Exam Stress And Coping

It is once again that time of year and the exam season is once again upon us and many students may be finding that the build up to exams has become  a very stressful and emotionally overwhelming period of time. Young people may well be feeling the pressure to perform or may be worrying about the future and are finding it hard to concentrate and focus.

Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences and everyone experiences stress from time to time. In short-term situations, stress can be very positive and it can help you cope with potentially serious situations. The  body responds to stress by releasing hormones that increase your heart and breathing rates and ready your muscles to respond. However if your stress response is prolonged these stress levels may stay raised for far longer than is necessary for survival, which can have a massive negative impact upon health. Chronic stress can also cause a variety of symptoms affecting physical, emotional and psychological well being. The symptoms of chronic stress include:

  • Low energy
  • Headaches
  • Upset stomach, including diarrhoea, constipation, and nausea
  • Aches, pains, and tense muscles
  • Chest pain and rapid heartbeat
  • Insomnia
  • Frequent colds and infections
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Loneliness and isolation
  • Other mental or emotional health problems

Treating Teen Stress with Reflexology

Reflexology is a wonderful holistic treatment which can be used effectively with young people as it provides an opportunity to step out of a usual environment into a non judgmental calm space. Regular treatments are effective in helping a young person to relax whilst reducing stress and enabling sleep patterns to improve. Young people often find that the treatment room provides a safe space for them to raise any worries which they may have which can in turn help them to face the challenge.

Reflexology may help with reducing the effect stress by putting the body into a state of complete relaxation and restores the body’s natural balance.  In this state muscular tension is released, nerve function improved, blood and lymph circulate freely and overall health and well being improve.  Sleep improves with treatment, and the whole ‘fight or flight’ stress response is calmed. As a holistic therapy Reflexology is soothing, relaxing, calming and non invasive; in fact it treats the mind, body and spirit as a whole!

Clearly all Reflexology treatments and any discussions are confidential, but subject to the age of the young person they may require a parent or guardian to be present and for them to give consent for the treatment to proceed