In conversation with Dr. Priya Kaul, spiritual life coach and hope creator shares her tips on how to remain stress free amid Covid19 pandemic.
How pandemic has affected the minds of adolescents?
The pandemic has impacted all of us badly in every way. While we adults can still try to balance it out, it’s painful for kids to adjust to the new normal. No outdoor activities and long study hours on laptop and desktop has added to the stress of life that is difficult to manage for them. It is resulting in anxiety and irritation in school going kids. It is important for parents to devote time, play with them and make them indulge in healthy and good food to keep them at ease.
How stress and anxiety affect your child’s performance?
Anxiety and stress is nothing new for kids, the society keeps on adding that pressure during exam days and it often results in bad result and roots negativity them. It not only demoralizes their confidence but also leads to other mental health problems that can have a detrimental impact on child’s long-term development, especially because their brains are still developing.
Stress affects biological processes, taking its toll on the brain and body. It also affects the fight-or-flight response and causes a shift in hormones — including the release of cortisol and adrenaline — which elevates blood pressure and heart rate at an early age and further spikes with age.
How to tackle the stress of exam postponement in the period of corona?
There is a lot of chaos regarding internal exams in school and colleges and in this time kids need to be in no panic mode. In this parents and teachers can play a key role. They should be motivated to use the time positively and work on their weak points and sharpen skills in the subjects, where they doubt. For this, parents and teachers can add fun element to the subject to develop interest in kids using means of technology and re-structure the study strategy. Also, a daily routine should be followed to utilize time and kids should be promoted to stay away from negative thoughts and should take proper rest and sleep.
What parents can do to help their children to remain stress-free?
From rewarding them with treats and motivation to spending time with them, it’s all upto parents and how they want to nurture their kids. It’s a tough time and the best friend for any kid is his/her parents. They are set a routine for them, talk and play with them. Apart from this cooking and baking are two therapeutic means that parents can use along with pottery and gardening to indulge kids in skillful mental development and keep them away from negativity. In this they can seek help of teachers to understand the need and plan accordingly.
How to utilize the current period at its best?
In this time when schools are closed and no outdoor activities are happening, it’s important for parents to play a key role and help them make the most the time in most innovative way. They can be motivated to engage in indoor extra-curricular activities like painting, sketching, gardening, pottery and more. Also, as a parent you can help them develop interest in a specific activity and boost them to pursue and nurture the skills during unlock duration. Also, encourage less use of desktop and cell phone during leisure time.
