Worried about board exams? Here's how to tackle stress from a 10th grader perspective

STRESS, a five letters word that can have a great negative impact on a person’s body, mood and behavior.

Surprisingly, stress can have many positive implications too. Sometimes short-term stress is the reason which gets our work done and then we feel relaxed. It's the long term stress that is bad.

There is not any specific definition of stress that everyone agrees on. It is often triggered when we experience something new or unexpected, even the silliest thing for you can be the reason of stress to others. If you start asking people that, are they stressed? and why? All of them will have their different reasons. Some of them might be facing issues in family, some of them might be under pressure and even, there are people who are stressed because they don’t have enough work.

We all deal with stress differently.

Students spend around 1/4 of a day and around 220 days in a year in schools. Therefore, it is also school’s responsibility to ensure the well-being of all children. Half of all mental health conditions emerge by the time individuals are 14 years old. Teachers must be trained in identifying early signs in students for attachment issues, separation anxiety, school refusal, communication issues, depressive states, excessive internet use and learning disabilities. If students feel very stressed and incase they cannot manage stress, it can lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety, it can severely affect their academic performance. It can even contribute in many health problems in very young age, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, etc. Long term stress can sometimes force to commit suicide.

No one will manufacture a lock without a key. Similarly, we won’t have problems without solutions. If you are stressed, then don’t take more stress by thinking how you will get rid of it. Students often recognize that they need to relieve stress. However, all the activities and responsibilities that fill a student’s schedule sometimes make it difficult to find the time to try new stress relievers to help dissipate that stress.

There are many easy, quick and relevant options for students that may help them to cope with their stress.

Getting enough sleep

Students with their packed schedules are notorious for missing sleep. Research suggests that sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness are also linked to impaired mood, and higher risk of academic missing sleep. Research suggests that sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness are also linked to impaired mood, and higher risk of academic failure. Good sleep can also lead to a productive day which may get you involved in better things. Visualizations can help you calm down, detach from what’s stressing you, and reduce your body’s stress response.

Regular exercise and meditation

One of the healthiest ways to blow off your stress is to get regular exercise. Exercise can help buffer against the negative effects of student stress. Eating a healthy diet, listening to soothing music can also help.

Meditation can produce a deep state of relaxation.

As Karnataka’s education minister introduced 10 minutes ‘dhyana’ (meditation) in schools across the state.

Meditation strives to focus the mind on the present scenario, allowing it to noticing sensations and feelings without evaluating them. According to me, this is a good initiative taken by the education minister of Karnataka, as meditation will attract the minds of students on present, present is the only reality, past is already gone and future is not yet here. So, why to stress on such things which is not the reality.

It is important to remember that stress isn’t the same for everyone. Figuring out what works for you may take some trial and error. A good start is to ensure that you are taking care of yourself physically and emotionally.