Exam Related Stress

With exam season right around the corner, parents need to tune in to the emotions of their children and be aware of the stress they could potentially feel. Children face pressure from a multitude of different directions in their lives. Beyond their own internal pressure of performing well, they are faced with peer pressure from classmates, pressure from their teachers and also from their family members. This doesn't even take into account the pressure from fellow teammates incase they participate in extracurricular activities. Parents need to recognize these levels of stress and ensure they are kept in check – to stop it from spiralling out of control.

Stress can manifest itself in many forms and as a parent, it is important to look out for them. Here are a few physical and mental manifestations of stress -

1. Feeling confused and having difficulty making decisions. When stress overrides the brain, children find themselves more focussed on their stress and less on the task in front of them. A child's mind, not very different from an adult's, latches on to the predominant feeling overwhelming them. In this case, it is stress that creates a blanket over their minds, creating confusion and preventing other thought.
2. A lack of motivation and an overwhelming sense of defeat. Children tend to sense this when they haven't organized their study material and find themselves hurtling towards exam time. With all their subjects and lessons in front of them suddenly, they feel overwhelmed and overburdened. This in turn, causes stress and reduces their sense of motivation. It is a vicious cycle of underproductivity, as reduced motivation leads to less work and then, more stress. It helps to nip this circle in the bud and help your child get organized when it comes to their studies.
3. Tense muscles, headaches and feeling uneasy or sick. These are physical manifestations of stress, rooted in a mind which is overburdened with stress. The human body reacts to such high levels of stress and manifests in physical symptoms. Rather than focussing on the treatment of these physical reactions, find the root mental and emotional causes and try and ease them. As parents, you are at a place where you can see your child feeling overburdened and can intervene. Create a warm, safe and open situation where it does not have to reach that point in your child's life.