Exam-related stress: How parents can help children burst it?

Teachers and parents are generally not equipped to understand or deal with the mental health issues of students. Unless they are aware of their anxieties and insecurities they won’t be able to deal with them. One of the issues of the students is exam-related stress. 

Exam phobia increases stress level. The trigger can be incomplete homework, revision, recalling huge portion of syllabus, social and peer pressure and high parental expectations.

An average student goes through stress during examinations. Sometimes the strain becomes pronounced. Especially so when the exams are on peak.

Exam phobia is a self-damaging factor that negatively affects a student and his/her performance. The students with the exam phobia won't be able to give their best. The end result is critical. Students with this phobia feel extremely fearful and unsure about themselves.

What’s exam phobia: It’s a form of anxiety common among schoolchildren. The anxiety that manifests itself during the examinations. The anxiety over facing the examination. 

Psychosomatic ailments such as abdominal pains, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, tremors, etc., which have no apparent medical basis, are common among children during exams. Some students suffer from anxiety-related fears during the exam period. 

Following are the symptoms of the exam related anxiety. 

• Nausea
• Unable to relax
• Increased heart rate
• Racing thoughts
• Hands trembling, difficulty in breathing or
• chest pain
• Fear of losing control
• Indigestion or discomfort in the stomach
• Feeling faintish
• Feelings of unreality or
• Stomachache
• Restlessness • Palpitation
• Mood swings
• Frustration
• Negative thinking
• Poor concentration
• Going blank at times
• disorientation
• Amnesia or difficulty in retention.

Here are some of the causes of exam phobia.

• Unrealistic expectations from children
• Parental pressure that causes greater worry and fear of failure
• Inadequate study
• Obsessive/compulsive disorder
• Poor motivation and lack of self-esteem
• Ignoring subject that seems hard to prepare
• Poor nutrition and sleeping disturbance
• The stress can be overcome with the support of the parents. A child should be reassured about his/her potential.

Parental support can do wonders in boosting the morale of a child. But if the child still finds its difficult to cope with studies, they should cajole him rather than cursing him. 

Everyone has his/her own field of excellence. Failure in examination is not the end of life. Hence, one must learn to accept failures as part of life. 

Parents must understand how fragile their children’s mental well-being is and must be proactive in assessing it. 

To cajole their ward, parents should use positive a narrative, like:

Say: Put in your best, that’s what matters. 

Don’t say: I want you to score maximum marks in your exam.

Say: Take the best one path that works for you and gives you happiness.

Don’t say: Your life depends on the exams. 

Say: No matter whether what you score in the examination, we will remain proud of you and trust you and in your ability to do.

Never say: If you don’t do well, we will be disappointed with you.

Once you adopt this approach towards your child's studies, you will start seeing the difference in his attitude and his performance. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are his own and CitySpidey does not endorse them in anyway.