Two students visit SMS hospital daily for exam-stress counselling

JAIPUR: With board exams just a few days away, the stress level among students is rising and parents have started consulting with psychiatrists and psychologists. Doctors at SMS Hospital are receiving two cases of students facing exam stress daily.
Anxiety, depression, memory loss and sudden blackout are a few problems the students are facing. Girl students, on the other hand, are experiencing uneven menstrual cycles due to high stress levels.

R K Solanki, head of the department of psychiatry at SMS Medical College said that since two months, the frequency of students coming for consultation has increased.
“Students seek solutions for sudden memory loss or blackout. Continuous studies without break lead to these problems. Students must plan their studies or else last minute preparation will drain them psychologically and physically,” said Solanki.
He suggests that students must take a break after 45 minutes to one hour of studies. “After a period of time, pupils must take a break in which either listen to music or read comic books. This will refresh their minds,” said Solanki.
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has posted YouTube videos explaining different psychological problems that a child may face at exam time.
The link is posted on their website under ‘counselling’ section and titled ‘Knowing Children Better’. Many other links are shared on the website under this section to help students and parents.
K K Verma, psychiatrist at Sikar Medical College, said that students must sleep early and make a schedule. “The body needs 6-7 hours of sleep each day. So, students must try to sleep early and eat well. Many patients complain of indigestion and increase in gastric problems during exam time. This is caused due to uneven diet. Also, during stress, food is not digested properly. Students must take four nutritious meals a day and should eat something light for dinner,” said Verma.
Along with students, parents are also given counselling.
“Counselling for parents is most important. We advise parents not to create unnecessary pressure on the children or compare them with other students. Now, students cannot learn anything more so they should just relax. Only a stress-free mind can perform well,” said Solanki.