Take breaks to beat stress: Experts' answer to pre-exam jitters

BENGALURU: Exam season is synonymous with frayed nerves and sleepless nights. It's also a time when counsellors and psychologists have their hands full. With the countdown for the board examinations having begun, anxious children accompanied by parents are knocking on councellors' doors seeking last-minute advice on how to stay calm.
Taking short breaks to pursue their hobbies and communicating can have a soothing effect on students, say councellors.
"Though I have been seeing a lot of students in the past few days, many approached me in December itself. Most of these children face issues like attention deficient disorder, performance-related anxiety and specific learning disabilities," said Dr A Jagadish, psychiatrist.
If a child hasn't done well in two consecutive exams, then there is a problem and the parents should seek professional help. "Parents need to be observant and figure out the underlying cause instead of fretting over the child's performance. If they look closely, they may find the child is dealing with a bigger problem," he added. Many children confessed to the expert that they've been clocking 10-12 hours per day, a practice which he termed 'duplication of reading'.

Clinical psychologist Dr MS Thimmappa counsels students from both government and private schools. "Coaching is good for students but sometimes they can't cope with the load. Government school students are often low on confidence probably because of the poor coaching standards," he said.
"Lack of confidence can leave the child feeling frustrated and helplessness, in turn triggering suicidal thoughts. Parents and teachers should watch out for these signs. Also, when parents walk in one week before examinations, it is difficult to alter children's study patterns. But we can definitely reduce the pressure on the child," added Dr Thimmappa.
Dr Mahesh R Gowda, director of Spandana Rehabilitation Research and Training Centre has observed a steady rise in the number of cases where children simply refuse to take the exam. They are adamant about it and insist on appearing for it the next year. "I have been counselling a student who's had a major psychotic breakdown. He will appear for the board exams this year. He revealed that he sleeps early and is up by 4.30am everyday to study. Shunning all recreational activities is not the right thing to do," said Dr Mahesh.
"Stress levels of 10%-15% are fine as they keep students on their toes but anything beyond that needs to be addressed. I always discourage parents from giving memory pills to children as they don't work, but some go ahead anyway, "revealed the doctor.
In-house counsellor Subhadra Gupta, who works with Delhi Public School Bangalore South, says students often drop by for a chat. She recently counselled a 16-year-old girl who was not able to concentrate on academics because of multiple problems. "She would come to me once a week, pour her heart out and feel better. Sometimes, lending an ear can also work wonders," said Gupta.
"Unrealistic expectations from parents and extended family members can make the journey all the more arduous for students. Also, preventing children from doing what they like and forcing them to concentrate only on studies is not helpful. A whiff of fresh air will only do them good," she advised.