As the PSLE, O-Level and final year exams approach, the pressure is mounting for both parents and children. The anxiety often peaks the day before or even during the exam itself, leaving many parents wondering how they can best support their child through this stressful time. To help ease this stress, here are 5 ways, including some expert-backed strategies, that can help your child stay calm and focused when it matters most.
Use Scent Memory: Introduce a calming scent like lavender or vanilla to your child the day before the exam. Have them associate the scent with relaxation by using it during study sessions. On the exam day, a dab of the same scent on their wrist can trigger a calming response.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Technique: Teach your child to use a simple NLP anchoring technique. For instance, they can squeeze their thumb and forefinger together while recalling a moment of success or calm. Repeating this during the exam can help them quickly regain focus and reduce anxiety.
Eye Movement Exercises: Encourage your child to practice slow eye movements, such as looking left to right and up and down. This technique, inspired by EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), can help reset the brain and reduce stress levels instantly.
Comfort Touch: Use physical objects to provide comfort and reduce stress. Have your child carry a small textured object like a stress ball, a small pebble or just a textured fabric. When they feel stressed during the exam, they can discreetly touch or squeeze the object to ground themselves and redirect their focus away from anxiety.
Finger Tapping: Show your child how to tap their fingers gently against their palm in a sequence (e.g., thumb to pinky, thumb to ring finger, etc.). This rhythmic tapping can distract the mind from stress and restore a sense of control.
Lastly, it’s important to remind your child that feeling stressed before a big exam is normal and that many other students feel the same way. This reassurance can help reduce the pressure they put on themselves.
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[…] manage stress by teaching relaxation techniques. Check out our article on ways to calm exam jitters here. Ensure that your child knows that effort matters more than perfection and that setbacks are a […]