“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
For the primary 6 (and some other levels) students, the preliminary examinations are ongoing now, if not, already completed. In our previous blog, we spoke about the importance of time management during examinations. In this blog, we will walk you through an equally important topic – managing emotions during (or after) exams!
Both these factors will play a crucial role in your child’s performance in the upcoming examinations.
So, how can we manage anxiety?
- Make a plan and follow it
Having a plan can help avoid stress and be prepared for the exams. Make a proper study plan with your children and help them follow it.
Ask them to revise and learn the exam portions as much as they can. The more thoroughly they have studied the topics, the more confident and calm they’ll feel.
- Be expressive- don’t hold it in
Teach your children to express their feelings. Try not to make them feel like they have to hold it in. From a young age, teach them to be comfortable with expressing openly what they are feeling. It can cultivate a healthy mind in children and make them emotionally stable adults.
- Teach them to believe in themselves
Teach your children to believe in themselves and trust their capabilities. Try to cultivate self-confidence in your children. Do not discourage or put down their efforts. Reward and encourage them when they put in effort towards anything. Celebrate their achievements. Also, teach them to stay positive when faced with failure. All these can help create a positive attitude and confident character in your children.
- Realistic goals
Try to ensure the goals you and your children set (for them) are realistic and match their abilities. Being able to achieve set goals is vital for a child’s self-image and confidence.
- Stress-free environment
Children are already feeling the pressure of examinations. So, don’t stress them out with your expectations and opinions. Let them know that they have your support, whatever the outcome may be. Also, let them know that it is the effort they put in that matters more than the outcome.
Make sure that you provide a calm and stress-free home environment for your children. Don’t bring home your issues from work. Plan activities involving the whole family regularly. It can deepen your bonds and make your children’s minds more free and calm.
- Open conversations
Have open conversations with your children. Take time daily to talk to them. Talk to them about their day. You can also talk to them about your day, but make sure it is light-hearted. The important thing is that they should feel comfortable opening up to you.
- Sleep regularly
Sleep plays a vital role in keeping your mental health in check. Ensure that your children have an adequate amount of sleep daily.
- Meditation
Meditation can help train your mind and control your emotions. Teach your children to meditate. Many online programs and apps can aid you with the process. Choose the one that best suits your preference.
- Breathing techniques
Breathing techniques can help reduce anxiety and stress.
You can try this one – Breathe out for 3-seconds and hold. Breathe in for 3-4 seconds and hold your breath. Continue this 4-5 times. It will help bring down the heart rate and calm you down instantly.
- Seek help when needed
If you feel like your children are struggling with their emotions and anxiety, and you can’t help them, seek professional help. The mental health of our children is not something to be neglected. So, put your child’s mental health above all prejudice and misconceptions about seeking professional help.
- Stress journal
Ask your children to keep a journal. It can be an emotional outlet for them. Tell them that they can write down their emotions and feelings. Make sure that you don’t try to read it and invade their privacy. Assure them that it would be for their eyes only, and they can use it as an outlet for any pent-up emotions. It can help clear their minds and bring clarity to their thoughts.
- Relaxing activities and hobbies
Try to encourage your children to engage in hobbies and activities that they enjoy. These can be stress relievers. It could be painting, dancing, gardening, playing video games, or whatever they are interested in trying out. If you can, engage in these activities with them to show your love and support.
- Stay hydrated
Make sure your children drink enough water every day. Being dehydrated can induce feelings of depression and make your child feel emotionally down.
- Self-discipline
Help your children to practice self-discipline. It plays a vital role in helping your children stay focused on the goal at hand. Only then can your children achieve what they put their minds into and not give up halfway.
- Study groups
Having a go at it alone might be stressful for children. Being in study groups and learning with friends can help them tackle the anxiety and stress associated with exams. Provide the facilities for your children to study with their friends.
Exams are stressful times for both students and parents. Managing emotions and anxiety is vital for staying focused and performing well on exams. Hope these tips turn out helpful for you and your children. All the best! 🙂
Managing anxiety and panic during exams
Exam Smart Tips
Exam Smart Tip #1 – How to Encourage Our Kids to Speak Better?
Exam Smart Tip #2 – How to avoid carelessness?
Exam Smart Tip #3 – Establishing Routines!
Exam Smart Tip #4 – Let’s Read Carefully!
Exam Smart Tip #5 – Beating the Exam Fever!
Exam Smart Tip #6 – How to Eat Right for the Exams?
Exam Smart Tip #7 – How to Avoid a Meltdown?
Exam Smart Tip #8 – Taking Stress out of Tests
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