How to Reduce Stress during exams – Some important Tips

If your child is under stress during the exam period, here are some important tips on how to reduce stress in your child. Read these tips carefully and try to implement them.

Stress during the exam period is a growing concern among many students across the country. Academic pressure and the desire to do better in exams affect millions of youngsters every year, whether he or she is a student of primary school to senior high school. The frequency of exam-related depression, anxiety, and stress is on the rise; therefore, it’s imperative to raise awareness among parents, educators, and students. Support from fellow students and parental participation are essential for managing academic stress. Let’s look at some important tips and strategies that can help students avoid academic stress and do well on tests.

Stress during Exams days

In India, exams are a sort of celebration that takes place twice a year. In order to prepare well and achieve good scores, students and their parents go through an atmosphere of nervousness and stress. No student, from elementary and junior to senior classes, primarily in grades 10 and 12, has ever been freed from the torment of tests. Exam tension and worry are caused by a specific kind of exam phobia, which inhibits students from concentrating on their academics. In such circumstances, rather than imposing strain on and criticizing the child, it is the responsibility of the parents and teachers to motivate them morally and give them confidence in themselves. Children who get positive reinforcement are more likely to remain calm and concentrate effectively in class.

Causes of stress during exams

The main reason for inadequate academic performance is exam stress. Students’ productivity gets hindered, their confidence decreases, and their mental health is harmed. In order to prevent them and enable children to reach their maximum potential, students, teachers, and parents must be fully aware of all of these variables.

1. Inadequate study habits spurred on by overloaded exam preparation.
2. Studying takes a lot of time if one fails to be aware of the right methods.
3. Undue pressure from parents to perform well on tests.
4. Fear of classmates’ competitive edge and comparison.
5. Unable to learn some complicated or subjects that are difficult.
6. Putting much greater importance on grades than on knowledge in general.
7. There are high expectations for the teacher’s performance.

Consequences of exam stress

Stress related to exams significantly impedes learning. Stress can cause mental and physical anguish in children, even if they have enough time and materials to study. Students get restless and unproductive as a result of it. Students might suffer from the following signs when they are under academic pressure:

1. The retention capacity becomes unstable as a result of lowered focus.
2. It also causes fatigue and appetite loss.
3. The body feels lethargic because stress and anxiety absorb all of its dynamism.
4. It causes insomnia and leads to irritability and poor retention capacity.
5. Students often worry more, and in the worst circumstances, they could experience sadness.

Important Tips to Study and Reduce Stress

1. Time management—Exercise is just as important as academics. All of your tasks related to development should be scheduled and given adequate time. Make time for your studies. Assign time according to the difficulty level of the subjects and topics.
2. Set realistic goals—students are restricted to study a certain amount each day, and they must avoid going beyond. Decide when you can devote all of your focus to studying. Don’t seek for too high of an outcome because you could end up stressing yourself out. Unless you have the courage to run, take it one step at a time.
3. Priority list—Certain complex topics may be experienced by students, while others may be easy or moderately difficult. Concentrate well on less complicated topics and complete them as quickly as you can. Allocate time for difficult topics and seek guidance from educators. Another efficient study strategy is to alternate between easier and more difficult subjects; this will help you stay inspired as well as brighten up your ideas.
4. Plan a timetable—Throughout the academic year, not only during exam season, students should create and follow a course of action. The secret for improved performance is nicely organized research.
5. Continuous studies—The vast majority of students start their preparation at the last minute, right before tests, and avoid studying over the school year. They feel overburdened by the syllabus, which is the primary cause of their stress. As a result, students must complete their lectures on time and study consistently throughout their sessions.
6. Make notes—Taking notes is essential since it improves the ability of students to retain information. Write down the lessons you’ve learned in your own words, underline terms that help clarify a subject, and use flowcharts or diagrams to help you remember them.
7. Revise your lessons—it helps transfer information from perceptual to short-term to long-term memory, therefore there is little use in studying if you are not editing your notes.

Stress management techniques 

Stress has a big effect on health; therefore, students should concentrate on eating well and creating productive habits to lower or manage their stress levels.

1. Perform deep breathing exercises whenever you feel stressed or anxious.
2. Consume nutritious meals that are prepared at home. Maintaining the hormonal balance and giving the body all the nutrients it needs are two benefits of eating a well-balanced diet.
3. Drink an adequate amount of water regularly.
4. Going out for a walk and exercising promote calmness and enhance both mental and physical health.
5. Maintain a regular sleep routine. Avoid using your mobile device right before bedtime because it affects your sleep.
6. A hormonal imbalance that results in mood swings can be caused by stress eating, spicy food, and fast food.
7. Focus on self-motivation, maintain a positive environment, and study regularly.

Conclusion

Your child’s academic performance might be significantly impacted by exam stress. A child’s confidence can be greatly increased by parental involvement as well as encouragement from peers and teachers.

Exams can be stressful, but students can effectively manage and even minimize the stress if they use the appropriate techniques. They can improve their focus and performance by adhering to a well-organized study schedule, using relaxation techniques, obtaining adequate sleep, and engaging in physical activity. Recall that self-care and a positive attitude are equally as crucial as attentiveness. Exams should be seen as a chance to express their expertise, not something to be feared. Students have got this, so keep yourself cool, be organized, and have faith in yourself.