Importance of Counselling for Examination phobia.

Covid-19 forced introduction of online teaching. Leisure time spent by children on devices adversely affected mental health in some. Their daily routine like sleep, eating habit and rejuvenation schedules like exercise regimen & playing outdoors got hampered. This resulted in children having less curiosity to learn, lower self control, bad temper & lower emotional stability. Now examination time is around the corner and the thought “what if the results are not as expected” grips and stresses the mind. This thought distracts the focus on studies. The emotional response in such a situation at times is nasty and violent behaviour. The individual starts exhibiting mood swings, social isolation from friends & family members, hopelessness, helplessness, anger, anxiety and over indulgence in alcohol/drug abuse. The mind needs to calm down, be optimistic and visualise a positive outcome to distract self from the immediate scenario that has generated this stressful thought. The child feels safe to express feelings uninhibitedly without fear of being judged & stigmatised in an interaction with Counsellor. A professional counsellor helps the child re-evaluate, reconsider opinions, plan and prioritise time for studies and end up learning adaptive much needed healthier coping mechanisms to deal with examination stress.