Transfer Test - Staying Relaxed, Calm & Confident

The months and weeks leading up to exams can be very stressful for those taking exams and also for their parents & teachers.

I believe that every challenge in our lives can be an opportunity for us to learn something new.

I am hopeful that we can perhaps use the challenge of exams as an opportunity to teach young people some new skills and share some knowledge to help to reduce the effect of stress and allow them to achieve their full potential whilst gaining skills that they can use throughout their life.

This is something very close to my own heart as my earliest memory of using essential oils is from when I was doing what was then called the 11+. I have since added to my relaxation & positivity toolbox and am now very grateful to spend my day sharing these skills and techniques with people of all ages. Lavender, Rosemary & The Neals Yard Study Remedy To Roll are all products I recommend. https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/joannecallan/area/shop-online/category/aromatherapy-and-diffusers/ Essential Oils can also be use in the bath and I would recommend also including Epsom Salts(Provided their are no contra indications)

When we are stressed, worried or anxious, it is very difficult for us to remember even the simplest of things, to focus and concentrate all of which are very important when we are faced with sitting a test that we want to do our best in and exactly the same is true for children. The good news is there is lots we can do to help.

Visualisation

Visualisation is a great tool used by many people particularly athletes and sports professionals to help them achieve their best. The idea is that we want to create the best possible outcome in our minds, and we can use it to train our brains to feel a particular way in a particular situation. You might want to read this regularly to your child over the next couple of weeks.

A simple visualisation.

Close your eyes and imagine waking up on the morning of your exam, you have woken up early so that you have lots of time to get ready and you feel so good. You have had a restful night's sleep and are feeling relaxed and calm and confident. You know that you are going to do your best and because of that you feel very proud of yourself, your parents and teachers also feel very proud of you.

You take 3 deep breaths in through your nose and you slowly breathe out through your mouth and your body feels even more relaxed. You know you can breathe in deeply any time you need to feel calm and focussed. You stretch your body and get ready to get out of bed, you imagine wrapping yourself in a beautiful coloured cloak that will help you feel relaxed, calm & confident throughout the rest of the day and you then do everything that you would normally do in the morning time wash, brush your teeth, shower, have breakfast whatever you would normally do repeating to yourself " I am relaxed and calm & confident."

You eat a healthy breakfast which is going to help you stay focused and give your brain and body all the energy it needs. You then imagine yourself leaving home and travelling to the school where you will be doing your test. On your way there you gently massage your hands, particularly the relaxation point in the centre of your hand (imagine you were going to get some water in your hands the part that helps us to relax is if we cup our hands the little well part that appears ) that helps you stay relaxed and calm.

You arrive at school and you are taken into the hall and you sit down at your desk, you have a tissue with your favourite oils on it and you breathe in the lovely smells and you are very happy at how relaxed and calm you feel. You begin to focus on breathing deeply, filling up your brain and your body with all the oxygen it needs. You are ready to begin your test and you open up your paper and you know that you will be able to do your very best, du