Exam stress | What do Parents and Children do?

Good grades and enrollment in reputable educational institutions make children sick internally

Like most girls, 14-year-old Amna also dreamed of becoming a doctor. Several days later, when she went to visit her house, she weighed several kilos, her face was downcast and her eyes were feeling lifeless.

Her mother said that Amna had worsened her condition by reading the board papers day and night.

As the paper ran out, his condition was such that everyone had been cut off, and after the paper ran out, he was afraid of the consequences, lest the 'nose of friends' be cut, as well as the fear that the number would be cut. If I come less, I will not be able to become a doctor. It is not just a matter of one girl but millions of children are constantly under stress due to the educational environment and unreasonable expectations.

Due to good marks, grades, and admission to famous educational institutions, they get sick internally, then the same weakness is later suffered by the children in the form of various physical ailments. If your children are also in this situation, then this is the right time for you to immediately work to protect them from future mental and physical illnesses.

Symptoms of Exam stress

If some or all of these symptoms persist for a long time, it means your child may be experiencing test stress:

• To be very upset

• Feeling stressed

• Headache and muscle aches

• Don't look right

• Irritability

• Eating too little or too much

• Don't even enjoy your favorite activities

• Feeling negative and low energy mood

• Disappointment with the future

Reasons for exam stress

There can be various reasons for this such as:

• Poor lifestyle affects the health of the child such as not getting proper rest, poor diet, lack of physical activity. 

• Not making proper use of time for exams (time management) such as not making a study schedule in advance or not following the set schedule.

• Getting into the habit of delaying tasks.

• Reading constantly at night.

• Memory problem and not making proper notes.

• Psychological problems such as irrational thinking (that I can't possibly have), negative thinking and personal criticism, etc.

Whatever the reason, parents and children can not only overcome the stress of exams together but also pass the exams with good marks.

What should parents do?

As a parent, encourage your child to talk about this stress in the educational institution.

If the child is unable to do this, talk to the school staff yourself, and try to do a few other things carefully:

1- Attention to food

• A balanced diet is a very basic need of a child, especially during exams or mental activities.

• Too much fat, sweets, and caffeinated foods and beverages such as energy drinks, sodas, sweets, chocolates, burgers, and chips make children irritable, moody, and hyperactive.

• Wherever possible, involve your child in food and educate them about 'healthy' and 'harmful' foods.

2- Focus on sleep

• Good sleep enhances both thinking and attention, teenagers need 8 to 10 hours of sleep.

• Make it a routine for your child to stop reading, using the TV or computer at least half an hour before going to bed so that he does not have trouble sleeping.

• Waking up to study on the night of the exam increases stress, and urges the child to complete all preparations before nightfall.

3- Flexible behavior during exams

• Be flexible during exams, no need to worry about incomplete household chores or cluttered rooms when the child is studying all day.

• If you stay calm, your child will stay calm too. Remember, exams will not last forever.

4- Study help

• Give your child a quiet place or room to study during exams and keep lovingly asking how you can help him/her with revision.

• Motivate them about their future goals and link their studies and exams to those goals.

5- Encourage physical activity during exams

• Exercise is a great way to boost children's energy levels, clear their minds and relieve stress.

• It can be a walk, cycling, swimming, football, etc., especially sports in which more than one member is playing are especially helpful.

6- Have fun

• Have fun with your child repeating well or passing exams.

• It doesn't have to be expensive entertainment, cooking their favorite food or watching their favorite program together can help calm children's nerves.

What should children do?

Here are some tips to help you stay strong during exams:

1- Make a schedule

• Creating a regular study schedule and writing down the basics of reading daily always keeps the student ready for the exam and the reading of the syllabus and books ends prematurely.

• Take breaks from time to time during this schedule to maintain a healthy energy level.

2- Make time and study priorities

• Making time, subjects, and lesson priorities help you to control stress because it allows you to read, understand, and memorize important and difficult lessons first.

• The timetable is constantly reminding you of how much time you have left to study and when the repetition time will begin.

3- Distance from social media

• Nowadays, the use of social media, mobile, etc. has become very popular among children above 10 years of age.

• Staying away from them during exams is a difficult decision but it is wonderful for your reading and attention and for reducing stress.

• Watching social media during exams is one of the main reasons for 'preparation delay’.

4- Peace of mind activities

• Better exam preparation and results, as well as calming the mind and concentrating activities, are very helpful in relieving the stress associated with it.

• The most important of these is the habit of taking deep breaths, make it a habit to take deep breaths in the morning and evening on an empty stomach.

5- Set practical goals

• One of the most stressful things you can do is set an 'unrealistic goal'. If you don't study all year, you won't get very high marks in a month's crash course.

• If you set a realistic goal according to your preparation before the exam, then your mind will automatically stay in a 'calm state' and this state will increase your performance.

6- Self-confidence

• Last but not least, the most important thing is to have 'complete self-confidence', if you encounter any difficulty in any subject or lesson, think positively about yourself and say positively, 'Yes ... I find this difficult. I will cross.

• With good preparation, keep replacing every negative thought with a positive one until you pass the exam.