Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

With the weather scorching outside, of course school exams are approaching. I don’t remember being half as relaxed as the Junior Cert student in our house when exams beckoned.

In fact, they have very definitely taken a back seat with sport and a summer job are currently the prioritised.

It’s only the Junior Cert I’m forcibly told when I raise the little subject of study.

But it seems not everyone takes a similar attitude. A youth support organisation which was founded in Galway, Jigsaw tells us that exams are one of the biggest sources of stress in the lives of young people.

As thousands of our young people once more get ready for their Junior and Leaving Certs, Jigsaw has put together ten top tips from their clinical and mental health experts to help parents and guardians give support with exam stress:

Try not to talk too much about studying and exams – If it can be avoided, try to avoid talking exclusively about studying and exams. There can feel like there’s pressure coming from every teacher, parent, group chat, and passer-by. If possible, only broach the subject sparingly, and think of other things to chat about.

Meet them where they’re at – Remember that their goals and idea of success may look different to yours.

Have an honest conversation – Ask them to be honest about how they are feeling, and what would help. It’s important to acknowledge when it’s feeling difficult, but it’s equally important to have a plan for what will help.

Remind them to talk to themselves with kindness and compassion – Would they be telling all their friends that the only thing that matters is a few weeks of their lives? Of course not!

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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