Tag Archives: stress

Get Ready, Get Set And Go- Feel At Home In College

The time has come for the bird to fly out of the nest. School and board exams are finally over, with the feeling of freedom, excitement and feeling grown up. However, for both parent child, it comes with slight anxiety. The fear of the unknown is something that will always be present, and like all all things in life, the best approach is be as prepared as possible.
1. Research
Do some in depth research in terms of the course you are applying for, and if it matches with your abilities and interests.
If you are moving to another city, think about details like housing etc, in advance. If possible, try and visit the college, and ask people for feedback about the college, how they are liking things, nice places to hang out around etc. It’s never too late to change your mind, in-case you are really uncomfortable. Connect with your seniors!
2. Be yourself
The best and most important advice anyone can give you,is to be yourself. Do what you want, wear what you are comfortable in, you will soon find people who are like minded. There is no point trying to fit in by pretending to be someone else as that will never make you happy. Accept who you are, and be proud of your personality. Remember that everyone is nervous at some point or the other, it’s perfectly natural.
3. Take your time
Change is difficult yet inevitable, and no matter how excited you are to go to college, it’s always difficult to step out of the comfort zone and be thrown into new situations. Give yourself time to settle in, and don’t be worried if things don’t fall into place immediately. They will if you allow them to, let things sink in. Evaluate your situation after your first year, and if you still feel out of place act on it.
3. Try new things
The best way to get comfortable in a new situation is to get involved. Magic occurs when you step out of your comfort zone. Try things, go for different club and society meets. If people invite you to hang out, go. Some things you will dislike, and never go back to but you never know what you will enjoy and when the moment will come, where you realise you love college and don’t want the journey to end.
4. Trust your support system
There’s no harm in feeling out of place in college, or feeling low and down at any point. It’s important to make sure you stay in touch with your family and friends, and communicate how you are feeling.
This is also the time you as parents need to keep an eye out and make sure you have created a safe space for your child to talk to you freely, no matter what the issue is. It’s important to make sure you don’t jump to conclusions or judge your child. Remember you are your kids biggest support and you must make sure they can rely on you more than anyone else. Keep in touch, and ask gently how things are going regularly.
The best is yet to come, cherish these days and make the most of it!

Coping With Failure

Failure is inevitable in everyone’s life. No matter how smart, focused or hardworking one is, a time will come where things won’t go the way we expected them to. While growing up, failures are a common occurrence.  The only way to battle this is to prepare your student or child, and be the support required when the time comes.
“Failure is a stepping stone to success” a common phrase we’ve heard time and again, but it must be noted that this is true only when one doesn’t get stuck on that stone, but merely uses it as a part of the journey he/she is on. Failure is good only if it means you’ve ended up learning something from it!
Here are a few tips, to make sure your child/student always is able to overcome and achieve the best!
1. Be supportive, and let your child take in the situation. 
Many times, as adults, it happens many times when we feel that failure could have been avoided and it was completely the child’s fault. This is a natural feeling, as most of the time you are right. However, at this moment the child is already going through some sorrow, giving him/her this information will only push him/her into a worse mental state. Let your child recover, tell them it’s okay and maybe share a story of your own failure from your childhood , and how today you barely even remember the consequences of the same. Assure your child that everything can be fixed, and you are always standing by their side to help them out.
2. Think of constructive advice
What is done is done, and the results can’t be changed. The only way ahead is to move on, stronger and more prepared. Look at the situation, reflect to find growth ideas and formulate a good plan to take things forward. Make sure to plan time to relax and de-stress too. Also, keep in mind what works for your child or student. They will only be able to keep up with the plan, if it works. Different people work in different ways, and true potential will only be achieved once you figure out the simplest and most efficient way of working.
The tone and manner of giving advice should also be taken care, it’s advice and help that is being offered, not a command. Take in the opinions of your child/student, and remember you have to be the support for them. You are a team.
3. Prep for the worst case. 
Make sure it’s clear to your child/student that failure is not a one time thing, it will occur in some way again, and there is no choice but to accept it. At the same time it’s important to understand that any failure is never as bad as it seems at the given time and can always be worked out of.
Failure is normal, failure is necessary, that’s all that you need your student/child to know. Reducing fear of failure will also reduce chances of failure, and help him/her cope better when required.

Sound body and sound mind is the key to success and happiness

The clock is ticking, the pressure is building, not only do you need to work hard but also show results. The competition never gets less, and the stress only doubles as you grow older. So what do you do?
Here are a few tips to beat the anxiety this summer!
1. Talk to people:
The most important thing is to find a support system that helps you grow. They could be your parents, teachers or friends, or anyone else you feel will give you constructive criticism when needed and at other times will give you that pep talk that will motivate you. Teachers in school or classes know you as a person as well as your academic strengths and area of development and so can show you the gaps you need to cover and well as celebrate what you are amazing at. There is no shame in admitting you are not in the best mental state and need help. It is a normal thing that most people go through.
2. Find your stress buster
All work and no play…well you know how that one goes. Your mind requires a break at regular intervals, and not one that leaves you overthinking. The best thing to do is find a form of physical activity that you enjoy to release the stress. Even something as simple as playing some loud music and dancing can help take out any anxiety you face.
3. Listen to your body.
Sound body and sound mind is the key to happy and healthy life. Studying 20 hours a day won’t help you in the long run, but a good 8 hours a night of sleep definitely will. Studies prove that students academic performance is directly related to their routine of eating and sleeping. If you feel tired or mentally exhausted, take the break, whereas if you think you can push yourself, go for it. Nobody knows your body and self better for you. Don’t plan your life according to what anyone else says, just like we all have different personalities, we also have different learning styles. Figure out what you need to succeed.
4. Be practical
At the end of the day, your mental health lies in your hands alone. Obviously external help may make it easier but in the end it’s up to you to strike a balance in your mind. One of the easiest things to do is every time you are stressed think about how this will affect you in 10 years. Are these scores and examinations what define you as a person or what your success will be? They definitely will aid you and make things easier but it is not the end of your world if things don’t go exactly as planned.
However, mental and physical health is thin ice, once the downward spiral begins it’s hard to pull yourself out of it. Success is not measured by the wit of a person, but by the way in which he uses it.
Have a productive summer!

Board exams are here. Here’s how you stay calm under pressure and do not suffer from anxiety and panic attacks.

It’s that time of the year. That time, when kids turn to their books like they never have before – one last time, one last hurrah! The feared, the dreaded, BOARD EXAMS! It’s only natural that they feel intense levels of stress during these months leading up to the boards because of the mentality and the sentiments around these exams that have been harboured over all these years.

“IF YOU DON’T ACE THESE EXAMS YOU WON’T GET ADMISSION ANYWHERE!”

“YOU HAVE TO DO WELL OTHERWISE FIND A NEW HOME”

“YOU HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN SHARMAJI’S SON”

After statements like these from Indian parents, you can’t expect children to not feel pressurized when they already have a lot on their plate. It’s kind of natural though, and you shouldn’t blame yourself since this is the norm that has been followed since the past few decades, but NOW it’s time to change that and that change can start from you! Imagine if your child’s mind was at ease and he could focus without a gun to his head, wouldn’t he perform better without the risk of anxiety and panic attacks on the onset?

Here’s a few ways in which you can tackle anxiety and pre Boards stress –

 

  1. A calm, composed environment – This one is for the parents. Don’t be angry for small things, and don’t pressurize them to study every hour. Trust us when we tell you, THEY KNOW their exams are coming. Rather than pressurizing them, reassure them and make sure they’re in a calm environment that harbours learning and ensure that they aren’t taking stress.
  1. Leave the old school ideas behind – This goes for both parents and kids. While it’s important to fare well in your exams and make sure that the marks actually reflect your potential, it’s not just academics anymore that determine how a child’s future will turn out. It’s more about all round development, extra curricula’s and social skills that play a big role too. Telling your child that only marks matter will put him in a state of constant anxiety. Show him the importance of studying with relevant examples, and not simply force him to get good marks. Chances are, he/she will understand why studies are important.

  1. Be a Support System – Kids need reassurance mentally, to really unlock their true potential and put their mind to studying and not worrying about failure. This is where the parents can act as huge support systems for their kids and stand by them in probably the biggest test of their abilities till date. Talk to them, listen to them, be around for them.
  1. Know your child’s ability – You as a parent should know your child’s ability better than anyone else and know the marks they’re capable of.  Don’t be too hard on them and expect results that they’ve never got in their entire school lives. Know their ability and back them up. Accept them the way they are, every child is special in their own way. Let your child know you’re proud of him, and that you acknowledge all the effort he is putting in, and that you know he can do better.

Sounds fair? These are tips you can inculcate not just during the boards, but for life in general!

Get in touch with us if you are a student who’s stressed, or are finding parenting during this time difficult. We are here for you 🙂

How to deal with exam stress?

When it comes to studies, the biggest problem students face nowadays is dealing with exam stress. Well,
this stems mostly from the fact that they don’t really prepare for the exams when they’re announced and
probably wake up for the exam on the day before the paper, (well, all of us have done this, haven’t we?) Either way – Exams aren’t a joke and a
little bit of stress is bound to happen.
So how do you deal with it?
The first commandment of dealing with exam stress is staying away from your phones! The phones and
distractions of social media and texting make a 2 hour revision into a 10 hour revision that you can barely
recollect. We’d say the best way to reduce stress is tick things off your portion, and keep your phone aside
while you’re at it.
The next very important thing is to stay mentally alert. How do you achieve this? By eating right and doing
some sort of physical activity to bust some of that exam stress. Have an exam the next day? Try going for a
quick run the evening before, and shower and eat well after that. The study session you’ll have that night
will definitely be a good one, with you being at a 100% mentally! Try it and thank us later.
Again, to go with this you need to eat healthy too. Don’t binge on chips in the exam stress, the science
behind it being that the fatty foods in fact make you lethargic and sleepy. Instead eat nutritious home
cooked food and munch on some nuts in the middle to help fuel your body while you’re mentally alert and
absorbing as much of the portion as you can!
Figure out a well-planned study schedule that fits in the portion in definitive timelines and gives you a good
6-8 hour period of sleep. Thus, the next morning you’re wide awake and able to recall all that you’ve
studied the previous night. Remember, a schedule and good amount of sleep help optimize your studies
and bring the best out of your efforts.
Besides this, another great way of dealing with exam stress and making ideal use of your time is going for
group classes and revisions, where you get to learn through other people’s doubts and mistakes as well as
your own!
If you’re still feeling nervous or stressed, run your schedule by your parents and ask them for their inputs
and blow off some steam just talking to them about what’s going on in your mind. Getting out of your shell
and clearing your mind is again a hack that is rarely used but highly effective!
Good luck, if you’ve done your bit in the preparations then you really just need to stay confident during the
exams and the results shall speak for themselves. It’s a simple case of cause and effect after all!