Testing times for stress

Laugh, eat well and go for regular walks - these are just some of the things students can do to stay healthy in the run-up to…

Laugh, eat well and go for regular walks - these are just some of the things students can do to stay healthy in the run-up to exams, as Hélène Hofmanreports

As thousands of students prepare to sit Junior and Leaving Certificate exams in less than a month, books may seem more important than vitamins and exercise. However, according to the experts, eating well, staying active and getting a good night's sleep can help you maximise your potential.

"Naturally this is a stressful time for students," says Rita O'Reilly, manager of Parentline. "It's equally stressful for parents, who, like their kids, get very upset and anxious. Our advice is to relax and take it easy."

With students preoccupied with their studies, O'Reilly says parents have an important role to play in keeping their children healthy.

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"Try to get your child to get as much rest as possible. There is no point studying into the early hours of the night. Without nagging, tell them they need plenty of sleep and good food to keep their energy levels up," she says.

"Exercise and other social activity is also important. If they play football and train twice a week, let them. It won't make much difference, it'll take their mind off things and it lets them see there are other things to life than exams," she says.

Doing at least half-an-hour's exercise per day has a number of benefits, according to Dr Philip Carolan, Cavan-based GP and honorary secretary of the faculty of sports and exercise medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

"Many students become sedentary around the time of exams but they should maintain their level of fitness and improve it if they can.

"You don't have to go to the gym for an hour but half-an-hour of walking or cycling will be beneficial," says Carolan.

"Perhaps most importantly for an exam student, maintaining a daily exercise routine - aside from the usual benefits - can help prevent depression.

"Exercising releases endorphins which relax you and help prevent stress. Around this time students can be quite anxious and stressed and this can help people sleep better," he says.

"There are also benefits from a concentration point of view. Your respiratory system is improved, so your oxygen capacity is increased, which benefits the brain and also your stamina is improved.

"Sometimes if you're working away you can get bogged down on a question. Taking the time to do a simple activity may refocus you and help you find the answer," says Carolan.

Siofra Aiken, president of the Union of Secondary Students (USS), agrees that taking time out from your studies is important.

"I did my Junior Cert last year and I know a lot of people like me will take study too seriously," she says.

"It's important to take the time to socialise and exercise when you can. I found it helpful to study in the morning and then go out with my friends in the afternoon.

"You should also remember to talk to your friends about how you're feeling and how they're feeling and see how they're dealing with it," she says.

Eating healthily is equally important to keep energy levels up and prevent illness.

Although many students will choose coffee, sugary drinks and junk food, dietitian Sarah Keogh says there are other foods that can give you a longer lasting boost.

"Although it won't help you if you haven't done any study - what you eat is important," says Keogh. "Hit the books first, but if you eat healthy it will help you concentrate for longer.

"Sugary drinks and other junk food might give you a boost of energy but you will end up crashing later. It's better to eat slow burning foods like pasta or porridge, and having some wholegrain food, like wholegrain bread, during the day will give you a slow release of energy," she says.

"You can eat fruit and vegetables for vitamins that will keep you from getting sick . . . One nutrient that is especially important is omega 3 fatty acids from fish, which are good for the brain, so eat plenty of rich fish like mackerel and salmon if you can."

For students who are not getting sufficient amounts of omega 3 fatty acids into their diet, she recommends taking a supplement with Ethyl EPA.

"This seems to be the only supplement that research has shown definitely has an effect. Unless your diet is appalling and you're not getting what you need, you don't need a supplement," Keogh says.

"There is nothing you need to avoid altogether but make sure to eat plenty of good food. If you eat well there's nothing that says you shouldn't bring some chocolate into the exam on the day."

Finally, remembering there's more to life than exams will help students and parents significantly reduce stress levels, according to Mary Coyle, educational psychologist and psychotherapist with the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).

"Life is to be enjoyed not endured. So laugh for any good reason, it's good for you . . . Laughing helps enrich the blood with plenty of oxygen and helps to relieve stress, and boosts the immune system," she says.

"Music is one of our greatest gifts and pleasures in life and is accessible to everyone. When you find music that relaxes you, hold on to it and use it when you need it. Research shows that it reduces stress and one easy way to escape is by listening to music," she says.

"We have the power to choose our thoughts. We usually talk to ourselves every moment of the day. That's called self-talk - this can be negative or positive," says Coyle.

"There are many ways of thinking about some situations and choosing pessimistic thoughts is unhelpful. It will take time and practice but thinking positive makes a difficult situation like this much easier."