New Delhi: Exams can be a source of immense stress for students, leading to anxiety, physical discomfort, and mental fatigue. Maintaining focus and staying calm can become a challenge as the pressure builds up. One effective way to manage the stress of exams and maintain overall well-being is through the practice of yoga. Dr Narendra Shetty, chief wellness officer at Kshemavana Yoga and Naturopathy Centre, spoke about exam stress and how yoga can come to the rescue for students.
Let’s understand the relationship between stress and exams
The hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands and their interactions constitute the HPA axis, a major neuroendocrine system that controls reactions to stress and regulates many bodies.
- Mental stress: Worrying about the outcome of the exam, overthinking answers, and a lack of confidence can lead to mental exhaustion.
- Physical symptoms: These include headaches, back pain, eye strain, and insomnia.
- Emotional distress: Anxiety, irritability, and feelings of being overwhelmed are common during exam periods.
Benefits of Yoga for Students During Exams
- Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Yoga helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation and reduces stress. The deep breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation practices in yoga help calm the mind, leading to reduced anxiety and stress levels.
- Improves Concentration and Focus: Yoga enhances mental clarity, which is crucial when studying and taking exams. Regular practice of yoga increases the brain’s ability to focus, retain information, and think critically. Specific yoga postures like the “tree pose” or “child’s pose” are particularly effective for grounding and improving concentration.
- Enhances Memory Yoga: increases blood flow to the brain, which can improve cognitive function, including memory. The calmness brought on by yoga allows students to recall information more easily during exams.
- Promotes Better Sleep: Sleep is essential for memory consolidation and exam performance. Yoga practices, especially gentle stretches or evening relaxation routines, help students unwind before bed, leading to better sleep quality.
- Improves Physical Health: Long hours of sitting while studying can cause physical strain on the body, especially in the neck, back, and shoulders. Yoga postures like “cat-cow” and “downward dog” relieve these aches and improve posture, helping students feel physically comfortable during their study sessions and exams.
Incorporating yoga in your routine
- Breathing Exercises (Pranayama): Nadi shuddi pranayama Ujjayi pranayama
- Dhyana( meditation): Calm yourself by taking time out to practice any kind of meditation.
- Asanas: Yoga poses include, asanas like Tadasana, Vrikshasana, Garudasana, Balasana, etc build confidence and improve posture. By grounding and focusing on steady breathing, can reduce anxiety and create mental clarity, calm the nervous system, and provide immediate stress relief, by gently stretching and promoting deep breathing, helps release tension and quiets the mind. It also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which counteracts stress responses and promotes relaxation.
Incorporating yoga into your routine during exam periods can be a powerful tool for managing stress, improving focus, and enhancing overall well-being. The physical postures, breathing exercises, and meditation practices not only provide relief from the physical strain of long study hours but also promote mental clarity and emotional balance. By making yoga a part of your daily routine, you can approach exams with a calmer, more focused mindset, leading to better performance and improved health. Remember, taking care of your mind and body during stressful times is just as important as studying—yoga offers an effective way to achieve both.
During the exam season, doing yoga can prove helpful not just for reducing stress but also for boosting concentration. Here’s how this works. Mental Health Health News: Latest News from Health Care, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Disease, Nutrition, Healthcare
