Anxiety, stress grip students as they fail to sleep, eat during exams

“I am unable to sleep…I can’t eat…I am feeling too anxious…I am under immense stress…I don’t know what to do…” These were the common and major concerns shared by Class XII and X students, appearing for their ongoing annual exams, with counsellors at the ASMAAH 24x7 helpline for free counselling, support and guidance here.

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Brainchild of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jitendra Jorwal, the annual student mental health support helpline, ASMAAH, was launched with the support of the District Red Cross Society and District Bureau of Employment and Enterprises for the Class X and XII students ahead of the board examinations here on February 10.

In the first week, the helpline has received 72 calls from the students of Class XII, X and XI.

Jorwal told The Tribune here on Tuesday that more girl students have called than the boys and besides 16 Class X and 2 Class XI students, rest of the 54 callers were from Class XII.

“Around 15 parents have also called and asked for help for their children. They have enquired about how they can help their children manage their stress as many flagged their kids have stopped eating and are not getting proper sleep,” the DC said while stating that the counsellors have taught them techniques which could help reduce stress.

He said the students have asked questions regarding disturbance of their sleep patterns during exams, not being able to sleep, being jittery, while some have also shared that they fall asleep while studying.

“Counsellors made each student comfortable and then asked them some basic questions such as are you having trouble sleeping and do they feel anxious to gauge the level of stress of the callers,” he said while informing that some required only positive affirmation while others were guided with practice techniques like box technique — a deep breathing technique that can help with stress and anxiety by breathing in and out slowly and steadily while counting to four and Pomodoro technique — a time management method that involves working in focused intervals, called pomodori, with short breaks in between and the goal to increase productivity by breaking work into manageable chunks and building in time to rest.

The DC said there had been no serious case till now, which required referring to the next level of counsellor or psychiatrist and all cases had been handled by experienced psychologists.

A total of six counsellors have been roped in for running the helpline round-the-clock. “Their time has been divided in such a manner to ensure that at least two counsellors remain available all the time,” he said while stating that there was a provision for increasing the number of counsellors manning the helpline, based on the need and demand.

Jorwal divulged that in case, the first level of counsellor assesses that the student/caller was facing higher level of anxiety and stress, then the callers will be referred to two experienced psychologists from the team of Global Child Wellness Centre, who will further counsel and guide them as per their expertise. “The whole process is being monitored by a senior psychiatrist, Dr Priyanka Kalra,” he said.

“Counsellors have given all callers positive affirmations that the students need to believe in themselves. Counselled them to follow and practise the box breathing technique,” he shared.

Jorwal said the helpline was planned to be functional for at least three months and further operation will be decided as per the requirement in future.

In case of any serious/ acute case of mental stress/ anxiety coming to the fore, the DC said the first level counsellors have been trained by the senior psychiatrist on assessing the level of stress the students were facing. “Already, the ASMAAH helpline has a protocol in place to escalate the call to two higher level experienced counsellors/ psychologists, if there is an acute case of stress/ anxiety,” he stated, adding that the level 2 psychologists had ample experience in handling the high stress/ anxiety cases.

Exams not end of world: DC

“Today, the students are under immense pressure to perform well and achieve high marks. Therefore, it is important for parents, teachers, and the community to convey to the students that exams are not the end of the world and there is no need to fear them. The best approach to handle examinations is to stay calm and tackle each paper one at a time without worrying about the results. ASMAAH helpline is to help and guide the students in overcoming their fear of exams, providing them with trained listeners, who can support them through tough times of stress and anxiety,” said Jitendra Jorwal, DC.

Free, confidential counselling

If you are feeling stressed about exams or under pressure, you are not alone, call this 24x7 mental health support helpline at 9646470777.

The expert and trained psychologists and psychiatrists will offer free and confidential counselling, guidance to manage exam stress, emotional support for anxiety and pressure, practical tips to stay focused and motivated.