Ahead of the commencement of the Leaving Cert and Junior Cert exams next week, pharmacists have offered their advice on how to manage stress to prevent it from negatively impacting the health and performance of exam students.
Ann Marie Horan, Vice President of the Irish Pharmacists Union (IPU), gave this advice “After two years during which their education was significantly affected, many students may be feeling stressed and anxious about sitting the Junior or Leaving Certificate this year. It is completely normal to feel worried around this time but for some people their exams can seem overwhelming and can lead to unhealthy levels of stress or anxiety. This can negatively impact people’s health and exam performance and can lead to difficulty sleeping, stomach upsets, diarrhoea, cold sores and tension headaches."
“Students have worked really hard to get to this point and have put a lot of effort into their studies. It’s important that they can get a clear run at their exams without having to deal with health issues. Every year, pharmacists are visited by students or their parents looking for advice on how to minimise stress and keep healthy for the coming weeks.”
Pharmacists are encouraging students to eat regular, well-balanced, healthy meals, schedule study breaks, take exercise and make sure to get sufficient sleep. In addition, they say students should drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and to steer clear of caffeine to ensure the brain does not become over-stimulated. Students who suffer from hay fever taking antihistamines are also being reminded to check that they do not cause drowsiness.
