As the pan-Cypriot exams approach, so does the anxiety of the senior students about them. Parents need to be aware, understand the children's anxiety and be supportive in this process. How can children themselves effectively manage stress and when does stress become abnormal and you need to consult a specialist?
A few words about parents:
The stress that teens experience as exams approach is caused by excessive brain stimulation. In order for teenagers to be able to perform at events as important as the Pancyprian exams, they must be emotionally and physically prepared. This activation of the brain is normal and necessary for our daily survival. Excessive brain activation, however, can cause nervousness and stress in the student, who ends up not being efficient during the exam preparation period and during them.
The over-activation of the brain and consequently stress, can affect reading, causing difficulty in storing information, memorizing it, retrieving it at the time of the test and its overall performance in the test. Exam stress affects students:
- Physical: headaches, nausea or diarrhea, fainting, overheating and sweating, difficulty breathing, tachycardia.
- Emotionally: excessive fear, intense anger, frustration, depression, uncontrollable crying
- Behavioral: nervous movements in the legs and arms, aggression, avoidance of reading, substance use, difficulty sleeping
- Cognitive: difficulty concentrating, negative internal dialogue, comparing oneself with others, difficulty organizing thoughts, empty thoughts / black out.
Tips for teens themselves:
First of all, you should know that you should not zero your stress towards the exams, but you should be able to control it if you manage it. If you are one of the students who are very well prepared for the exams, but are worried about them, try the following:
Tip: #1
Positive statements about yourself. Try to be more polite in the way you talk to yourself. For example, if you think, "I will fail, I'm a fool," choose to say to yourself, "I can do it." We all experience stress in such important events in our lives, I have to handle it ".
Tip: #2
Statements about dealing with stress. Try to remind yourself of the ways you can deal with stress. For example, think "If I feel stressed I will practice breathing to calm down", "I will just try to do my best", "I have experienced stress again and I know I can handle it and I will not suffer anything bad", " The stress I feel now will not last for long. "
Tip: #3
Take proper breaths. Stress is often the result of a lack of oxygen to the brain. Start by exhaling all the air from your lungs. Exhale slowly for five seconds. Then continue to exhale until your lungs feel completely empty. Inhale through the nose counting to eight. Keep your shoulders down and focus on filling your abdomen with air, specifically the diaphragm. When you feel it expand, start pushing your abdomen down. You should feel your diaphragm open and extend downward. Exhale slowly through your mouth, focusing your breath on your lips. Pretend there is a candle in front of your mouth and blow it out. Repeat this cycle five times.
Tip: #4
Body control. Sit somewhere comfortable and close your eyes. Focus first on your leg muscles and notice if there is tension. Tell your leg muscles that they can relax. Do the same with your ankles, thighs, buttocks and the rest of your body. Tell each muscle group to relax. Practice body control before exam day. During the test, if necessary, spend five minutes checking your body. Examining the body will help you focus your attention on the present, the space and time you are in, so that you can continue the examination calmly.
In case the child's anxiety is judged to be at a dysfunctional and intrusive level, do not hesitate to contact the appropriate specialists to deal with it.
Andria Athanassiou - Approved Educational / School Psychologist