Digital detox, runs, vision boards: How students are beating exam stress

While parents and students across the city are grappling with exam nerves a few are taking over the reins of their mental health ensuring that they go into the exam room sharp and ready to take on the worldAlthough previous generations have had their own arsenal of tricks not everyone benefits from the usual recommendations such as yoga meditation and pranayama So Gen Z and their millennial parents are employing tactics that are a mix of the formerrsquos digital dexterity and mental health tools These include the popular trick of imagining the best result lsquomanifestationrsquo vision boards digital detox and calming content consumption into the mixChange of surroundingsGone are the days of hanging a positive thought or a poster of their role model the students today are taking their familiarity with digital dexterity with designs to the next level of today One such is Tanisha Potdar a Class 12 board Mumbai student who has created a digital poster that she printed as the background of almost all her electronicdigital devicesAmar Cherawalla on a runldquoI have a vision board collage with a picture of the institute I wish to go to a marksheet that says I have achieved over 90 per cent affirming words like lsquoachievedrsquo and lsquoacceptedrsquo to help me remain positive through the exam While I have not pasted a physical copy of the vision board I have saved it on my gadgets wallpaper to remind me of my goalsrdquo said the student who was preparing for her French examParents who really want to do all they can for their children are stepping up as well This includes Chitra Ahuja who believes that your productivity is linked to the power of the physical spaceIncluding anything from rearranging the house and deployable hacks for an exam revamp Ahuja who is a senior manager at Podar Prep School has a space designed for her sons with these principles in mind ldquoI teach my children to associate that space with learning so that they donrsquot get overwhelmed by distractions while they are studying or preparing for examsrdquo she said As a result Chitrarsquos sons have neutral colours calming hues that is a lsquonogadgetrsquo zoneMany believe that during exam weeks the colours in onersquos room can have a strong influence on the mood ldquoShades of blue and green on your sheets can create a sense of calm and enhance clear thinkingTanisha Potdar shows off her digital posterswallpaper that has manifestations like getting into the college she wants toYou can steer clear of bright reds or yellows while they boost energy they can also disrupt your focus Dark colours like black absorb light and can feel quite heavyrdquo say furnishing experts like Amanpreet Singh AroraA change in hues may be routine for some but other parents also turn to spiritual paths ahead of stressful exam times Hema Sharma a Hyderabad resident was worried about her son who is now to appear for Class 12 CBSE board exams Seeing his score drop after grade 10 the mother sprang into action before the boards and found Mumbaibased Healer and Manifestation coach Gunjan MalviyaldquoAfter a phone call with her we pasted images of various deities and affirmative words around my sonrsquos room I have pasted the phrase lsquospark highest potentialrsquo on my sonrsquos almirah as an affirmative statement she shared After following this for three to four months we have seen his focus improve and I feel calmerrdquo said SharmaAs per Malviya practices like crystal bracelets mojo bags Bach flower remedies vision boards switch words affirmations or ldquoenergy circlesrdquo can sometimes help indirectly mainly through psychological mechanisms rather than proven physical or mystical effects ldquoWhen a child believes they have something lsquosupportingrsquo them bracelet affirmation card etc anxiety may be reduced Lower anxiety can improve concentration and exam performance And when parents lovingly create these items or help build rituals children feel supported which increases confidence and reduces stressrdquo Malviya told Sunday middayDigital detoxMaximising onersquos motivation is one side however cutting out the chaos is just as important Vidhi Sureliya opts for a digital detox Every time she studies for her HSC boards Sureliya locks up her phone in a small wooden box which then goes inside a cupboard Staying away from the constant buzz of notifications has helped this studentldquoI try to use the internet via the laptop so I donrsquot end up doomscrolling on my phone I have many friends who shun their mobile phones for months together ahead of big exams Similarly I try not to study while wearing my pajamas Simply dressing like I have somewhere to go keeps me more alert and not so casualrdquo said VidhiBinge and goA few have figured out lsquocomfort watchingrsquo to regulate their systems Della a Class 11 science student who took her boards last year went hard on Christopher Nolanrsquos lsquoInterstellarrsquo as her preexam bingeldquoOne evening before a lowstakes exam I saw that the movie was out on an OTT and gave it a shot It was surreal I was very motivated and had a deeper appreciation for the sciences The next day I scored 75 per cent and soon the movie became both a ritual as well as a lucky charmrdquo said Della a science student who intends on repeating this practice before her Class 11 finalsldquoIt taught me that the universe is meant to be so much bigger than thatrdquo she addedExam highMasuma Cherawala a physiotherapist and a parent to a Class 10 CBSE student from Gopi Birla Memorial School believes that her sonrsquos daily runs are what help them the mostldquoMy son takes his lsquometimersquo with his 3045 minute run every day and I manage to join him oftenrdquo she said Just how does it help ldquoHis posture sitting in one place for three hours learning to adjust without ACs and other comforts of your homerdquo she addsldquoI think the easiest thing we can do for our children is remain peaceful ourselves I turn to the Quran and spirituality to calm myself down and provide better support for my sonrdquo she addedNo to the sugarBhanushali who is appearing for her class 12 board exams has cut out sugar ldquoI did the same before my class 10 exams and it helped me increase my focus rdquo she saidShe studies and revises on the terrace ldquoSitting on the terrace helps me focus better I start early so that I catch fresh sunlight and avoid construction ruckus toordquo she said