From sweaty palms to sleepless nights, the toll of exam stress is palpable

Rachel felt irritable on denouement day. She felt nauseous, her palms were sweaty, her facial muscles twitching and she was on tenterhooks on her way to appear for the 12th standard math examination. A student’s anxiety gets compounded by gargantuan expectations of apprehensive parents and those of an extended family consisting of grandparents, siblings and peers.

The power and focus of the mind shift from solving complex quadratic equations appearing in the question paper to handling unnecessary pressure generated. Kid Stuf, was a musical produced by St Xavier’s School Delhi, in which I was a participant too. The storyline championed the cause of children against the overbearing attitude of parents and an oppressive education system. It had the iconic lines – “ School is such a bore and we are building more.”

A student should approach examinations bubbling with energy. The mind ought to be in a state of equilibrium and remain fresh like dew on a petal. The mind should be razor-sharp to solve the questions appearing in the question paper. Anxiety disorders take a massive toll on the human body. It leads to improper sleep, an irritable disposition, obesity, acid refluxes, mood swings, decreased memory power resulting in a dip in output, loss of appetite, reduction in immunity levels, and disturbingly students are now getting afflicted with Type II diabetes.

Anxiety is an uneasy feeling about the outcome and a state of disquietude. Students find themselves in a pressure cooker kind of situation, thereby unable to score the winning runs. Several students develop psychosomatic disorders and perforce have to seek remedial help through counsellors and psychiatrists. The innocence of a child is sacrificed under the scanner and the scalpel of a doctor. This is indeed both bizarre and tragic.

Today, we have access to technology and highly qualified teachers, who impart quality education. Yet, the number of students is very large so it is practically impossible to pay minute attention to the needs and requirements of every child. Therefore, in such a situation, empathetic parenting can act as an ideal buffer to combat the stress faced by students, especially during examination time.

Good humour is a tonic for the body and mind. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is the direct route to serenity and contentment,’ writes GrenvitteKlieison.

Teachers should create an Aha! moment in the classroom to attract the attention of the students and parents need to be innovative to spread warmth and mirth in the household, to uplift the mood of their child. The examination schedule, as planned by the controller of examinations, needs a review. It extends and stretches over a long jurisdiction of time. Whether the students can maintain their interest and motivation levels needs to be debated by the stakeholders. It is quite possible that ennui sets in and the mind gets distracted and consequently loses the focus. It reminds me of a cricket team touring Down Under which had to play a five-test series, followed by one-dayers and T-20s. If there are no fresh pairs of legs, visitors are likely to be pummeled.

These are however extraneous factors, beyond the control of a student. What a student can do is adopt simple measures such as taking a long walk, a yoga session, pranayama, proper diet and adequate rest along with intake of fluids or even listening to soothing music in the run-up to the examinations. Test the skill of the student, not their anxiety levels.

(The writer is the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd.and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd. He is a faculty of the Art of Living; views are personal)