Earlier this week a Mum told me about the stress and anxiety her son was facing as he goes through his exams at school. This time of year is stressful enough for most high school pupils as they face weeks and weeks of exams. If you add in the extra complication of acquired brain injury – then it can become very difficult indeed.
I wanted to remind parents and young people too, of the vast amount of help that is available for you on our website. To start with here are some practical tips to aid memory and concentration when preparing for exams
- Try to find a quiet place in the home to minimise distractions
- Set a time to work and stick to it
- Be sure to have regular breaks, get up and move around. Maybe take a drink and snack outside.
- For fidgeting behaviour- provide stimulation e.g. a shoe lace or stress ball
- Use picture cards or cue cards as a reminder
This information is taken from our Understanding and Managing Attention and Concentration Fact Sheet that you can find here
If your child is feeling the stress of exam pressure it is important that they have some time to chill out and unwind before bed. This will help with restorative sleep. Help to chill out by:
- Lying on a bed and listening to music
- Have a warm bath
- Have a lie down in a darkened room
- Go for a walk
- Learn relaxation techniques:
Scrunch up every muscle in your body from the tips of the toes to the top of the head; then, gradually relax each tiny set of muscles starting at the tips of your toes, through the feet, into the ankles, the calf muscles, knees, thighs………right through to the muscles in the face and the top of head….
- Try mindfulness – This is a method where a person tries to block out all the input from their surroundings – noises, sights, etc., and concentrate purely on breathing, and reducing the speed of their breathing, blocking out all other thoughts.
This is taken from our Understanding and Managing Fatigue Fact Sheet, to download a copy click here
Gayle Baird
Campaigns and Communications Coordinator