Exams can bring added anxiety to the whole family. Here’s how to ease the stress and help students perform at their best.

While a little stress can help drive performance too much can lead to a number of health problems. Here’s some easy ways to manage exam stress so everyone in the house stays calm and focused. By helping them manage their stress and anxiety, you’re equipping them with important coping tools for life.

1. Routine
Make adjustments around your child’s responsibilities during exam time, but avoid ditching the rules altogether. It’s important that they retain some consistency. This can help create containment for their anxiety and encourage your child to learn to balance their needs with other expectations of them. While exams are important, the results are not the sole reflection of their abilities. Also, maintaining some of your normal routine and boundaries reduces anxiety for the rest of the family.

2. Encourage Selfcare
Enough sleep, proper nutrition, regular breaks and adequate exercise can all help relieve stress. Anxiety is fuelled when we stop taking care of ourselves, and while it may be tempting to neglect everything to cram in some studying, it tends to negatively effect the student’s wellbeing. It’s ok for their sleep cycle to differ from yours, as long as they are getting at least 7–8 hours of sleep. Melissa Dream is a natural product formulated to help maintain a healthy sleep and is suitable for those over 12. It’s made from all natural ingredients including the herbs lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and chamomile in combination with selected B-vitamins, magnesium and the amino acid L-theanine. Make sure the rest of the family is practising selfcare too!

3. Discuss coping strategies
Before exam time hits, ask your child what support they would like and encourage them to think of ways to reduce their stress. These strategies can include belly breathing; going for a walk; listening to their favourite song; blowing bubbles (yes, all ages find it relaxing); drinking a cup of tea/hot chocolate in silence; or a big hug. Parents can make use of these strategies too and model how they are managing their own stress.

4. Just Listen
It’s easy to get absorbed in the importance of exams. For young students they can easily feel that their future depends on the outcome. Listen to their fears and their feedback on their performance but avoid dismissing their concerns. Even if you know everything will be fine, it’s not helpful to say it. What parents can do is listen to their concerns and acknowledge how hard it may feel at that moment. Remind them that they won’t always feel like this and that you are here for them, no matter what.

5. Reimagine Control
A lack of control around how much your child has studied all year, or the outcome of the exams is daunting. But nagging isn’t the answer. Learning to control your own anxiety and teaching them how to manage theirs is where you can regain a sense of control and provide them with invaluable lessons. Peace & Calm is a traditional herbal medicinal product used in adults for the relief of symptoms of mild mental stress and to aid sleep. Take a spoonful 30 mins before bed, with an earlier dose in the evening if necessary. And if you’ve read this far, it means you care, so whatever happens your child is already incredibly lucky to have you in their corner. We’re awarding you 10/10 for effort.