Experts suggest ways to beat exam stress

| | NEW DELHI
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Experts suggest ways to beat exam stress

Monday, 11 February 2019 | SUGANDHA | NEW DELHI

Some are facing disturbed sleeping patterns while some have lost appetite. The Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) exams commonly known as “The Boards” are yet to come but the stress for students seems to have already arrived as some students have started approaching counsellors. Amid this, experts suggest ways to minimise stress.

Guneet Kaur, one of the 12th Board aspirants, said she has difficulties falling asleep these days due to the thought of waking up early the next morning.

“I am so anxious these days. I sleep late at night because I have to study and then I wake up early because then again I have to study. Sometimes, I have difficulties falling asleep,” she said.

According to Dr Roma Kumar, Psychologist, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), there are various ways in which a stress disorder can be identified in a student.

“If a student becomes forgetful, it translates into panic attacks. The concentration power diminishes and there is loss of sleep and appetite. Strangely, sometimes a student starts eating more than his or her appetite,” she said.

Dr Roma told The Pioneer about two students she has been counselling one of whom had refused to give the exams.

“I remember, a 12th standard student came to me with his parents telling that he wants to drop because he cannot study and cannot concentrate. He was quite anxious,” she said.

The student was put on some medications and was counselled by her after which he has accepted to appear for the exams this year, she added.

In another incident, an otherwise normal girl stopped eating due to anxiety. The girl was also counselled by her.

As per the expert, the main reason behind the stress that most of the students go through is the last minute preparation.

“Last minute preparation is always dangerous. When you study something, it goes into your short term memory and then as you keep on revising, it becomes a part of your long term memory. So, you can’t expect to remember something if you read it only once,” she said. The problem is same with Guneet Kaur. “I am stressed because my syllabus isn’t complete yet. I am worried if I will be able to complete it in time,” she said.

Also, she gets no time for herself as she has several coaching classes to attend, she said.

But in her case, she is not seeing any counsellor as her parents are being supportive and taking care of her diet.

Parents play a pivotal role in either alleviating or aggravating the situation, said Dr Kumar.

“Peer pressure is there. Sometimes, parents start comparing their children with others and have unrealistic expectations from a child. They also threaten the children which aggravates stress,” she said.

She suggested parents to refrain from such activities.

Amidst this, a balanced diet can be helpful in beating the stress, she added.

“Students should take breaks while studying. They should also take a balanced diet and keep themselves hydrated,” said Dr Roma Kumar.

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