Mental Health Charity Turn2Me Publishes 7 tips on dealing with exam stress

tuRN2ME, a national mental health charity, has published 7 tips on dealing with exam stress, on its website, ahead of the upcoming Leaving Cert. the charity said that these last few days before the leaving cert are crucial for students to prepare to perform to the best of their abilities but emphasised that this can only be done when they also take care of their mental health.

“When you don’t take care of your mental health as you prepare for a stressful period, it’s like trying to start a car without fuel,” Fiona o’Malley,

CEo of turn2Me said, “Good mental health practices and good study practices need to work in tandem, hand-in-glove. Procrastinating is no good and pushing yourself to breaking point is no good either. Students need to use the time they have left before the Leaving Cert wisely, and this means incorporating good mental health practices into their study routine.” turn2Me’s 7 tips on dealing with exam stress include:

1.—Create a study timetable and stick to it. things seem less daunt- ing when you have a plan in place. Failing to plan is planning to fail.

2.—take regular breaks. the brain works better when you take a five-minute break every hour, and you also retain more information.

3.—Write revision notes and flashcards.

4.—Stay hydrated and eat healthy foods.

5.—Deep breathing. Inhale for a count of 2-4 seconds, hold for 4-6 seconds, and exhale for 4-6 seconds. Find a combination that works for you but try to exhale longer than you inhale.

6.—Go for a jog or a walk in the morning to wake the body and mind up. Do yoga or stretching in the evenings to improve sleep quality.

7.—Students and parents who are feeling overwhelmed or stressed about the Leaving Cert should join the turn2Me free online support groups. the turn2Me Leaving Cert Students support group will run on Wednesdays at 6pm, and the turn2Me Leaving Cert Parents support group will run on thursdays at 6pm. to sign up, go to turn2Me.ie

Louth County Council appoints contractor for new housing scheme in Muirhevnamor

THe development of 11 new homes in Dundalk took a significant step forward this week as Louth County Council welcomed the appointment of CJ Callan as contractor for the Muirhevnamor Infill Housing project.

The scheme will include the development of 11 new residential homes completed under the ‘Muirhevnamor Infill’ Housing Project by Louth County Council’s Housing Capital section under the Government’s ‘Housing For All’ plan.

It will comprise of 11 housing units, including a one-bedroom bungalow, 3 two-bedroom bungalows and 7 two storey three-bedroom houses.

One of the bungalows was designed with input from a HSe Occupational Therapist (O/T) report detailing specific needs of a local family.

All 11 new units will have a BeR A energy rating, with additional benefits to tenants in- cluding a heat pump system. These measures will lead to reduced energy costs for tenants at this new Muirhevnamor development.

The three proposed infill sites located in the Muirhevnamor estate, north of Tom Bellew Avenue, are located on undeveloped land with a mixture of grass and hard surfacing. The three sites extend to a total area of c. 0.35783 Ha.

Following the completion of the tender process, the construction team led by C.J Callan Construction Ltd, Ardee, were appointed to the project.

Work on the scheme is set to get underway in July 2023, with an estimated completion date in September 2024.

Louth County Council Chief executive, Joan Martin, welcomed the appointment of the Contractor – CJ Callans, saying: “We in Louth County Council are delighted to see the commencement of this infill housing scheme and having worked with these Contractors on previous schemes I am confident that the houses will be delivered in a timely fashion.”

Director of Services, Paddy Donnelly, said:

“The construction of this new social housing scheme in Muirhevnamor will help towards delivering the targets set under Louth County Council Housing Delivery Action Plan (2022-2026) as per the Governments ‘Housing For All’ strategic plan.”