Why do many students have "crisis" after exams?

(Dan Tri) - When an exam season ends, many students fall into a state of fatigue and disappointment. An education expert has pointed out the causes and ways to help parents support their children during this sensitive period.

When exam season ends, many parents expect their children to feel more relaxed. However, according to Lindsey Wright, a Britisheducation expert, many students fall into a state of emotional decline, often called "post-exam depression", even though they did quite well on the exam.

“Many students feel lost and inexplicably lost after the exam, when the pressure of the exam is lifted,” said Ms. Wright. “The reason behind this psychological phenomenon is that they have been in a “survival mentality” for too long due to the pressure of studying, grades and exams.

Many students fall into a "post-exam crisis" mentality (Illustration: Freepik).

When these pressures end, many children do not know what to do next, and even feel guilty about why they cannot feel happy.

This phenomenon is caused by both physical and mental factors, many parents often easily ignore it because they think that after their children finish the exam and have good results, it is... okay. In fact, their children's ability to balance their emotions is still not as good as that of adults, so parents need to proactively observe and share to help their children truly relieve their stress after exams.

Here are five simple ways to help your child feel better after completing exams:

Expert Lindsey Wright suggests five basic measures that parents can apply to help their children quickly regain balance: let them catch up on sleep, encourage them to exercise, listen to them share their feelings, help them reconnect with old hobbies, and most importantly, praise their efforts, instead of focusing only on exam results.

First , parents need to acknowledge their children's emotions. If you see your child looking down after an exam, take the initiative to ask and help them understand that it is completely normal to have mixed emotions, even a little sadness and disappointment after an exam, for many different reasons. Especially if your child has just gone through an important exam, they are more likely to fall into difficult-to-explain emotions of sadness and happiness.

Ms. Wright advises parents to avoid trying to erase all negative emotions in their children and encourage them by saying, “Cheer up, you should be happy.” Instead, parents should listen to their children sincerely.

The phenomenon of "post-exam emotional slump" has long been recognized by psychologists (Illustration: Freepik).

Second , parents should encourage their children to exercise and play moderate sports such as walking, cycling or swimming. These activities can help improve their mood by helping the body increase the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter related to positive emotions and energy.

Third , lack of sleep during the exam preparation period also greatly affects the child's psychology and ability to concentrate, and the child may even have some degree of sleep disorder. At this time, parents should encourage their children to catch up on sleep, allowing themselves to rest more and longer. But in the long run, parents still need to help their children return to a regular, scientific lifestyle.

Fourth , it is also necessary to encourage your child to return to activities that used to bring joy, such as drawing, playing an instrument, meeting friends, etc. Even a small change, such as rearranging and redecorating their room or study corner, or a family day trip, will help your child quickly get out of the post-exam confusion.

Finally , parents should avoid focusing too much on their children's results. Parents need to help their children understand that a person's value is not tied to their scores.

This awareness will help the whole family maintain mental stability in the long run, when a person's life has many steps and turning points that need to be conquered, exams are just one of the milestone challenges in the child's journey to adulthood.

Why might students feel depressed after exams?

The phenomenon of “post-exam depression” has long been recognized by psychologists, but is not yet well understood by many students and parents. According to Ms. Lindsey Wright, there are many causes leading to this situation, specifically:

Cortisol Drop: During exam season, the body produces more cortisol, the stress hormone that helps us stay alert. When the pressure is gone, the sudden drop in cortisol can cause fatigue, sleep disturbances, and a feeling of emptiness.

Exhaustion from revision: Long hours of stressful studying and lack of sleep can leave students with no energy to enjoy the freedom and comfort after exams.

Worrying about the results: Many students fall into a state of confusion with a series of “what if” questions after completing the exam, they even torment themselves because of the mistakes they made in the exam, or compare themselves with other students. In particular, students who tend to be perfectionists often obsess over every small mistake, even though overall, they did very well on the test.

Peer pressure and social media: Even after exams are over, performance pressure is still present through conversations between friends or through posts on social media.

Identifying self-worth with academic achievement: Many students believe that their academic scores are a measure of their self-worth. This mentality makes many students feel that their value at school or in their family is tied to their scores.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/ly-do-nhieu-hoc-sinh-bi-khung-hoang-sau-ky-thi-20250709102519204.htm