Stress has its merits; it can motivate individuals to work harder and produce better results. However, it has its disadvantages as well: when in excess, it can significantly affect one’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
If you’re worried about your child’s stress levels during exam season, read on for some tips to help.
Look Out for Signs of Stress
What are some signs that your child is stressed?
Stress can manifest itself through behavioural changes like irritability, moodiness, or loss of interests in activities that used to be enjoyable.
For some children, stress appears as physical symptoms like nausea, stomachaches, and headaches.
If your child seems to be struggling, stepping in and offering them your support is best.
Encourage Healthy Habits
A long-term way to manage stress is the adoption of healthy habits.
It helps to encourage your child to get adequate sleep and exercising regularly; these activities improve brain function and reduce anxiety and fatigue. Additionally, you should remind them to set aside some time for hobbies: purposeful, regular breaks are critical in refreshing the brain and recharging energy levels.
A healthy lifestyle ensures that your child’s body and mind are well cared for.
Set Realistic Expectations
Unrealistic expectations don’t just come with unnecessary pressure—they may also hurt your child’s self-confidence and lead to inevitable disappointment.
As such, you should help your child set achievable goals. For example, you may not want to aim for an A if your child has been scoring Cs; instead, you could aim for a B, which is more manageable.
When your expectations are realistic, you give your child more opportunities to celebrate their progress, reducing their stress and increasing their motivation.
Start Early
By encouraging your child to start their revision early, you can prevent the need for cramming, which can be overwhelming and immensely stressful.
Therefore, you should start scheduling and structuring your child’s time at least a month before their exams. This gives them enough time to process essential information and identify areas for improvement.
Provide a Conducive Study Space
A conducive studying environment can significantly improve your child’s learning environment and help them prepare effectively for their exams. A good study space is typically devoid of distractions like the television or the bed and is tailored to their exact needs.
Creating a personalised study space for your child shows them that you support their efforts, a sentiment that can help minimise their anxiety.
Encourage Your Child to Ask Questions
When revising, it is inevitable for students to identify their weaknesses.
In such cases, you should encourage them to seek extra help, whether from a school teacher or a tutor. Doing so will help them learn from their mistakes and gain confidence, reducing anxiety.
Conclusion
Exam season can be an extremely stressful time for students. If your child exhibits signs of excessive stress, it is vital that you show them support and help them adopt healthy habits that can help manage anxiety.
If you or your child realise that extra guidance is needed, do reach out to our tutors at Miracle Math, math tuition centre in Singapore. We provide Primary 5 and 6 math tuition and secondary school math tuition. We also offer Sec 3 and Sec 4 A-Math tuition.