Life skills you need after school

Leaving school can be a daunting experience for most matriculants, especially if they have no life skills and do not know how to budget or manage their time.

Business coach in Secunda, Antoinette Venter, who also offers a Life Launch Academy online course, offered some life skills pointers.

Venter said youngsters need real-world skills when they finish school.

“These are not things you usually learn in the classroom, but are super important for your future success,” said Venter.

She said to manage your time effectively, you need to know your best working hours.

“Figure out when you are most alert and productive.

“Use these hours for your hardest tasks and save the easier stuff for when you are less energetic.
“Handle the big or difficult tasks first.

“Do important things early in the day when your mind is fresh and leave the simpler tasks for later.
“Group similar tasks by putting similar activities together.

“Answer all your emails at once instead of checking them all day.”

Venter also suggested that youngsters deal with phone distractions and control how much time they spend on their phones.

“Try turning off notifications when you need to focus.”

Venter said that to budget better, school leavers should save without thinking about it.

“Set up automatic transfers to your savings account each month.

“Plan for uncertain income by budgeting when you are not sure exactly how much money you will make each month.

“Budget on the lowest possible income and save more in the months when you earn more.”

Venter advised young people to keep some money aside for emergencies and to make a habit of this.
Esmé Oosthuizen, teacher at Hoërskool Secunda, said time management is an essential skill for youngsters finished with school.

“All of a sudden, young adults have to plan trips to and from work or campus they do not necessarily have transport like when they were still in school,” said Oosthuizen.

“New routes have to be explored, budget-friendly options have to be considered and planning to be on time can be a challenge.

“The employer may not be forgiving when you are late for class or work.”

Oosthuizen believes it can also be easy for school leavers to procrastinate because they do not feel pressured by teachers or parents who constantly remind them of deadlines.

She reminded youngsters to also plan for unforeseen things such as power cuts and internet interruptions and also for essential tasks such as doing their laundry.

She said with time management also comes the responsibility of planning for meals, preparation times and shopping times.

Oosthuizen thinks it is of the utmost importance that students and young adults take good care of themselves in general and their bodies.

“They should ensure they get enough sleep, rest enough, exercise enough and not only focus on being social and partying.

“It comes with a responsibility to be alert, awake and function optimally when at work or class at university,” concluded Oosthuizen.

Social worker at Famsa, Marcelle Victor, said self-care is important and can be divided into four parts, which are mind, body, emotions and spirit.

Victor said one’s daily activities can be divided into nurturing activities and depleting activities.

“Nurturing activities cheer you up, give you energy, improve your well-being and help to better manage stress, while depleting activities sap your energy, increase your stress levels and take away from your happiness,” said Victor.

Activities that Famsa considers to be nurturing activities include eating healthy, regular meals, engaging in hobbies, getting enough sleep and spending quality time with friends.

Activities that Famsa considers to be depleting activities include repetitive work-related tasks, taking care of others, dwelling on the past and reading the news.

Nadine Dunn, family therapist and trauma counsellor in Secunda, said the habit of self-care can make a difference in managing a person’s stress as a young adult.

“Self-care is intentional steps to maintain and improve your emotional, mental, physical, and general well-being,” said Dunn.

“The focus should be on building healthy habits that can persist throughout life to improve your quality of life.”
Balanced self-care activities can include physical self-care, emotional self-care, mental self-care and taking care of yourself mentally.

“Emotional awareness and managing your emotions by practising mindfulness, healthy stress management and emotional regulation techniques, and seeking support when needed is important.

“As part of mental self-care, stimulate your mind with new experiences by learning new skills and practising a hobby.

“As part of taking care of yourself socially, maintain and build healthy relationships with friends and develop a supporting community.

“As part of spiritual self-care, connect with a sense of purpose and values through prayer, reflection or practising gratitude.”

Dunn suggested the books, ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, ‘The Power of Now’, by Echart Tolle and ‘Make Your Bed’ by Admiral William H. McRaven to help with self-management.

She said there are several apps available, including Headspace, Moodpath, Habitica and Neurocyle to help with time management and being organised.

“Self-care is a crucial life skill for young adults to develop because it lays the critical foundation for a balanced and successful life,” concluded Dunn.