It’s that time of year when the exams are suddenly here and the stress levels are on the rise
Every June my subconscious does this fabulous fun thing – the annual Leaving Cert dream. If I’m really lucky it’ll be really specific – like Irish paper 1 – or an accountancy paper full of Question 1s – either way it morphs pretty smartly into a nightmare.
So, the exams are over and you’re thinking “Yay! Stress? Nah – done, distant memory, ‘be grand now!”
And it is done for some, but for others a new and unexpected stress has already kicked in. It’s a little trickier than pre-exam stress, because the people around you might assume all students are now the embodiment of Zen and relaxation, because technically the exams are over.
These last days of school see students summarising, timing, perfecting essays/questions etc. Many have finished up completely, emotions are high, end of year ceremonies have begun. Now for the final push.
All eyes are firmly set on the calendar as the final countdown begins.
Stress is not only normal, but essential, despite our modern distaste for uncomfortable emotions. Good #Mentalhealth is not the absence of #stress, it is the better management of stress.
We cannot eradicate or sanitise exam stress for our children – nor should we. It’s a part of life, much as we hate to bear witness to it!
It’s Easter Bunny time already and we all know what that means…
It’s an incredibly stressful time for students. The reality is hitting – no doubt bashed in by the orals and practicals – and the panic will be well and truly setting in for many of you this week. The start of your last school hols – ever.