Nowadays, it is a common sight for students to witness classmates being vandalized due to severe exam stress just before the bell rungs for the commencement of the examination. Stress is an inevitable part of daily life for every person, yet it should not colonize a person's mind during the early days, which is the ‘learning days’. Though, stress is playing a key role in destroying students’ mental health.

In two colleges of India, International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Applied Science carried out a research study to find the cause of stress among students. The study involved 200 students from Arts, Commerce, and Science. 85.71 percent of female students said that the major cause of stress to them arises due to academic problems. The same cause for stress was cited by 78.04 percent of males. They also stated stress due to the high expectations of the teachers, parents, and self is a big issue. The performance of the students gets interrupted in examinations due to the accumulation of stress.

Remember appearing for the board examination for the first time or any entrance examination, when we all carried some percentage of stress in our students’ toolbox? Well, these days stress has expanded its wings and has entered the students’ life from every possible angle making it tougher for them to live and exhibit their true potentials freely, an urgent need is there to stay stress relieved and the following points might help to do so. Some of the other points to note include -

• Engage in Mind Calming Activities – Making time to practice pranayama or meditation that helps in distressing is highly recommended by mental health advisors these days. Breathing exercises have a positive effect on the body and help in staying focused. One learns to make rational decisions even during negative situations. Thought patterns are routed to positive paths if pranayama or meditation practiced on a regular basis, thereby giving you the chance of appearing for an examination with a clear mind.
• Daily Habits – The body needs food, rest, and workouts. Hence, it is essential to eat nutrient-rich food, sleep for restoring energy, and exercise to remain physically fit. Not following this leads the body to experience stress due to physical abnormalities. Drinking water than caffeine is also a major point to focus on.
• Goal Setting – It is not recommended to set goals that cannot be achieved. Thus, moving with the goals which are achievable and can be productive is worth it.
• Peer Study – Everyone needs support and what can comebetter than peer support. Studying in groups helps in understanding differenttechniques and allows in getting hold of the notes better as the explanation isdone by the group members.
• Remaining Calm on Exam Eve – Hydration helps in removing the triggers that lead to panic attacks before exams or even during examinations. Take long breaths and concentrate on solving the problems without breaking down.
• Not Comparing to Others – A fine mistake done by students is comparing themselves to what others have and they do not. Instead of competing, if you consider what you can achieve with what you have will make your condition better and you will feel no stress.
• On-Time Study – Do not leave anything for the next day as tomorrow never comes. If you have to finish an assignment or complete a chapter do it now. Time is crucial and never let it go out of your reach.
• Being Confident – A lack of confidence can lead to a severe outburst of stress. So, staying confident and believing that you can accomplish what you want to is essential. Talk to parents and close ones to know their stories and how they came across difficulties to become what they are today. You will definitely feel a lot more confident after that.

These are the basic points, in general, to remain stress-free. However, if you feel more stressed and consider things are out of your hands, it is advisable to consult a professional. But following the basics help everyone.