BUILDING character

HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT ONLY ABOUT ACADEMICS AND SPORTS – IT’S ALSO ABOUT PREPARING YOUNG MEN TO BE EMOTIONALLY MATURE TO FACE THE WORLD, WRITES PAUL VILJOEN, HEADMASTER AT NORTHWOOD SCHOOL for the help they so desperately required. Despite the uptick in depression among teens generally, a recent international study found that only one third of boys aged 12 to 17 sought help for depression in the last year, compared with 45% of girls.

It has become clear to us as a school that intervention and a strong psychological support structure are needed if we are to send well-rounded and emotionally healthy young men into the world. Crucially we have taken steps to destigmatise mental health. To help boys process emotions in a productive way, our school needed to destigmatise mental health challenges generally, enabling boys to feel that it’s a little easier to talk about their feelings.

Creating an empathetic school culture can help boys learn to listen and to share and also allows them to feel safe and supported in the navigation of their high school career.

Having the necessary experts work with our boys – we employ a full-time education psychologist and a school counsellor – ensures that boys get the help they need. In fact, I am of the opinion that these individuals play as important a role in a school as the math and science teachers.

Giving boys the freedom to express their feelings, allowing them to connect with each other around sensitive topics, and positively reinforcing the strides they make, all adds to the development of a strong character, but also establishes a sensitivity for the mental battle people face. Caring and being sensitive is certainly not a sign of weakness. In fact, these are character traits we need much more of in this crazy, somewhat broken world of ours.

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It doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, it’s never too late to start working out. Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health and well-being, and choosing the correct activewear is beneficial for your workout journey.

ChristyAnn.Fit is passionate about keeping fit and healthy, and has developed her own range of activewear that’s not only stylish to look at, but has been designed to be comfortable, supportive and offers quality – everything a woman needs to get in shape.

With all the different options on the market today, it can be difficult to know where to start. Don’t worry. Here are five pointers to consider.

1. The fabric: Choosing the right fabric is essential for your exercises as not all workout gear is the same.

Low-quality items often end up overheating your body as they are not designed to handle intense sweat sessions and hold in all the moisture, making you feel uncomfortable.

If you tend to have intense sweat sessions or do workout sessions outdoors, opt for fabrics that pull moisture away from your skin so that the sweat can evaporate, which in turn will help keep your body temperature down.

2. Form and fit: If your clothes are too tight or too baggy, then you probably will not end up wearing them and may even lose motivation to work out.

While the clothes you choose will depend on the type of sessions you do, we all know the importance of a good sports bra. You are going to want to ditch that strappy top if you’re doing high impact workouts, like HIIT, and choose something that not only allows a full range of motion, but also “holds” everything in place.

3. Think about flexibility: Workout gear is meant to be comfortable for a full range of motions as well as to support your body. Think about the movements you will do –it is not just the fabric, but also the fit that allows you to move so easily.

For leg workouts or cardio, shorts are great, and for yoga, leggings are often a popular choice. For leggings, I recommend doing a squat test to check out the quality. If you can squat comfortably and the leggings don’t become see-through or expose your bottom, you have yourself a winner.

Make sure you feel comfortable enough to move freely without feeling restricted. They should not be too tight or loose, but should rather fit snugly without bunching up at the bottom or falling down.

In addition, leggings are comfortable and versatile, and provide the right level of support and coverage.

When choosing leggings, it is important to find a style that flatters your figure. One of our best-selling styles – the ombre range – has been designed with a high waistband to offer you a flattering and comfortable fit. The quality fabric is thick and soft to the touch, and has a supportive but luxurious feel, making them perfect for a workout or even for running errands.

4. Quality is more important when choosing the right leggings: Quality is key when shopping for leggings. It is important to find a pair that fits well, feels comfortable, and looks good. If you’re looking for something that will last longer than just one season, it might be worth considering buying a pair that has been made from durable, quality material.

5. You need to feel good: One of the most important things when working out is that you need to feel good in your activewear. For some of us, looking good makes us feel good.

I started my activewear range for women to be motivated to work out, and to feel and look good in their activewear.

From a range of high-quality activewear legging sets with highsupport sports bras, trendy active shorts for hot summer days, to swimwear – we have you covered with a vast selection to choose from.*

FOR MORE INFO www.christyann.fit/collections/activewear www.christyann.fit/collections/subscriptions

Fear and anxiety are adaptive and developmentally appropriate emotional responses to actual and perceived threats, and are vital for our survival.

Children and adolescents may experience fear and anxiety in response to certain situations, objects, and/or events. Many of these fears are developmentally or age appropriate, eg, children aged four to six may be fearful of the dark or adolescents may be fearful of social exclusion and fitting in.

However, anxiety, which is an emotional response to thoughts of perceived or impending danger or threats, can result in excessive or irrational fears, and can lead to the development of an anxiety disorder – which can significantly impair one’s daily functioning. Early identification and intervention is imperative for children and adolescents who experience overwhelming anxiety. Most, if not all, mental health challenges begin with anxiety.

Anxiety presents differently for each individual, but there are some similarities or common