7 super tricks to deal with exam stress

School and college life can be great fun and exciting, but tiring and stressful too. Students can be stressed about exams, assignments and submissions. Competition is no less! Exam stress in such a young age can be debilitating for the mental and physical health of kids.

As children, we’ve all gone through the expectations of getting good marks to get a good job and a life that we’ve dreamed of. But this expectation of being the brightest student can be so stressful for kids! It is said that ‘Every child is unique in their own way”, but as parents, we still end up expecting them to do their best in every field whether it be academics or co-curricular.

Health Shots spoke to Dr Sheel Nidhi Tripathi, Associate Head of Department, Journalism and Mass Communication at Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies, about what are the ways to tackle or manage exam stress and work load and be more productive.

Dr. Tripathi says, “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day-in and day-out. Of course, student life isn’t always easy. It may get complicated sometimes. You have to face excess of workload but that’s where you can work smart and achieve what you always wanted to. As the dialogue of the movie ‘3 Idiots’ suggests, ‘Don’t run after success, chase excellence and eventually, success will follow you’.”

Here are some tips students should know to tackle with exam stress:

1. Time management

Manage time and organised yourself accordingly. Try doing smart work rather than hard work. Study the things you feel are more important first. If you have your tasks and activities set in advance, you’ll think more strategically upon how much time will it take you to complete the particular part. So yes, don’t underestimate the importance of time management is important.

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2. Eat, sleep and exercise well

Staying up all night,surviving on poor diet or no physical exercise can make you anxious. Make sure you take 8 hours of sleep, healthy and protein rich diet, consume more water and half an hour of exercise a day.This will make you more effective.

3. Don’t panic

Panicking before exams is very common in students. When you feel you’re panicking just stay there for a while, take deep breathe, keep yourself hydrated and then go back to study. Remember, there’s always a solution for every problem and no exam can ever decide your future. Learn and understand things for yourself and your knowledge.

4. Ask for help:

If you feel lost or can’t understand anything, the best way is to talk it out. Talk to your teachers, friends or parents about how you should go about. Don’t be afraid to ask your teacher or mentor about something.They’re always there to help you out. Also, friends play a major role here. Friends are the best listeners as we usually understand what they say more than any teacher. So, find yourself a friend who can help you with academics and aid you to deal with exam stress.

5. Keep distractions away:

Distraction can be in any form. The biggest distraction in today’s kids are smartphones. Keep your smartphone away while studying. Also, keep them switched off so that you wont get distracted by the notifications. Try this quiz to see if you tend to lose focus easily or not!

6. Take sufficient breaks:

Don’t study for longer hours without any break. Take sufficient breaks. Studying for 6-7 hours straight without any break can make your learning process slow and you won’t be able to keep everything in mind. Take breaks, breathe, eat fruits , do some stretching and then get back to work again.

7. Keep your desk and workplace clean:

An untidy desk means a cluttered mind. If you’re working on a messed up desk, your mind will probably get overloaded by a lot of thoughts and you won’t be able to focus at one place. So keep your study area organised to study efficiently.

Lastly, let us also tell you that sometimes, a little exam stress can also be beneficial as it gives us a dash of motivation that we need to get the work done.