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FAQ's General
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| Q. 1) I don’t sleep well at night”. What should I do? |
Solution:
It is important to note that before going to sleep you can practice a few affirmative positive statements about your self like “I am free from worries/ tension. And I will have a good sleep”. Write this down 7 times on a paper and repeat I in your mind also.
Also, practice yoga or deep breathing or some form of exercise early in the morning. Before going off to sleep, try practicing deep breathing exercise for 5-10 minute. This is done by inhaling from the nose and exhaling from the mouth.
| Q. 2) I find myself getting angry very fast even for trivial reasons.” What should I do? |
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Solution: It is important at this point, where environmental pressures are high, to learn to relax and give time to one self to let-go of the stress experienced during the highly stressful time and learn to relax.
There are various ways in which one can learn to practice relaxation. There are some simple relaxation tools, such as deep breathing and relaxing imagery, can help calm down angry feelings. There are books and courses that can teach you relaxation techniques, and once you learn the techniques, you can call upon them in any situation.
Some simple steps you can try:
- Breathe deeply, from your diaphragm; breathing from your chest won't relax you. Picture your breath coming up from your "gut."
- Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as "relax," "take it easy." Repeat it to yourself while breathing deeply.
- Use imagery; visualize a relaxing experience, from either your memory or your imagination.
- Non-strenuous, slow yoga-like exercises can relax your muscles and make you feel much calmer.
- Practice these techniques daily. Learn to use them automatically when you're in a tense situation.
| Q. 3) I suddenly break out into sweats for no reason and I sometimes feel my heart beating very fast. What should I do? |
Solution:
a) Focus on the present, not consequences.: Do not Catastrophise —focusing on grim forecasts of future jobs, lifestyle and so on – are more likely to raise anxiety than to help you control it.
b) Don't be afraid: It is, usually, when we have not faced our fears that we feel greatly anxious. It is important to note that we should be able to deal with our fears by coming up with a back up plan in-case of situations.
c) Sleep well, eat healthy: Symptoms of stress or anxiety can be worsened by drastic changes in sleep and eating routines, but they can be diminished with some physical activity like walking or swimming.
e) Beware the frantic person!: It is hard sometimes to establish a controlled outlook, but it is easy to lose this outlook when you come into contact with somebody who is very highly anxious. First, try to identify the sources of this anxiety, is it environmentally provoking r is it an internalisation of certain event. If you review minutes before the highly anxiety provoking situation rises and then you might want to do
f) Banish negative thoughts: Try to eliminate negative self statements such as “I’m going to fail for sure because I’m such a big dummy.” Whether negative statements are accurate or not, they work to convince us that they are accurate and this has an impact on our behaviour and self-concept. This negative thinking may limit our ability to perform to standard on any areas requiring our best performance. Replacing negative statements with genuine positive statements.
| Q. 4) “I get worried about anything very fast these days”. What should I do? |
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Solution:
This may be occurring due to high level of stress that you may be experiencing in your life. At this point it is important to find a de-stress outlet, like yoga or exercising, to help calm you down and bring things into perspective, Yu maybe catastrophising due to high stress level experienced.
| Q. 5) “I have this tendency to go on eating even after am full. I eat even more when I feel low and alone”. What should I do? |
Solution:
The tendency to over eat may have many reasons, more psychological rather than biological. This maybe due to a person feeling depressed or experiencing a phase of low self-esteem. In such a case, it is important to identify the harmful thinking pattern that may send you in a downward spiral of un-happiness or depression. It is advisable that in such a case, consult a professional (like a psychologist) for help.
| Q. 6) “I find myself always running late- for work even for submission of assignments. I am always running and doing things at the last minute, and I find it very stressful.” What should I do? |
Solution:
It is important to have a planner for the coming week or month so that no slip-up can occur. Keep a diary to help you with your prioritization and also to help you keep focus on your goals. Always have an assigned goal for the day which will eventually help in achieving a major goal, like project completion or assignment, at the end of the week or month. Also, identify the usually distraction that may prevent you from achieving your goal.
Q.7) “I sometimes find myself very low on energy and also not feeling fresh when I get up in the morning. I find that I don’t feel like
doing many activities e.g. chorus around the house.” What Should I do? |
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Solution:
Try to get up early in the morning, along with sunrise. You can start your day by going out for a jog / running or even with Yoga. This will help you to rejuvenate and prepare your body for the rest of the day. It is also important to have the right diet and at the right time, for all the days. Try to force your self to take part in out door activities like some games so that the monotony of staying in-door is broken. Also, important is to find a hobby. This will act as a great boost to you self confidence and help you to build a positive energy around yourself.
| Q.8) “Things I use to like doing earlier, I find that I do not enjoy them anymore. I feel low and I find it very difficult to have a positive attitude towards anything.” What should I do? |
Solution:
- Practice positive self affirmative statement every night before sleeping. Write these statements on a paper 7 times and repeat them mentally too.
- With times our liking also change, but this happens only when the person is sad or depressed. To over come this, a person can engage in activities that makes him/her happy, currently. These activities should be productive and help to build a sense of worth or self esteem in the individual. If this continues for more then a week or two accompanied with problems in appetite, then it is advisable to take professional help.
| Q.9) “I have recently found that I find it difficult to concentrate or give my attention on something for more than 5-10 minute. I feel very restless and cannot sit in one place for too long.” What should I do? |
Solution:
This maybe due to stress that may be overwhelming the person. So it is advisable that you should engage yourself in some form of exercise to combat this stress. At the same time, it is important that you practice some Alom-Vilome to help with your concentration, or you can take up classes in Yoga. If this problem persists, it is advisable to consult a professional for help
Q.10) “ My child and I seems to be frequently arguing more and more. My child is entering her teen years and I get very worried about
her social life and her academic performance.” Please tell me what to do? |
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Solution:
During the teen years the child find him/her self at a cross road between being a Kid and an adult. There is a lot of confusion relating to his/her role in home, school and society. The arguments that occur at home could be her way of rebelling and establishing her independence but the child needs to be tackled with love, as to what are the appropriate behaviours and how her independence is respected despite the concern. Whereas, the academic performance goes, when the child is comforted with love and understands his/her responsibilities, she/he would focus on studies more than anything else. If the problem continues, it is advisable to consult a professional for help. |
FAQ's for Students
| Q.1 I feel very gloomy and apprehensive when exam is around the corner. I feel very scared that I may not be able to achieve good marks, or even pass my exam. How can I help myself become more optimistic? |
 Solutions:
- Live by the one-day principle: "The only day you have is the day you wake up,". Yes, you can plan for the future, but live every day as if it were your last. By doing so, you'll let go of the past, stop worrying about the future, and make this one day your best.
- Pay Attention to your personal needs: Put yourself at the top,. It sounds selfish to say you're No. 1, especially for women who take care of husbands, kids and parents, but you are. Take care of yourself first and you'll have plenty of enthusiasm, energy and optimism to give to others.
- Let go of things that drain your energy: "As we lose ourselves and get more busy, we often lose our optimism," says Shirley Garrett, Ed.D., a professional speaker, writer and facilitator in Georgia.
- Feed your mind positive thoughts: Does the news always bring you down? Then quit watching it. Read a book that makes you feel good. See a movie.
- Know that you always have a choice: Is your job a bummer? Get a new one. Not ready to leave because of your 401K and vacation time? Then celebrate those reasons and remember that you chose to stay.
- Indulge your passions: What is it that makes you tick? Painting? Playing the violin? Writing in a journal? Then do it. And don't feel guilty about doing it.
- Find positive friends: As they say, if you want to soar with the eagles, you have to stop hanging out with the ducks. "So get around some eagles," Bay says.
- Get the negative out of your system: Kick a desk in your office. Scream at the top of your lungs. If you don't dump it, it'll only come back to hurt you later.
- Chase rainbows: Listen to your dreams and go after them.
- Plan for down days: The sun doesn't shine every day. So create strategies in advance to help you dump the gloom. Bay carries comedy cassette tapes in his car. If he's in a bad mood, he pops them in and takes action to get out of his yucky mood.
- Keep a feel-good journal: Bay says. Buy a blank journal and fill it with things that make you smile. Like that note from your friend, your fortune from the cookie at the Chinese restaurant, a photo of your pet. Stick only positive things in your journal and open it up whenever you're feeling down.
- Enjoy the simple things: There's a cap to how much happiness fancy cars and big homes will give you. But there's no limit to the joy you'll get from playing with your kids, watching hummingbirds flutter at a feeder, or gazing at fluffy clouds.
- Laugh: There's a reason we always feel great after a good laugh. It's called endorphins, and when you laugh, they rush through your body like a burst of happy energy.
- Get moving: Remember those endorphins? You'll feel them when you exercise, whether you're walking the dog or raking leaves.
- Catch a whale: Put such an emphasis on the positive that you're ready to tackle anything.
Q2. I find myself getting more short tempered and angry, especially as my exams are approaching. And due to this, I waste a lot of
my time and energy on trivial things instead of concentrating on my work”. What should I do to control my anger outburst? |
Top |
Solution:
It is important at this point, where exams pressures are high, to learn to relax and give time to one self to let-go of the stress experienced during this highly stressful time and learn to relax.
There are various ways in which one can learn to practice relaxation. There are some simple relaxation tools, such as deep breathing and relaxing imagery, can help calm down angry feelings. There are books and courses that can teach you relaxation techniques, and once you learn the techniques, you can call upon them in any situation.
Some simple steps you can try:
- Breathe deeply, from your diaphragm; breathing from your chest won't relax you. Picture your breath coming up from your "gut."
- Slowly repeat a calm word or phrase such as "relax," "take it easy." Repeat it to yourself while breathing deeply.
- Use imagery; visualize a relaxing experience, from either your memory or your imagination.
- Non-strenuous, slow yoga-like exercises can relax your muscles and make you feel much calmer.
- Practice these techniques daily. Learn to use them automatically when you're in a tense situation.
Cognitive Restructuring:
Simply put, this means changing the way you think. Angry people tend to curse, swear, or speak in highly colorful terms that reflect their inner thoughts. When you're angry, your thinking can get very exaggerated and overly dramatic. Try replacing these thoughts with more rational ones. For instance, instead of telling yourself, "oh, it's awful, it's terrible, everything's ruined," tell yourself, "it's frustrating, and it's understandable that I'm upset about it, but it's not the end of the world and getting angry is not going to fix it anyhow."
Be careful of words like "never" or "always" when talking about yourself or someone else..
Remind yourself that getting angry is not going to fix anything, that it won't make you feel better (and may actually make you feel worse).
Problem Solving:
Sometimes, our anger and frustration are caused by very real and inescapable problems in our lives. Not all anger is misplaced, and often it's a healthy, natural response to these difficulties. There is also a cultural belief that every problem has a solution, and it adds to our frustration to find out that this isn't always the case. The best attitude to bring to such a situation, then, is not to focus on finding the solution, but rather on how you handle and face the problem.
Make a plan, and check your progress along the way. Resolve to give it your best, but also not to punish yourself if an answer doesn't come right away.
Better Communication:
Angry people tend to jump to—and act on—conclusions, and some of those conclusions can be very inaccurate. Slow down and think through your responses. Don't say the first thing that comes into your head, but slow down and think carefully about what you want to say. At the same time, listen carefully to what the other person is saying and take your time before answering.
It's natural to get defensive when you're criticized, but don't fight back. Instead, listen to what's underlying the words: the message that this person might feel neglected and unloved. It may take a lot of patient questioning on your part, and it may require some breathing space, but don't let your anger—or a partner's—let a discussion spin out of control. Keeping your cool can keep the situation from becoming a disastrous one.
 Using Humor
"Silly humor" can help defuse rage in a number of ways. For one thing, it can help you get a more balanced perspective. When you get angry and call someone a name or refer to them in some imaginative phrase, stop and picture what that word would literally look like. If you can, draw a picture of what the actual thing might look like. This will take a lot of the edge off your fury; and humor can always be relied on to help unknot a tense situation.
There are two cautions in using humor. First, don't try to just "laugh off" your problems; rather, use humor to help yourself face them more constructively. Second, don't give in to harsh, sarcastic humor; that's just another form of unhealthy anger expression.
What these techniques have in common is a refusal to take yourself too seriously. Anger is a serious emotion, but it's often accompanied by ideas that, if examined, can make you laugh.
Changing Your Environment:
Sometimes it's our immediate surroundings that give us cause for irritation and fury. Problems and responsibilities can weigh on you and make you feel angry at the "trap" you seem to have fallen into and all the people and things that form that trap.
Give yourself a break. Make sure you have some "personal time" scheduled for times of the day that you know are particularly stressful.
Some Other Tips for Easing Up on Yourself:
Timing: If you tend to fight at night—perhaps you're tired, or distracted, or maybe it's just habit—try changing the times when you talk about important matters so these talks don't turn into arguments.
Avoidance: If there is something in the environment which is acting as a persistent source of irritation for you, it is better to avoid such situations by not making yourself look at what infuriates you. Don't say, "well, this is definitely going to annoy me but I won’t get angry!" That's not the point. The point is to keep yourself calm.
Finding alternatives: If your daily activities is clashing with your goal and leaves you frustrated and enraged, alternative.
| Q.3) I have major anxiety when ever I have to appear for an exam. |
Top |
Solution:
a) Focus on the present, not consequences
Focus on the activities of studying for and responding to questions on the exam rather than on potential negative consequences. Catastrophising —focusing on grim forecasts of future jobs, lifestyle and so on – are more likely to raise anxiety than to help you control it.
b) Don't be afraid
Know that you know what you know. Much of exam anxiety comes from a fear of poor performance. If you can test yourself adequately prior to an exam and go in with the knowledge that you do know your stuff, you might find your anxiety diminished.
c) Sleep well, eat healthy
Symptoms of stress or anxiety can be worsened by drastic changes in sleep and eating routines, but they can be diminished with some physical activity like walking or swimming.
d) Time running out? Stay cool
If you’re very short of time, try focusing the bulk of your time on areas that need work rather than on those that you already know and can remember well. This way you can cover more of the course material. Though some people experience a little anxiety from working through the hard stuff, many feel this strategy offers a chance for greater effectiveness and course material coverage.
e) Beware the frantic student!
It is hard sometimes to establish a controlled outlook for an exam, but it is easy to lose this outlook when you come into contact with somebody who is very highly anxious. The natural habitat of this kind of highly stressed individual is the main entrance to the exam room, just before an exam begins, trying to learn those last bits of information before the exam. If you review minutes before the exam and this helps you, then you might want to do so just out of range of the exam room.
f) Banish negative thoughts
Try to eliminate negative self statements such as “I’m going to fail this exam for sure because I’m such a big dummy.” Whether negative statements are accurate or not, they work to convince us that they are accurate and this has an impact on our behaviour and self-concept. This negative thinking may limit our ability to perform to standard on an exam.Replacing negative statements with genuine positive statements.
| Q4. I have performance anxiety while I am writing my exams and usually result in me not completing my answer. This usually result in bad marks. Please help me to overcome this fear. |
 Solution:
Skim the whole exam to find which questions you are able to do with relative ease. Plan to do these first. The result is likely to be a little more confidence and the comfort of knowing that there are no easy marks that you missed.
- Examine the marking scheme and plan to divide your time evenly among the available marks. For example, spend 10 per cent of your time on 10 per cent of the marks. While you may not stay strictly with this limit, it is worthwhile to know how many minutes you should spend per percentage point in the exam. Following this guideline gives you a sense of progress and feedback about how you are doing.
- Some students find it helpful to set mini-breaks at specified points during the exam during which they close their eyes, relax their hands and do deep breathing exercises. Even 30 seconds can help bring down your symptoms of stress.
- At all times, try to focus on the process of answering the question rather than on the end result.
- Most of all, remember that exams measure what you can demonstrate about your learning thus far in a course of study, not your worth as a person.
| Q.5) I have problems with my appetite as my exam approaches. I lose my appetite. |
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Solution:
- Have proper diet (breakfast, Lunch and dinner)
- Have sufficient water.
- Do some interesting work after your study for long hours like listening to some interesting music or a movie.
- Involve yourself with family members and spend time conversing with them.
- Do some yoga when stressed out r tensed
- Share your feelings or personal problems with someone you trust so that you feel comfortable and satisfied
- Avoid talking too much on the cell phone.
| Q.6 I have great difficulty concentrating while preparing for my exams. I get easily distracted. Please help me. |
Solution:
- Minimize use of lead or pesticide products
- Do some relaxation exercises like deep breathing, listening to positive music (soft music)
- Focus only on one task at a time
- When other things enter your mind and disturb your work, say to self STOP! STOP! STOP!
- Plan-out your work before starting your studies - from morning to night
- Make your routine time-table including everything
- Recite a mantra (e.g .OM) for 5- 1 0 mint that may help you to increase you concentration power
- If it helps, seclude your self from the normal environment and lock yourself in the room or a new place like a library or somewhere quiet.
Q.7) I have a lot of studying materials and I don’t know how and when to start. I a also scared I will not be able to complete my syllabus.
Please suggest some advice. |
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 Solution:
1) Identify testable material.
Review course outlines and make a list of what material will be covered on each exam. Speak with professors or teaching assistants if clarification is needed.
2) Assess your situation.
Do you have a good understanding of the testable material? Are you caught up on the readings and other course responsibilities? List any outstanding tasks for each course.
3) Realistically determine how much time you have for catch-up and studying...
Use a day planner or a weekly schedule to help you determine your available time. If applicable, plan time for end-of-term assignments and for preparing and attending remaining classes. Identify time for catching up on course work and studying.
4) Make studying a priority...
Are there things that you ordinarily do that can be less of a priority during the exam period? For example, can you put socializing on hold or at least decrease the number of hours you spend going out with friends? Remember not to cut back on sleep, meals, and exercise - these contribute to quality study time.
5) Prioritise among and within courses...
When determining how to spend your study time, identify your course and content priorities. You may decide that it's best to spend more of your study time on the courses that are required for your program than on electives. Also, certain parts of courses may warrant more time than others if they are considered especially important or if they have not yet been tested. In other words, don't just start with any course and continue until you run out of time, but plan what you'll focus on while studying.
6) If you need to take shortcuts, be strategic...
You may find that you don't have enough time to prepare as fully as you would like. If you have to omit material, try to minimize the damage. For example, if you have good lecture notes for a chapter that you haven't read, you might decide not to spend the time reading that chapter and instead cover the required readings that the professor did not cover in class.
7) Set a reasonable schedule...
Be realistic. Don't plan to spend 16 hours a day studying; how much would be quality time? Determine how many study hours are reasonable in a productive work day. Identify blocks of time for studying and allocate time for meals, exercise, and sleep.
8) Practice good time management in the exam...
Consider how many questions you need to answer, how heavily they're weighted, and how much time is available, and then develop a plan. For example, for three equally weighted essay questions in three hours you may want to allocate approximately 45 minutes per answer, with some time at the beginning to read over the exam and some time at the end to proofread. For a multiple-choice or True/False exam, monitor your time periodically to assess whether you're going too quickly, taking too long, or on schedule. If you're spending too much time on a question, attempt an answer and mark the question; come back to it later if there's time.
| Q.8) I feel very low and extremely lethargic. I feel that I have very low energy to do any kind of activities around the house. |
Solution: Try to hold a more positive attitude towards studies as doing hard-work the whole year will pay off certainly.
Also, remember to take as many liquid along with food, in the form of juices etc. It is also helpful to practice deep breathing exercise for sometime during the day, while preparing for the day, as this will help you to feel relaxed and less stressed.
| Q.9) I have great difficulty sleeping at night. I have too many anxieties regarding my exam. |
Top |
Solution: It is important to note that before going to sleep you can practice a few affirmative positive statements about your self. Write this down 7 times on a paper and repeat I in your mind also.
Also, practice yoga or deep breathing or some form of exercise early in the morning. Before going off to sleep, try practicing deep breathing exercise for 5-10 minute. This is done by inhaling from the nose and exhaling from the mouth.
| Q.10) I have great difficulty remembering what I have just studied. I am afraid that I will forget whatever I may have studied when I give my exam. |
 Solution: The most important and basic thing for you to do is to understand your subject well, memorize the important points and revise them, as mush as possible. There are various methods of learning like Chunking and Mnemonics to learn your material. An example would be, take the first words from a long list of important points and make some kind of story or word associations like poems or a song.
Another way could be, to try and learn some new materials by associating them to an already learned material. Again, Revision is the core of good memory, so revise your material thoroughly before you go for your exam. It is also important that you get good hours of sleep before your exam, lest too much exertion may lead to fatigue which may result in poor memory performance.
| Q.11) I usually study for 10-12 hours a day and I do nothing else but study-eat-sleep. Lately, I have seen that I have put on weight and I find this quite depressing. All my other friends do not seem to be putting on any weight, so I don’t know what to do? I also feel very lethargic and I don’t feel so good about myself. |
Solution: Studying for long hours leave not only the brain, but also the body tired. And the lack of activities and the amount of sitting due to studies may have a bad impact on your posture and also on your mental well-being (feeling of refresh, energized etc.).
At this point it is important that you indulge your self, at least for an hour or two every day in some other activities other then just sitting and studying.
- You can get up early in the morning and practice yoga or deep breathing or some form of running or walking or cycling for a period of half hour to 1 hour.
- When you feel fatigued due to stresses of studying, you should take a 10-15 minute break. During this break you should indulge yourself in some form of activities like listening to music or reading something or even going out to play for a while.
- You can also practice Alome – Vilome exercise to help increase your concentration level.
- In the evening or one day during the week, you should indulge your self in a specific game like tennis or badminton/ basket ball/ football etc.
- It is also important that you try to keep a positive attitude about yourself. You can start by making a positive self affirmative statement about your self. You can do this by writing them done on a piece of paper 7 times and repeating them to yourself, mentally, just bfore going off to sleep.
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