If I say an average Indian is stressed, I'm sure most of you will agree. And here we're discussing the stress levels of students and parents. Though it's a global phenomenon, things are much worse in India. And a study revealed that India has the highest rate of suicides in the age group of 15 and 29. Yes, the years when students begin to specialize in their field of study and begin to build a career for themselves. After consulting students, and I am in a trade where I get to meet many students every day, the reasons which got highlighted were fear of exams, fear of failure, peer pressure, uncertainty about future, etc. And this fear doesn't come from schools alone, but also from parents, friends, relatives, and even neighbors. And we must do something about it. So today's podcast is actually about how to bust this stress. I'm on a mission to coach and mentor 100,000 high school students and help them realize their dream of studying in the best universities of the world and build happy careers for themselves. But these happy careers are not possible until and unless we give a stress-free environment to our kids. And the worst part is pressure coming from parents. A child can't relax at home as parents themselves are a cause of stress, though unknowingly. Because nobody can doubt the intention of parents that they want good for their kids, well-being for the kids. And under this noble gesture, they unknowingly invite stress for their child. And as we all know, that under the Indian education system, a student must score well to progress in life. And to paint a perfect picture for the future. The parents force their kids to study all the time. They cut down their playing time, internet, television time, and forget that these are stress busters too for the kids. And the fear of failure can be seen on parents' face. And the children, they also try to do their best to fulfill the wishes of their parents. And on failure to do it, they become loners and sometimes attempt suicide. So today I don't want to wish to discuss the causes of stress because somewhere we all know about it, but the ways to overcome them. So I believe all of you are ready to note them down. So let's get started. And if you need to pause the podcast to note down, please do that. Now let's talk about suggestions. One can say that we must understand that a failure in exam is not the end of life. And human beings deal with failure in professional life too. So why such a human cry on failure in exams? As parents, we can understand that all our decisions in life might not be correct. We might have faced failures in our professional decisions in our daily lives too. But then we correct them. We move ahead. So let's have that flexibility for the kids too. Parents should be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the children. And if not, meeting a psychologist or a career counselor is actually a good idea. Don't underestimate their intelligence, their capability. Because many a times it's seen that people actually hesitate to meet a career counselor and instead prefer talking to their relatives and friends, which actually undermines the capability of the kid, and they are not able to judge them properly. So do not shy away from it. And of course, these people can actually suggest the right streams or careers. Then, thirdly, parents should aim at helping their children choose the right career. Do not force them into a career of their personal choice. This kind of support also leads to reduction of stress. Because I've seen in our country, many a times people feel while selecting a stream in 11th, they force the kid to choose science. And why science? And for that, they give the reason that okay, after doing sciences, you can switch on to any career if you can't cope up with it. And that's a bad idea because you are actually, you know, putting your kids to stress for the next two years. And when the child breaks down, then you try to change the stream. So that expertise is lost. Then coming on to the next point, a student's time should be well balanced. Now there should be proper allocation of time for studies, health, and entertainment. Guide them to do it, make them understand how to manage time. Because this activity or this knowledge will help them throughout their life. And a student should be well motivated. Parents should be inspirational for them. The environment at home should be such that a student can look up to parents during stress. Then we all say a healthy body is a healthy mind. So exercise regularly. It will keep you de-stressed. Going out for a walk, meditation, or yoga could be a great option. And then lastly, it is said music is a great stress buster. And if you agree, then go for it and enjoy. Music can actually bring peace to your mind. So I believe you'll keep all these suggestions in mind. And I hope you find this podcast useful. If yes, please subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify, and Google Podcasts to get notified. All my podcasts are around 10 to 15 minutes, so they are short and crisp. Please share a five-star review. And if you are part of my community, please share a learning space. If you wish to reach out to me, I'm Kapil Gupta, a study abroad expert. Enjoy my career advisor hub on Facebook and Instagram channel. Until the next episode, cheers, God bless, keep inspiring.