Stressed at exam time? Treat your kids like dogs
A blog post written 26th March 2016.
Well here we are again its Easter and its exam time! Going into schools this week I have sensed a bitter sweet atmosphere. On the one hand there is excitement and relief that the Easter hols are here, on the other hand the message is ‘relax, enjoy, but don’t forget to study!’ So I thought I would lighten the mood and share with you my take on helping kids at exam time.
Now you may have read the title and be thinking ‘what have dogs got to do with exams??’ Well for a long time now I have thought that kids and dogs have a lot in common, but the similarities have become more obvious to me recently whilst I have been speaking with parents, kids and teachers about taking care of their wellbeing. It seems to me that looking after the mind, body and soul is equally as important to the success of exams as is the revision and study itself.
Having been around dogs all my life and knowing what it takes to keep a furry pet happy and healthy it seems obvious to me that we should be giving kids the same care and attention, particularly in stressful times.
So here are my simple habits for keeping kids sane at exam time:
Walkies
If you have a dog you are probably taking him out for walks at least twice a day. You know that if he doesn’t stretch his legs, run around and get out of puff he starts getting destructive and chewing your best shoes! Your teenager probably isn’t behaving quite like this, but stress builds up in the body and needs to be released. When we are learning lots of information our brain needs more oxygen, so moving around is the best way to get this done. Whatever it is – 10 minutes dancing on the wii, a run, bike ride, playing with the dog, as long as they are moving and getting out of breath it will do the trick. It will also improve their mood, which is good news for everyone!
Fresh air
So we wouldn’t keep a dog indoors all day and expect him to be happy and well trained. Same goes for the student. As with the walkies it goes hand in hand to say that the learning brain needs fresh air. Now I know not all teenagers want to go walking around the park and may prefer watching Netflix or scrolling on their phone in their room, but being outside and preferably around something green and leafy improves our memory, concentration and motivation. So send them to the shop, drop them off a few streets away from school, walk the dog, whatever it takes to get them outside a few times each day.
Good food
If your dog is anything like mine only the best will do. Pedigree Chum just doesn’t cut it. Chicken breast, mackerel fillets, raw carrots and if he could read he would be checking out the label on the gravy bones box. But honestly, for our brains to work properly we have to feed them well. We have all heard about ‘superfoods’ and ‘brain foods’ and there is research to suggest that they fuel our brains well, but don’t get carried away eating loads of one thing. Generally aim for a good mix – plenty of protein (eggs, beans, fish, chicken), good carbohydrates (brown bread, rice, pasta, oats), and cut back on the sugary stuff and caffeine. Also the teenage brain is a super thirsty organ so it needs lots of water. Funnily enough, dogs always seem to be super hydrated as they always have enough pee to sprinkle another leaf or lamppost.
For a great guide of what foods to eat at exam time, check this out:
https://www.nicolamorgan.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Food-suggestions.pdf
Play time
“Sit, paw, throw, fetch” over and over again, they just never get bored of it. Dogs love play time and I always remember the advice when me and my Mam got our first puppy was that they need to play to build their confidence, learn how to socialise and learn new tricks. The first thing I do when I’m working with a teenager who’s preparing for exams is draw up a timetable for the whole study period and get them to block out daily time where they do something fun. Their brains need to do something creative, something they can get lost in, something that makes them laugh. Breaking the study up with something completely different will be a great pick me up and help them concentrate better when they go back to studying.
Down time
Again just like a growing puppy, young people need to rest, relax and recharge. Resting allows the brain to absorb all the information they have been learning and calms down the fear centre in the brain that reacts to stress. It’s super important! Now, they may look like they’re relaxing watching TV or surfing the net, but their brain is still being stimulated and so isn’t totally relaxed. Doing ‘nothing’ can be tricky for this generation as they are so used to having constant stimulation at their fingertips. So this can be hard to practice at first. A good time may be when they get in from school or before bed. Switch off all tech, just for 10 minutes and sit and focus on breathing, maybe have a warm drink, but just do nothing. If they get particularly stressed before an exam, practicing this daily when they are relaxed will really help them when it all gets too much.
Some great breathing and relaxation exercises to try:
http://smilingmind.com.au/my-smiling-mind/
https://www.headspace.com/headspace-meditation-app
So I know this stuff isn’t rocket science, but that’s the whole point. Sometimes the simple stuff can be really easy not to do, but those small things we do daily really make the biggest difference. This can be a tough time for kids, so if you need a helping hand (or paw!) just get in touch.