The stress test

It is that time of the year when students are buried in their books,learning their chapters and writing exams. The bustling playgrounds are deserted. Doctors and psychologists term this as a sensitive period as it is important that students stay calm and not give in to feelings of stress. “Feeling anxious before examinations is natural. However,we all should know that taking an exam is no big deal. Feeling stressed out might just worsen our performance,” says Pradnya Bhopale,a consulting psychologist.

Before the exam season every year,Bhopale is visited by parents seeking remedies for their children who are appearing for exams. “A child’s level of stress is aggravated by the continuous pressure to perform well. Parents and elders should realise the sensitivity of a child and act accordingly. The pressure to give exams their best shot results in nothing but excessive stress,ill health and poor performance,” Bhopale adds.

City doctors strongly discourage consuming medicines to beat stress. “Instead of popping pills to recover from pre-exam nervousness,try not to lie under the debris of text books for a day. One should go out,watch television or listen to music to refresh the brain,” says Nivedita Krishnaswami,a student counsellor and trainer at City International School,Kothrud.

Vijay Sethia,a counsellor with a city hospital,adds,“Examinations are not the be all and end all of everything. Bid adieu to the books for a day if you feel that you cannot memorise things. Feeling tired and losing your appetite are the first signs of stress which can overpower one.”

It is the duty of parents to stop a child from studying more than required. “They should realise the effects of sitting with a book for too long. Revising one’s work over and over again will not help in remembering it,” adds Sethia.