By Neeru Gaba
I often ask myself -- what feelings do most students experience before getting their results? Nervousness, anxiety, fear of failure?
Then one day, I noticed people buzzing about like bees, to catch a snapshot of a cricket match on TV. The batsman played a tough spin and fell under the scrutiny of the third umpire.
Some people in the crowd shut their eyes. A few others folded their hands and froze in silent prayers. Sounds familiar? As a student, I went through something similar too -- during exams. Well, in the case of the match, there was one person who switched off his thinking brain while the umpire came to a decision: the batsman.
Exam time is tough students. But what's tougher is the post exam period; that endless wait for R-E-S-U-L-T-S. It's a rollercoaster ride with students experiencing many mixed emotions.
In extreme cases, you may have a panic attack. Well, an early diagnosis can help you cope, better.
7 rules to beat stress
Beating stress is not rocket science. These mantras will help you enjoy your holidays and cope with your results, better.
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Talking helps!
If you are constantly stressed, calling a helpline is a good idea. The counsellor at the other end will listen to your anxieties and offer suggestions. Yes, talking helps! The official CBSE website has a list of counsellors on hand during exams and result time.
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Mustard seeds, to the rescue!
Auricular or ear acupuncture is a good way of combating stress. Basically, it involves the use of mustard seeds. NGO Caring Foundation based in Delhi offers stickers that contain tiny mustard seeds. If stuck behind the ears, they bring a lot of relief and help keep the stress meter normal.
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Sleep well, a must.
Sleep deficiency adds to anxiety. So, reserve eight hours to keep a check on anxiety levels.
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Eating right.
A balanced diet is a must. It's important to reject all junk and include some brain food in your diet, like nuts, milk and grains. Also, if you are a regular coffee and tea drinker, you need to watch out; too much caffeine intake interferes with calcium absorption and leads to anxiety.
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Exercise regularly.
A vigourous session of walking, aerobics, joggin or any other form of exercise, will recharge your batteries, relax your mind and wipe off all pangs of anxiety.
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Set yourself a realistic target.
We often fail because we have too much on our plate. Remember, that limits can be pushed but only over a period of time. For instance, if you have two tasks on your 'to do list' for the day, achieve these before you add another two, to the list.
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Share with people who care.
These can be your parents, teachers, friends or counsellors. Talk about your feelings. This will make you feel, better.
From The Counsellor's Diary
Asha Dijstra, a counsellor with the Hogeschool Avans (school) in Amsterdam, shares some common symtoms of stress. Do you suffer from one or more of these?
- Fatigue
- Feeling tense all the time
- You keep thinking about results
- Fear and anxiety if appearing for exams a second time.
- You find it hard to concentrate on the task at hand.
- You put of checking your results because you are too nervous about the outcome.
- You experience blackouts.
- Your palms get all sweaty.
- You feel dizzy.
- Rapid breathing
- Your muscles feel very tense.
If you answered 'YES' to most, follow this action plan:
- Ask for help; almost every school has a counsellor.
- Make a 'to do list' for each new day. This way will not be bored or have time for unnecessary thoughts.
- Don't postpone your plans. You may be tempted to do some thing more interesting. But beware of the pangs of guilt, latter. As the old saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine!
- Have realistic goals.
- Build self-confidence and say goodbye to self-doubt. For instance, don`t say "my results are good because the test was easy". Instead, reward yourself!
Now, you may still be curious to know the fate of the batsman. Well, the decision of the third umpire was positive and the batsman made a century. The spectators were overjoyed. So, perhaps we can cultivate a the calm batsman, within us. Of course, a certain level of anxiety is good, because it puts on high alert. We leave you with a real story to inspire and cheer you up!
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The Bill Gates Story
In 1968, the chairman and architect of Microsoft, Bill Gates, was just 13 years old and a pretty average student, at that. His parents admitted him to a private school, where the pressures to perform were even more. Lucky for him, during a school fund raiser he got access to a computer (which was pretty expensive those days).
Bill got completely hooked onto it and within a week his knowledge stood above the knowledge of his computer teacher! Read the complete story in his biography.
Source: The Internet, a historical encyclopedia
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