Dear Teentalker,
The dreaded board exam pressure can get to the best of us and I know how chaotic the mind can get. As the dates of board exams draw closer, panic can set in and shake our world. The key to managing the pressure lies in the preparation phase. Here are some active steps you can take:
- Cultivate your strength and set goals for yourself and meet them.
- Be proud of your achievements
- Prepare well in advance and practice
- Get some quality sleep and take brief time outs to help you refocus
- Check on the thoughts.....
Dear Teentalker,
The dreaded board exam pressure can get to the best of us and I know how chaotic the mind can get. As the dates of board exams draw closer, panic can set in and shake our world. The key to managing the pressure lies in the preparation phase. Here are some active steps you can take:
- Cultivate your strength and set goals for yourself and meet them.
- Be proud of your achievements
- Prepare well in advance and practice
- Get some quality sleep and take brief time outs to help you refocus
- Check on the thoughts you are feeding yourself and try not internalizing what parents say
Stress and occasional meltdowns are absolutely normal during exams. When you start charting out your study plan and organizing your subjects as per priority ensure you have allocated enough time for relaxation. When you start sticking to the timeline you will develop a sense of achievement which will boost your confidence.
The one thing that helped me a great deal during revising was writing as it emulates the exam feel. Take old exam papers and try answering them as per the time allotted per paper. The moment you find yourself losing focus, take a short break. Even a short walk will leave you feeling refreshed, and you will be able to refocus.
Get adequate sleep at least 7 hours, as it’s essential for the brain to rest in order to retrieve the study material. Anything that breaks your train of thought during studying needs to be at bay be it the mobile or computer or the television. You don’t want to access social media sites and get distracted as the exams approach. Try and switch off.
Never underestimate the power of your thinking. Keep negative thoughts in check like, ‘I can’t manage anything and I’ll never be good enough for my parents.’ In fact plant a positive thought like, ‘Even if I don’t live up to my parents’ expectations, doesn’t mean I’m incapable and not good enough. I’ve managed exams before and I can do it again.’
Now let’s discuss the weight of parental expectations and comparisons that are made which can be a downer. It’s painful to hear it but know they are not literal judgments and it’s probably the only way your parents know how to communicate so try not to take it personally. It’s a possibility that’s how your parents were parented and that’s their way to show they care. Through it all, have fun and remember you are good enough no matter what.
Hope this helps, if you have any other query do connect online for chat between 11am-8pm or drop us an offline message.
Regards,
Expert Teentalk India