How to positively manage HSC and exam stress

23/09/16
By De-Anne Joseph

Whether you are in the thick of completing your HSC or any end of year assignments and exams maintaining good health can be a delicate balance. Why is it that some people seem to breeze through this highly charged time of year and others literally fall apart mentally and physically? Let’s face it, not too may people enter into an exam environment calm, confident and positive. Stress, anxiety and panic come into play for most of us, the secret of success during this time it to not let the negative voices in our heads take over. Here are some tips on how to keep on top of your health especially your emotions during this time and its more than just good planning and being organized!

1. Focus – It can be said that anxiety is focusing on what you don’t want rather than what you do want. Keeping a positive mindset during this time is extremely important and if this does not come easy to you it will, it just takes practice, it’s about strengthening this part of your mind. Any time those anxious thoughts start creeping in stop it, change it, replace it with the thoughts with the positive outcome you want.

2. Breathe – Slow deep breathing filling your whole lungs changes your physiology instantly. When you are starting to get worked up notice how you are breathing, it will most likely be shallow and quick. Slow it down in for the count of 6, hold and out for the count of 6 will help release the tension in an instant plus it is a great way to clear a cloudy mind.

3. Switch off & ground – The long-term effects of WIFI and EMF (electro magnetic frequency’s) are still unknown. We are swimming now in this EMF soup as we are constantly surrounded with WIFI and devices, computers, mobile phones and iPads etc. When these EMF waves hit the body they can be reflected absorbed and transmitted. In short what this is doing is affecting the charge of the cells in our body and creating a biochemical stress, which in turn can affect our energy levels, thought patterns and even how we sleep. Ensuring no electrical devices in our bedrooms and switching off the WIFI has been proven to help improve sleep, which in turn supports memory retention. Having regular timed breaks away from the computer and devices also helps calm the nervous system. Just like lightening likes to ground to the earth, walking bare foot on grass for a couple of minutes can help ground you and remove the excess charge circulating in your system. The constant dinging from your iMessage, Whats App and SnapChat reduces concentration and diverts your focus on what you should be doing. By switch off your notifications will break this short term focus and will allow you to concentrate for longer periods.

4. Hydration – Keep up the intake of drinking approximately 500ml per hour during your waking hours of filtered tap water. Adequate hydration improves energy and allows effective communication between the cells of your body. Be mindful not to drink 30 minutes before or after meals so digestive acid in your stomach is not diluted and at least 1 hour before going to bed so you don’t wake in the night.

5. Nutrition – Having a balance wholefood diet with no processed factory made food additives and refined sugar is the key. The brain during this time requires lots of healthy fats to work at its optimal level. Rather than reaching for the chips and chocolate replace these with smoothies that contain healthy oils such as up to 1 tablespoon cold pressed organic coconut oils, flax seed oil or help oil. Eating fresh fruits and nuts are not going to give the false energy spike highs that lollies and chocolate does.

6. Kinesiology – Stress is like the mind having too many tabs open. Like on your computer if there are too many tabs open your computer does not run as effectively, it runs slow and most time takes too long to think and eventually crashes. Kinesiology is an amazing tool to support you during time of stress. It helps you target the real source of your stress and allows you to clear it, which in turn de-clutters the mind, which in turn increases your energy vitality. Once you close down the tabs you can get clear what is important to you and your next steps, stress free!

7. Hypnotherapy – Many clients have commented that a 1-hour hypnotherapy session for stress is like waking up from a good 8-hour sleep. Hypnotherapy is another great tool that is proven to calm the nervous system, reduce panic and anxiety and allow you positively focus on what you really want.

8. Have fun – Most importantly enjoy this time, it goes so quickly. Before you know it, it will be all over and you will be enjoying summer relaxing on the beach and you will forget what all the fuss was about.