Exam time is upon us again and everybody is feeling the pressure. After the past few years, our kids have been struggling to find their ‘new normal’ around educational expectations and as we face exams at any age, be it SATS for the young ones or GCSE or A levels for school leavers, as parents we want to do all we can to make the challenges easier to bear for everyone.

Preparation is key, of course, and supporting our children to plan their exam timetable, plot a revision schedule which both inspires and supports them without exhaustion, and ensure time is made to relax and assimilate each day’s experiences, are key tasks for any parent.

Exercise can help to release stress

Encouraging gentle excercise in the form of walking in nature is highly beneficial for releasing stress and allowing crowded minds to let go a little. Swimming is also a great way to unwind, release tension and find clarity of mind.

Try to make sure they are eating well, not relying on late night ‘deliveries’ which tend to be nutritionally low, albeit delicious and tempting after hours of hitting the books! Make fresh fruit available and maybe even knock up a yummy fruit salad to sit in the fridge for a tasty top-up when the sweet tooth strikes!

You may notice headaches making an appearance more often than usual at this time, so prompt the drinking of more water to ensure dehydration is not the culprit, and introduce some mindfulness and relaxation techniques to alleviate tension in the head and neck.

EFT tapping on meridian points around the eyes and nose can make a huge difference and you can find many instructions online if you want to learn more. Using lavender essential oil in the bath or shower can help stressed muscles relax and aid restful sleep, something which is vitally important at exam time.

For many of our children it isn’t the exams themselves that are causing the headaches, but rather the ‘what next?’ decisions that they are facing.

Exam results aren’t the be-all and end-all

In an ever-changing world, it can feel like everything is hinging on a great exam result and anything less will lead to total failure, and it is so important that we reassure them that no matter what grades they achieve, it is more important to be good people who find a way to feel good in themselves.

Taking time to explore things they both enjoy and excel at, be it sport, art or simply being a great listener, will be a better indicator of their future potential than the abstract grading of random questions on a given day. I know every single young person going through exams right now will have a light within them just ready to shine.

Let’s help them shine brightly and watch them glow!