Coping with exam stress

Exams can be stressful. For that matter anything that has a result attached to it, which can impact your life is stressful, say for instance--your performance appraisal, job interviews and even exams. Exams and more specifically the results associated with it are stressful because in Indian scenario exams decide a whole lot of things, which means the course of your career and the source of your livelihood. Moreover parents also put emphasis on settling down their children and exams decide everything in this critical process.

How exam stress kicks in the child?

Stress can express itself in different ways, but for different people before an exam. You might feel knots in your stomach or have the urge to visit the washroom all the time. This kind of anxiety is called anticipatory anxiety and results in adverse affects on the body and mind and therefore, a sub optimal performance.

"Stress not only causes palpitations and tense muscles but also reduces the ability to make decisions, act or express oneself including organization of thoughts," says Dr K.K Agarwal. Stress during exams can makes it difficult to read and understand questions and even to recall terms and concepts.

What can you do to cope with exam stress?

A recent study has shown that 45 minutes of afternoon nap improves the declarative memory. Declarative memory is the memory of events learnt and understood earlier during the year.

Not taking afternoon nap or the night sleep may cause the child end up with transient loss of declarative memory.

Free Writing Can Clear Mental Stress: By spending 30 minutes each day for four days to write out your innermost thoughts and feelings, one can significantly boost mental and physical health. In expressive writing therapy, students are encouraged to express whatever is on their mind, letting their hopes and fears flow out in a natural, unrestrained way. It’s akin to keeping a journal, but more focused on the things that might be bothering you or triggering stress.

Everything you wanted to know about pacifiers

New borns can cry for as many as two hours in a day. During these crying marathons, many new mothers confront a choice of offering pacifier to their crying baby. Sometimes after making the decision to offer pacifier, guilt overpowers them. These mothers may find some relief from the fact that American Academy of Paediatrics gives green light to pacifiers through out the baby’s first year.

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Sucking is a natural reflex of baby. For some babies the amount of sucking they get during feedings is less. Pacifiers can be a key to contentment between feedings for these babies. Bottle-feeding mothers can buy some time with pacifier while preparing milk for her hungry baby. Pacifier can make a restless baby sleep.

Moreover, it is easier to break the habit of sucking on a pacifier as compared to sucking on a thumb. You can throw a pacifier. Research proves that a pacifier may reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

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Pacifiers may interfere with breast-feeding.
Babies may become dependent on pacifiers, and, you may have to wake up at night on hearing your baby cry to grope for the lost pacifier. Pacifiers may increase middle ear infection. Middle ear infections are most common in children below three years of age. The risk of ear infections is the lowest in the first six months when the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the highest.
When it comes to making decision, mother is the best judge.

Dos

Allow breastfeeding to establish, before you introduce pacifier to your baby.
When it comes to sucking on pacifier let the baby decide.
Replace cracked nipple and keep identical spares.
Wash pacifier thoroughly with soap and water; put it in hot water with white vinegar, equal parts to kill germs for ten minutes everyday.
Try to get your baby off pacifier after the first year.

Don’ts

Do not put pacifier in the mouth of a sleeping baby.
Do not shove in pacifier in your baby’s mouth every time she cries.