A useful map – stress management guide for students in the last year of high school, in view of the Panhellenic exams as well as for parents, was created by scientific group of “Together for the Child”. It is about advice to the candidates but also to their environment, about the problems stress facing, this difficult period of exams.

According to the experts of “Together for the Child”, “exam anxiety usually stems from the feeling of fear, and primarily the fear of failure. Studies have shown that behind anxiety lie beliefs about how important it is for children or others to do well and succeed. As a result, the children have anxiety about what the consequences will be if they don’t succeed, or if the way their important people see them will change, whether they come from the family or even friends”.

The psychologist-psychotherapist of the counseling center of “Together for the Child”, Maya Metaxopoulou, in an interview with APE-MPE explains the reasons that led scientists to write this guide for managing stress: “In the guide we have written tips for parents and teenagers. It is to be expected that many of the teenagers are struggling, as they have associated it with their future happiness and success. We want, before and during the exams, to stand by the children, whether we are their teachers or parents. Let’s talk about the fact that there are alternatives and that the way we see teenagers is not changed by one result. We want to emphasize that everything they have acquired through their reading and hard work is their property and they are not deprived of it depending on the degree”.

The specialists of “Together for the Child”, having years of experience in communicating with students, came up with a series of tips that have been found to benefit these difficult times, such as taking care of free time and variety in their activities , expressing their feelings to friends and adults with whom they feel safe. Even as noted in the guide, children should not shy away from their anxiety as it is characteristically stated that “it is simply trying to remind you that you want to do well. Notice it and let it go away on its own.”

Referring to counseling issues, Mrs. Metaxopoulou points out that children need breaks from their daily reading: “Something very important that we forget is the variety in activities, because from a purely neurological point of view, our brain when it constantly does the same thing fatigue occurs faster and a quagmire occurs. So physical activity is essential. A good night’s sleep is essential, while an obstacle we often get calls for on the special line is the consumption of energy drinks. Perhaps also the cigarette that concerns some teenagers, all these are stimulants and increase anxiety, so always when we talk to parents and teenagers, we emphasize to them that it is not possible for the body to be constantly in this stimulation. As in the most human part of the contact, children need to go for a walk, to relieve themselves.”

Regarding the candidates’ family environment and as reflected in the stress management guide, parents should not underestimate the child’s feelings. They need constant reassurance stating that it is okay or that there is no reason to worry, they should not exercise excessive control over the child’s personal and school life and of course, never rule out the possibility of failure. Under no circumstances, experts insist, should we blame and judge children or overwhelm them with too much advice or ideas about what could be done better.

The guide is a result of the questions asked by the candidates themselves and also by their parents during the calls they make to the “Together for the Child” support line 11525, all these years. Until today, “Together for the Child” provides free counseling services to parents, teenagers and teachers, supporting thousands of families in matters concerning children from 0 to 18 years old in every corner of Greece.

According to those in charge, the most popular topics that concern those who call this line, especially in the period before the entrance exams, are how to manage their stress, communication with family, while the calls in the rest of the months are mostly related and with other issues, of a more general nature, regarding the daily life of children inside and outside the school environment, such as school bullying.

In response to a question about whether stress in children has been more intense in recent years, the psychologist of Line 11525 states: “We observe the pulse of society and find that after periods of -generally speaking- economic recessions, more attention is paid to the part of stability and professional rehabilitation. For this reason, we have tried to condense the content of the consultations we do over the phone in this guide. For example, when a teenager calls us because he or she has not written as expected, we are called in a disturbance. We emphasize that we ensure a calm environment, that anything can happen.”

What emerges from all these years of operation of “Together for the Child”, emphasizes Mrs. Metaxopoulou, is that “the signs of stress do not appear only in Panhellenic women, but usually appear much earlier. We must always look from an early age, even from elementary school. Parents have a heavy burden. But they must understand that they must reassure the children, not stress them even more. In this examination period, we have a steep increase in calls from students, while in the rest of the period most calls are from parents: what is the role of parents, who is involved, how do they manage situations from how do I take care of the child during infancy to how they talk to children during exams”.

It is noted that from September this year, the free face-to-face meetings of parents and students with experts of “Together for the Child” – which had stopped due to Covid-19 – will start again, “in an effort”, as Maya Metaxopoulou concludes ” address any concerns they may have or fill any gaps.”

In closing, the psychologist and psychotherapist of “Together for the Child”, gives her own advice to all the candidates who will compete in this year’s Panhellenic exams, stressing: “We don’t want to eliminate anxiety, it’s very normal. But if they feel it’s beyond their reserves, we’re here to help them manage it.”