Whatever our opinions of exams and how useful they are in ‘real life’ they are a reality for many homes causing all sorts of upsets and problems - not only for the person involved but by bringing up stuff within the family dynamic that hasn’t shown up before.
Some young people sail through but for others the stresses and expectations of this difficult time can cause major anxiety and worry.
Lots of people have used Rescue Remedy in the past to get them through.
However Dr Bach (who developed the original range of flower essences in the 1930’s) designed this to help more with physical shock and trauma rather than with anxiety and ongoing stress and so it is good to look at what other options are available for your particular problems.
Luckily we have several combinations and single essences that will help depending on the issues that need dealing with.
Essences for Anxiety
The combination essence that I most often recommend for people to take on the actual day of exams or for any time beforehand when anxiety and nervousness show up is our Calm and Confident - this is great for helping with new situations or anytime when you feel you can’t cope. Many people feel an almost immediate calming effect so a few drops taken before an exam. These can be put into a water bottle to be drunk throughout the day or taken directly from the dropper.
White Chestnut essence is also good to take for those that have thoughts (or facts) going round and round in their heads .It is one of the Bach remedies that is incredibly useful for worriers.
Essences for Revision
There seem to be two sorts of people when it comes to exams –the nervous ones who over study and do everything they possibly can to get the best marks possible and then there are the procrastinators –who have very good intentions but just can’t settle down to doing the revision until the very last minute .
For these people we have Focus,Energise,Create. It gives a real ‘kick up the arse’, is a great motivator and brings energy to any project. It can really help with getting coursework/essays finished as well as settling down to revision.
I wish I had remembered it when my son was doing his GCSE’s many years ago now. His stock remark every time I asked how his exam had gone was ‘I would have done better if I’d revised’ !!! I think I’d given up hassling him by that point.....
Concentration
Peppermint essence is very good if you (or your child) have difficulty concentrating. It acts in a similar way to the essential oil bringing clarity and mental focus.
Some people find concentrating when there’s lots going on around them. It can be hard to settle down and ignore everyone else. Our My Personal Space spray can be really useful at times like this. It can be sprayed directly onto the face to bring a feeling of calm confidence. It is in our own pure rosewater so might not be so popular with the boys but it is incredibly effective at shutting out everything else going on so you can just knuckle down.
Oral Exams
If you, or your child, has to do oral exams Speaking with Confidence might be really useful. It helps organise thoughts, keep grounded and make you feel like you deserve to be heard.
Making time to relax
As we all know it can be hard to switch off after long periods of study. Our brains go into permanent alert mode and sleep can be hard.
For this Breathe Deep, Seek Peace drops are great to take – either before bed or just when you need to take a break. They will help you let go and relax giving your brain space to quieten and process all it has taken in.
And if you are really having trouble sleeping it might be worth giving our Easy Sleep spray a go.
Flower Essences work really well with young people......
Behaviour patterns are less entrenched in young people so flower essences find it much easier to shift and change their patterns. The younger you are the more effective essences seem to be and once a young person has been introduced to the magic of essences they then know they have these incredibly effective tools to call on at other times of difficulty during their lives.
Final Note
Flower essences are preserved in 16% abv alcohol (we use Organic vodka) however only a few drops are ingested at once and even if the whole bottle was drunk it would be unlikely that intoxication would occur. If you are still concerned about the alcohol content a few drops can be added to cold drinks or you have the option of ordering them preserved in cider vinegar at our checkout.
If you have ANY questions about which essences might suit you or the young person in your life at this stressful time do just ask. I love answering queries and am happy to make suggestions or even mix up your own unique blend for your specific issues if none of the above feel quite right.
Take it easy and try and keep your perspective (and sense of humour) during this challenging time.
BEST wishes,
Saskia xx