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CBSE exams: Is board result stress killing you? Here’s what you should do
Bad scores doesn’t mean end of life; there are always opportunities that one can explore. Know your strengths and weaknesses and do what you like doing the best
The CBSE Class 12 results are expected to be declared on Sunday and the thought may send your heart and mind racing. But there is not much that you can do except stay calm.
The advice is not just for the students but even parents, who tend to worry more while making it a matter of life and death for the child to score well in exams, especially board exams, say experts.
As a result there is about two fold increase in the number of children and their parents visiting psychologists and counsellors around the exam time and before the results are declared.
“The number of students and parents sees a 100% jump around exam and result time, especially during the board exams,” says Dr Smita Deshpande, head of department of psychiatry at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.
“The parents want their children to study in the best college and do well in life, so they push them hard to assure they get a good life. But in doing so, they might also end up putting unnecessary pressure on the child to do what she could not, what is termed as passing on their ambitions.”
Social media is another culprit as parents don’t want to miss the opportunity of showing off their child’s achievements on social networking sites. “This also results in stress,” she says.
The responsibility eventually rests with parents to ensure there is positivity around and not undue stress.
Though some amount of stress is healthy but overdoing it can be detrimental.
“The first step to coping with this kind of pressure is to understand where the concern stems from,” says Dr Samir Parikh, chief, department of mental health and behavioural sciences, Fortis Healthcare.
“Bad scores doesn’t mean end of life; there are always opportunities that one can explore. Know your strengths and weaknesses and do what you like doing the best,” says Dr Parikh.
Dr Rajesh Sagar, professor of psychiatry at AIIMS, says, “Parents should encourage children to meet or talk to their friends, and let them do things they enjoy doing. They should stop thinking about results all the time. Distraction is important.”
There is no point in transmitting stress back and forth between parents and the child.
“Go watch a movie, listen to songs that you like, play outdoor games, go for walks and even breathing exercises help in relaxing the mind,” Dr Sagar says.
“As a parent if you feel the stress is getting the better of you, seek professional help,” he advises.
Helping your child cope exam stress
*Support system: It will help your child cope better if he or she finds a support system in parents
*Don’t be a nagging parent
*Allow to build a positive environment around your child. Train them to have a positive outlook towards things
*Ensure your child eats and sleeps well
*Let the child spend time with friends, watch television or indulge in her favourite sport
*Distract their mind; don’t let them think only about results
*Do breathing exercises when stressed
After results
*Identify your strengths and weaknesses
* learn from the exam experience
* Talk to adults and experts for deciding on future opportunities
* Gather information on different career options
* Don’t stop socializing, spend time with friends
* Avoid dwelling in the past
* Talk to an expert if feeling stress
Handling Results
* Avoid comparing yourself to others
* Be a good learner, identify limitations and work on them
* Talk to family and friends for support
* Evaluate effort and not just the marks
* Plan for future
* Talk to an expert if feeling stress
Parents and Results
*Avoid setting unrealistic expectations
* Validate the efforts of the child
* Encourage the child to express
* Avoid comparing results to those of other children
* Assist the child in focussing on planning future actions
*Take professional help if need
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