Exams. The very word can drive a shivering chill down your kid’s spine. But while they do not have the maturity to understand the importance of examinations in life, you do. And it is important to understand that though exam stress is highly valid, it can also be avoided with a few tricks. But first, it is your responsibility to eradicate the fear in your kid’s heart for exams, replacing it with a healthy dose of respect and challenge.
Exams are meant to teach your kids what they are good at and what they can improve in. So instead of harsh criticism, children should see it as a way to improve their academics and knowledge. But as it is easier said than done and requires diligent practice, here are some highly useful and easy mindfulness and meditation techniques for exam stress relief in kids, just till you are done upgrading their belief system towards examinations.
Mindfulness involves learning how to remain focused on the present situation, acknowledge feelings, and experience emotions and thoughts without being overwhelmed by them. This is achieved through focused breathing, meditation, and thought control. As mindfulness also involves your kid’s imagination, combining it with a healthy dose of meditation boosts your kid’s focus and confidence, keeping exam stress at bay.
In guided meditation, the five senses drill is both fun and engrossing for kids. This mindfulness exercise helps your kids refocus their attention on the present instead of worrying about the future. After a couple of deep breaths, ask your kid to visualize or notice five things around them, hear four sounds, feel three things on skin, smell any two objects, and taste one thing, before finishing the exercise with a couple of more deep breaths.
Keep devices away from your kids during exams. Now, do not lock them away, as then those will be their sole focus of attention. But maintain minimal digital interaction during exams as those mindless leisure periods offer little respite or recreation, while social media increases their stress and anxieties ten-fold. Also, taking a step back from technology will help them in the long run.
It is ideal to get your kids to do something creative during leisure during exam time, instead of watching tv or their phones. Try to get them to paint or enjoy music or read a refreshing book as those mental pursuits will keep exam stress at bay, instead, utilizing their creativity and improving brain function.
Journaling is a highly underrated stress-relief procedure for kids, especially during exams. Often, children do not confide all their anxieties to their parents, out of fear of scoldings. But writing them down makes it easier to deal with them rationally. Try to get your kid into journaling during exam time, even penning a few lines or even sticking some cute stickers to express themselves will do them a world of good.
Mindful breathing, aka, focusing on every breath one takes, while letting all worries fly away, is wonderful for children during exams. It not only helps them fall asleep faster but also battles exam stress like Achilles. It helps ground them and make them aware of the greater picture, that if they study and give enough effort, their results will bear fruit. No amount of worry will change their marks, and that mature realization is both soothing and vital for kids.
Adequate rest is crucial for kids as exam stress often robs them of their night’s respite. Mindful breathing and meditation are recommended to such kids to sleep better. Your children should have at least 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep daily. Any less than that and their brains will not be on top gear, nor will their resilience be ready to battle those exam butterflies.
Yoga is an excellent way of being on top-form and combining the best of mindfulness and meditation with some much-needed physical activity in your kid’s exam routine. Practicing asanas will not only keep their brains alert and bodies fit, but also help drain stress away while improving your kid’s mood. Practicing yoga daily, for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, is great for your kid’s health, both physical and mental. Try to schedule yoga before study sessions at home, as it improves their focus and concentration more than an-hour long nap.
There is no magical shortcut to alleviating exam stress in children. However, yoga, meditation and mindfulness have been most successful in reducing it in kids. But it is not a one-time solution. Diligent, sincere practice and constant efforts by you and your kid for positive visualization and mindful thinking is the way to successfully battle exam stress. And these tips will help you get them there in no time.