28 Feb Part 4: Managing Exam Stress – More Tips, Tools and Techniques
The most important tip, I will use or prescribe to any of my clients who is looking for Mental well-being is Movement.
Why Exercise?
Most of the parents stop physical activity classes before exam times, which is the worst thing they do to total well-being of their kids. Why I say that?
It charges you up
30 minutes or more of vigorous exercise releases endorphins (the good stuff) in the brain, giving you energy, vitality and the most intense natural high.
It helps your positivity
Studies show that exercise is a great way to manage depression. Not only does it release those happy hormones but also it can help clear your mind of stress, confusion and worry.
It helps your social life
exercising with others, going to the gym or playing sports, can be a great way to meet new people and to keep each other motivated.
It helps you sleep
working the body and clearing the brain puts you in great stead for a good night’s sleep, and can help regulate problematic sleeping patterns.
The Happy Habbits
The happy habits in the survey are based on the Ten Keys to Happier Living framework, developed by Action for Happiness based on an extensive review of the latest research about what really affects mental well-being. Together the Ten Keys spell the acronym GREAT DREAM, as follows:
- Giving: do things for others
- Relating: connect with people
- Exercising: take care of your body
- Appreciating: notice the world around
- Trying out: keep learning new things
- Direction: have goals to look forward to
- Resilience: find ways to bounce back
- Emotion: take a positive approach
- Acceptance: be comfortable with who you are
- Meaning: be part of something bigger
Watch a funny video
Yes mum I can go on YouTube, this one is prescribed by a professional.
In an innovative study, Deborah Wells examined whether merely looking at a video of an animal can have the same type of calming and restorative effects as those created by being in its company… compared to the two control conditions, all three animal videos made the participants feel much more relaxed. To help reduce your heart rate and blood pressure in less than a minute, go online and watch a video of a cute animal.
So how good is this to calm down? You don’t have to own a pet to get the benefits.
Laughter has great benefits to improve well-being and manage stress in life.
Benefits of Laughter
A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can:
- Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.
- Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.
- Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.
If you feel overwhelmed and like you can’t go on, maybe you have trouble with coping skills. If you’ve tried a few stress tactics and they don’t work, you might also have a more serious stress or anxiety disorder.
Seek support from a professional or loved once. It’s OKAY to be NOT OKAY sometimes.
Additional Resources
I’ve written series of article which will provide tools, techniques and strategies which can help students reduce stress. The links are below.
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