Sri Sri Ravishankar's advice to parents on helping kids deal with exam stress

With exams around the corner, stress has become a silent guest in many homes. Recognising the increasing problem, spiritual leader and humanitarian Sri Sri Ravishankar has been emphasising again and again that parents should look within themselves to emotionally and mentally support children during exams. Based on mindfulness, breathing, and a caring parenting philosophy, he advises parents not to increase stress but decrease fear, boost concentration, and build confidence. According to him, exams are significant, but a child’s mental health has much more significance. Here’s what he has to say in detail.Creating a calm and reassuring home environmentSri Sri Ravishankar strongly emphasises that the emotional environment of the home significantly impacts the child’s mental state when appearing for exams. Since parents are the child’s first source of strength and security, if parents are calm and reassuring, the child will feel secure and won’t be so anxious. Passing on messages related to marks or comparisons with other children can cause the child to feel anxious. A calm environment will help the child perform better and won’t feel afraid to appear for exams. Parents must not forget that the child looks up to their emotional stability. Encourage, don’t pressureThe most potent takeaway message from Sri Sri Ravishankar could be not to pressure children with results. He recommends that one should emphasise efforts and not results. Children will develop self-confidence if they feel they are loved, not judging their performance, but for their results. This will remove the fear of failure, and children will perform even better in many ways. Pressure hampers intelligence, but letting it flow will increase their intelligence.Teach simple breathing and relaxation techniquesSri Sri Ravishankar talks about how breathing exercises can help in reducing exam-related tension. Techniques such as slow, deep breathing exercises can help in calming the nerves as well as concentrating. Parents can start teaching their children with these methods before their exams. By learning to control their breathing, these children possess a secret to remaining calm in their exam halls as well.Maintain healthy daily routines“Proper sleep, healthy eating, and some physical activity are the keys during the examination season,” according to Sri Sri Ravishankar. Late-night studying and irregular eating schedules are known to raise levels of stress and induce lower retention of memory. It is the duty of the parents to ensure the right balance between sleeping and studying for the children. A rested mind learns and functions better under pressure. "Allow breaks without guilt." Uninterrupted learning without resting may drain the mind. Sri Sri Ravishankar writes that it is important for parents to give children a guilt-free break to relax. Even a few minutes of silence and stretching can renew the mind. Breaks from learning help children not get burnt out by learning. They develop better concentration when they are refreshed. Avoid comparisons with other childrenComparing a Comparing children with siblings and peers can be very damaging for their self-esteem. Sri Sri Ravishankar strongly advises against such a tendency and says that each child learns in a distinct manner and at a distinct tempo. Comparing children can be very stressful for them. It is very essential for children to feel confident and self-accepted. Focus on learning, not fear As per Sri Sri Ravishankar, the biggest enemy of intelligence is fear. If children are learning due to fear of parents, fear of results, or fear of failure, their intelligence is affected. Parents must induce a transition from fear to learning. When learning is fun and not a task, obviously, the stress levels decrease, and the performance automatically improves. Remind children that exams are not life itselfSri Sri Ravishankar also cautions parents to help their children put exams into perspective. Although exams are significant turning points, they aren't the end points of a child’s life. Children must learn that a world of possibilities exists, independent of their performance, to remain unaffected by it. Merely realising this can help children overcome the anxiety of exams.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWQmLKBFT9s