Ideally, during homestretch, candidates go through a lot of pressure due to crash programmes in schools. Somewhat, the thought of the final exam causes tension to tighten like a tight rope.
As a peripatetic public speaker who interacts with candidates on a broad scale, I must admit: steaming off sessions are necessary for candidate classes. As schools pile pressure on candidates to entice peak performance, it is advisable to explore stupendous strategies that can help them steady their nerves, and be in good shape, both mentally and physically.
Foremost, aerobic forms of exercise are very useful in this debate about steaming off. Somehow, it is utterly wrong for candidates to sit for long hours without engaging in vigorous forms of exercise that can permit them sweat profusely and allow blood to flow in their bodies like permanent rivers. Biology teaches us that blood is the vehicle that transports oxygen around the body. When the human heart pumps blood to the brain, it leaves us fit. Indeed, both body and brain agrees with Gestalt Theory, which states, “the whole of anything is greater than its pertinent parts”. In actual sense, psychology and physiology are close cognates. When the mind is weak or sick, it trickles down to the body and vice versa. General body fatigue can cause lassitude.
Actually, psychologists posit that for the sake of wellness, we should allot at least 20 minutes, three times a week, to engage in physical forms of exercise that allow blood to circulate with vim and vigour. Somehow, students are teenagers rife with life, energy and enthusiasm. No wonder, schools should explore multiple ways of helping candidates expend excess energies. In case we deny them chances to steam off, sometimes they become irrational and irritable. This is what sometimes foments trouble and causes chaos in schools. It sometimes spills into spate of strikes and unrest in the second term of school calendar.
Again, apart from the brilliant thought of steaming off, physical exercise also enhances mental health in many ways. In Best Counselling Practices, people can manage and mitigate all types of stress – eustress (positive) or distress (negative) – through aerobics and yoga. Well-thought-out therapeutic exercises beat depression and ward off suicidal thoughts. Deep rest prevents depression. Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles writes right about such fantastic facts in a heroic book titled Ikigai: the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.
Consequently, without useful rest in form of exercises, candidates can experience serious burnout. When they fail completely to engage in physical exercises, they will not be fit. Strength and stamina will also die. No wonder, some candidates look lazy, lackadaisical, weak and sick all the time. There are those candidates who look tired in the morning, during the day and at night. Such ilk of learners also suffer from fatigue during weekends. Most of the time, they behave that way because of academic work void and devoid of steaming off sessions.
In addition, physical exercises can take different forms. Teachers can make good use of regular Physical Education (PE) lessons, occasional entertainment sessions, daily games time and moments of Self-Directed Activities (SDA). Candidates can steam off by taking twilight treks, running around the field and dancing to the magic of music. Getting a team building coach to take them through innovative and creative activities with lessons is of essence. We should never forget: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Or all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. It is unfortunate that most of us only focus on: All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy. Or all play and no work makes Jill a mere toy.
Finally, candidates should focus on deep sleep. Sleep is in the quality not quantity. Medical experts posit that people should dedicate 6 to 8 hours for therapeutic rest in form of sound sleep. Albeit, there is no way candidates can choose to compete with the dead in sleeping and still garner good grades. Most of the candidates sleep late and wake up early because stretching and going the extra mile are of essence in the science of success.
No wonder, I am contending, sleep is necessary, but it must not be 8 hours. Maybe, the school sleeping policy spells out 5 hours as the sleeping time. Candidates should adhere to that. When they go to the dormitories, they should not begin solving cases or engaging in cock-and-bull stories. For without sleep, the following day, they will struggle to stay awake in class. In turn, this dents productivity of lessons and revision time. Lack of quality sleep also invites fatigue, laziness and lassitude. It also affects the affective (emotional), normative (behavioural) and cognitive (mental) dimensions of learners and dents the memory of learners.
© Victor Ochieng’
The writer is an editor, author and peripatetic public speaker.
vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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