By SHANNON SKAE, health and life coach at Revive with Shan We all go through different life events and new experiences, such as changing schools, moving to a new city, changing jobs, possibly moving countries, and changing lifestyles. This can all be frightening because it is unknown. Changes in our circumstances can bring about anxiety because we must start all over again and move away from our comfort zone, especially if the change is out of our control. This can also possibly cause feelings of disempowerment or loss. We are naturally wired to fear change as humans. We prefer routine…
Author: Nyx Mclean
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By SHANNON SKAE, health and life coach at Revive with Shan Health and life coaching and therapy such as that found with a psychologist or a psychiatrist are both beneficial forms of treatment, but they do differ. Psychology and psychiatry are recognised forms of therapy, and many people are comfortable with seeking this kind of therapy. In contrast, health and life coaching are very new, up-and-coming professions, which may make people nervous to try them out. There are, however, many benefits to seeing a health and/or life coach. This is because a health and/or life coach can help you with: …
By ROD AMNER and NYX MCLEAN We have been quiet on the editorial front, not because we haven’t had much to say but simply because A LOT is going on. If it is not our teaching responsibilities, it is mentoring our students through some recent challenging experiences, or it is this: Grocott’s Mail is taking over Cue for the National Arts Festival! This is very exciting for us as editors, even if it is a little wild and has us checking whether we can increase our coffee budget over the next few weeks. We know that there is going to be very…
By SHANNON SKAE, health and life coach at Revive with Shan The age-old sayings everyone seems to use when someone is down or upset are “chin up,” “think positively,” “just get on with it,” or “just keep pushing through”. This article is about establishing whether thinking positively is helpful or whether it just makes someone who is depressed or sad feel even more demotivated. Put it this way: if you see the glass as half empty instead of half full, then maybe this article is for you. What is positive thinking? This is where a person thinks from a positive perspective,…
By SHANNON SKAE, Health and life coach at Revive with Shan Many of us will have to endure the ending of a romantic relationship, a breaking up of something that once brought us joy. This article is my guide on how to get over it. It is not a perfect plan, and to be honest, I am busy making my way through this experience, going through the ending of a “situationship.” I have not quite figured out the process myself, but this is my attempt to help others to hopefully not feel so alone. Let us admit this upfront; breakups…
By NYX MCLEAN The South African Weather Service has issued a warning for level 5 disruptive rain from Friday, 20 May. Potential impacts as identified by the warning include: “Flooding of roads, formal/informal settlements, low-lying bridges and areas, and infrastructure is expected. Disruptions to traffic and municipal services can be expected. Dangerous driving conditions are possible.” Affected areas include Makana and Ndlambe, Buffalo City, Blue Crane Route, Enoch Magijima (Tarkastad specifically), Inxuba Yethemba, Ngqushwa, and Raymond Mhlaba (Adelaide and Fort Beaufort). The South African Weather Service has instructed the following: “Listen for regular weather updates via radio and social media.…
By SHANNON SKAE, Health and life coach at Revive with Shan Loss comes in many shapes and forms. Loss can be the ending of a close friendship, the death of a loved one, the end of a romantic relationship, the death of a beloved pet, changing jobs, leaving your home to move to a new place, and even the loss of freedom of movement we experienced due to COVID-19. Loss can be gradual, or loss can be sudden. Grief is what follows loss. The ball and box analogy best explains grief. The ball and box analogy on coping with grief.…
By NYX MCLEAN As the editors of Grocott’s Mail, Rod Amner and I have previously written about the rich flow of information sharing and action-oriented discussion in several neighbourhood- and ward-based WhatsApp groups. But while Wards 4 and 8 were abuzz, we struggled to hear voices from other parts of the city. To fill these gaps, we asked all 14 ward councillors if they had WhatsApp or other social media groups where they were in conversation with their constituents. We received no response except from ward 14, who added us to a stakeholder group. We have made calls for councillors…
By SHANNON SKAE, health and life coach at Revive with Shan I recently had a conversation with a client of mine about the state of Makhanda. We spoke of how if the world were ever to fall into an apocalyptic state, nothing would really change here. That sounds bleak, but there is already no water on most days, intermittent electricity, potholes the size of small craters, and an environment that begs us to be adaptive, patient, and resilient. Our environment has a significant impact on our mental health. The weather itself affects our mental health. Makhanda does have beautiful weather…
By LIKHAPHA THAATHAAStudying in South Africa presents international students with exciting opportunities; however, the excitement comes with challenges. These challenges include stressing about admission, scholarships, and, above all, preparing to get a visa. In 2018, I received a full scholarship from Lesotho’s government, so I set off to study in South Africa for the first time. In 2020, I obtained a BA in Journalism at the University of the Free State. I was accepted into the Honours programme, but I did not have the funding – nor did my parents – to pay for my university fees. I, sadly, had…