Stick to basics

Hari was taking his Physics final exam. The moment he got the question paper, his heart began to race, his palms started sweating, and panic gripped him. Hari also couldn’t recall anything that he had read and went completely blank.

“It was then that Hari realised he was experiencing an amygdala hijack — a physiological response where the part of the brain responsible for the body’s fight or flight response takes over. This can make it difficult for individuals to think clearly and access information they’ve learned,” said Nuthan Manohar, founder of Me Met Me, and adjunct professor at the Indian Institute of Management (Kozhikode).

Stress during an exam is not uncommon. But then, the student needs to be well prepared to deal with it. A lot of students feel the extra pressure to do well in exams and it can affect their mental health. If during exams you lack motivation, have trouble making decisions or feel low, it means stress has taken over you.

“All examinations are stress-inducing. No one knows it better than students. This exam stress often manifests in the form of what is known as ‘examination phobia’. Around 20 - 30% of students go through exam stress. This can impact the mental health of a student, who in such a case, might suffer from low self-confidence, anxiety, fear of underperformance and failure, sleeplessness, anger outbursts and social aversion,” said Dr Siladitya Ray, consultant physiatrist and stress management expert, Kolkata.

But then, parents can make the exam less stressful for their kids. “I have noticed how parents also stress before the exams, thus aggravating the situation for their children. Parents should avoid asking and discussing too many things with their children about exam preparation. It is advisable not to compare their wards with anyone else. They should boost their confidence and praise their efforts,” said Dr Ray.

Sleeplessness is also one of the major factors, which leads to stress, impacts creativity and clogs memory. Sadly, India is the second most sleep-deprived country with very high sleep deprivation among students, said Nuthan, the two-time TEDx speaker whose main areas of focus are stress, happiness, and sleep.

“Sleep is important to reduce stress, regulates emotions and mood, and helps to recollect information and improves problem-solving skills. A consistent sleep pattern also consolidates new learning and transfers it from short-term memory to long-term,” she said.

As much as sleep is crucial, a healthy diet is also mandatory to keep stress at bay. Rajiv Ambat, an expert in medical fitness, mentioned how skipping meals, including cutting down on carbohydrates can impact cognitive and brain function temporarily and hence can lead to reduced productivity and analytical capacity of the brain.

“A balanced meal should have a combination of antioxidant-rich vegetables, an adequate amount of carbohydrates, which also includes whole grains, adequate protein, and healthy fat. Adequate hydration is important, at least 2-3 litres of water in a day are required,” said Ambat, CEO and chief health officer of an online health and fitness company.

The night before the exam is critical too and Ambat said it is best to stick to regular home-based food that our body is used to and is already comfortable with. Avoid trying any new cuisine as it may cause stomach issues or indigestion.

And those looking to start a weight loss diet plan around exams, well, it’s a strict no-no.