Stress and fatigue top students concerns about exam time

Students across the country are gearing up for year-end exams and standardized tests, in addition to meeting class deadlines and heavy homework loads. Unfortunately, increased pressure for good grades has many students taking the wrong approach when it comes to exam time preparation.

According to a survey conducted by The Princeton Review and Wrigley, more than 85 percent of students admit to feeling increased stress and tension at exam time, in many cases leading them to make less healthy choices.

Under Pressure

Although experiencing a little stress can keep students on their toes, choosing poor stress management techniques can ultimately work against their academic goals. The recent survey revealed students are dealing with exam time pressures by snacking during study time (76 percent), studying with a caffeine buzz (61 percent) and burning the midnight oil (41 percent). The survey also revealed, however, that some students are finding ways to meet the challenges of studying for test time, such as listening to classical music (20 percent) and even chewing gum (37 percent). Of the students who chew gum while studying for exams, 41 percent do so to combat stress and tension and 23 percent to increase focus and concentration.

In fact, studies have shown that the act of chewing gum increases blood flow to the brain by 25 percent and appears to improve people's ability to retain and retrieve information.

"Chewing gum while performing memory tests can increase memory substantially," says Andrew Scholey, Ph. D., CPsychol, professor, Division of Psychology, and director, Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, University of Northumbria, UK.

Stressbusters

Study experts at The Princeton Review recommend a few simple tips to help parents and students deal with test-time stress.

• Exercise: Exercise can be an excellent way to recharge batteries and reduce stress around exam time.

• Care packages: There's nothing like a care package from parents to lighten students' stress and let them know they are rooting for them. Include items such as stress toys, a classical music CD and healthy snacks such as nuts, chewing gum or dried fruit.

• Create a calming and productive atmosphere: An effective study area should have good lighting and ventilation, a comfortable chair and space large enough to spread out materials.

• Chew gum: The gum experts at Wrigley recommend chewing gum to relieve stress and tension and to help increase focus and concentration during studying and test-taking.

Should you confide in your friends about your panic attacks

Imagine sitting in the gymnasium at your child’s school while you’re having a full-blown panic attack. There are people all around you and if you get up to leave the gym everyone will be staring at you. Your heart is racing a million miles a minute. Your face and body are drenched in sweat from heat to toe like you’ve just run a marathon. What a nightmare!

Unfortunately, I don’t have to imagine this because I lived it. This happened to me in the spring of 2005 and was the worst panic attack I’d ever experienced. I felt utterly humiliated as other parents that I knew sat beside me and wondered what the heck was wrong with me.

To me the only thing I could do at that moment was lie, so I told other parents that I was having trouble with hormones and hot flashes. I felt sure I couldn’t admit that I was having a panic attack because these people would think I was “crazy”. My child went to school with their children, who would sometimes come over to my home. There was no way I could admit the truth.

The only two people to whom I ever confessed my panic attack problem were my sister and my best friend. That holds true to this day, even eight months after I found a cure for my panic attacks and no longer struggle with this issue. However, the stigma is still there.

What is it about anxiety disorders or panic attacks that make people afraid to speak out about them? Anxiety sufferers are afraid that they’ll be seen as weak or that people will look at them differently. It’s ironic that when people have a physical illness such as kidney problems that they have no problem discussing it with others. But when you bring a problem that can be viewed as a “mental illness” into the picture, people shut up like clams.

I’m not personally convinced that anxiety disorders can be classified as a mental illness as the problem has less to do with brain activity and more to do with the nervous system. The “fight or flight” mechanism is usually out of whack in anxiety patients and needs to be re-set so that the body can produce normal physical reactions to trigger events.

So are you in denial about your panic attacks? How many people are you going to lie to before you finally get help for this problem?

I don’t recommend confiding to your inner circle of friends unless you’re absolutely positive that you’ll get the support you deserve. I can’t imagine anything worse than not being taken seriously about this issue.

However, you might be surprised at the response you get if you share your secret. You may discover a new ally in your panic attack problem.

For example I was surprised to learn that my best friend struggled with panic attacks as well after I finally confided in her about mine. It was very comforting to me to be able to discuss this problem with someone without feeling like I would be viewed as unstable.

Panic attacks are just that: a problem. It’s not a disease and you don’t have a mental illness. Panic attacks affect millions of people from all walks of life. You are not alone. Do some research online and you’ll find user groups and online information waiting to be discovered. If you don’t want to open up to someone in person you may find an online friend that is struggling with the same condition.

So don’t give up. There is a cure for you. Take the first step so you can find it.

Eye-opening facts about stress

You look at the clock. It's 1 a. m. You've been trying to sleep since 11, and you're still awake. Your mind races. Your muscles are tense. You think you'll never get any rest. Sound familiar? If so, you are one of 60 million people in the U. S. who suffer from some form of insomnia.

A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation indicates that 58 percent of adults in America experience insomnia at least a few nights a week. Insomnia increases with age, afflicting approximately 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women.

While insomnia has many causes, many of us can't sleep because we are simply too stressed out. Stress, a major contributor to all sorts of health issues - from weight gain to heart problems - seems unavoidable in today's fast-paced world.

We may not be able to eliminate all stress from our lives, but we can minimize it. Here are some strategies:

* Make a list. Organize your next day's activities into three categories: "To Call," "To Buy, "To Do." Attach a specific time to each activity, and rest assured that you won't wake up to chaos.

* Unwind. Before you go to bed, take a timeout. Read or listen to music as you drink a cup of herbal tea or warm milk. Create a barrier of calm between your jam-packed day and your bedtime.

* Relax your body. We carry stress in our muscles, especially those of the neck and lower back. Stretching exercises can ease the tension. When you get into bed, lie flat your back for a few minutes. Tense and relax each muscle group as you work your way up from your toes to your temples.

* Try a sleep aid. Non-habit-forming aids are easy to find. The spray Insomnia, for example, is a natural alternative to prescriptions. Part of the Spray line of sublingual sprays, Insomnia helps you relax to ease you into a deep sleep. Made with natural ingredients, the spray acts gently and causes no side effects, according to its manufacturer.