Learning to handle stress valuable for future

EXAM stress often takes its toll on teens, but a doctor and homeopath said that learning to handle stress could be valuable for their future. Dr Erika Coertzen says calls to helplines usually spike during the exam period when pupils feel overwhelmed and don’t know who to talk to. She says this toll on pupils and the trauma they experience may impact negatively on future stressful situations. “We know that distress calls from pupils generally spike over the exam period when teens and young adults seek help for coping with exam stress and depression. “Unless they learn to cope at this young age, they may battle with stressful situations as adults.

“They worry about how to study, about failing, about letting their family down and how are they going to cope,” she says. Coertzen said helplines offered counselling and shared tips, including how to study, various learning methods, how to draft a timetable, what to do on exam days and other coping skills. In the UK, according to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the number of young people seeking exam stress counselling has increased by 200% in recent years. Coertzen says those dealing with stress should consult a medical professional and should consider the following tips: ý Draft a study plan in advance; ý Be prepared and stay positive; ý Ask for help; ý Speak to a teacher, friend, parent or counsellor if you feel overwhelmed; ý Get enough sleep; ý Be alert, listen to your body and exercise daily; and ý Take breaks between study sessions.