Exam Stress: A Serious Mental Health Concern

Boards are around the corner. In this session of Health Talks Dr. Aruna Broota, Clinical Psychologist, will tell you why exam pressure and anxiety should not be taken lightly. What role can parents play in reducing stress? Why are all-nighters before exams a bad move? And tips to cope with exam jitters, all that and more packed in this episode of Health Talks.

With the crazy stress levels exam jitters and nervousness is something that many students face, when should it become alarming?

One should not wait for the alarm to switch on because once you understand the nature and the temperament of your all family members then whosoever is quick in getting anxiety should be considered for psychotherapy and counseling sessions because thoughts of a person cannot be changed overnight. It is a complete process to develop people's personality. It takes time to teach them how to stay calm with a lot of techniques to convert negativity into positivity. So, one should not wait for the word alarm. 

How can students cope with the stress they are subjected to?

From the very beginning of an academic year workshops should be conducted so that students can get enough time to think about their future goals, priority and time management accordingly. There are two common reactions to stress- flight or fright. Flight is when the student tries to run away from the situation without giving a thought to exams or achievements. Whereas, fright is the fear of exam which does not allow the student to study. To avoid such a situation parents should encourage students to think about time management from the staring itself. 

How does peer competition affect stress levels?

Peers are very important irrespective of age. For kids, it is their world in which peers are very important. The issue is what kind of peers they want to be with and what kind of pressure and demands the peers give. It also depends on the child that what amount of pressure the chi9ld id willing to take from the peers.

Parents today are more worried about the marks of their kids than their mental fitness. So what is the right way parents should handle this situation?

In our country, people often neglect mental health. When parents only talk about the score the child becomes irritated. Parents should let the child be themselves and develop their own interest in studies. Parents should let the child acquire knowledge. Due to parental pressure during exams, many students suffer from depression. One should think about how to study and how to love or appreciate our study instead of marks.

Many students end up consuming pills and coffee during exams to stay up till late. Does it make the situation better or worse?

It makes the situation worse. Children go to doctors for anti-sleeping medicines. Girls use anti-menstruation medicine to delay their monthly cycle. This is very harmful. Other coping methods like playing sports should be adopted.

What are some key things that can help the students right before the exam?

Students should sleep properly right before the exam day. Students should read the whole question paper before and take a deep breath. Then they should pick up the easiest questions first. 

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