Help Your Child with Test Anxiety
WHAT’S UP: If you’ve tried telling your child to take deep breaths when they feel anxious or have a meltdown and they go ‘Tried it…doesn’t work’, this workshop is for you. It’s for parents who want to learn 7 test anxiety relief techniques that work.
WHY DOESN'T TAKING DEEP BREATHS ALWAYS WORK FOR TEST ANXIETY?
Taking deep breaths can sometimes actually make someone feel worse if they are experiencing anxiety, stress or panic levels that are above a certain threshhold.
Our stress response can kick in when we think about a test or exam, let alone sit a test or exam. Left to it’s own devices, this can cause self-sabotaging behaviors (avoiding tasks that move us forward). These self-sabotaging behaviors are held in place by:
- negative thoughts (‘I’m stupid’, ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘I can’t do it’)
- negative emotions (overwhelm, anxiety, worry, dread, self doubt, etc)
- unpleasant physical sensations (heart racing, stress-related stomach/lower back pains, tension headaches in exam season, etc).
For example, if your child has developed a coping strategy of turning to their phone as a way of relaxing, which is a form of numbing out, taking deep breaths when anxious can trigger overwhelming levels of feelings and body sensations that they’ve been avoiding.
That’s why I recommend body-based relaxation techniques instead as a starting point. They are safer ‘way in’. And I have yet to teach a student (Elementary School, Middle/High School, or Undergrad level) who hasn’t found one that works for their Test Anxiety in all the years I’ve been doing this work.
HELP YOUR CHILD WITH Test ANXIETY
Join my workshop for parents to learn a range of body-based relaxation techniques that I have found to be more effective than saying ‘take deep breaths’ to help your child with test anxiety.
WHAT: Online event on Zoom to learn a wide range of body-based relaxation techniques that work for helping a child deal with test anxiety or panicky feelings/meltdowns when they need to study for a test or exam.
FOR WHO: Parents who want to learn practical strategies that work for learners of all ages experiencing Test Anxiety at all levels (grade school to university level learners).
REGISTRATION CLOSED.
To request to be added to the wait list for future events like this get in touch at eleni@elenivardaki.com
NEW TO EFT for ACADEMICS & STRESS?
EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. Also known as ‘Tapping’ or just ‘EFT’, EFT Tapping is a collection of stress management techniques.
The 300+ published journal articles show EFT Tapping is consistently successful in positively affecting a range of biochemistry in the body. Examples include: improved cortisol, brain activity, and even DNA expression.
KEY BOOKS AND EFT RESEARCH PAPERS
Want to read up on the evidence base for the effectiveness of EFT/Tapping for student well-being and academic performance? Check out this bibliography of research papers and books.
Books
Stapleton, P. (2019) The Science Behind EFT: A Proven Stress Management Technique for Mind and Body.
Stapleton, P. (2023) Memory Improvement Through EFT Tapping: A Way to Boost Recall and Clarity.
Research papers
Aremu, A. O., & Taiwo, A. K. (2014). “Reducing Mathematics Anxiety Among Students with Pseudo-Dyscalculia in Ibadan through Numerical Cognition and Emotional Freedom Techniques: Moderating Effect of Mathematics Efficacy.” African Journal for the Psychological Studies of Social Issues, 17(1), 113–129.
Benor, D. J., Ledger, K., Toussaint, L., Hett, G., & Zaccaro, D. (2009). “Pilot study of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Wholistic Hybrid derived from EMDR and EFT (WHEE) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for treatment of test anxiety in university students” Explore, 5(6). Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Boath, E. Stewart, A. Carryer, A. (2013). “Is Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Generalizable? Comparing Effects in Sport Science Students Versus Complementary Therapy Students.” Energy Psychology Journal, 5(2). doi 10.9769.EPJ.2013.5.2.EB.AC.AS.SU
Boath, E., Stewart, A., Carryer, A. (2013). “Tapping for Success: A Pilot Study to Explore if Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Can Reduce Anxiety and Enhance Academic Performance in University Students.” Innovative Practice in Higher Education, 1(3).
Gaesser, A. H., & Karan, O. C. (2017). “A Randomized Controlled Comparison of Emotional Freedom Technique and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Adolescent Anxiety: A Pilot Study.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(2), 102-108. Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. doi:10.1089/acm.2015.0316
Gaesser, A. H. (2014). “Interventions to Reduce Anxiety for Gifted Children and Adolescents.” Doctoral Dissertations, 377. Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. http://digitalcommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/377
Jain, S., & Rubino, A. (2012). “The Effectiveness of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for Optimal Test Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, & Treatment, 4(2), 13-24. Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. doi:10.9769.EPJ. 2012.4.2.SJ
Lambert, M. T., Smith, S. E.; Moss, S., Kirshbaum, M. N. (2022) “Emotional Freedom Techniques (Tapping) to Improve Wellbeing and Reduce Anxiety in Primary Classrooms”, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 7 (3). https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol47/iss3/5/
Sezgin, N., & Özcan, B. (2009). “The Effect of Progressive Muscular Relaxation and Emotional Freedom Techniques on Test Anxiety in High School Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 1(1), 23-30. Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Sezgin, N., Ozcan, B., Church, D., (2009). “The Effect of Two Psychophysiological Techniques (Progressive Muscular Relaxation and Emotional Freedom Techniques) On Test Anxiety in High School Students: A Randomized Blind Controlled Study.” International Journal of Healing and Caring, 9(1). Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Stapleton, P., Mackay, E., Chatwin, H., Murphy, D., Porter, B., Thibault, S. Pidgeon, A. (2017). “Effectiveness of a School-based Emotional Freedom Techniques Intervention for Promoting Student Wellbeing.” Adolescent Psychiatry, 7(2), 112-126. Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.
Dawson, et al (2018), “Is Tapping on acupuncture points an active ingredient in Emotional Freedom Techniques? A systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies”, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Vol 206.
Bach, et al (2019), “Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) improves multiple physiological markers of health”, Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, Vol 24
Church, et al (2012) “The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on
Stress Biochemistry: A Randomized Controlled Trial”, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, Vol 200
Stapleton, et al (2020) “Reexamining the Effect of Emotional Freedom
Techniques on Stress Biochemistry: A Randomized Controlled Trial”, Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy
Stapleton, et al (2018) “An Initial Investigation of Neural Changes in Overweight Adults with Food Cravings after Emotional Freedom Techniques”, OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine Journal, Vol 3.
Stapleton, et al (2022) “Neural changes after Emotional Freedom Techniques treatment for chronic pain sufferers”, Journal of Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, Vol 49
Wittfoth, et al (2022) “Bifocal emotion regulation through acupoint tapping in fear of flying”, Journal of NeuroImage: Clinical, Vol 34
Wittfoth, et al (2020) “Emotion regulation through bifocal processing of fear inducing and disgust inducing stimuli”, BMC Neuroscience Journal, Vol 21.
Maharaj, M. (2016) “Differential gene expression after Emotional
Freedom Techniques (EFT) treatment: A novel pilot protocol for salivary mRNA assessment”, Energy Psychology, Vol 8.
Church, et al (2018) “Epigenetic effects of PTSD remediation in veterans using Clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques: A randomized controlled pilot study”, American Journal of Health Promotion, Vol 32.
1:1 EFT Tapping sessions with Eleni
- “Panic Attacks in School Tests” (middle school)
- “Panic Attacks in Tests and Exams” (high school)
- “Final Exam Stress: Tapping into Confidence” (university/college)
- “Tapping Away Exam Stress & Procrastination” (professional exam)
MEET ELENI
Eleni Vardaki is a certified and accredited Advanced EFT Practitioner (Level 3) with EFT International, one of the world’s leading EFT Tapping trainers. She works with individuals, schools, and universities. Her therapeutic coaching and training services support the well-being of kids, teens, and adults. To book an obligation-free introductory meeting to see if it’s a match: eleni@elenivardaki.com
