Calmer approach to HSC anxiety pays off for year 12...
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T hose feeling stressed at the mere mention of the HSC should spare athought for Loraine Rushton. For more than a decade she's helped HSC students, at both private and public schools, reduce their stress through yoga and meditation. It can mean teaching at up to 15 schools a week before end-of-year exams. "One school brought me in because year 12 students hadn't coped well the previous year; the counsellor had seen students in tears every week," the founder of Zenergy Yoga says. Yoga and meditation offer practical tools to help the body and the mind. "They absolutely need time out every week to learn to relax the body and de-stress. Students say they feel 100 per cent different afterwards," she says. 'It's less about studying hard and more about studying smart,' Dr Rachael Murrihy While working with body, mind and breath is useful, there are plenty of alternatives available for those finding the HSC stressful. Website reachout.com offers students myriad resources, while the Reach Out Teachers Network helps high school teachers support young people's mental health and emotional resilience. "Teachers can download lesson plans mapped to curriculum outcomes in each state," the chief executive of the Inspire Foundation [the group behind Reach Out], Jonathan Nicholas, says. Nicholas believes sharing concerns with others can make a big difference to stress levels. "We recommend young people have conversations [with friends or parents] if they are feeling that things are out of control," he says, noting that parents can help by making sure their teenagers are aware of sites like reachout.com. Whi>n it rnmps tn stiiHv itself. Be cool... Felicity McCallum teaches meditation to students Kathryn Mansour, Cassandra Malechi, Stephanie Scalise and Natalie Jukic. Photo: Steven Slewed: Calmer approach to HSC anxiety pays off for year 12 student FOR 17-year-old Natalie Jukic, there's simply no ignoring the workload of the looming HSC. "There are so many topics I study," she says. "With that comes an immense [amount] of work. It's a huge amount of stress up front." The year 12 student at Marist Sisters' College, Woolwich admits Nicholas says planning is the key. " Stress peaks when we don't manage our time well," he says. University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) research consultant, Dr Rachael Murrihy, agrees. She works on a program (Taking Charge of Stress) that sees UTS experts provide HSC-coping strategies to more than 50 schools evervvear. she's a "stresser" but says she's found a number of ways to combat HSC anxiety. "I write a list of all the things I have due soon, then tick them off," she says. "It works because I can see everything so I'm not required to go back into my brain and recall it." "It's less about studying hard and more about studying smart. You need to be a supreme manager of your time, have a study timetable and have rewards for your study," she says. This means socialising comes after you've done the hard yards, not before. "We try to encourage people to use Facebook or TV as a reward vou give vourself after doing one or Jukic also credits her school meditation classes - run by youth ministry co-ordinator Felicity McCallum - with keeping her stress levels down. "It's been great in helping us understand who we are," she says. "It's usually just 10 minutes at the start of class but I really feel two hours of work," she says. She believes students can have a life outside study if they adopt good strategies. "It's about a balanced lifestyle and not buying into the myth that HSC means you have to give up your life for a year. "If you have really great time management you should be able to gotoamovieona Friday night, or a 30-minute walk every day but you relaxed when I'm meditating, like all my stress and troubles have gone away in that moment." She's already noticed it paying off. "It has helped me so much to focus," she says. "I think it's really important to have that time away so you're not always focused on the study; then I have a fresh mind." need to stick to your schedule like a doctor's appointment," she says. LINKS Reach Out Teachers Network: teachers.reachoutpro.com.au Student support: reachout.com Yoga and meditation: zenergyyoga.com UTS programs: fls.org.au/ schoolsZ.asp
Transcript of Calmer approach to HSC anxiety pays off for year 12...
T hose feeling stressed at themere mention of the HSCshould spare athought forLoraine Rushton. For more
than a decade she's helped HSCstudents, at both private and publicschools, reduce their stress throughyoga and meditation. It can meanteaching at up to 15 schools a weekbefore end-of-year exams.
"One school brought me inbecause year 12 students hadn'tcoped well the previous year; thecounsellor had seen students intears every week," the founder ofZenergy Yoga says.
Yoga and meditation offerpractical tools to help the bodyand the mind.
"They absolutely need time outevery week to learn to relax the bodyand de-stress. Students say they feel100 per cent different afterwards,"she says.
'It's less about studyinghard and more aboutstudying smart,'Dr Rachael Murrihy
While working with body, mindand breath is useful, there are plentyof alternatives available for thosefinding the HSC stressful.
Website reachout.com offersstudents myriad resources, whilethe Reach Out Teachers Networkhelps high school teachers supportyoung people's mental health andemotional resilience.
"Teachers can download lessonplans mapped to curriculumoutcomes in each state," the chiefexecutive of the Inspire Foundation[the group behind Reach Out],Jonathan Nicholas, says.
Nicholas believes sharingconcerns with others can make a bigdifference to stress levels.
"We recommend young peoplehave conversations [with friends orparents] if they are feeling thatthings are out of control," he says,noting that parents can help bymaking sure their teenagers areaware of sites like reachout.com.
Whi>n it rnmps tn stiiHv itself.
Be cool... Felicity McCallum teaches meditation to students Kathryn Mansour, Cassandra Malechi, Stephanie Scalise and Natalie Jukic. Photo: Steven Slewed:
Calmer approach to HSC anxiety pays off for year 12 studentFOR 17-year-old Natalie Jukic,there's simply no ignoring theworkload of the looming HSC.
"There are so many topics Istudy," she says. "With that comesan immense [amount] of work. It'sa huge amount of stress up front."
The year 12 student at MaristSisters' College, Woolwich admits
Nicholas says planning is the key." Stress peaks when we don'tmanage our time well," he says.
University of Technology, Sydney(UTS) research consultant, DrRachael Murrihy, agrees.
She works on a program (TakingCharge of Stress) that sees UTSexperts provide HSC-copingstrategies to more than 50 schoolsevervvear.
she's a "stresser" but says she'sfound a number of ways to combatHSC anxiety.
"I write a list of all the things Ihave due soon, then tick them off,"she says."It works because I can seeeverything so I'm not required to goback into my brain and recall it."
"It's less about studying hard andmore about studying smart. Youneed to be a supreme manager ofyour time, have a study timetableand have rewards for your study,"she says.
This means socialising comesafter you've done the hard yards, notbefore. "We try to encourage peopleto use Facebook or TV as a rewardvou give vourself after doing one or
Jukic also credits her schoolmeditation classes - run by youthministry co-ordinator FelicityMcCallum - with keeping her stresslevels down.
"It's been great in helping usunderstand who we are," she says."It's usually just 10 minutes at thestart of class but I really feel
two hours of work," she says. Shebelieves students can have a lifeoutside study if they adopt goodstrategies. "It's about a balancedlifestyle and not buying into themyth that HSC means you have togive up your life for a year.
"If you have really great timemanagement you should be able togotoamovieona Friday night, or a30-minute walk every day but you
relaxed when I'm meditating, like allmy stress and troubles have goneaway in that moment."
She's already noticed it payingoff. "It has helped me so much tofocus," she says. "I think it's reallyimportant to have that time awayso you're not always focused on thestudy; then I have a fresh mind."
need to stick to your schedule like adoctor's appointment," she says.
LINKSReach Out Teachers Network:teachers.reachoutpro.com.auStudent support: reachout.comYoga and meditation:zenergyyoga.comUTS programs: fls.org.au/schoolsZ.asp
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