With exam time around the corner, let’s look at some of the things that your kids can do to keep the stress at bay.

To begin with get your child to think positively about the exam.

Remember as you think, your subconscious processes and stores what you think. Here are some tips that will help your child prepare for exams and succeed in them.

1. Mind mapping is a great technique to use during exam time. It is a simple technique

for drawing information in diagrams, instead of writing it in sentences. The diagrams    always take the same basic format, with a single starting point in the middle that branches out, and divides again and again. The branches are made up of words or short sentences connected by lines to the middle. The lines that connect the words are part of the meaning. You can get the child to do mind maps of each subject on one sheet in colour and review often.

2. It is proven that using colored pencils/markers when studying enhances learning as colour positively affects the brain.
3.  Teach your child to manage their stress. This can be done if they have   got an idea of how the lead-up to the exams is going to look, so ask them to plan what they are going to study and when. A good idea might be to stick it up on the wall near their desk. Breaking it down into small manageable chunks is always beneficial and ask them to start working through it at the rate they planned.

It is also a good idea to plan some break times and days off too!

4. Get your child to install some positive anchors. NLP Anchors are a quick and easy way to enter a resourceful state on demand. Whilst you and your child may make the best of efforts to keep on top of things, there’s nothing like feeling strong positive emotions at the push of a button.

NLP Anchor is simply a connection between a stimulus and a certain emotional response. All you should do is be able to use your imagination, and have about ten minutes to spare. Depending on how strong the memory you use to anchor is, you can expect NLP anchors to last anywhere from a week to a few months, maybe longer. If you keep topping them up every couple of weeks or so, they will last indefinitely.

You can do this by getting your child to think of a time in the past when they were easily able to learn something rapidly.

The good news is that your child can then anchor that time to act as triggers to get themselves into the positive learning state – meaning that they can feel confident, happy, positive and energized on demand.

5. It is important for your child to gets enough sleep, eats good food and keeps moving so they look after their physical health when studying for exams.
6. Get your child to Visualize success. This one is well worth it as it helps to imagine success. Ask them to think of themselves in the exam hall writing the exam and knowing the answers. Visualize the A on the paper after writing the exam. As they imagine themselves of being successful, they are more likely to succeed.
7. Ask your child to believe in themselves.  NLP belief change technique is a very good way of changing their negative beliefs into positive ones. Changing beliefs allows behaviour to change, and it changes quickly if you are given a capability or strategy to accomplish the task.

I hope that you will find these tips useful.

NLP which stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. “Neuro” relates to the brain and “Linguistic” refers to language, how it is used inside the head and communicating with others! “Programming” can be about instructions, patterns and habits created, learnt and followed. In simple terms NLP is about a person’s thinking, language and the things they do.

NLP techniques and strategies are adapted in a fun, easy and safe for young people to use and are very useful in overcoming stress and behaviour issues.

I am a NLP4Kids Practitioner and help children learn NLP techniques so they can think in ways that can make them feel in control of themselves and learn to understand the world from the perspective of others as well as their own.

Namita Bhatia
NLP4Kids Practitioner at Kids Mindset Therapy Ltd
Mob: 07740291413; E-mail:- namita@nlp4kids.org
www.childtherapypinner’nlp4kids.org