CHENNAI: For a majority of students, exams are a hassle. They are prone to anxiety and stress. With the introduction of public exams for classes 5 and 8, students are already feeling the pressure. The increasing competition among students, cramming loads of study material, remembering that information and fearing about evaluation and comparisons lead to nervousness.
“What is stress and how do I overcome it?” This is a common question that comes to everyone’s mind. To begin with, stress in the right amount, can give us the drive to achieve goals. However, when the amount of stress, as well as the way it is approached, goes haywire, a problem arises. The mind develops anxiety, leading to irritability, anger outbursts and inability to concentrate.
However, there are certain warning signs that students need to beware of, which indicate that the stress level has hit the danger zone.
Disturbance in sleep: The first biological process to go awry is the sleep cycle. Many develop difficulty in initiating and/or sustaining sleep. Some children, despite having sufficient quantity of sleep, can still wake up tired. This causes fatigue, unexplained muscle pain and body ache.
Loss of appetite: Increasing stress level is often associated with a loss in appetite. When combined with fatigue, it worsens the problem. As the brain is not at its best, it can lead to forgetfulness and thereby cause further panic.
Headache and giddiness accompany and further worsen the already tired brain.
Loss of interest in activities: As the mind becomes weak, so does the body; thereby resulting in loss of interest in doing any activity that he/she was interested in earlier.
Keep a check on stress
Acknowledge the stress: The first and foremost step is to understand and accept that one is stressing out. Only when one does so, can he/she find a solution. Talking to a close friend or relative will help relieve the huge burden off of one’s shoulders. Another advantage of venting out worries is that it helps one get a different perspective to the situation.
Eat properly: One must maintain a good diet to keep stress levels under check. A proper combination of fruits and vegetables is a must in the diet. Only if the diet is taken care of, can the brain have the energy and stamina to sustain all the necessary information that it is being loaded with.
Get enough sleep: The body needs sufficient sleep of eight hours to rejuvenate itself and help give one a fresh start to the day. Compromising on sleep will lead to poor performance on the next day.
Exercise: It is one of the best methods to de-stress. When a person exercises, chemicals called endorphins are released. These endorphins interact with brain receptors and cause marked reduction in the stress levels.
Accept yourself: Every person is gifted and unique with different talents and abilities. Accept yourself and avoid comparisons with fellow students. Rather than trying to get in a certain number of revisions before the exam, concentrate on the quality of the effort that has been put in each of those revisions.
Prepare to relax
On the day before the examination, plan ahead by packing all necessary stationery to ensure there are no last-minute hassles.
On the night before the examination, sleep early.
In the exam hall, take a few deep breaths and meditate before starting to write. Breathing right helps one recall that one has learned.
After the exam, try to avoid looking through study material for answers as this can cause unnecessary anxiety.
The writer is a consultant psychiatrist at Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai