9 Ways to Manage Stress and Improve Academic Performance

As parents, we only want the best for our children --- we provide them their basic needs, shower them with love and care for them deeply. We teach them all the things they need to know to prepare them for their future. However, did we teach them how to best handle and manage stress when it comes to their studies?

Yes, we send them to schools so they can get a proper education and be a well-rounded person. But as we all know studying and getting an academic degree is not an easy task. We all have undergone challenges and real hardship before we even get our diplomas.

Now, the million-dollar question is, “How prepared are our children to handle these challenges and cope up with the tremendous amount of stress it will bring them?”

Learning is a painful process...
One of the basic principles of learning teaches us that learning is a painful process and it’s true indeed as learning requires hard work and dedication.

Successful future is all we want for our children thus we prepare them to be physically, mentally and emotionally ready for everything that lies ahead of them.

Managing stress effectively and improving one’s overall academic performance
We are now aware that our children will have to face many challenges and obstacles through the course of their lives. To enable them to embark on this journey with ease, we have to teach them how to manage their stress so that they can perform well in their academics.

As we all know, stress can be a huge hindrance to your child’s academic success. It can hamper their ability to learn their lessons and perform well in their school activities. Also, stress, if left out unresolved, can lead to anxiety, depression, and other serious mental health issues. We don’t want that to happen to us nor to our children right?

Stress is a normal phenomenon in one’s personal life. At some point in our lives, we have to experience and deal with stress. At times, stress can serve as a good purpose. Sometimes, we can use it as a catalyst for motivation to do well in whatever we do.

Dealing with stress in the most effective way possible will not only help your child to become emotionally strong and resilient but also, stimulates their brains in a positive way building up their confidence to take on every struggle they may encounter head-on.

So, without further ado, here’s your most awaited list of effective ways to manage stress and improve your child’s academic performance:
1. Do some breathing exercises- This is probably the easiest way to relieve stress. This is quite simple. You breathe in air, hold it for a few seconds then breathe out. Then simply repeat it several times until you have calmed down. It’s even more effective when you do it while saying “Breathe in” when you inhale and “breathe out” when you exhale because your mind will be literally diverted to what you are doing and saying at the moment far away from the thing you’ve been stressing about.

2. Learn mindfulness- Mindfulness helps us bring out our anxious thoughts into the current situation. There are several ways to do mindfulness. You can try to look around you and notice three things that can be perceived by your different senses. For example, name three things that you can see in your surroundings. Afterward, name three things that you can hear and so on. Another way you can practice mindfulness is by noticing things in your surroundings and name them according to the alphabet. It’s quite easy and enjoyable to do these mindfulness tricks with your brain.

3. Teach your child to freely express his/her thoughts and feelings to you- The best way we can help them manage their stress effectively is by keeping an open line of communication between them and us parents. However, we must practice patience and willingness to listen to what they are going to say before we conclude things. This process not only strengthens your relationship with your child but also paved a way to positively inculcate to them the value of listening and patience.

4. Teach them some ways to relax- Help them understand the value of “Me time”. The concept of “Me time” encourages self-awareness and self-empowerment. Allowing yourself to breathe in some fresh air and have a quick getaway from all the things that are causing you stress can help you relax your mind and even help you gain clarity.

5. Teach your child to be optimistic and realistic-Seeing the brighter side of things helps us continue moving forward no matter how difficult and stressful a situation can be. My father used to tell me “My child, if you think of a stressful situation as a problem---then, trust in yourself that you’ll find a solution to it. However, if you cannot find any solution at all, then it’s time to accept that it is no longer a problem but a reality that needs to be accepted.” Growing up, I’ve learned that when things don't go the way I want it to be no matter how I tried--- it won’t just go through, I’ll just think positively and tell myself “Oh! This one is not for me, maybe there is something much better that awaits me at the end of the tunnel so I must strive harder no matter what to get to the finish line.”

6. Teach your children the art of “RID”- RID stands for “renaming your thought” (remind yourself that you are just having an anxious thought), “insist that you are the one in charge” (never let your anxious thought rule you over) and “defy your stress and anxiety” (your anxious thoughts hinder you from doing the things you need to do so muster up your courage, take a leap of faith and do the opposite of what your anxious thought is telling you--- remember, you are in control).

7. Teach your child TLC- TLC means “Talk to a Friend, Look for the Silver Lining, and Change the Channel”. Tell your child that he or she can use a friend to talk to when he or she feels upset about something. Talking to someone and expressing your anxious thoughts can be a positive way of releasing stress. Looking for the silver lining in lay man’s term means “things could even be worse”. When you are done with the “T” and “L”, the next thing you need to do is the “C” which is changing the channel. This means creating a positive distraction for yourself like playing brain-stimulating games like Lumosity or just simply doing breathing exercises and or practicing mindfulness.

8. Teach them that health is wealth-By keeping your body healthy, you protect yourself from getting sick, and oftentimes being sick can cause your child more stress. Thus, it is important to keep them healthy all the time.

9. Let them know that they have their backs covered- Whenever your child feels stressed and burnt out due to the overwhelming number of writing assignments and school projects and engagements, let them know that there are professional essay writing services they can run into to help them accomplish their assignments on time.

Teaching your child how to deal with stress in a positive way can help him cope up with all the adversities they will go through the course of their studies. It also ensures their happiness and positive perspective when it comes to studying thus, motivating them to learn won't be a problem. Remember, a highly motivated and well-rounded student always succeeds in academics and in life as a whole.