, but sleep is so important. So if

(07:40):
you are someone that is now suddenly just decided to
study just before the paper, then we advise against it.

Speaker 2 (07:47):
Russianie, thank you very much indeed for your time this morning.
Russiani Papusita is the project manager for education at SADAG,
which is the South African Depression and Anxiety Group. Once again,
you can go to their website SADAG dot org to
find out more about the toolkit and the work that
this incredible organization does. Otherwise, you can call the twenty

(08:10):
four hour hotline number oh eight hundred five sixty seven
five six seven