Exam stress? Odisha-based psychologist helps you deal with it

Bhubaneswar: With board exams drawing closer, anxiety and stress are creating havoc in the minds of students. Class XII student of a school in Odisha capital, Mimansa Pujari said, “Preparing for both board exam and entrance exam is taking a toll on me. I don’t understand what to do. I am not really stressed but anxiety is definitely pushing me back all the time.”

Class X student, Aditya Mohapatra expressed his distress over the new CBSE exam pattern. He said, “The CCE pattern has been replaced with a single annual exam, but I am still clueless even after being explained so much about it. However, I am done with the preparations.”

Board exams are one of the most important phases in a student’s life and parents play a vital role during the time spent by them at home. How parents treat their children during exams create an impact on their overall preparations.

“I have never really seen my daughter (Parthabi Kanungo) stressed because of exams. She is self-reliant and confident. On my part, I do make sure that she eats properly and gets eight hours of sleep. As a mother, I am definitely worried about her performance but that doesn’t make her scores the primary focus. I just wish she writes well in exams,” Susmita Kanungo, mother of a Class XII student.

However, not every student can be as confident. Many find it difficult to deal with examination anxiety, stress and depression. Bhubaneswar-based psychologist, Nidhi Garg, believes mental discipline is the key to success. She also shared some tips to remain stress-free and prepare well for exams:

• Routine study with a proper timetable.
• Study with breaks in between.
• Revise thoroughly
• Eat on time and drink lots of water.
• Avoid junk food, indulge in healthy food habits.
• Sleep at least for 7-8 hours before your exam.
• Meditate for 10 minutes before studying and exams for better recall.
• Focus on time-management and work smartly.
• Exercise to keep the body active.
• Understand that not all subjects can be mastered and it’s okay.
• Listen to music if you feel saturated.

She further added, “Marathon studying is very common among students during exams, but research shows that the brain focuses effectively on a particular thing for 45 minutes and starts deviating thereafter. Research on neuroscience also suggests that focusing on the same thing for too long diminishes the brain’s ability to process it accurately.”

She advised students to stay positive and believe in themselves. Smart work and confidence is the key. Parents are also suggested to stay friendly and supportive towards their ward appearing boards this year.

A teacher, Liza Das, expressed her concern over student’s uneven distribution of time on different subject’s preparation. She said, “Students should give equal importance to all subjects and focus on weak points. They need to prepare from the beginning and for that matter, we teachers do regular revisions. For any subject, it’s important that the concept is understood well. I would also advise all students to study from textbooks more than from references. I wish all the students good luck with their exams.”